Be Smart
Theory vs Hypothesis vs Law
Some people try to attack things like evolution by natural selection and man-made climate change by saying "Oh, that's just a THEORY!" Yes, they are both theories. Stop saying it like it's a bad thing! It's time we learn the difference...
Be Smart
Inside an ICE CAVE! - Nature's Most Beautiful Blue
Where do glaciers and icebergs get their beautiful blue color? This unique blue might be nature's most brilliant, and the color arises in a very special way thanks to some surprising interactions between light and water molecules. Who...
Be Smart
The Largest River On Earth Is In The Sky
What's the largest river on Earth? If you said "the Amazon".... you're only half right. Scientists have discovered an even bigger river in South America, and it's in the sky above the Amazon rainforest. Turns out, this sky river is the...
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...
Be Smart
A Slice of Pizza Science!
How does math keep a folded slice from drooping? And what does pizza have to do with the speed of light?
Be Smart
The Only Animal That Weeps
Why do we cry? It's weird. Humans leak water out of their faces when they get sad. Are we the only animals that do this? What does it mean? What is it for? Here's the science of human tears!
Be Smart
How Atom Bombs Can Uncover Forged Art
It's been estimated that 1 in 10 works of fine art are forged or misattributed. The truth is, no one really knows how much fake art is out there, because many art counterfeiters are so skilled that their paintings are almost...
Be Smart
Where Do Teeth Come From?
Teeth. We've all got 'em (most of us, anyway). But how do they grow? Teeth are made from some biological nanotechnology that will blow your mind. They are strong enough to last hundreds of millions of years. Oh, and if you've ever...
Be Smart
Electric Buzzaloo: How Bees See the Invisible
Bees are amazing social insects, and their relationship with flowers is one of nature's coolest examples of "mutualism". It got me wondering: How do bees see the world? Enjoy this look at how bees see in ultraviolet and even sense...
Be Smart
Why People Don't Believe In Climate Science
Scientists overwhelmingly agree that our climate is changing, Earth is getting warmer, sea levels are rising, and it's primarily because of humans putting lots of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Yet 4 in 10 Americans aren't convinced....
Be Smart
What Do Raindrops Really Look Like?
What do raindrops look like? Exactly how we drew them as kids, right? Wrong! Teardrop-shaped rain is physically impossible. This week I went inside a vertical wind tunnel to bring you the true shape of rain.
Be Smart
97% of Climate Scientists Really Do Agree
Do 97% of climate scientists really agree that humans are the main cause of climate change? Yep! Here's what the 97 percent statistic *really* means.
Be Smart
Why Do You Love Your Family?
Why do we love people we're related to? Compared to strangers, why do we feel such a deep sense of connection with our family members? Sure, they're nice to us, we take care of each other, and we often live with them, but there has to be...
Be Smart
Is Space A Thing?
Since the days of Ancient Greece, philosophers and scientists have been wondering: What is space? Is the absence of things.... a thing? These questions continued to fascinate physicists in the modern era, leading Isaac Newton, Ernst...
Be Smart
Why Do Men Have Nipples? - 12 Days of Evolution #7
Some of the biggest evolution questions finally answered.
Be Smart
How Ingenious Animals Have Engineered Air Conditioning
Are humans nature's greatest architects? When we look elsewhere in nature, we find some pretty amazing animal architects. Species like ants, termites, prairie dogs, birds, and more have engineered some incredible structures. This week we...
Be Smart
Why Are Cicadas So Good At Math?
Do periodical cicadas "know" how to calculate prime numbers? One of the strangest life cycles in all of biology, explained!
Be Smart
The Science of Kissing
When you really think about it, kissing is an odd human behavior. You know, all the rubbing of our faces all over each other. So there must be a good reason why we do it, right? From motherly comforts to testing the genetic compatibility...
Be Smart
Amazing Animal Superpowers
Evolution has come up with some pretty amazing ways to get things done when it comes to animals, plants and microbes. From radiation-resistant bacteria (like Dr. Manhattan) to geckos who climb glass using atomic adhesion (like Spider...
Be Smart
How Baby Sea Turtles Find Their Way Home
Find out how baby sea turtles find their way home after hatching!
Be Smart
Why Do We Itch?
It's one of the most annoying sensations our bodies can feel, but does anything feel better than when you scratch an itch? Ok, maybe *some* things. But itching and scratching are up there. How does this weird sensation work? And what is...
Be Smart
It's Okay to Fart
Farting is hilarious and gross and everyone is doing it so why can't we talk about the science of it?! Flatulence, passing gas, cutting the cheese, toots.... whatever you call it, it's natural and here's how it works.