Why don't perpetual motion machines ever work? - Netta Schramm
AdultsScienceTechnologyWork...Perpetual motion machines - devices that can do work indefinitely without any external energy source - have captured many inventors' imaginations because they could totally transform our relationship with energy. There's just one problem: they don't work. Why not? Netta Schramm describes the pitfalls of perpetual motion machines.
Four inventions that might change the world
AdultsCreativityFutureScience...Tiny lab-grown organs. A spongy cloth that absorbs oil spills. Sure, why not. These are some of the finalists for the European Inventor Award.
Moore's Law Is Ending... So, What's Next?
AdultsFutureSoftware EngineeringTechnology...Scientists are engineering a new, more efficient generation of computer chips by modeling them after the human brain.
Einstein's unique way of thinking contributed to his genius
AdultsPhysicsScienceRobbert Dijkgraaf is a theoretical physicist and Leon Levy Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. He is also the co-author of "The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge." In this video, he explains how Albert Einstein saw the world in a different way from how most scientists see it.
History's deadliest colors - J. V. Maranto
AdultsHistoryScienceArtWhen radium was first discovered, its luminous green color inspired people to add it into beauty products and jewelry. It wasn't until much later that we realized that radium's harmful effects outweighed its visual benefits. Unfortunately, radium isn't the only pigment that historically seemed harmless or useful but turned out to be deadly. J. V. Maranto details history's deadliest colors. Lesson by J. V. Maranto, animation by Juan M. Urbina.
Storing the Sun's Energy in Liquid Could Change Solar Forever
AdultsGlobal WarmingTechnologyScience...Researchers have just found two new ways to make solar power more efficient. Could this solve our energy crisis?
We Found Another State of Matter: The Supersolid!
AdultsScienceTechnologyPhysicsScientists have created, yet another state of matter called a supersolid! But what is it, and what does it do?
How does your body process medicine?
AdultsHealthHumanScienceHave you ever wondered what happens to a painkiller, like ibuprofen, after you swallow it? Medicine that slides down your throat can help treat a headache, a sore back, or a throbbing sprained ankle. But how does it get where it needs to go in the first place?
This incredible animation shows how deep the ocean really is
AdultsAnimalsNatureScience...Just how deep does the ocean go? Way further than you think. This animation puts the actual distance into perspective, showing a vast distance between the waves we see and the mysterious point we call Challenger Deep.
How does asthma work? - Christopher E. Gaw
AdultsHealthHumanScienceMore than 300 million people around the world suffer from asthma, and around 250,000 people die from it each year. But why do people get asthma, and how can this disease be deadly? Christopher E. Gaw describes the main symptoms and treatments of asthma.
Why Do We Cook?
AdultsFoodScienceSociety...Why do humans cook? Holidays are celebrated in many ways, but chances are they involve eating, and eating a LOT. Ever wonder why we cook our food? We do it because it tastes good, of course, and because our customs and traditions are built around it. But we also cook our food for some basic biological reasons, because of evolution. Some scientists think that figuring out how to cook actually MADE us human! If conversation gets a little dry around your holiday table, now you'll have some awesome science to share with everyone!
A Robot Just Performed the First-Ever Surgery Inside the Human Eye
AdultsHealthTechnologyScienceA surgeon uses controls to guide the robot.
What humans will look like in 1,000 years
AdultsFutureHumanScience...There will eventually be a day where prosthetics are no longer just for the disabled. However, it's not just our outside appearance that will change - our genes will also evolve on microscopic levels to aid our survival. For example, an Oxford-led study discovered a group of HIV-infected children in South Africa living healthy lives. It turns out, they have a built-in defense against HIV that prevents the virus from advancing to AIDS.
Oxygen's surprisingly complex journey through your body - Enda Butler
AdultsBiologyHumanScience...Oxygen forms about 21% of the air around us. In your body, oxygen forms a vital role in the production of energy in most cells. But if gases can only efficiently diffuse across tiny distances, how does oxygen reach the cells deep inside your body? Enda Butler tracks the surprisingly complex journey of oxygen through your body.
What is entropy? - Jeff Phillips
AdultsPhysicsScienceChemistryThere's a concept that's crucial to chemistry and physics. It helps explain why physical processes go one way and not the other: why ice melts, why cream spreads in coffee, why air leaks out of a punctured tire. It's entropy, and it's notoriously difficult to wrap our heads around. Jeff Phillips gives a crash course on entropy.