Be Smart
The Evolutionary Purpose of Fun
Animals as simple as bees and as complex as you and me… like to have fun. But what’s the point of fun? Do all animals have fun? And for that matter, what is fun?
SciShow
How Weed Works: THC
Hank explains the science behind the effects of that wackiest of weeds, cannabis sativa - aka marijuana.
TED Talks
TED: The truth about faking orgasms | Karen Gurney
Whose pleasure is prioritized during sex, and why? Psychosexologist Karen Gurney explains how a lack of equal pleasure in the bedroom actually reflects broader gender inequality in society -- and asks you to reconsider what dynamics are...
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
How Weed Works: THC
Hank explains the science behind the effects of that wackiest of weeds, cannabis sativa - aka marijuana.
TED Talks
TED: The lies we tell pregnant women | Sofia Jawed-Wessel
When we tell women that sex isn't worth the risk during pregnancy, what we're telling her is that her sexual pleasure doesn't matter ... that she in fact doesn't matter, says sex researcher Sofia Jawed-Wessel. In this eye-opening talk,...
TED Talks
Nancy Etcoff: Happiness and its surprises
Cognitive researcher Nancy Etcoff looks at happiness -- the ways we try to achieve and increase it, the way it's untethered to our real circumstances, and its surprising effect on our bodies.
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How do nerves work? - Elliot Krane
At any moment, there is an electrical storm coursing through your body. Discover how chemical reactions create an electric current that drives our responses to everything from hot pans to a mother's caress.
TED Talks
TED: The link between sex and imagination | Gina Gutierrez
Sex is as much mental as it is physical -- and imagination is the most powerful tool we have to expand our personal agency and capacity for pleasure, says sexual wellness storyteller Gina Gutierrez. The founder of audio-erotica company...
SciShow
Why Do Animals Have Sex for Pleasure?
Seeking pleasure comes naturally to us humans, and we experience it in various ways, including sex. But it turns out plenty of other organisms also seek out the feeling of sexual pleasure, even outside mating purposes.
SciShow
Why Our Brains Love Junk Food
Hank explains the scientific reasons behind why we humans generally prefer to eat donut hamburgers to carrots.
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Would you opt for a life with no pain? - Hayley Levitt and Bethany Rickwald
Imagine if you could plug your brain into a machine that would bring you ultimate pleasure for the rest of your life. The only catch? You have to permanently leave reality behind. Hayley Levitt and Bethany Rickwald explore Robert...
TED Talks
TED: My mother’s strange definition of empowerment | Khadija Gbla
Khadija Gbla grew up caught between two definitions of what it means to be an “empowered woman.” While her Sierra Leonean mother thought that circumsizing her — and thus stifling her sexual urges — was the ultimate form of empowerment,...
TED Talks
Tom Thum and Matthew Broadhurst: What happens in your throat when you beatbox?
Viral beatboxer Tom Thum has an orchestra in his mouth, but how does he make all those sounds? Get an up-close-and-personal look as laryngeal surgeon Matthew Broadhurst sticks a camera down Thum's throat while he creates a mind-boggling...
TED Talks
TED: The secret to desire in a long-term relationship | Esther Perel
In long-term relationships, we often expect our beloved to be both best friend and erotic partner. But as Esther Perel argues, good and committed sex draws on two conflicting needs: our need for security and our need for surprise. So how...
TED Talks
TED: What young women believe about their own sexual pleasure | Peggy Orenstein
Why do girls feel empowered to engage in sexual activity but not to enjoy it? For three years, author Peggy Orenstein interviewed girls ages 15 to 20 about their attitudes toward and experiences of sex. She discusses the pleasure that's...
TED Talks
Richard Seymour: How beauty feels
A story, a work of art, a face, a designed object -- how do we tell that something is beautiful? And why does it matter so much to us? Designer Richard Seymour explores our response to beauty and the surprising power of objects that...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: The pleasure of poetic pattern - David Silverstein
Humans are creatures of rhythm and repetition. From our breath to our gait: rhythm is central to our experience, and often brings us pleasure. We can find pleasure in the rhythm of a song, or even the rows of an orchard. Of course, too...
Crash Course
Utilitarianism: Crash Course Philosophy
Our next stop in our tour of the ethical lay of the land is utilitarianism. With a little help from Batman, Hank explains the principle of utility, and the difference between act and rule utilitarianism.
SciShow
The Chemistry of Addiction
Hank describes how our brains respond biochemically to various addictive substances and behaviors and where those responses have come from, evolutionarily speaking.
TED Talks
TED: What we don't teach kids about sex | Sue Jaye Johnson
As parents, it's our job to teach our kids about sex. But beyond "the talk," which covers biology and reproduction, there's so much more we can say about the human experience of being in our bodies. Introducing "The Talk 2.0," Sue Jaye...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How does alcohol make you drunk?
Ethanol: this molecule, made of little more than a few carbon atoms, is responsible for drunkenness. Often simply referred to as alcohol, ethanol is the active ingredient in alcoholic beverages. So how exactly does it cause drunkenness,...
SciShow
Why Do Some People Take More Risks?
You decide to do something dangerous or stupid, and somewhere in your mind you know it's risky, but you do it anyway. But why?
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Why should you read “Fahrenheit 451”? - Iseult Gillespie
Ray Bradbury’s novel imagines a world where books are banned- and possessing, let alone reading them, is forbidden.The protagonist, Montag, is a fireman responsible for destroying what remains. The story raises the question: how can you...