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Be Smart.

Joe Hanson

We give you deep answers to simple questions about science and the rest of the universe. And also dad jokes. Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, PhD. He's a molecular biologist and an award-winning science communicator and journalist

315 episodes
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English

Episodes 315

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August 26 · 15 min
Why You See Faces in Things
SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Have you ever looked at the front of a car and seen a face? Or an electrical outlet and seen a face? You definitely have. We all see faces everywhere we look thanks to a fun quirk of the human brain called facial pareidolia. Here's the neuroscience and psychology of how this weird brain phenomenon works! References: https://sites.google.com/view/facial-pareidolia-references/home 0:00 Intro 1:33 What is facial pareidolia? 2:26 How your brain "sees" stuff 4:10 What is a "face" anyway? 5:29 Are we born this way? 7:08 Why recognizing faces is important, according to evolution 9:09 Dog faces, and some closing thoughts 10:05 Support us on Patreon! ----------- High fives to all our Brain Trust Patrons: Ed Eyden Jennifer Burton Charles Horton, Jr Holly, Brett, and Ashe Bullion Jaap Westera Mehdi Damou Barbora Bei Burt Humburg dani bowman David Johnston Baerbel Winkler Eric Meer Karen Haskell Join us on Patreon! https://patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart Instagram http://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart Facebook https://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartpbs/ Merch https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 26 · 9 min
Could Bigfoot FEASIBLY Exist?
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate This episode brought to you by Squarespace: http://squarespace.com/itsokaytobesmart PBS Idea Channel goes to Area 51: https://youtu.be/WCFJh0fdlD8 ↓ More info and sources below ↓ **Check out these books: “The Demon Haunted World - Science as a Candle in the Dark” by Carl Sagan http://amzn.to/1Pbyt4S “Abominable Science” by Daniel Loxton and Donald Prothero http://amzn.to/1Pby5TU **References/More Reading: Crazy About Cryptids! A case study for teachers: http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/collection/detail.asp?case_id=779&id=779 “Bigfoot” hair DNA test: http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/281/1789/20140161?ijkey=af9db7f3524656adecda465cc0cbdfae34da7d15&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha (see also http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/281/1789/20140843) Predicting the ecological niche of Sasquatch: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2009.02152.x/full Why we can’t rule out Bigfoot: http://nautil.us/issue/16/nothingness/why-we-cant-rule-out-bigfoot Some fun reading about Medieval monsters: http://www.bl.uk/the-middle-ages/articles/medieval-monsters-from-the-mystical-to-the-demonic# Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below! Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart http://twitter.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Follow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/DrJoeHanson Joe Hanson - Creator/Host/Writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen Inc. Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics/Animation Katie Graham - Camera John Knudsen - Gaffer Theme music: “Ouroboros” by Kevin MacLeod Other music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 26 · 8 min
This Rainforest Caterpillar Mirrors Donald Trump
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate They have some of the best caterpillars in Peru. The best. Follow all of our Peru adventures on this playlist: http://bit.ly/SmartPeru ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Special thanks to Andy Warren, David Pfennig, Alex Wild, and Gustavo Londoño for helpful discussions for this video! #mimicry #rainforest You should definitely be following Aaron Pomerantz: http://www.thenextgenscientist.com/ Twitter: @AaronPomerantz IG: @nextgenscientist Special thanks to Rainforest Expeditions for hosting us! Visit http://www.perunature.com/ Check out Deep Look for more awesome up-close science: https://www.youtube.com/user/KQEDDeepLook Cinerous mourner nest video courtesy of Dano Grayson: http://danograyson.com/ Cinerous mourner photos by Santiago David References: d'Horta, Fernando Mendonça, Guy M. Kirwan, and Dante Buzzetti. "Gaudy juvenile plumages of cinereous mourner (Laniocera hypopyrra) and Brazilian laniisoma (Laniisoma elegans)." The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 124.3 (2012): 429-435. Forbes, Peter. Dazzled and deceived: mimicry and camouflage. Yale University Press, 2011. http://amzn.to/2dE444Z Kikuchi, David W., and David W. Pfennig. "Predator cognition permits imperfect coral snake mimicry." The American Naturalist 176.6 (2010): 830-834. Londoño, Gustavo A., Duván A. García, and Manuel A. Sánchez Martínez. "Morphological and behavioral evidence of Batesian mimicry in nestlings of a lowland Amazonian bird." The American Naturalist 185.1 (2015): 135-141. Rabosky, Alison R. Davis, et al. "Coral snakes predict the evolution of mimicry across New World snakes." Nature communications 7 (2016). Savage, Jay M., and Joseph B. Slowinski. "The colouration of the venomous coral snakes (family Elapidae) and their mimics (families Aniliidae and Colubridae)." Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 45.3 (1992): 235-254. Thompson, Martin J., and Martijn JTN Timmermans. "Characterising the phenotypic diversity of Papilio dardanus wing patterns using an extensive museum collection." Plos one 9.5 (2014): e96815. Wickler, Wolfgang. Mimicry in Plants and Animals: Trans. by RD Martin. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1968. ---------------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below! Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart http://twitter.com/DrJoeHanson Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/DrJoeHanson Produced by PBS Digital Studios Music via APM Stock images from SciencePhoto http://www.sciencephoto.com/ and Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 26 · 7 min
Who Has Your Birthday?
PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. Support your local station at: http://to.pbs.org/DonateOKAY ↓ More info and sources below ↓ In case you have a strange new desire to get an IOTBS shirt: http://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart#_=_ See if you share a famous birthday (I got Tom Hiddleston): http://www.buzzfeed.com/kimberleydadds/which-celebrity-shares-your-birthday#.mnPknbWyK Explore the math behind Birthday Paradox #1: https://www.khanacademy.org/math/probability/probability-and-combinatorics-topic/probability_combinatorics/v/birthday-probability-problem Explore Birthday Paradox #2: http://www.trans4mind.com/personal_development/mathematics/probability/birthday_problem.htm#My_Birthday_Paradox The “Facebook Birthday Problem” is a variant of the Coupon Collector’s Problem: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coupon_collector%27s_problem Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below! Follow on Twitter: @okaytobesmart @drjoehanson http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Follow on Instagram: @okaytobesmart @drjoehanson ----------------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Follow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoe Email me: itsokaytobesmart AT gmail DOT com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart For more awesome science, check out: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios Joe Hanson - Creator/Host/Writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen Inc. Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics/Animation Katie Graham - Camera John Knudsen - Gaffer Other music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 26 · 8 min
The Cheerios Effect
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Who knew there was so much science in a bowl of cereal? Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Ever notice how cereal clumps up in your bowl, or how cereal sticks to the edges of the bowl? Bubbles in beverages do the same thing.You've probably seen this surface tension and buoyancy at work, but did you know there's some mind-blowing science behind it? What we learn in our cereal bowl even connects to the lives of tiny insects that walk on water. SOURCES/EXTRAS: Vella, Dominic, and L. Mahadevan. "The “cheerios effect”." American journal of physics 73.9 (2005): 817-825. Gao, Xuefeng, and Lei Jiang. "Biophysics: water-repellent legs of water striders." Nature 432.7013 (2004): 36-36. Bush, John WM, and David L. Hu. "Walking on water: biolocomotion at the interface." Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech. 38 (2006): 339-369. John Bush: Interfacial Locomotion http://math.mit.edu/~bush/?p=998 ----------- FOLLOW US: Merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter: @okaytobesmart @DrJoeHanson Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Instagram: @DrJoeHanson Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Director: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Sarah Keartes Editor/animator: Andrew Orsak Producer: Stephanie Noone and Amanda Fox Produced by PBS Digital Studios Music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 26 · 5 min
How Dogs Became Our Dearest Friends (ft. MinuteEarth!)
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Are you more of a cat person? Follow me to MinuteEarth to discover the origin of our feline friends! https://youtu.be/LWB0-tGwb_E ↓↓↓More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Of all the species that humans have domesticated, dogs are our oldest animal friends. But how did a group of wolves become the furry pup at the end of the bed? New research is finally unlocking the paw-in-hand evolution of dogs and humans. In this episode we’re answering one big question: Did we domesticate dogs, or did dogs domesticate us? Special thanks to our friends from MinuteEarth! ----------- REFERENCES: Frantz, Laurent AF, et al. "Genomic and archaeological evidence suggest a dual origin of domestic dogs." Science 352.6290 (2016): 1228-1231. Freedman, Adam H., and Robert K. Wayne. "Deciphering the Origin of Dogs: From Fossils to Genomes." Annual Review of Animal Biosciences 0 (2016). Freedman, Adam H., et al. "Genome sequencing highlights the dynamic early history of dogs." PLoS Genet 10.1 (2014): e1004016. Thalmann, Olaf, et al. "Complete mitochondrial genomes of ancient canids suggest a European origin of domestic dogs." Science 342.6160 (2013): 871-874. Wang, Guo-Dong, et al. "Out of southern East Asia: the natural history of domestic dogs across the world." Cell research 26.1 (2016): 21-33. ----------- FOLLOW US: Merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter: @okaytobesmart @DrJoeHanson Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Instagram: @DrJoeHanson Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Director: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Sarah Keartes Producer/editor/animator: Andrew Matthews Producer: Stephanie Noone and Amanda Fox Produced by PBS Digital Studios Music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 26 · 8 min
Are Jellyfish the Most Bizarre Animals In the Ocean?
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate More info and sources below ↓ Check out the FULL video from Smarter Every Day of jellyfish stinging in microscopic slow-motion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WJCnC5ebf4 Jellyfish are mesmerizing and beautiful and I have no idea how they work. So I went behind the scenes at the Monterey Bay Aquarium with my new friend Tommy to learn all about them. I saw some things… Why are we in Monterey? PBS and BBC are teaming up to bring you an incredible LIVE nature broadcast direct from Monterey Bay, California called BIG BLUE LIVE. In late summer, thousands and thousands of ocean animals come together here, in one of the richest ecosystems on Earth. We'll be bringing you a week of videos direct from Monterey Bay all about this incredible place and the biology it holds Big Blue Live airs nightly on PBS 8/31-9/2 at 8 PM ET Big Blue Live airs on BBC One 8/23 (7PM), 8/27 (8 PM), 8/30 (7 PM) More info here: pbs.org/bigbluelive facebook.com/PBS facebook.com/BBCBigBlueLive Follow Joe during Big Blue Live! Twitter/Periscope: @jtotheizzoe @okaytobesmart Snapchat: YoDrJoe Instagram: @jtotheizzoe Facebook: facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart (Whale illustrations by Nobu Tamura/CC-BY-3.0) Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below! Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart http://twitter.com/jtotheizzoe Follow on Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Follow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/jtotheizzoe Follow on Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------------- It's Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.DFollow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoe Email me: itsokaytobesmart AT gmail DOT com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart For more awesome science, check out: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios Joe Hanson - Creator/Host/Writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Producer Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics/Animation Katie Graham - Camera John Knudsen - Gaffer Theme music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Other music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 26 · 9 min
How Do Bees Generate Honey?
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Let PBS know more about you and what digital series you’d like to see: http://surveymonkey.com/r/pbsds2016 Tweet this ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBShunE Share on FB ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBShunEfb ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Check out our BEE PLAYLIST! http://bit.ly/OKTBSbeelist The Honey Bee Dance Language Explained: https://www.cals.ncsu.edu/entomology/apiculture/pdfs/1.11%20copy.pdf Being a queen is about more than royal jelly: Mao, Wenfu, Mary A. Schuler, and May R. Berenbaum. "A dietary phytochemical alters caste-associated gene expression in honey bees."Science advances 1.7 (2015): e1500795 Multiple phenotypes coming from the same genetics (like workers and queens) is called “polyphenism” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyphenism The social structure of honeybee hives: https://hymenoptera42.wordpress.com/2013/02/15/the-social-structure-of-honey-bees/ The following clips were used under Creative Commons CC-BY license: Mary Ann Aschenbrennerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG6tWrcy3mQ BeesOnTheNet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEMg_F1yUJk Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below! Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart http://twitter.com/jtotheizzoe Follow on Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Follow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/jtotheizzoe Follow on Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Follow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoe Email me: itsokaytobesmart AT gmail DOT com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart For more awesome science, check out: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigita... Music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 26 · 8 min
A Brief History Of (Keeping) Time
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate A brief history of time… Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ How did we come up with our system of telling time? Why do we divide the day into 24 hours of 60 minutes each, and put 60 seconds in each minute? Where does the definition of a second come from? And who decides what clock shows the correct time? There’s clearly a lot of questions when it comes to time. READ MORE: “Galileo’s Pendulum” - Roger Newton http://amzn.to/2yQri5E “Revolution in Time” - David Landes http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/890167780 ----------- FOLLOW US: Merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter: @okaytobesmart @DrJoeHanson Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Instagram: @DrJoeHanson ----------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Director: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Matt Caplan, Ph.D. and Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Editor/animator: David Schulte Producer: Stephanie Noone and Amanda Fox Produced by PBS Digital Studios Music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 26 · 14 min
How We Finally Solved the Monarch Butterfly Migration Mystery
PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateOKAY ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Follow me to Atlas Obscura to learn about the discovery of this place: https://youtu.be/mXc1ZeRlOe0 Grab a headset and experience the monarch forest in VR180: https://youtu.be/fSa605IfTiE The monarch butterfly migration is one of nature’s greatest events. This orange-winged wonder travels up to 4,500 km from all over North America to spend the winter hanging from oyamel fir trees in central Mexico’s mountain forests. I got to go there. Seeing tens of millions of butterflies dangling from the treetops is a truly breathtaking sight. But how does an animal with a brain the size of a poppy seed navigate to this one special place, especially since the last monarchs to make the trip lived 4 or 5 generations earlier? Get ready for an amazing story of science, instinct, and navigation. #nature #monarchbutterfly #migration Special thanks to: Dr. Steven Reppert - UMass Medical School Atlas Obscura: @atlasobscura Jason Goldman: @jgold85 Phil Torres: @phil_torres Filmed on location at: La Reserva de Biosfera de la Mariposa Monarca - Michoacán, Mexico Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, Texas SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ----------- REFERENCES: Guerra, P. A., & Reppert, S. M. (2013). Coldness triggers northward flight in remigrant monarch butterflies. Current Biology, 23(5), 419-423. Reppert, S. M., Zhu, H., & White, R. H. (2004). Polarized light helps monarch butterflies navigate. Current Biology, 14(2), 155-158. Reppert, S. M., Guerra, P. A., & Merlin, C. (2016). Neurobiology of monarch butterfly migration. Annual review of entomology, 61, 25-42. Reppert, S. M., & de Roode, J. C. (2018). Demystifying monarch butterfly migration. Current Biology, 28(17), R1009-R1022. ----------- FOLLOW US for more curiosity: Twitter http://www.twitter.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.twitter.com/okaytobesmart Instagram http://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart Merch https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Books from our episodes: http://smart-books.tumblr.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 26 · 20 min
The Dangerous Chemistry That Made Life Captivating
We’re on PATREON! Join the community: https://www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Life’s been around on Earth for at least 3.7 billion years. But for most of that time, it was incredibly boring — just simple little cells squirming around in water. It only got interesting in the last few hundred million years. And that might never have happened without the help of a deadly, but also life-giving, element. References: https://sites.google.com/view/great-oxygenation-references/home SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ----------- High fives to all our Brain Trust Patrons: Holly, Brett, and Ashe Bullion Jaap Westera Millennial Glacier Mark Littlehale Mehdi Damou Barbora Bei Burt Humburg dani bowman David Johnston Salih Arslan Baerbel Winkler Robert Young Eric Meer Dustin Karen Haskell Join us on Patreon! https://patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter http://www.twitter.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.twitter.com/okaytobesmart Instagram http://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart Merch https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook https://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartpbs/ This episode of Be Smart is licensed exclusively to YouTube. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 26 · 7 min
Could You HONESTLY Survive Being Shrunk?!
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you ) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate It's okay to be… small? Tweet this video ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSshrunk Share on FB ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSshrunkFB ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Want more shrunken YouTubers? Check out this video on Vsauce3 about the science of Ant-Man! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkvo-DrU2gM Get yourself an awesome IOTBS shirt! http://dftba.com/besmart Here's a fun read: The Physics of B-Movie Monsters http://fathom.lib.uchicago.edu/2/21701757/ ---------------- It's Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below! Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart http://twitter.com/drjoehanson http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/DrJoeHanson Produced by PBS Digital Studios Music via APM Stock images from SciencePhoto http://www.sciencephoto.com/ and Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com Stock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted) http://www.videoblocks.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 26 · 8 min
Do Other Animals Grieve When Their Dead Pass? (ft. BrainCraft and Gross Science!)
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate This episode is brought to you by Dropbox https://www.dropbox.com/ Follow me to Gross Science: https://youtu.be/kRUt9pqMCSg and BrainCraft: https://youtu.be/Joalg73L_gw ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Tweet ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSmourn Share on FB ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSmournFB We’ve got t-shirts! Get yours here: http://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart BOOK RECOMMENDATION: Barbara J. King "How Animals Grieve" http://amzn.to/1MD7Jz5 References: Barbara J. King “When Animals Mourn” Scientific American http://www.nature.com/scientificamerican/journal/v309/n1/full/scientificamerican0713-62.html Jason G. Goldman “Death Rituals In The Animal Kingdom” http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120919-respect-the-dead Iain Douglas Hamilton “Behavioural reactions of elephants towards a dying and deceased matriarch” Applied Animal Behavior Science http://www.appliedanimalbehaviour.com/article/S0168-1591(06)00101-8/abstract Chimpanzees mourning dead infants: http://www.mpg.de/1071360/mourning_chimpanzee http://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822%2810%2900218-6 (video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM9GLhuPDXA) Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below! Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart http://twitter.com/jtotheizzoe Follow on Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Follow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/jtotheizzoe Follow on Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Follow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoe Email me: itsokaytobesmart AT gmail DOT com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart For more awesome science, check out: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios Joe Hanson - Creator/Host/Writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen Inc. Kate Eads - Producer Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics/Animation Katie Graham - Camera John Knudsen - Gaffer Theme music: “Ouroboros” by Kevin MacLeod Other music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 26 · 12 min
Why Is Sleep Necessary?
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate …and how did it evolve in the first place? Tweet ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSsleep Share on FB ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSsleepFB ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Why do we sleep? We spend a third of our lives in slumber, but science has yet to determine exactly why we have do it. Here’s a look at how sleep works, why we’re not getting enough sleep, what happens if you DON’T sleep, and an idea about where sleep came from in the first place. Follow me to The Good Stuff’s sleep playlist: https://youtu.be/RHCcM7LyZdc?list=PLsRLUurFnvvUCysDQrFvGL0nxN6Eha93s Also check out BrainCraft: https://youtu.be/yv-XNKK9laE https://youtu.be/ZPpvS9wDOcA For more, read: “Dreamland: Adventures in the Strange Science of Sleep” by David K. Randall http://amzn.to/1MB38dt "The Universal Pastime: Sleep and Rest Explained" by Dr Richard Horner http://amzn.com/B00NT9O60O Cool research on melatonin in sea worm larvae: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/02/science/the-evolution-of-sleep-700-million-years-of-melatonin.html Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below! Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart http://twitter.com/jtotheizzoe Follow on Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Follow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/jtotheizzoe Follow on Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Follow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoe Email me: itsokaytobesmart AT gmail DOT com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart For more awesome science, check out: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios Joe Hanson - Creator/Host/Writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen Inc. Kate Eads - Producer Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics/Animation Arts & Labor - Motion Graphics Katie Graham - Camera John Knudsen - Gaffer Theme music: “Ouroboros” by Kevin MacLeod Other music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 26 · 8 min
Why do Trees Talk to Each Other?
PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateOKAY ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Why the forest is more than the trees SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Walk into any forest, and beneath your feet is an elaborate social network that helps make life on Earth possible. It’s called the “Wood Wide Web”, a massive and intricate network of fungi that exchange water, nutrients, and chemical signals with the plants they’re living in a symbiotic relationship with. This network of fungi is essential to the health and function of forests and to controlling climate change itself. You’re about to look at fungi in a whole new way! #plants #fungi #woodwideweb SOURCES: https://sites.google.com/view/woodwideweb-references/home ----------- FOLLOW US for more curiosity: Twitter http://www.twitter.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.twitter.com/okaytobesmart Instagram http://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart Merch https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook https://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartpbs/ Books from our episodes: http://smart-books.tumblr.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 26 · 11 min
MILLION Year-Old Spider and the Science of Silk Webs
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Don't miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Check it out: BrainCraft visits another MacArthur Genius! https://youtu.be/ewPeAFQWg3s ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Living things have engineered some pretty awesome materials, but I'm not sure anything measures up to spider silk. It's as strong, as stretchy, and as resilient than even humans' most advanced creations like Kevlar and steel. So how do these awesome arachnids weave such an incredible substance using nothing but their rear ends? And… what IS this stuff? I went to meet Dr. Cheryl Hayashi, one of the world's experts in spider silk, to find out. Special thanks to the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation: https://www.macfound.org/ READ MORE: Brunetta, Leslie, and Catherine L. Craig. Spider silk: evolution and 400 million years of spinning, waiting, snagging, and mating. Yale University Press, 2010. Römer, Lin, and Thomas Scheibel. "The elaborate structure of spider silk." Prion (2008). ----------- FOLLOW US: Merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter: @okaytobesmart @DrJoeHanson Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Instagram: @DrJoeHanson Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------- It's Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Director: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Sarah Keartes Producer/editor/animator: David Schulte Producer: Stephanie Noone and Amanda Fox Produced by PBS Digital Studios Music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 26 · 5 min
What Tint Is The Moon?
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate How the night sky tricks our brains! Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Here’s how you all described the color of the moon: https://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart/photos/a.337182013046136.73328.173915612706111/801410886623244/ http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/post/128880963932/hey-guys-im-working-on-an-upcoming-video-and More about the white squares illusion: http://www.psy.ritsumei.ac.jp/~akitaoka/illgelbe.html Checker shadow illusion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checker_shadow_illusion Special thanks to Dr. Alan Gilchrist! Read his paper “Perceptual Organization in Lightness” http://www.gestaltrevision.be/pdfs/oxford/Gilchrist-Perceptual_organization_in_lightness.pdf Josef Albers “The Interaction of Color” https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/08/16/interaction-of-color-josef-albers-50th-anniversary/ Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below! Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart http://twitter.com/DrJoeHanson Follow on Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Follow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/DrJoeHanson Follow on Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------------- Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios Joe Hanson - Creator/Host/Writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen Inc. Kate Eads - Producer Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics/Animation Katie Graham - Camera John Knudsen - Gaffer Theme music: “Ouroboros” by Kevin MacLeod Other music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 26 · 3 min
The Equinox Isn't What You Suppose It Is
Is the equinox really when day = night? Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Calculate day length where you live for any date: http://www.timeanddate.com/sun/ Very cool solar angle simulator: http://astro.unl.edu/classaction/animations/coordsmotion/eclipticsimulator.html Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below! Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart http://twitter.com/DrJoeHanson Follow on Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Follow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/DrJoeHanson ----------------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 26 · 12 min
Why Going to Mars Would Completely Suck
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Watch more at http://pbs.org/yearinspace Tweet this ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSyis Share on FB ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSyisFB ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Dig deeper: National Research Council. “Space Radiation Hazards and the Vision for Space Exploration: Report of a Workshop.” Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2006. doi:10.17226/11760. NASA Facts “Understanding Space Radiation” http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/spacenews... Cucinotta, Francis A., and Marco Durante. "Cancer risk from exposure to galactic cosmic rays: implications for space exploration by human beings."The lancet oncology 7.5 (2006): 431-435. Crucian, Brian, et al. "Alterations in adaptive immunity persist during long-duration spaceflight." npj Microgravity 1 (2015). Durante, Marco, K. George, and F. A. Cucinotta. "Chromosomes lacking telomeres are present in the progeny of human lymphocytes exposed to heavy ions." Radiation research 165.1 (2006): 51-58. Smith, Scott M., et al. "Benefits for bone from resistance exercise and nutrition in long‐duration spaceflight: evidence from biochemistry and densitometry." Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 27.9 (2012): 1896-1906. Reddit AMA with Dr. Susan Bailey - telomere twin study research leader: https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comment... Space Station Live - interview with Dr. Susan Bailey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnNUM... Space Station Live - science of the gut https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFhvJ... Currently funded crew health research proposals: http://www.nasa.gov/content/nasa-and-... Footage courtesy of NASA and PBS unless otherwise noted Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below! Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart http://twitter.com/drjoehanson Follow on Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Follow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/drjoehanson ----------------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Follow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoe Email me: itsokaytobesmart AT gmail DOT com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart For more awesome science, check out: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigita... Music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 26 · 8 min
How Thomas Jefferson Delivered America With a Dead Moose
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate E pluribus moose-um Subscribe: http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Twitter: @jtotheizzoe @okaytobesmart ↓ More info and sources below ↓ America's first great science battle wasn't the space race or the atom bomb, it was fought between Thomas Jefferson, a French nobleman, and in the middle… a giant moose. Some people call Jefferson our only scientist-President, and T.J. himself said that "Nature intended me for the tranquil pursuits of science, by rendering them my supreme delight." Here's the story of how Jefferson used science to help a young nation make its mark Check out the book "Mr. Jefferson and the Giant Moose" by Lee Dugatkin!!! http://amzn.to/1RMFScF Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below! Follow on Twitter: @DrJoeHanson @okaytobesmart Follow on Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Follow on Instagram: @DrJoeHanson @okaytobesmart ----------------- It's Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D Email me: itsokaytobesmart AT gmail DOT com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Google+ https://plus.google.com/+itsokaytobesmart For more awesome science, check out: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios Joe Hanson - Creator/Host/Writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Producer Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics/Animation Katie Graham - Director of Photography John Knudsen - Gaffer Theme music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Other music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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