Why do we cry? The three types of tears
AdultsBiologyHumanScience...Whether we cry during a sad movie, while chopping onions, or completely involuntarily, our eyes are constantly producing tears. Alex Gendler tracks a particularly watery day in the life of Iris (the iris) as she cycles through basal, reflex and emotional tears.
Dead stuff: The secret ingredient in our food chain
AdultsEcologyFoodScience...When you picture the lowest levels of the food chain, you might imagine herbivores happily munching on lush, living green plants. But this idyllic image leaves out a huge (and slightly less appetizing) source of nourishment: dead stuff. John C. Moore details the "brown food chain," explaining how such unlikely delicacies as pond scum and animal poop contribute enormous amounts of energy to our ecosystems.
Chris Hadfield: What I learned from going blind in space
AdultsLifeSpaceScienceThere's an astronaut saying: In space, "there is no problem so bad that you can't make it worse." So how do you deal with the complexity, the sheer pressure, of dealing with dangerous and scary situations? Retired colonel Chris Hadfield paints a vivid portrait of how to be prepared for the worst in space (and life) -- and it starts with walking into a spider's web. Watch for a special space-y performance.
When Water Flows Uphill
AdultsPhysicsScienceCooking...In the Leidenfrost Effect, a water droplet will float on a layer of its own vapor if heated to certain temperature. This common cooking phenomenon takes center stage in a series of playful experiments by physicists at the University of Bath, who discovered new and fun means to manipulate the movement of water.
Amazing Water & Sound Experiment
AdultsPhysicsScienceExperiments...The effect that you are seeing can't be seen with the naked eye. The effect only works through the camera. However, there is a version of the project you can do where the effect would be visible with the naked eye.
Coke Can Getting Swallowed By Lava
AdultsEnvironmentNatureScience...This is what happens when a coke can meets some flowing lava.
What Causes Traffic Jams?
AdultsScienceTransportationAutomotiveIt's happened to all of us: we're cruising down the freeway and suddenly find ourselves stuck in a thick jam of other cars. Where did they come from? What caused the traffic mess? Scientific American editor Larry Greenemeier explains.
The Invisible Universe Of The Human Microbiome
AdultsBiologyHumanScience...The next time you look in a mirror, think about this: In many ways you're more microbe than human. There are 10 times more cells from microorganisms like bacteria and fungi in and on our bodies than there are human cells. But these tiny compatriots are invisible to the naked eye. So we asked artist Ben Arthur to give us a guided tour of the rich universe of the human microbiome.
These Japanese Scientists Discovered A Way To Levitate Objects Using Sound
AdultsScienceTechnologyPhysics...Droplets, pellets, a stick of wood, nuts, screws, diodes, if the object in question is small enough, than this machine can not only lift them into the air and hold it in place, but move them around on all three axes
300 Years of Fossil Fuels in 300 Seconds
AdultsGlobal WarmingHistoryEnvironment...Fossil fuels have powered human growth and ingenuity for centuries. Now that we're reaching the end of cheap and abundant oil and coal supplies, we're in for an exciting ride. While there's a real risk that we'll fall off a cliff, there's still time to control our transition to a post-carbon future.
Sulfur Hexafluoride Gas
AdultsScienceTechnologyChemistry...A model boat floating on sulfur hexafluoride (gas significantly denser than air) at the Physikshow of the University of Bonn!
Sail - Awolnation on Musical Tesla coil
AdultsMusicScienceTechnology...At Maker Faire KC 2013, playing "Sail" by Awolnation.