Be Smart
Sonic the Hedgehog Is Why You Have Thumbs!
The human hand, with its multi-talented thumb, might be man's greatest tool. But did you know we can trace that thumb, and the hand and arm it's connected to, all the way back to a 375 million-year-old fish named Tiktaalik? This week I...
SciShow
The Protein That Switches on Puberty
Puberty is a wild time in human bodies, and so much goes on as they transform from a child to an adult. But it turns out, the whole process is controlled by a single protein - and it’s probably one you’ve never even heard of.
SciShow Kids
Odd Facts About Sloths
Sloths might be slow and spend much of their time sleeping, but they’re definitely not boring. Jessi shares three weird facts about sloths!
SciShow
Stardust Discovery, and 2 Planetary Conjunctions
SciShow Space shares the latest developments from around the universe, including news about the first material ever collected from outside the solar system, and a backyard astronomers’ guide to two upcoming planetary conjunctions.
TED Talks
TED: We can hack our immune cells to fight cancer | Elizabeth Wayne
After decades of research and billions spent in clinical trials, we still have a problem with cancer drug delivery, says biomedical engineer Elizabeth Wayne. Chemotherapy kills cancer -- but it kills the rest of your body, too. Instead...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: You are your microbes - Jessica Green and Karen Guillemin
From the microbes in our stomachs to the ones on our teeth, we are homes to millions of unique and diverse communities which help our bodies function. Jessica Green and Karen Guillemin emphasize the importance of understanding the many...
SciShow
Why Did The FDA Ban Antibacterial Soap?
Are you a bit of a germaphobe? Maybe think twice about using antibacterial soap.
Be Smart
Could You Be Immune To Everything?
Do you remember having a cold in 5th grade? Or the flu a couple years ago? Your immune system does. Our bodies hold many levels of immune defense. Millions of B cells and T cells and antibodies are constantly on patrol for germs and...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Why do animals have such different lifespans? - Joao Pedro de Magalhaes
For the microscopic lab worm C. elegans, life equates to just a few short weeks on Earth. The bowhead whale, on the other hand, can live over two hundred years. Why are these lifespans so different? And what does it really mean to 'age'...
SciShow
5 Animals With Superpowered Senses
From the ability to see “invisible” types of light to the power to taste all over their body, meet five incredible animals whose super senses far surpass our own! Chapters STAR-NOSED MOLES 3:04 HARBOR SEALS 4:56 CATFISH 6:49 BEARS 8:26
SciShow
Water Is WAY Weirder Than We Thought
Water is one of the most abundant and important substances on Earth, so you think we'd know everything there is to know about it. But it turns out water is way weirder, and it often behaves in ways that leave scientists with more...
TED Talks
Ananya Grover: A campaign for period positivity
Having your period is exhausting -- and for many people across the world, menstruation is even more challenging because of stigmas and difficulty getting basic hygiene supplies, says social activist Ananya Grover. In this uplifting,...
SciShow Kids
Why Do We Shiver?
Have you ever been so cold that your body shakes really fast? That’s called shivering, and Jessi and Squeaks are going to explain what causes it!
SciShow
Why Do Newborn Babies Get Jaundice?
Learn why jaundiced babies have yellowish skin and eyes for the first few days after they're born and how the ancient Greeks thought birds could help cure the affliction (spoiler: they were super wrong).
SciShow
These Mysterious Lakes Disappeared...and Came Back
Around the world, there are lakes that disappear without warning. Then, even stranger, they come back! This can happen for lots of different reasons, and the fact that they vanish and reappear reveals some surprising connections.
TED Talks
TED: Enough with the fear of fat | Kelli Jean Drinkwater
In a society obsessed with body image and marked by a fear of fat, Kelli Jean Drinkwater engages in radical body politics through art. She confronts the public's perception of bigger bodies by bringing them into spaces that were once off...
MinuteEarth
Why Are There Dangerous Ingredients in Vaccines
Want to learn more about the topic in this week's video? Here are some key words/phrases to get your googling started: -adjuvant: substance added to a vaccine to enhance the body's immune response and increase the vaccine's efficacy...
Be Smart
How Your Body Knows Left From Right
This is part 3 of 3 in my series about how our bodies evolved to look like they do.
TED Talks
Sarah Barmak: The uncomplicated truth about women's sexuality
Is women's sexuality more complicated than men's? Well, not really, no, says author Sarah Barmak. In this frank, eye-opening talk, she shows how a flawed understanding of the female body has shaped this discussion for centuries. She...
Curated Video
%$?# Allergies!
Springtime means the arrival of green grass, bright flowers, and buzzing bees. But for many of us, it's also about sneezing, watery red eyes, and a runny nose, thanks to allergies. In this week's video, you'll learn why we get allergies,...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How high altitude affects your body | Andrew Lovering
If you teleported from sea level to the top of Mount Everest, things would go bad fast. At an altitude of 8,848 meters, you would likely suffocate in minutes. However, for people that make this journey over the course of a month, it's...
SciShow
Carnivorous Sponges — So That's a Thing
There aren't many creatures as safe and chill as the humble sea sponge, right? Well, not so fast! It turns out there's a whole family of carnivorous sponges that trap and eat small animals using spines and migrating stomaches!
TED-Ed
The world's most painful insect sting | Justin Schmidt
One of these three creatures is thought to possess the world's most painful insect sting: there's an ant that forages in rainforest canopies, a bee that protects a hive of delectable honey, and a wasp that paralyzes tarantulas. So which...
Be Smart
Do Fish Pee?
You know you’ve wondered. Do fish actually pee? And what does that make the ocean… one big toilet?