Be Smart
The Science of Iridescence
Why do we see rainbows in soap bubbles? What makes an oil slick so oddly beautiful? Iridescent colors, which transform depending on the angle you look at them, are all over nature. How does physics make these shifting rainbows? We’re...
Be Smart
The Unbelievable Science of How We Read
Reading. You’re doing it right now. I bet you don’t even have to think about it. But have you ever wondered what’s happening in your brain to turn all these weird symbols into meaning? This video will teach you how to read all over...
Be Smart
Can Illusions Teach Us How the Mind Works?
Optical illusions are fun, but they can also teach us a lot about how our brains work. In particular, how our brains accomplish the incredible feat of constructing a three-dimensional reality using nothing but 2-D images from our eyes. A...
SciShow
5 Times Scientists Were Very Wrong About New Discoveries, Because of Hope
Passionate scientists constantly have revolutionary ideas, but when they seem too good to be true, they usually are. Here are 5 instances where the scientist whiffed it.
SciShow
8 Mind-Blowing Optical Illusions
Your brain does its best to inform you about the world around you, but sometimes it gets tricked. Enjoy eight optical illusions to test your brain’s sensory input.
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How optical illusions trick your brain - Nathan S. Jacobs
Optical illusions are images that seem to trick our minds into seeing something different from what they actually are. But how do they work? Nathan S. Jacobs walks us through a few common optical illusions and explains what these tricks...
SciShow
5 Times Scientists Were Very Wrong About New Discoveries, Because of Hope
Passionate scientists constantly have revolutionary ideas, but when they seem too good to be true, they usually are.
SciShow
Studying the Brain with... Quantum Mechanics?
Quantum mechanics may not seem like it has anything to do with human psychology, but some psychologists are starting to borrow concepts from the field to help make human behavior more predictable.
SciShow
How Do Rainbows Form?
SciShow explains how three important ingredients -- sunlight, water, and you -- interact to create the illusion of a rainbow. The colorful details are inside!
SciShow
8 Mind-Blowing Optical Illusions
Your brain does its best to inform you about the world around you, but sometimes it gets tricked. Enjoy eight optical illusions to test your brain's sensory input.
Curated Video
What Do You See First?
What Do You See First? A fun visual quiz that reveals insights about your personality based on your first impression!
Curated Video
Circle in circle kinetic mechanism
This motion of Cardano's Hypocycloid mechanical model was described first by Nicolaus Copernicus. Consider two circles of radii R and R/2 with the smaller one rolling inside the bigger circle without slipping. Copernicus' Theorem states...
Curated Video
Do Only WEIRD People See Optical Illusions?
Seeing isn’t always believing. The Müller-Lyer illusion is such an example. This optical trick highlights how our brains can be shaped by the spaces we grow up in. But some people aren’t fooled at all, raising questions about how...
Curated Video
Refractive Index - Part 1 - The Reappearing Penny
As part of the “Picture Perfect Chemistry” celebration for National Chemistry Week 2024, Dr. Boyd “The Chemist” explains what the refractive index is, and then does a simple experiment to highlight the concept. This is the 1st in a...
Curated Video
Refractive Index - Part 2 - The Disappearing Beaker
As part of the “Picture Perfect Chemistry” celebration for National Chemistry Week 2024, Dr. Boyd “The Chemist” makes a beaker disappear! Follow along for the experiment and an explanation.
0:00 – Introduction
0:16 – What you need
0:26...
Curated Video
Refractive Index - Part 3 - The Reversing Arrow Trick
As part of the “Picture Perfect Chemistry” celebration for National Chemistry Week 2024, Dr. Boyd “The Chemist” explains and demonstrates the effect of the refractive index using a marker, paper, and water in a glass.
0:00 –...
Curated Video
Refractive Index - Part 4 - The Disappearing Penny Trick
As part of the “Picture Perfect Chemistry” celebration for National Chemistry Week 2024, Dr. Boyd “The Chemist” does a simple experiment to highlight the concept of refractive index. This is part 4 in the series
0:00 – Introduction
0:16...
Curated Video
How to Make a Silver Egg
When you hold the egg close to the flame, it gets covered in soot. Soot repels water, similar to oil. When we put our sooty egg in the water, it creates a small air bubble around it. This bubble reflects light, and makes the egg look...
Wonderscape
Eyes and Optical Illusions: The Science of Seeing
This video examines the retina's photoreceptors, rods and cones, and their roles in vision, particularly in color perception and low-light conditions. It also explores optical illusions, showing how the brain can be tricked by visual...
Learning Mole
How Does it Work? - Optical Illusions
This video is explaining how optical illusions work for kids.
Curated Video
Rods and Cones of the Eye
Rods and cones are the structures in our eyes that allow us to translate light into images and colors. Learn how these structures work and the role they play in optical illusions.
AllTime 10s
10 Puzzles That Cant Be Solved
Have an IQ of 160+? Fancy yourself as the next Albert Einstein? Well good for you, but you probably still won't be able to solve these puzzles!
Curated Video
Nairobi's new museum unveils mind-bending illusions with an African twist
Kenya's urban street artists have teamed up to add an African-inspired twist to east Africa's first museum of illusions in Nairobi.