SciShow
What's Your Cat Dreaming About?
If you've ever watched an animal sleep and wondered what they're dreaming about, science has the answers.
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: What's the smartest age? | Shannon Odell
Tomorrow is the annual Brain Clash — a decathlon of mental challenges, trivia competitions, and puzzles. Amir needs a smart and capable teammate and must choose between three people; all of different ages and talents. So, who should Amir...
SciShow
The Best Atomic Clock Ever Built?
Turns out, two atomic clocks are indeed better than one. And what role does sleep play in memory suppression?
SciShow
Getting Free Serotonin from Nature | Compilation
Serotonin is the chemical messenger we can thank for being related to feelings of happiness, and one of the ways you can produce this chemical is to turn to our old friend nature! So maybe a visit to the dog park really can make you feel...
SciShow
The Human Neocortex Isn’t as Special as We Thought
For a long time, scientists considered the neocortex the brainiest part of the human brain – an obvious candidate for the thing that makes us unique. But in some ways, it’s not that different from other mammals’ brains. So researchers...
SciShow
From Showers to Sleep: Science Hacks for Your Everyday Life
From calories to sleep, there always seems to be something we're not doing right. Luckily scientists have looked into this and come up with some helpful advice to keep us happy and healthy.
Be Smart
Why Do We Have to Sleep
Why do we sleep? We spend a third of our lives in slumber, but science has yet to determine exactly why we have do it. Here's a look at how sleep works, why we're not getting enough sleep, what happens if you DON'T sleep, and an idea...
SciShow
Animal Personalities Are More Like Ours Than You Might Think
If you’ve ever been around animals, you know they can have different personalities, but there’s one trait that scientists used to believe was uniquely human.
SciShow
Houseplants Can (Probably) Make You Happier
Houseplants are great for decoration and cute Instagram pictures - plus they make for pretty chill roommates. As if that wasn’t enough, there is actually some evidence that houseplants can also be good for your mental health.
SciShow
Remote Control Brain Receptors
We have a powerful way to study how brains work thanks to a relatively new technology called chemogenetics. With chemogenetics, scientists can give an injection to mice that turns specific parts of their brains on or off!
SciShow
The Science of Sleep
If you celebrate American Thanksgiving, odds are you're full of food and pretty sleepy right about now. While you drift off for a post-feast nap, enjoy this compilation of episodes covering all kinds of different sleepy, science-y topics!
SciShow
Your Brain and Stress | Compilation
Stress and anxiety are complex, and the brain chemistry involved in those experiences are no exception. Here we explore the chemicals responsible for your brain’s response to stress.
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The surprising link between stress and memory - Elizabeth Cox
You spend weeks studying for an important test. On the big day, you wait nervously as your teacher hands it out. You're working your way through, when you're asked to define "ataraxia." You know you've seen the word before, but your mind...
SciShow
Sleep: Why We Need It and What Happens Without It
What happens when you don't sleep? And why do we need to do it anyways? Hank explains the science of sleep: the cause, the benefits, and who holds the record for going without it!
TED Talks
TED: The surprising science of happiness | Dan Gilbert
Dan Gilbert, author of "Stumbling on Happiness," challenges the idea that we'll be miserable if we don't get what we want. Our "psychological immune system" lets us feel truly happy even when things don't go as planned.
TED Talks
Beau Lotto and Cirque du Soleil: How we experience awe -- and why it matters
Neuroscientist Beau Lotto conducted an ambitious study with Cirque du Soleil on the emotion of awe and its psychological and behavioral benefits. In this talk and live performance, he shares some of their findings -- and stands back as...
SciShow
Dinosaurs Had a Bloodsucking Enemy
This week, scientists revealed a sample of amber containing an extinct tick that fed on dinosaurs. Unfortunately, we can't take a blood sample from it and make Jurassic Park a reality, but it can still tell us a lot about how dinosaurs...
SciShow
Why Doesn't It Get Dark When You Blink?
Normally when you blink, you don’t really notice, and it turns out your brain is playing a bit of a trick on you to make that happen!
SciShow
How Our Brains Learn Consciousness
Neuroscience is abound with debates over the nature of consciousness. Which makes sense, because it’s a very abstract idea. We know we are conscious, but theories of why, how and what brain activity causes it are still simply that:...
SciShow
Why Is It So Hard to Let Go of Grudges?
We all have some displeasing memories from the past that still make our blood boil. Why are those grudges so hard to let go of?
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: What causes sleepwalking? | Emmanuel During
Mumbling fantastical gibberish; devouring blocks of cheese in the nude; peeing in places that aren't toilets; and jumping out of windows. These are all things people have reportedly done while sleepwalking, a behavior that can be...
SciShow
Why Do You Stick Out Your Tongue When You Concentrate?
Have you ever done something that required a ton of concentration, like threading a needle, and noticed that sometimes your tongue pokes out involuntarily? It turns out this reflex could be a leftover from the evolution of human language!
SciShow
Your Brain’s Secret to Freestyling
Ever wonder how that guitarist nailed that solo or how your favorite rapper can roll out so many lyrics while making it look easy? Beside lots of practice, your brain has a few tricks.
SciShow
The Stroop Task: The Psych Test You Cannot Beat
The task sounds like it should be pretty easy, but the Stroop task is a fantastic, and very well studied, example of how your brain’s automatic processing can trip you up!