Meet NASA's new class of astronauts
AdultsScienceTechnologySpaceMore than 18,300 candidates applied to be astronauts in NASA's latest class-smashing the record of 8,000 applicants in 1978-and only 12 got the job. Here's who made the cut.
The ferocious predatory dinosaurs of Cretaceous Sahara - Nizar Ibrahim
AdultsAnimalsHistoryWorld...In Cretaceous times (around 100 million years ago), North Africa was home to a huge river system and a bizarre menagerie of giant prehistoric predators -- including the Spinosaurus, a dinosaur even more fearsome than the Tyrannosaurus rex. Nizar Ibrahim uses paleontological and geological data to reconstruct this "River of Giants" in surprising detail.
This Is Not What Space Looks Like
AdultsPhotographySpaceTechnology...Amazing images of the far reaches of the universe are everywhere, but are they accurate? What does space really look like?
NASA Is Going to the Sun! But How...and Why?
AdultsScienceSpaceTechnologyIn 2018, NASA will launch a solar probe that will travel closer to the sun than any spacecraft before. But why? What are they looking for?
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.
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.
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.