SciShow
How Do We Know How Old the Earth Is?
In the wake of World War 2, Clair Patterson embarked on a scientific quest to find out how old the Earth really is. His hard work paid off, but it also revealed a modern danger.
SciShow
This Crystal Is ELECTRIC
There's a few minerals that exhibit something called piezoelectricity and pyroelectricity, which mean that either heat or pressure can turn them electric. Here's a demo from the SciShow Rocks Box where you can see this for yourself - all...
SciShow
We Finally Made Synthetic Spider Silk
The ability to produce synthetic spider silk would give us bulletproof vests better than Kevlar, biocompatible sutures and wound dressings, and even space elevators. The problem is being able to make it in large amounts. One group may...
SciShow
Why Do We Rhyme?
Rhymes might seem frivolous, but there's scientific evidence for why we like them so much.
SciShow
Why Can’t We Have Unicorns?
Unicorns may be mythical creatures, but they're very plausible-seeming ones. So why hasn't evolution gifted us with magical horses with horns? Let's take a look at the genetics and developmental biology of headgear in ruminants and other...
SciShow
Did Dinosaurs Have Belly Buttons?
Belly buttons are, typically, a human's first scar. A sign that you used to feed through an umbilical cord that connected your tummy to a placenta. But it turns out you don't have to feed from a placenta to get a similar scar. It might...
SciShow
The Universe Runs on Vibes
As much as we like to talk about vibes, actual vibrations underlie pretty much everything about the universe. From the patterns of galaxies created by the Big Bang to the existence of subatomic particles, here's how the universe runs on...
SciShow
Animals Have Nepo Babies Too
Trust funds aren't just for humans. Animals pass on generational wealth too, meaning even the animal kingdom isn't free of nepo babies.
SciShow
Mercury Shouldn't Be Liquid. But It Is.
Mercury, a.k.a. quicksilver, is famous for being a liquid at room temperature...and also below room temperature. But you can't use a high school chem class to explain why. Instead, we need a little help from Einstein.
SciShow
The Earthquake That Lasted Two Centuries
From an Australian fire that's been continually burning for millennia, to earthquakes that shake the ground for centuries, here are four natural disasters that lasted way longer than you might have expected.
SciShow
The Best Fonts, According to Science
We all know our favorite fonts, but did you ever think about why some fonts are just clearer than others? Well there's a surprising amount of research into just what makes certain fonts better, and there's a case to be made for that...
SciShow
Why the Oldest Fish in the World Lives in a Desert
The longest-living group of freshwater fish has been discovered... in a desert. Thanks to humans stocking artificial lakes, and to some awesome citizen scientists, we've learned that buffalofish can easily live to a hundred years old.
SciShow
The Zombie Planet at the Center of the Earth
For years, geologists have been searching for an explanation for two strange blobs of Earth's mantle that are denser than the rest. It turns out, they may not be original parts of Earth at all.
SciShow
Why Can't I Use My Laptop Outside?
Why can't laptop screens be viewed outside like e-readers can? It turns out, they use very different technology. But engineers are working on closing the gap.
SciShow
Can Cats Live Twice As Long?
In a viral story, one researcher claims to be able to double the lifespan of our feline friends by curing chronic kidney disease. We don't know if he can make cats live twice as long, but we do know the science - and the upcoming...
SciShow
How We Make Glass Nearly Unbreakable … With Science
We know that glass is fragile - that's like, it's main thing. But research is working on improving how we make glass to make it unbreakable, or at least as close as we can get. Here's the latest on how to make truly shatterproof glass!
SciShow
The Hallucinogenic Fungi That May Treat Alzheimer’s
If you've ever heard of ergot fungi, you've likely heard of the nasty side effects of eating them, including convulsions and hallucinations. But like many a toxic substance, scientists have figured out ways to use ergot for good....
SciShow
Your Best Friend Probably Smells Like You
The microbes that crawl all over us give us our unique scents. And research shows that not only do we prefer our own, but we tend to choose friends with a similar smell.
SciShow
Glenn Seaborg: Shaking Up the Periodic Table
Hank synopsizes the life and work of Glenn Seaborg, pioneer of synthetic elements, member of the Manhattan Project, and the architect of the last great shake-up of the periodic table.
SciShow
Where Did the Moon Come From?
SciShow Space takes you to the moon! Learn about the competing theories about how Earth's closest neighbor formed.
SciShow
To Save Sinking Cities, Just Add Water
It's more than climate change putting coastal cities at risk of catastrophic flooding. Subsidence, or sinking, affects cities as they pump out groundwater to use. The solution might be as simple as putting it back.
SciShow
Should You Get Multiple Shots in the Same Arm?
When you get two doses of a vaccine, you might assume that it doesn't matter which arm gets the shots. But some evidence suggests that it does.
SciShow
The Rocky Road to the Most Powerful Rocket in History
In 2024, NASA plans to send the first humans to the Moon (well, around the Moon) in over 50 years ago. And in order to get the necessary oomph to hurl those astronauts over there, NASA will be using its most powerful rocket ever: the...
SciShow
The Rare Fossils We Find By The Thousands
Eurypterids are rare in the fossil record overall. But when we find these 400-million-year-old "sea scorpions," we find LOTS of them.