Why Is Blue So Rare In Nature?
AdultsAnimalsEcologyNature...Among living things, the color blue is oddly rare. Blue rocks, blue sky, blue water, sure. But blue animals? They are few and far between. And the ones that do make blue? They make it in some very strange and special ways compared to other colors. In this video, we'll look at some very cool butterflies to help us learn how living things make blue, and why this beautiful hue is so rare in nature.
How do fish make electricity? - Eleanor Nelsen
AdultsAnimalsBiologyNature...Nearly 350 species of fish have specialized anatomical structures that generate and detect electrical signals. Underwater, where light is scarce, electrical signals offer ways to communicate, navigate, find, and sometimes stun prey. But how do these fish produce electricity? And why? Eleanor Nelsen illuminates the science behind electric fish.
Why is it so hard to cure cancer? - Kyuson Yun
AdultsBiologyHealthScienceWe've harnessed electricity, sequenced the human genome, and eradicated smallpox. But after billions of dollars in research, we haven't found a solution for a disease that affects more than 14 million people and their families at any given time. Why is it so difficult to cure cancer? Kyuson Yun explains the challenges.
Is DNA the future of data storage? - Leo Bear-McGuinness
AdultsGeneticsScienceBiology...In the event of a nuclear fallout, every piece of digital and written information could all be lost. Luckily, there is a way that all of human history could be recorded and safely stored beyond the civilization's end. And the key ingredient is inside all of us: our DNA. Leo Bear-McGuinness explains.
Why do we harvest horseshoe crab blood? - Elizabeth Cox
AdultsAnimalsNatureScience...During the warmer months, especially at night during the full moon, horseshoe crabs emerge from the sea to spawn. Waiting for them are teams of lab workers, who capture the horseshoe crabs by the hundreds of thousands, take them to labs, harvest their cerulean blood, then return them to the sea. Why? Elizabeth Cox illuminates the incredible properties of horseshoe crab blood.
Do You Really Have Two Brains?
AdultsBiologyHumanNeuroscience...Are you a left-brained person or a right-brained person? Spoiler: You're neither. Each of us uses both sides of our brain for most of what we do. But still, there are a number of brain functions that do show lateralization, where they are localized to one side or another. Why is this? And how does it influence our definition of consciousness? People with "split brains" can help us figure it out.
DNA Doesn't Look Like What You Think!
AdultsBiologyGeneticsScienceBiology textbooks are full of drawings of DNA, but none of those show what DNA actually looks like. Sure, they're good models for understanding how DNA works, but inside of real cells, it's a whole lot more interesting. Learn why we can't look directly at DNA, and find out how DNA is actually packed inside cells.
What makes muscles grow? - Jeffrey Siegel
AdultsBiologySportsHealth...We have over 600 muscles in our bodies that help bind us together, hold us up, and help us move. Your muscles also need your constant attention, because the way you treat them on a daily basis determines whether they will wither or grow. Jeffrey Siegel illustrates how a good mix of sleep, nutrition and exercise keep your muscles as big and strong as possible.
The amazing ways plants defend themselves - Valentin Hammoudi
AdultsEcologyNatureScience...Plants are constantly under attack. They face threats ranging from microscopic fungi to small herbivores like caterpillars, up to large herbivores like elephants. But plants are ready, with a whole series of internal and external defenses that make them a less appealing meal - or even a deadly one. Valentin Hammoudi explains some of the fascinating ways that plants defend themselves.
The bizarre physics of fire ants
AdultsAnimalsNatureTechnology...They're not just an animal, they're a material. And that's got engineers interested.
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.
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.