EducationScienceNatural Sciences

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

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Tuesday · 7 min
Barrage of the Cosmic Space Junk!
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate No Sandra Bullocks were harmed in the making of this video. Tweet this video ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSjunk Share on FB ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSjunkFB ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Window chip in the ISS: http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2016/05/Impact_chip The extent of space debris: http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Videos/2013/04/Space_debris_story Where did all that debris come from? http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/where-did-all-that-space-debris-come-from/ USSTRATCOM space surveillance fact sheet: https://www.stratcom.mil/factsheets/11/Space_Control_and_Space_Surveillance/ This is cool: http://stuffin.space/ Every satellite orbiting Earth, visualized: http://qz.com/296941/interactive-graphic-every-active-satellite-orbiting-earth/ 8 weird pieces of space junk: http://www.wired.com/2009/02/spacestuff/ Project West Ford: http://www.wired.com/2013/08/project-west-ford/ STK animation courtesy of Analytical Graphics, Inc. Get yourself an awesome IOTBS shirt! http://dftba.com/besmart ---------------- 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/jtotheizzoe Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/jtotheizzoe Snapchat: YoDrJoe 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
Tuesday · 6 min
When Will We Stop Consuming Oil?
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Check out our whole series on ENERGY! http://bit.ly/1BnH5zu Subscribe: http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Twitter: @okaytobesmart ↓ More info and sources below ↓ We've heard news of "peak oil" and "the end of the oil age" for years now, but we keep coming up with ways to find and pump more of it to the surface. Rising CO2 levels and the changing climate that results from burning fossil fuels mean that we should probably stop using oil sooner rather than later, though Let's take a look at history and see how we've used different fuels, so that we might figure out when and how to make oil a thing of the past LEARN MORE: Special thanks to Sheril Kirshenbaum and the Webber Energy Group at the University of Texas at Austin for their help with this series. http://www.webberenergygroup.com/ Check out their awesome online course "Energy 101" to learn about energy and energy policy from A to Z! http://www.energy101.com/ And to find out what people think about energy, check out the UT Energy Poll: http://www.utenergypoll.com/ 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 ----------------- 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 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 - Associate 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 ----------------- Last week's video: Does the Moon Orbit the Earth? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cJ3AemeUFM More videos: Why Does February Have 28 Days? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgKaHTh-_Gs Why Vaccines Work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aNhzLUL2ys Why Are Some People Left-Handed? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPvMUpcxPSA Where Does the Smell of Rain Come From? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGcE5x8s0B8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tuesday · 16 min
Is Earth's Most Important Ocean Current Doomed?
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 ↓ Uploaded 19-04-21 Head over to Animal IQ on Terra: https://youtu.be/Nc3mUNkJZZk Celebrate Earth Day with other PBS Channels! https://bit.ly/32nmIsp We’re on PATREON! Join the community ►► https://www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Ocean currents are our planet’s circulatory system, and they keep everything from ecosystems to the climate healthy. But we’re changing Earth in ways that threaten to disrupt and even break critical ocean currents like the planet-wide Great Ocean Conveyor. This could have devastating effects on our future. In this video, we explain how ocean currents work, how climate change is threatening to disrupt them, and what we can do to stop that from happening. References: https://sites.google.com/view/ocean-conveyor-belt/home ----------- Big Thank you to our Brain Trust Patrons: Andrew Campbell Robert Brian Chang Roy Lasris Javier Soto dani bowman David Johnston Zenimal Salih Arslan Baerbel Winkler Robert Young Amy Sowada Benjamin Teinby Eric Meer Peter Ehrnstrom Dustin Marcus Tuepker Karen Haskell AlecZero 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/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tuesday · 7 min
Could Planet Minecraft Possibly Exist?
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/ Tweet ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSmcraft Share on FB ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSmcraftFB ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Gravitational field of a cubic planet: Chappell, James Michael, et al. "The gravity field of a cube." Physics International 3.2 (2012): 50. http://search.proquest.com/openview/6c982d4a364d8b7d7829ec389e2a907e/1?pq-origsite=gscholar More: http://www.askamathematician.com/2011/05/q-what-would-earth-be-like-to-us-if-it-were-a-cube-instead-of-spherical-is-this-even-possible/ https://possiblywrong.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/if-the-earth-were-a-cube/ 1884 claim of cubic planet discovery: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=940DE5D91038E033A25755C1A9679D94659FD7CF Hats off to the Minecraft wiki community at Gamepedia for collecting stats about the Minecraft world! http://minecraft.gamepedia.com/Minecraft_Wiki 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
Tuesday · 11 min
Is Space a Thing?
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Uploaded 20-06-17 Try 23andMe: http://www.23andme.com/okay Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Since the days of Ancient Greece, philosophers and scientists have been wondering: What is space? Is the absence of things… a thing? These questions continued to fascinate physicists in the modern era, leading Isaac Newton, Ernst Mach, and Albert Einstein to wonder about the true nature of the fabric of the cosmos. The search for an answer led them to some of the greatest theories in physics. This week, we ask if space and time are really real, and how they come together to make “spacetime”! ----------- READ MORE: “The Fabric of the Cosmos” by Brian Greene http://amzn.to/2tF9fZO (Public library: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/681349969) ----------- 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: Andrew Matthews Writer: Andrew Matthews 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tuesday · 4 min
Why Does the Wind Blow Through?
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 ↓ Wind. Always there. Where does it come from? Click here to SUBSCRIBE, it's FREE! -- http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Wind is everywhere. The air is constantly moving, sometimes gently, sometimes violently. Why? Pressure, temperature and rotation come together to make wind in some *cool* and unexpected ways. Written and hosted by Joe Hanson Produced by Painted On Productions (http://www.paintedon.com/) ----------- 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/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tuesday · 6 min
Cuttlefish: Psychedelic Camouflage Chameleons of the Sea
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 ↓ Now you "sea" them, now you don't! Cuttlefish are more than the chameleons of the sea, these cephalopods take camouflage to a whole new level. Follow Joe during Big Blue Live! Twitter @DrJoeHanson @okaytobesmart Instagram: @DrJoeHanson Facebook: facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart ----------------- It's Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D Follow me on Twitter: @DrJoeHanson 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
Tuesday · 5 min
How Did the Grand Canyon Get Formed?
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate It's a long story… ↓ More info and sources below ↓ How do you make a Grand Canyon? Thanks to Mike from PBS Idea Channel and Jamin from PBS Game/Show for hanging out at the Grand Canyon with me! https://www.youtube.com/user/pbsideachannel https://www.youtube.com/user/pbsgameshow Special thanks to Raymond Schillinger for great camera work! I was in Arizona recently for Phoenix Comic-Con, and had the amazing pleasure of seeing one of Earth's greatest natural wonders… the Grand Canyon. More than a mile deep, and several miles across, it just defies belief. But I couldn't help but think, the Colorado River down at the bottom isn't that big. How did it cut a canyon so massive? How old is the Grand Canyon? Here's its story http://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/nature/geologicformations.htm 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 ----------------- 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 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… and camera for this one! Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Producer Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics/Animation Theme music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Other music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks ----------------- Last week's video: Why Are The Bees Dying? https://youtu.be/rKQNx0av7eY?list=PLsmqeqKj7M-pINcPqJd8d1eRKlqm6QVjA More videos: Why Does February Have 28 Days? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgKaHTh-_Gs Why Vaccines Work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aNhzLUL2ys Why Are Some People Left-Handed? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPvMUpcxPSA Where Does the Smell of Rain Come From? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGcE5x8s0B8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tuesday · 20 min
The 12 Days of Evolution - Complete Collection!
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate All 12 days… in ONE video! Prefer the individual videos? Go here: http://bit.ly/OKTBS12daysPL ↓ More info and sources below ↓ I *highly* recommend these books: “Undeniable” by Bill Nye http://amzn.to/1TK3wZs “Why Evolution Is True” by Jerry Coyne http://amzn.to/1TK3zV3 WEBSITES/TEACHING RESOURCES: - Berkeley’s “Understanding Evolution” http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/home.php - The National Center for Science Education http://ncse.com/ Don’t miss a single one of our 12 Days of Evolution! Follow along with this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsmqeqKj7M-rZe1C9PUon8V-VQ1tZj5NF Darwin illustration credit: Nicku / Shutterstock 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. 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 Music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tuesday · 6 min
Why Did We Blow On Nintendo Consoles?
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 http://youarenotsosmart.com/ for more on cognitive biases Books by David McRaney: http://amzn.to/1pQqmQh and http://amzn.to/1qrGRpM Did blowing on NES cartridges actually do anything? http://mentalfloss.com/article/12589/did-blowing-nintendo-cartridges-really-help http://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/15044/why-did-you-have-to-blow-into-an-nes-cartridge-to-make-it-work http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?117240-DP-MYTHBUSTERS-Blowing-in-NES-Cartridges Mario speedrun video via akyeren: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Boq3ghiTKHA The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary: http://www.wired.com/2014/04/fantastically-wrong-vegetable-lamb-tartary/ Mice from dirty laundry and other spontaneous generation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_generation Here's another video testing the effectiveness of blowing into NES cartridges: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNi4A2KGOfw Joe Hanson - Host and writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer Katie Graham - Director of Photography Andrew Matthews - Editor and motion graphics John Knudsen - Gaffer Music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Video game music: Rolemusic: Ants Rolemusic: Bacterial Love Rolemusic: Ladybug Castle Rolemusic: Another Beek Beep Beer Please Stock images via Shutterstock Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios ----------- Join us on Patreon! https://patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart Instagram http://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Monday · 9 min
The Largest River On Earth Is In The Sky
Learn more about your personal DNA story by going to https://23andMe.com/okay SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Uploaded 23-10-18 What’s the largest river on Earth? If you said “the Amazon”… you’re only half right. Scientists have discovered an even bigger river in South America, and it’s in the sky above the Amazon rainforest. Turns out, this sky river is the reason there’s a rainforest at all… REFERENCES: Dr. Scot T. Martin, Gordon McKay Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering and Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University. Dr. Antonio Donato Nobre, National Institute for Space Research, Brazil. Centro de Ciência do Sistema Terrestre TED Talk: “The Magic of the Amazon, a river that flows invisibly all around us.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01jYiXbpnoE “The Future Climate of Amazon.” Scientific Assessment Report. Articulación Regional Amazônica (2014). Sao Jose dos Campos – SP Edition ARA, CCST-INPE e INPA Andreae et al. “Biogeochemical cycling of carbon, water, energy, trace gases, and aerosols in Amazonia: The LBA‐EUSTACH experiments.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres (2002). https://doi.org/10.1029/2001JD000524 Dettinger, M. D., Ralph, F. M., Das, T., Neiman, P. J., and Cayan, D. R. (2011). Atmospheric rivers, floods and the water resources of California. Water, 3(2), 445-478. Pöhlker, C., Wiedemann, K. T., Sinha, B., Shiraiwa, M., Gunthe, S. S., Smith, M., ... and Elbert, W. (2012). Biogenic potassium salt particles as seeds for secondary organic aerosol in the Amazon. Science, 337(6098), 1075-1078. https://authors.library.caltech.edu/34067/2/Pohlker.SM.pdf Ter Steege, H., Pitman, N. C., Sabatier, D., Baraloto, C., Salomão, R. P., Guevara, J. E., ... and Monteagudo, A. (2013). Hyperdominance in the Amazonian tree flora. Science, 342(6156), 1243092. ----------- FOLLOW US: Twitter: @DrJoeHanson @okaytobesmart Instagram: @DrJoeHanson Merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart SEND US STUFF: It’s Okay To Be Smart PO Box 303356 Austin, TX 78703 USA BOOKS WE’VE FEATURED: http://smart-books.tumblr.com/ ----------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Director: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Sarah Keartes Creative Director: David Schulte Editor/animator: Sara Roma Producers: 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Monday · 6 min
%$?# Allergies!
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Uploaded 30-03-15 It's the season for sneezin'! Subscribe: http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Twitter: @okaytobesmart ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Springtime means the arrival of green grass, bright flowers, and buzzing bees. But for many of us, it's also about sneezing, watery red eyes, and a runny nose, thanks to allergies. In this week's video, you'll learn why we get allergies, how our immune system turns against us to attack pollen and pets, and why allergies seem to be on the rise in developed nations. Hygiene hypothesis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygiene_hypothesis Spread of allergies in developed nations: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v479/n7374_supp/full/479S2a.html TGF-beta and allergies: http://bit.ly/1HXjm05 Microbiome and allergies: http://www.bbc.com/news/health-28934415 Gut microbes and peanut allergy in mice: http://news.sciencemag.org/biology/2014/08/gut-microbe-stops-food-allergies Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment 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 ----------------- 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 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 - Associate Producer Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics/Animation Katie Graham - Director of Photography John Knudsen - Gaffer Dalton Allen - Post-Production Intern Theme music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Other music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks ----------------- Last week's video: How Many Stars Are There? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh8-ZUIX_1o More videos: Why Does February Have 28 Days? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgKaHTh-_Gs Why Vaccines Work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aNhzLUL2ys Why Are Some People Left-Handed? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPvMUpcxPSA Where Does the Smell of Rain Come From? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGcE5x8s0B8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Monday · 25 min
The Mystery of Earth's Disappearing Giants | IN OUR NATURE
“In Our Nature” is a NEW special limited series on It’s Okay To Be Smart! We’re on PATREON! Join the community ►► https://www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Uploaded 16-09-21 Seemingly distant ecosystems, even half a world apart, are connected in surprising ways. In this special limited series, Emily Graslie and Trace Dominguez join me as we explore the universal rules of life that tie together Earth’s living systems. In episode 6, we investigate a mystery. Millennia ago, while much of the Earth was covered in ice, enormous animals lived on every continent except Antarctica. Species like ground sloths, mammoths, gomphotheres, sabertooth cats, even wombats the size of cars! Today, Africa is the only continent where these megafaunas still exist. Why? What happened to the rest of Earth’s giants? In Our Nature is a special miniseries produced by It’s Okay To Be Smart for PBS. Stay tuned for more episodes coming this summer, here on our YouTube channel! Original Production Funding provided by: Anne Ray Foundation, a Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropy ----------- Special thanks to our Brain Trust Patrons: Joseph Spencer Barbora Bei Ken Board Clinger-Hamilton Family Attila Pix Burt Humburg DeliciousKashmiri Brian Chang Roy Lasris Javier Soto dani bowman David Johnston Salih Arslan Baerbel Winkler Robert Young Amy Sowada Eric Meer Dustin Marcus Tuepker Karen Haskell AlecZero SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub 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/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Monday · 9 min
Swarm of the Zombie Parasites!
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Did someone say BRAAAAAINS…? Subscribe: http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Twitter: @okaytobesmart ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Shows like The Walking Dead are full of hungry, mindless, surprisingly fleet-footed armies of brain-eating zombies. Could they actually exist? Are zombies real? Well, maybe if you're talking about zom-bees! This week I introduce you to some of nature's strangest mind-controlling parasites, who make zombies of the natural world. This one will make your brain tingle. That's just the awesome science, though… not a parasite. Promise! Watch the full video clips used in this episode: KQED zom-bees https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdZ3M8C6yhs BBC cordyceps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuKjBIBBAL8 Jewel wasp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl_9kghmChw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWAV1zj5TXQ Cricket horsehair worm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df_iGe_JSzI Red berry ants: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4Rj89-wuDo NatGeo zombie snails: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go_LIz7kTok LEARN MORE: Ed Yong's TED talk: http://www.ted.com/talks/ed_yong_suicidal_wasps_zombie_roaches_and_other_tales_of_parasites Biochemistry of parasitic zombies: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/11/science/parasites-use-sophisticated-biochemistry-to-take-over-their-hosts.html?_r=1& An entire issue of the Journal of Experimental Biology dedicated to parasitic control of hosts: http://jeb.biologists.org/content/216/1.toc Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment 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 ----------------- 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 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 - Associate Producer Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics/Animation Katie Graham - Director of Photography John Knudsen - Gaffer Dalton Allen - Post-Production Intern Theme music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Other music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock ----------------- Last week's video: Why Does February Have 28 Days? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgKaHTh-_Gs More videos: Why Vaccines Work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aNhzLUL2ys Why Are Some People Left-Handed? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPvMUpcxPSA Where Does the Smell of Rain Come From? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGcE5x8s0B8 Why Did We Blow on NES Games? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gf9mtXnJfM The Science of Game of Thrones - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Utu-LpJn3Is There Was No First Human - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdWLhXi24Mo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Monday · 6 min
How An Igloo Protects You From Cold
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Building a perfect igloo takes cool science! Don’t miss the next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓ More info and sources below ↓ If you ever find yourself stranded in the snowy Arctic (or bored in Minecraft), you’re gonna need to know how to build an igloo. But how can building a house made of ice keep you warm? The science behind building an igloo is the same reason that otters and reindeer don't freeze to death! LEARN MORE: There really ARE 50 Eskimo words for snow: http://wapo.st/2iwThf3 PBS Idea Channel - An Infinite Number of Words for Snow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX6i2M4AoZw Why there’s no such thing as cold: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Akd7MMRKDwc How early humans settled the Arctic: https://uaf.edu/files/olli/Denbigh-Slides_lowres.pdf How to build a scientifically perfect igloo: http://www.popsci.com/how-to-build-an-igloo It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter: @okaytobesmart @DrJoeHanson Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Instagram: @DrJoeHanson 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
Monday · 5 min
Why I'm Uneasy Around Spiders
The science of-- OH GOD IS THAT A SPIDER?! Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Subscribe to It's Okay To Be Smart: http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub I'm scared of spiders. I'm not afraid to admit it. I love them in a scientific sense, or from a "let me look at you from way over here" sense, but that's as close as I get. Here's a look at the science of why some of us are afraid of spiders, snakes, roaches, and other creepy crawlies. Did I evolve to be this way, or did I learn to be afraid of them? It seems to be an open question… How dangerous ARE spiders? http://burkemuseum.blogspot.com/2010/09/q-how-dangerous-are-spiders-to-humans.html#.VECZZNR4pj5 Humans may have evolved to pick out spiders and snakes from environment: http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2001/09/snakes.aspx The overlapping worlds of fear conditioning from innate fear: http://instruct.uwo.ca/psychology/371g/Ohman2001.pdf Doctor Who study suggests that spider fear may not be innate: http://www.wired.com/2014/01/doctor-who-and-spider-phobia/ Most common phobias: http://psychology.about.com/od/phobias/p/commonphobias.htm Adults and kids pick out creepy animals quicker than non-creepy animals: http://www.livescience.com/2348-fear-snakes.html Children report spiders as a top fear: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0005796797000508 List of clips featured in this episode: http://bit.ly/1xFhdO9 Produced for PBS Digital Studios Joe Hanson - Host and writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer Katie Graham - Director of Photography Stephen Bohls - Editing/Motion Graphics John Knudsen - Gaffer Theme music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Thumbnail photo: specnaz/Shutterstock Stock images via Shutterstock Music: "Two Boys and a Girl" - Podington Bear ----------- 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/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Monday · 13 min
Apollo’s Most Important Discovery (Inside NASA’s Moon Rock Vault!)
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 ↓ Uploaded 09-07-19 More moon rocks on Smarter Every Day ►► https://youtu.be/QxZ_iPldGtI And Objectivity ►► https://youtu.be/yvhLBzsDwSQ SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Fifty years ago, we sent the first astronauts to walk on the moon’s face. But what they brought back is just as important as what got them there. I’m talking about moon rocks, guys. And I got to go visit NASA’s lunar sample vault to learn more about them! NASA’s moon rock collection has helped us learn so much about the early solar system, the formation of rocky planets like ours, and where our moon came from. And let me tell you, the story of our moon is a VIOLENT one. It involves the word “magmoon”. That’s an awesome word! Enjoy this video, and I hope you learn not just some lunar geology, but also how exploring the moon helped change what the space program was all about. #apollo #moon #apollo50 SOURCES: https://sites.google.com/view/inside-nasa-moon-rock-vault/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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Monday · 8 min
Your Salad Is Attempting To Murder You
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate The dose makes the poison… Subscribe: http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Twitter: @jtotheizzoe @okaytobesmart ↓ More info and sources below ↓ CORRECTION: @2:14 we showed the wrong Paul Ehrlich (guy on the left). Instead of Paul Ehrlich the German doctor, we meant to show Paul Ehrlich the biologist: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_R._Ehrlich Plants are the most important source of nutrients for pretty much all of Earth's animals, and many of the planet's bacteria and fungi too. Humans like them so much that we line them up in salad bars so we can feast upon their crunchy cronch by the plate full. But plants don't always want to be eaten, ya know? Here's a look at some of our favorite plant flavors and how they are actually a form of chemical warfare We owe caterpillars for spicy mustard: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2015/06/17/1503926112.abstract http://munews.missouri.edu/news-releases/2015/0622-genetic-study-of-co-evolution-could-provide-clues-to-better-food-production/ Overview of plant chemical defenses and what we use them for in the kitchen: http://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/intropp/topics/Pages/OverviewOfPlantDiseases.aspx 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 ----------------- 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 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 - Camera John Knudsen - Gaffer Theme music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Other music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks ----------------- More videos: Why Does February Have 28 Days? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgKaHTh-_Gs Why Vaccines Work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aNhzLUL2ys Why Are Some People Left-Handed? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPvMUpcxPSA Where Does the Smell of Rain Come From? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGcE5x8s0B8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Monday · 7 min
Is Santa Real? (A Scientific Perspective)
...and other Christmas mysteries answered with science! Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Subscribe to It's Okay To Be Smart: http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Happy Holidays! Ever wonder how Santa could possibly manage to deliver all those presents in a single night? Or what gives red-nosed reindeer the ability to fly? And why do your Christmas lights get tangled in knots no matter how carefully you put the away?! Here's some Christmas-themed science, as our gift to you. See you in 2015! SOURCES: Why Christmas lights tangle: "Spontaneous knotting of an agitated string" http://www.pnas.org/content/104/42/16432 Apollo 8 "Santa sighting" https://archive.org/details/Apollo8Highlights Santa's reindeer are probably female: http://www.livescience.com/32149-are-santas-reindeer-males.html Reindeer hair is hollow and "buoyant" http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6150798 Reindeer really do have red noses: http://www.bmj.com/content/345/bmj.e8311.full.pdf+html Reindeer eyes change color: http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/29/why-are-reindeer-eyes-golden-in-summer-but-blue-in-winter/ Santa's challenge (check my math!): http://bit.ly/1sOW15q Produced for PBS Digital Studios Joe Hanson - Creator/Host/Writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen Inc Kate Eads - Associate Producer Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics Katie Graham - Director of Photography John Knudsen - Gaffer Dalton Allen - Post-Production Intern Theme music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod ----------- 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/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Monday · 21 min
Traffic Lights Are So Much Weirder Than You Realize
Thank you to Squarespace for supporting PBS. Go to https://www.squarespace.com/besmart for a free trial and use code BESMART to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Uploaded 10-03-26 Why are stop lights red? The common explanation about red light traveling farther through fog is actually wrong. The real story involves early railroads, deadly accidents, an exploding gas traffic light, forgotten inventors, and even the evolution of primate color vision. Here’s how history and biology accidentally created the nearly perfect traffic signal. ____________________________________ Be Smart explores science questions you didn’t even know you wondered about. It is hosted and produced by Joe Hanson, PhD. We post new videos all the time, so please subscribe! If you enjoyed this video, hit the ‘like’ button, leave a comment, or watch another of our videos! CONNECT WITH ME ____________________________________ Website: https://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart/ https://www.instagram.com/drjoehanson/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/itsokaytobesmart High fives to all our Brain Trust Patrons: Baerbel Winkler, Brent Lopez, dani bowman, David Johnston, Ed Eyden, Eric Meer, Holly, Brett, and Ashe Bullion, Jaap Westera, Karen Haskell, Marcus Pingel, Mike and Patty Loftis, Olivia Ruiz, Paul Weir, Reuben Brewer SPONSORSHIP INQUIRIES ____________________________________ Please email biz@itsokaytobesmart.com Stock video and images provided by Shutterstock, Artlist, and MotionArray Music provided by APM Written by Joe Hanson Edited by PW Shelton Produced by Least Square Media and Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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