Do We Have to Get Old and Die?
AdultsBiologyHumanWe'd like to thank Focus Features for sponsoring this video - and for inviting us to pre-screen their summer 2015 film "Self/Less". It's a sci-fi flick that explores memory, consciousness, and immortality, and it made us think about the types of immortality that already exist here on Earth.
Superbugs: The Empire Strikes Bacteria
AdultsBiologyHealthScienceAre we entering the post-antibiotic era? Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are on the rise, with millions of infections reported every year and thousands of deaths. How does antibiotic resistance work? How did we get here? And what can we do in the future to make sure that papercuts don't spell a death sentence?
Why do honeybees love hexagons? - Zack Patterson and Andy Peterson
AdultsAnimalsNatureMath...Honeybees are some of nature's finest mathematicians. Not only can they calculate angles and comprehend the roundness of the earth, these smart insects build and live in one of the most mathematically efficient architectural designs around: the beehive. Zack Patterson and Andy Peterson delve into the very smart geometry behind the honeybee's home.
How the heart actually pumps blood
AdultsBiologyHealthHuman...For most of history, scientists weren't quite sure why our hearts were beating or even what purpose they served. Eventually, we realized that these thumping organs serve the vital task of pumping clean blood throughout the body. But how? Edmond Hui investigates how it all works by taking a closer look at the heart's highly efficient ventricle system.
Why are blue whales so enormous?
AdultsAnimalsNatureBiologyBlue whales are the largest animals on the planet, but what helps them grow to the length of a basketball court? Asha de Vos explains why the size of krill make them the ideal food for the blue whale -- it's as if the blue whale was made to eat krill (and krill was made to be eaten by the blue whale).
Why is yawning contagious? - Claudia Aguirre
AdultsHumanSciencePsychology...*Yaaawwwwwn* Did just reading the word make you feel like yawning yourself? Known as contagious yawning, the reasons behind this phenomenon have been attributed to both the physiological and psychological. It's been observed in children as young as four and even in dogs! Claudia Aguirre visits the many intriguing theories that might explain contagious yawning.
How Many Heartbeats Do We Get?
AdultsBiologyLifeRelationships...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.