How Many Heartbeats Do We Get?
AdultsBiologyLife...Ever wonder how the heart symbol came to stand for the actual heart? And why do we speak of the heart as the seat of love, when love really happens in our brains? Is it true that animals only get a billion heartbeats? This week, we give you enough cool cardiac science to make your heart skip a beat.
How tsunamis work - Alex Gendler
AdultsNatureWorldThe immense swell of a tsunami can grow up to 100 feet, hitting speeds over 500 mph -- a treacherous combination for anyone or anything in its path. Alex Gendler details the causes of these towering terrors and explains how scientists are seeking to reduce their destruction in the future.
Exploring other dimensions - Alex Rosenthal and George Zaidan
AdultsPhysicsScienceImagine a two-dimensional world -- you, your friends, everything is 2D. In his 1884 novella, Edwin Abbott invented this world and called it Flatland. Alex Rosenthal and George Zaidan take the premise of Flatland one dimension further, imploring us to consider how we would see dimensions different from our own and why the exploration just may be worth it.
What is Deja Vu?!
AdultsMental HealthScienceMost of us have felt it before, that strange sensation that you've been somewhere or seen something before, as if you already remembered what's happening. Are you psychic? Nope, that's just deja vu. Why does deja vu happen? Well, scientists aren't completely sure, but they've got a few good theories about it.
GoPro: Synchronized Skydive in Dubai
AdultsCreativityFilm...Aleksander and Mikhael skydive over Dubai in a mesmerizing routine over the iconic Palm Islands.
How languages evolve - Alex Gendler
AdultsHistoryLanguageOver the course of human history, thousands of languages have developed from what was once a much smaller number. How did we end up with so many? And how do we keep track of them all? Alex Gendler explains how linguists group languages into language families, demonstrating how these linguistic trees give us crucial insights into the past.
Project Loon - Google's Internet Balloons - Future Thinking - Head Squeeze
AdultsInternet CulturePhysics...We are becoming increasingly more dependent on the internet to help run our lives. But much of the planet is outside the web, zones that are without web coverage. Ordinarily, this is more of a nuisance than a calamity. But in the aftermath of disasters, restoring internet coverage can be the difference between life and death.
Lego-style apartment transforms into infinite spaces
AdultsConstructionCreativityWhen Christian Schallert isn't cooking, dressing, sleeping or eating, his 24 square meter (258 square feet) apartment looks like an empty cube. To use a piece of furniture, he has to build it.
How folding paper can get you to the moon - Adrian Paenza
AdultsMathSpaceCan folding a piece of paper 45 times get you to the moon? By seeing what happens when folding just one piece of paper, we see the unbelievable potential of exponential growth. This lesson will leave you wanting to grab a piece of paper to see how many times you can fold it!
The fundamentals of space-time: Part 2 - Andrew Pontzen and Tom Whyntie
AdultsMathPhysicsLight always travels at a speed of 299,792,458 meters per second. But if you're in motion too, you're going to perceive it as traveling even faster -- which isn't possible! In this second installment of a three-part series on space-time, CERN scientists Andrew Pontzen and Tom Whyntie use a space-time diagram to analyze the sometimes confounding motion of light.
5 Weird Involuntary Behaviors Explained!
AdultsPsychologySocietyOur bodies do a lot of weird things, and many of them are completely involuntary. Why do we often jerk our bodies awake right before falling asleep? Why do we yawn, or hiccup? Why do some people sneeze when they look at the sun? And why does your eye twitch? This week we'll look at the science behind these crazy involuntary behaviors!
The science of stage fright (and how to overcome it)
AdultsBiologyPsychologyHeart racing, palms sweating, labored breathing? No, you're not having a heart attack -- it's stage fright! If speaking in public makes you feel like you're fighting for your life, you're not alone. But the better you understand your body's reaction, the more likely you are to overcome it. Mikael Cho advises how to trick your brain and steal the show.
Deep ocean mysteries and wonders
AdultsEcologyEnvironment...In the deepest, darkest parts of the oceans are ecosystems with more diversity than a tropical rainforest. Taking us on a voyage into the ocean -- from the deepest trenches to the remains of the Titanic -- marine biologist David Gallo explores the wonder and beauty of marine life.