Revolutionizing Heart Surgery With Virtual Reality
AdultsBiologyHealthTechnologyHave you ever wondered what it would be like to take a ride through the human body on the Magic School Bus? Well, a new bit of virtual reality technology is taking that concept and applying it to medical training. Doctors can now teleport inside the human heart and practice surgery over and over again, and this training could revolutionize the future of health care.
What can you learn from ancient skeletons? - Farnaz Khatibi
AdultsHistoryHumanScience...Ancient skeletons can tell us a great deal about the past, including the age, gender and even the social status of its former owner. But how can we know all of these details simply by examining some old, soil-caked bones? Farnaz Khatibi examines a fascinating branch of science known as biological anthropology.
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.
Why are sloths so slow? - Kenny Coogan
AdultsAnimalsNatureBiologySloths spend most of their time eating, resting, or sleeping; in fact, they descend from their treetops canopies just once a week, for a bathroom break. How are these creatures so low energy? Kenny Coogan describes the physical and behavioural adaptations that allow sloths to be so slow.
Why do animals have such different lifespans? - Joao Pedro de Magalhaes
AdultsAnimalsLifeNature...For the microscopic lab worm C. elegans, life equates to just a few short weeks on Earth. The bowhead whale, on the other hand, can live over two hundred years. Why are these lifespans so different? And what does it really mean to 'age' anyway? Joao Pedro de Magalhaes explains why the pace of aging varies greatly across animals.
The three different ways mammals give birth - Kate Slabosky
AdultsAnimalsNatureBiology...All mammals share certain characteristics, like warm blood and backbones. But despite their similarities, these creatures also have many biological differences - and one of the most remarkable differences is how they give birth. Kate Slabosky details the placental, marsupial, and monotreme methods of giving birth.
Why Some People Don't Feel Pain
AdultsHealthHumanNeuroscience...Pain helps us survive, and yet some people are born without the ability to feel pain, how?
Why do we itch? - Emma Bryce
AdultsBiologyHumanScience...The average person experiences dozens of individual itches each day. We've all experienced the annoyance of an inconvenient itch - but have you ever pondered why we itch in the first place? Is there actually an evolutionary purpose to the itch, or is it simply there to annoy us? Emma Bryce digs deep into the skin to find out.
This Is How Your Brain Powers Your Thoughts
AdultsBiologyNeuroscienceScienceScientists have figured out how our brains process thoughts and the explanation will blow your mind.
This Giant Neuron Could Explain Where Consciousness Comes From
AdultsBiologyNeuroscienceSelf...After uncovering three giant neurons, scientists could be one step closer to pinpointing where consciousness lives in the brain.