Louise Leakey asks, "Who are we?" The question takes her to the Rift Valley in Eastern Africa, where she digs for the evolutionary origins of humankind -- and suggests a stunning new vision of our competing ancestors.

How you respond after setbacks is what defines your character. Stacey Abrams was the first black woman in the history of the United States to be nominated by a major party for governor -- she lost that hotly contested race, but as she...

We've all had the experience: you're walking across a soft carpet, you reach for the doorknob and - ZAP. But what causes this trademark jolt of static electricity? Anuradha Bhagwat sheds light on the phenomenon by examining the nature of...

VELCRO® fasteners are pretty cool, but what would you think if the idea came from living things? Jessi and Squeaks talk about the sticky seeds that inspired them!

Where did all the lumps and bumps on buildings go? When did city architecture become so ... dull? Here to talk about why cities need inspiring architecture, designer Thomas Heatherwick offers a path out of the doldrums of urban monotony...

What do you think when you look at this speaker? Well, think again. (And then again.) In this funny, honest, empathetic talk, Yassmin Abdel-Magied challenges us to look beyond our initial perceptions, and to open doors to new ways of...

TOP 10 REASONS Why We Know the Earth is Round

I'm scared of spiders. I'm not afraid to admit it. I love them in a scientific sense, or from a "let me look at you from way over here" sense, but that's as close as I get. Here's a look at the science of why some of us are afraid of...

Can you ever travel from one place to another? Ancient Greek philosopher Zeno of Elea gave a convincing argument that all motion is impossible - but where's the flaw in his logic? Colm Kelleher illustrates how to resolve Zeno's Dichotomy...

Three Simple Ways to Time Travel

From skydiving to recess, parachutes are used for fun and safety. So how do parachutes work to slow down people in the sky, or make a fun bubble to play in? Join Squeaks and Jessi as they show you how forces allow parachutes to do their...

When trying to come up with a new idea, we all have times when we get stuck. But according to research by behavioral and learning scientist Marily Oppezzo, getting up and going for a walk might be all it takes to get your creative juices...

This week, Dr. Shini Somara goes toe to toe with Hank in a battle of wits about fluid dynamics and life in space.

Fossilized footprints have proved that human ancestors were already striding across the landscape 3.6 million years ago. But who started them on that path? What species pioneered this style of locomotion? Who was the first to walk?

Have you ever heard the phrase, 'You look like a Million Bucks?' Well, you do... but you also look like a million particles. In this episode, Sabrina talks to us about matter and particles and that all matter is made up of particles....

Arms and legs are pretty similar, from the amount of bones they have to the way their joints bend, but your legs have one thing your arms don't: kneecaps. Ever wonder why?

David Hanson's robot faces look and act like yours: They recognize and respond to emotion, and make expressions of their own. Here, an "emotional" live demo of the Einstein robot offers a peek at a future where robots truly mimic humans.

How does light speed up after leaving glass or water? What do light and the President of the United States have in common?

Frogs are really cool! They can jump high, swim fast, and their skin is super slimy! But frogs have some less-slimy, less-hoppy relatives that are just as cool: toads! Join Jessi and squeaks to learn the big and little differences...

Trees come from seeds, and birds come from eggs, but where does all the soil and dirt come from?



Second Grade Next Generation Science

Standards

Disc

iplinary Core Ideas:

ESS1.C: The History of...

Find out why these arachnids are among the least B of humanity's BFFs. Yeah, they're blood-sucking parasites, but that's not all of it!

Today roads, sidewalks, bridges, and skyscrapers are made of a material called concrete. There's three tons of it for every person on Earth. It's also played a surprisingly large role in rising global temperatures over the last century....

In a staggering display of creativity and community, theater director Amir Nizar Zuabi introduces "The Walk": a theatrical journey following a nine-year-old refugee girl named Amal (represented by a giant, lifelike puppet) as she makes...

For the last 50 years we've wondered whether plants can think... Haven't we?