PBS
How Plate Tectonics Gave Us Seahorses
How did seahorses — one of the ocean’s worst swimmers — spread around the globe? And where did they come from in the first place?
PBS
When Mammals Only Went Out At Night
For decades, scientists believed dinosaurs were diurnal and tiny mammals were nocturnal. But as researchers have uncovered more mammalian fossils and studied the biology of different dinosaur species, they’ve found some surprising results.
PBS
When Antarctica Was Green
Before the start of the Eocene Epoch about 56 million years ago--Antarctica was still joined to both Australia and South America. And it turns out that a lot of what we recognize about the southern hemisphere can be traced back to that...
PBS
Nautiloids Thrived For 500 Million Years Until These Guys Showed Up
Around 30 million years ago, a new group of predators began to push nautiloids from their former global range into a single remaining refuge. But who were these predators?
PBS
How We Domesticated Cats (Twice)
A 9,500-year-old burial in Cyprus represents some of the oldest known evidence of human/cat companionships anywhere in the world. But when did this close relationship between humans and cats start? And how did humans help cats take over...
TED Talks
TED: Are we the last generation -- or the first sustainable one? | Hannah Ritchie
The word "sustainability" gets thrown around a lot these days. But what does it actually mean for humanity to be sustainable? Environmental data scientist Hannah Ritchie digs into the numbers behind human progress across centuries,...
SciShow
How the First Americans Got There
This week, researches published a genetic analysis of the 11,500-year-old remains of a baby found in Alaska, near where the first Americans crossed the Bering land bridge. That analysis has answered some lingering questions about human...
SciShow
Why Lizards Don't Run Marathons
Lizards tend to scurry around in short bursts rather than running long distances, and the reason why might be nearly as old as life on land. Hosted by: Stefan Chin
SciShow
Why Humans May Actually Be Fish
Is there a chance that more species may actually be closer to fish than we originally thought?
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Why do we have crooked teeth when our ancestors didn't? | G. Richard Scott
According to the fossil record, ancient humans usually had straight teeth, complete with wisdom teeth. In fact, the dental dilemmas that fuel the demand for braces and wisdom teeth extractions today appear to be recent developments. So,...
TED Talks
TED: 5 values for repairing the harms of colonialism | Jing Corpuz
Indigenous wisdom can help solve the planetary crises that colonialism started, says lawyer Jennifer "Jing" Corpuz. Her ancestors, the Kankanaey-Igorot people of the Philippines, are known for creating the Banaue Rice Terraces:...
SciShow
3 New Facts About Denisovans
Hank brings us some late-breaking news from the genus Homo - a team of scientists has sequenced the genome of the Denisova hominin, the latest member to be added to the human family tree.
TED Talks
TED: I believe we evolved from aquatic apes | Elaine Morgan
(NOTE: Statements in this talk have been challenged by scientists working in this field. Read "Criticisms & updates" below for more details.) Elaine Morgan was a tenacious proponent of a theory that is not widely accepted. The aquatic...
SciShow
Music in Your DNA and A New Species of Human?
Is musical ability genetic? And were there more species of ancient humans than we once thought? SciShow News investigates!
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Why do humans have a third eyelid? | Dorsa Amir
You know that little pink thing nestled in the corner of your eye? It's actually the remnant of a third eyelid. In humans, it's vestigial, meaning it no longer serves its original purpose. There are several other vestigial structures in...
TED Talks
TED: How to have a healthier, positive relationship to sex | Tiffany Kagure Mugo and Siphumeze Khundayi
* Viewer discretion advised. This video includes discussion of mature topics and may be inappropriate for some audiences. From our fear of women's bodies to our sheepishness around the word "nipple," our ideas about sex need an upgrade,...
SciShow
The Bizarre World of Living Color | Compilation
Nature is full of all kinds of beautiful color, and there is plenty of weird science there too! Here's a showcase of a few of our episodes all about coloration.
SciShow
Slowly Solving the Mystery of Turtle Origins
The origin story of turtles is a mystery that has perplexed many for centuries, but thanks to more recent studies, we might be one step closer to figuring out their lineage.
TED Talks
Brandon Clifford: Architectural secrets of the world's ancient wonders
How did ancient civilizations move massive stones to build Stonehenge, the Pyramids and the Easter Island statues? In this quick, delightful talk, TED Fellow Brandon Clifford reveals some architectural secrets of the past and shows how...
TED Talks
TED: How to win at evolution and survive a mass extinction | Lauren Sallan
Congratulations! By being here, alive, you are one of history's winners -- the culmination of a success story four billion years in the making. The other 99 percent of species who have ever lived on earth are dead -- killed by fire,...
SciShow
3 Weird Ways Olde Tyme People Got High
Humans have been processing plants for their narcotic effects for at least 5000 years, historically for ceremonial purposes, to deal with harsh environmental conditions or difficult situations, and sometimes even to supplement...
TED Talks
TED: The beauty and complexity of finding common ground | Matt Trombley
How can we disagree with one another, respectfully and productively? In this thoughtful talk, team builder Matt Trombley reflects on "agonism" -- the tendency to take a rigid stance on issues -- and shares why finding aspects of...
SciShow
Why Do Humans Have Butts?
If you've been wondering why we have butts, wonder no more! We have an answer for you.