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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

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Episodes 314

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  • Friday · 9 min

    Why Nature Loves Hexagons

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Follow me to Infinite Series for 4-Dimensional Bees! https://youtu.be/X8jOxEGVyPo Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ From spirals to spots to fractals, nature is full of interesting patterns. Many of these patterns even resemble geometric shapes. One of the most common? Hexagons. Why do we see this six-sided shape occur so many times in nature? This week we explore why hexagons are so common in the natural world, from honeycomb to bubbles to rocks, and what their mathematics, physics, and biology may have in common. ----------- READ MORE: D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson. (1917) “On Growth and Form” Ball, Philip. (2009). “Shapes: nature's patterns: a tapestry in three parts.” OUP Oxford. Karihaloo, B. L., Zhang, K., & Wang, J. (2013). Honeybee combs: how the circular cells transform into rounded hexagons. Journal of The Royal Society Interface, 10(86), 20130299. Hofmann, Martin, et al. "Why hexagonal basalt columns?." Physical review letters 115.15 (2015): 154301. Aydin, Atilla, and James M. DeGraff. "Evolution of polygonal fracture patterns in lava flows." Science 239.4839 (1988): 471-476. Hayashi, Takashi, and Richard W. Carthew. "Surface mechanics mediate pattern formation in the developing retina." Nature 431.7009 (2004): 647. Kim, Sangwoo, et al. "Hexagonal Patterning of the Insect Compound Eye: Facet Area Variation, Defects, and Disorder." Biophysical journal 111.12 (2016): 2735-2746. ----------- 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: Joe Hanson 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

  • Friday · 19 min

    Does Someone Else Have Your Face? Doppelgängers Explained!

    To learn more about Brilliant, check out https://brilliant.org/BeSmart/ SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ They say everyone has a doppelgänger, but is that really true? This week we meet a young woman who found her own look-alike, and figure out how we actually recognize faces. TEST YOUR FACE MEMORY! Cambridge Memory Test http://bit.ly/2Gh0UXo Thorn Child Finder Challenge http://bit.ly/2QQxmnp Acknowledgements: Dr. Teghan Lucas, University of New South Wales Dr. Martin Eimer, Cambridge University Dr. Michael Sheehan, Cornell University Amanda Green (her real Instagram is @4mandagreen) Ruben van der Dussen/Thorn Cheng et al. (2017). The Code for Facial Identity in the Primate Brain. Cell 169, 6 (1013-1028. http://dx.doi.org./10.1016/j.cell.2017.05.011 Huckenbeck (2013). Identification of the Living. University Clinic Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf, Germany. Elsevier Ltd. Johnson et al. (1991) Newborns’ preferential tracking of face-like stimuli and its subsequent decline. Cognition. 40(1-2):1-19. Lucas et al. (2016). Comparing the face to the body, which is better for identification? International Journal of Legal Medicine. 130(2):533-40 DOI 10.1007/s00414-015-1158-6 Lucas et al. (2015). Are human faces unique? A metric approach to finding single individuals without duplicates in large samples. Forensic Science International 257 514.e1–514.e6 Parr (2011) The evolution of face processing in primates. Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. 366, 1571. DOI https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2010.0358 Robertson et al. (2016). Unfamiliar face recognition : Security, surveillance and smartphones. The Journal of the Homeland Defense and Security Information Analysis Center. (14-21). Thomas (2013). Forensic Anthropology of the Living. Human Skeleton In Forensic Medicine (408-435). ----------- 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: Derek Borsheim and Sara Roma Producers: Stephanie Noone and Amanda Fox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Friday · 12 min

    Are We Living Through the Sixth Extinction?

    This time, we're the asteroid. 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 Read "The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert: http://amzn.to/1xGKn0K Rodolfo Dirzo et al. "Defaunation in the Anthropocene" http://bit.ly/1H7JQdw Stuart Pimm et al. "Biodiversity of Species and Their Rates of Extinction" http://bit.ly/1A5UZJM Get to know an endangered species: http://discover.iucnredlist.org/ Half of world's wildlife has died off in past 40 years: http://bit.ly/1BHl8jR Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment below! Produced for PBS Digital Studios Joe Hanson - Host/Writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen Inc Kate Eads - Associate Producer Katie Graham - Director of Photography Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics Dalton Allen - Post-production intern John Knudsen - Gaffer Theme music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Stock images by Shutterstock ----------- 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

  • Friday · 9 min

    The Curious Physics That Makes Hurricanes So Powerful

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate The physics of the perfect storm… Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Learn more/references: “Divine Wind: The History and Science of Hurricanes” by Kerry Emanuel http://amzn.to/2aUY7P7 Japan’s “kamikaze” winds may have been real: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/11/141104-kamikaze-kublai-khan-winds-typhoon-japan-invasion/ “El huracán, su mitología y sus símbolos” Fernando Ortiz http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/60338937 “Sea of Storms: A History of Hurricanes in the Greater Caribbean from Columbus to Katrina” Stuart B. Schwartz http://press.princeton.edu/titles/10324.html Emanuel, Kerry. "Tropical cyclones." Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences 31.1 (2003): 75. Knutson, Thomas R., et al. "Tropical cyclones and climate change." Nature Geoscience 3.3 (2010): 157-163. “Hurricane Force” Roger Smith 2006 Phys. World 19 (6) 32 Could we nuke a hurricane? http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/C5c.html ---------------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. 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

  • Friday · 4 min

    Where Does the Aroma of Rain Originate?

    I smell a science storm a-comin'!! ↓ More info and sources below ↓ 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 References: "Nature of Argillaceous Odor" (1964) http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v201/n4923/abs/201993a0.html "Petrichor and Plant Growth" (1965) http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v207/n5004/abs/2071415a0.html Human nose can detect a trillion smells http://news.sciencemag.org/biology/2014/03/human-nose-can-detect-trillion-smells Petrichor and fish spawning http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1974.tb04518.x/abstract Camels seek out wet soil smells http://www.theguardian.com/science/2003/mar/06/science.research Chemistry of petrichor: http://cen.acs.org/articles/91/i18/Scent-Rain-Strands-Honey.html http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/post/85815194542/compoundchem-the-third-graphic-in-the-aroma http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/storm-scents-smell-rain/ Joe Hanson - Host and writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer Katie Graham - Camera Editing/Motion Graphics - Andrew Matthews Gaffer - John Knudsen Theme music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Stock images via Shutterstock Produced for PBS Digital Studios ----------- 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

  • Friday · 3 min

    Between Two Tesla Coils! - 360 Immersive Video

    Learn how singing Tesla coils work: https://youtu.be/KGhNgeg9IAw Follow me to Physics Girl for electromagnetic explosions! https://youtu.be/AXOa66-k9MA ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Get yourself an awesome IOTBS shirt! http://dftba.com/besmart Special thanks to: ArcAttack http://arcattack.com/ Dianna @thephysicsgirl https://www.youtube.com/user/physicswoman ---- 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! Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart 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: @DrJoeHanson Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios 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

  • Friday · 8 min

    Plants Are Smarter Than You'd Expect

    Plants can do some amazing things. But how do they respond to their environment with no brain? ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Learn more/references: “What a Plant Knows” by Daniel Chamovitz http://amzn.to/2bfvdOg “The Secret Life of Plants” by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird http://amzn.to/2bczCTf (this book is full of bad science mumbo jumbo, but it’s where the Cleve Backster story comes from) Galil, J. "An ancient technique for ripening sycomore fruit in east-mediterranean countries." Economic Botany 22.2 (1968): 178-190. Kost, C., & Heil, M. (2008). The Defensive Role of Volatile Emission and Extrafloral Nectar Secretion for Lima Bean in Nature. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 34(1), 2–13. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-007-9404-0 Gerbode, Sharon J., et al. "How the cucumber tendril coils and overwinds."Science 337.6098 (2012): 1087-1091. Darwin’s writings on vines and climbing plants: http://darwin-online.org.uk/content/frameset?itemID=F836&viewtype=text&pageseq=1 Darwin’s writings on plant movement: http://darwin-online.org.uk/EditorialIntroductions/Freeman_ThePowerofMovementinPlants.html ---------------- 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Friday · 13 min

    How Your Memory Works

    To learn more about Brilliant, go to https://brilliant.org/BeSmart/ and sign up for free. First 200 people will get 20% off the annual Premium subscription. ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ How does memory work? And how does… un-memory work? Our brain does a lot of remembering and forgetting every day, so you should probably make room for som info on how it works. You’ll also get to meet some people who can’t make memories, and also never forget anything. References: http://bit.ly/2rdFW0O ----------- 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: Maria Ter-Mikaelian Creative Director: David Schulte Editor/animator: Karl Boettcher and Derek Borsheim 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

  • Friday · 15 min

    If We Plant 1 TRILLION Trees Can We Stop Climate Change?

    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 ↓ SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub We’re on PATREON now! Join the community ►► https://www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart Can trees really save us from climate change? For eons, nature has relied on photosynthesis as a big way to keep carbon dioxide levels from getting out of control. But as we have put more carbon into the air, we’ve also cut down many of the forests we need to suck that carbon up. So big tree-planting initiatives like #TeamTrees to the rescue, right? Actually, we need to think bigger. Here’s three ways trees really can help us solve climate change, from a guy who wants to plant a TRILLION trees, to how we might save the forests we’ve got, to scientists hacking biology to make trees even better. References: https://sites.google.com/view/3waystreescansavetheclimate/home Aspect Science: Team Trees Explained https://youtu.be/SLHCA-hHx4Y Special thanks to Felix Finkbeiner https://www.plant-for-the-planet.org/en/home Special thanks to our Brain Trust Patrons: AlecZero Bob Rosset Brent M. Diego Lombeida Ron Kakar ----------- 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

  • Friday · 9 min

    Where Did Zika Arise?

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Get your Audible trial here: http://audible.com/ok Tweet this video ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSzika1 Share on FB ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSzikaFB ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Get yourself an awesome IOTBS shirt! http://dftba.com/besmart Follow the latest news on Zika: https://www.cdc.gov/zika/ http://www.who.int/emergencies/zika-virus/en/ Special thanks to the following for personal interviews about Zika outbreak: Dr. Peter Hotez - Baylor College of Medicine Dr. Scott Weaver - UT Medical Branch, Galveston Dr. Nikos Vasilakis - UT Medical Branch, Galveston Dr. Dahotra Sarkar - University of Texas at Austin Dr. Alex Wild - University of Texas at Austin Mustapha Debboun - Harris County Mosquito Control References/further reading: Malaria and Rome: A History of Malaria in Ancient Italy - Robert Sallares http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50747841 Sallares, Robert, and Susan Gomzi. "Biomolecular archaeology of malaria."Ancient Biomolecules 3.3 (2001): 195-213. Sallares, Robert, Abigail Bouwman, and Cecilia Anderung. "The spread of malaria to southern Europe in antiquity: new approaches to old problems."Medical history 48.03 (2004): 311-328. Hotez, Peter J. "Neglected Tropical Diseases in the Anthropocene: The Cases of Zika, Ebola, and Other Infections." PLoS Negl Trop Dis 10.4 (2016): e0004648. Hotez, Peter J. "Blue marble health redux: Neglected tropical diseases and human development in the Group of 20 (G20) nations and Nigeria." PLoS Negl Trop Dis 9.7 (2015): e0003672. Thumbnail image credits: Aedes aegypti mosquito: CDC/ Prof. Frank Hadley Collins, Dir., Cntr. for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, Univ. of Notre Dame Zika virus capsid: Manuel Almagro Rivas, Wikimedia Commons ---- 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! Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart 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 Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios 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

  • Friday · 7 min

    Can Epigenetic Inheritance Be Real?

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Epigenetic inheritance is really weird, but is it real? Tweet this ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSepi Share on FB ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSepiFB ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Crash Course Physics with Dr. Shini Somara: https://www.youtube.com/user/crashcourse Want more on epigenetic inheritance? Start here: Univ. of Utah’s Learn Genetics: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/inheritance/ Virginia Hughes - “Epigenetics: The Sins of the Father” http://www.nature.com/news/epigenetics-the-sins-of-the-father-1.14816 Dig deeper: Szyf, Moshe. "Nongenetic inheritance and transgenerational epigenetics."Trends in molecular medicine 21.2 (2015): 134-144. Sharma, Abhay. "Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance requires a much deeper analysis." Trends in molecular medicine 21.5 (2015): 269-270. Heard, Edith, and Robert A. Martienssen. "Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance: myths and mechanisms." Cell 157.1 (2014): 95-109. Rando, Oliver J. "Daddy issues: paternal effects on phenotype." Cell 151.4 (2012): 702-708. Jablonka, Eva, and Gal Raz. "Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance: prevalence, mechanisms, and implications for the study of heredity and evolution." The Quarterly review of biology 84.2 (2009): 131-176. Heijmans, Bastiaan T., et al. "Persistent epigenetic differences associated with prenatal exposure to famine in humans." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105.44 (2008): 17046-17049. Pembrey, Marcus, et al. "Human transgenerational responses to early-life experience: potential impact on development, health and biomedical research." Journal of medical genetics (2014): jmedgenet-2014. 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! Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart 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 Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios Music via APM Stock images from 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

  • Friday · 10 min

    Ask Joe Matters #3

    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 ↓ You have questions, I have answers. SUBSCRIBE, it's FREE! http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Sequencing the banana genome: http://news.discovery.com/earth/plants/banana-genome-120711.htm Reddit's r/ELI5 on "sympathetic vomiting": http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1fbwpy/ Chances we had more than one common ancestor: http://news.discovery.com/animals/dinosaurs/life-single-common-ancestor.htm Greenland fossil microbes: http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v7/n1/full/ngeo2025.html Australia fossil microbes: http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/ast.2013.1030 Ed Yong's awesome article about the origin of the mitochondria: http://nautil.us/issue/10/mergers--acquisitions/the-unique-merger-that-made-you-and-ewe-and-yew History of "c" as the speed of light: http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SpeedOfLight/c.html Ask Joe #1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkSpmTvCRJA Ask Joe #2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJvWQMt95A8 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 Produced for PBS Digital Studios ----------- 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

  • Friday · 10 min

    The Weird Science of the Raisin Bran Effect

    AKA "The Brazil Nut Effect" but brazil nuts are blah You can learn more at https://curiositystream.com/smart ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ The bottom of the cereal box is a disappointing place. But at least now you know why. Where do you see the Brazil Nut Effect around you? SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Fyfluiddynamics: https://www.youtube.com/user/fyfluiddynamics Origin of Everything: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiB8h9jD2Mlxx96ZFnGDSJw REFERENCES: ----------- 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: Derek Borsheim and 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

  • Friday · 4 min

    How to Observe Time Travel!!!

    Behold the COSMOTRON 5000!!! 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 How to build your own cloud chamber particle detector and test relativity at home: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/make-a-cosmic-ray-detector-at-home-and-test-relativity/ Carl Sagan discusses cosmic radiation and the origin of life in "Cosmic Connection": http://amzn.to/1wiHIsu Learn about muons, time dilation, and relativity: http://cosmic.lbl.gov/SKliewer/Cosmic_Rays/Muons.htm 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 Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics 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

  • Friday · 7 min

    How Your Body Understands Left From Right

    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 are our bodies so symmetrical, but our guts aren't? This is part 3 of 3 in my series about how our bodies evolved to look like they do. Check out the others: Part 1 - Why your brain is in your head https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdNE4WygyAk Part 2 - Consider the upside-down lobster https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYbJqYVtRyA More info: Left-Right asymmetry in embryonic development: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15582774 Development of the asymmetric human: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=331635&fileId=S1062798705000682 Role of cilia and fluid flow: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24091059 Situs inversus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situs_inversus http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/04/science/growing-left-growing-right-how-a-body-breaks-symmetry.html Joe Hanson - Host and writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer Katie Graham - Director of Photography Post Producer - Stephanie Noone Editing/Motion Graphics - Arts+Labor, Austin, TX John Knudsen - Gaffer Music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Stock images via Shutterstock Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios ----------- 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

  • Friday · 5 min

    How The Elements Were Named

    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 ↓ There's a story inside every box! Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Ever wonder what all those names on the periodic table actually mean? There's a whole lot of fascinating history on Mendeleev's table. Some carry names from antiquity, some are named for people, some are named for places, and some are named for mythical beings. Discover the etymology of the elements! If you want to know more about the love, betrayal, and drama behind the periodic table, check out Sam Kean's "The Disappearing Spoon": http://amzn.to/1eVZS8L Music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod 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 Isaac Hammons - Sound Special thanks to the following for help researching this episode: Sister Mary Virginia Orna, teacher and historian of chemistry Mark Benvenuto, chemist at University of Detroit - Mercy Steven Maguire, chemist at University of Ottawa Produced for PBS Digital Studios ----------- 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

  • Friday · 12 min

    How to Defuse the Overpopulation Bomb

    Thank you to Bill and Melinda Gates for supporting PBS Digital Studios. If you’d like to take a look at the 2018 Annual Letter, you can check it out here http://b-gat.es/2Cfph0j ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Is overpopulation real? Is Earth filling up with too many humans? How many people can Earth hold, anyway? As our species approaches 8 billion, human overpopulation is a major concern for many people. How can we reduce poverty and our impact on the environment? Do we need a forced one-child policy or something? Maybe not, because when we look at the science and history, populations seem to control themselves. This week we look at all these questions and more. READ MORE: https://ourworldindata.org https://www.sciencemag.org/site/special/population/ http://science.sciencemag.org/content/346/6206/234 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-malthus-predicted-1798-food-shortages/ ----------- FOLLOW US: Merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter:@DrJoeHanson @okaytobesmart Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Instagram: @DrJoeHanson ----------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Director: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Creative Director: David Schulte Editor/animator: Karl Boettcher 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

  • Friday · 20 min

    Why Y Is a Vowel Through Physics (and so is W)

    We’re on PATREON! ►► Join the community https://www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Human language is an incredible thing: a combination of mouth sounds that we combine into words, sentences, poems, and constitutions. They carry meaning, emotion, and power. But underneath it all, language is really just physics. In this episode, we explore how physics is at the core of every syllable, starting with the first word most of us ever speak. Try the Pink Trombone vocal simulator! - https://experiments.withgoogle.com/pink-trombone References: https://sites.google.com/view/vowel-sounds-physics/home SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub 0:00 Your voice is just physics 1:16 Some basics of linguistics 2:27 There are more than 5 vowels? 4:49 The physics of the vocal tract 7:04 Resonance and sound filters 8:47 How vowels are an acoustic illusion 11:25 Finding vowels in surprising places 13:09 A touching moment 13:45 The extra bits ----------- High fives to all our Brain Trust Patrons: 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/​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Friday · 7 min

    Clarifying Lunar Eclipses and the SUPER BLOOD MOON!

    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/ Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓ More info and sources below ↓ We’ve got t-shirts! Get yours here: http://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Special thanks to: Rob Pettengill, Ph.D. http://www.robpettengill.org and the Austin Astronomical Society http://www.austinastro.org/ for helping me photograph the lunar eclipse timelapse 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

  • Friday · 7 min

    What If Sharks Had Never Existed?

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Follow this link to more shark science videos by your favorite YouTubers!! http://bit.ly/1sugd0z Sharks killed per hour infographic: http://bit.ly/1oXYT0Y An estimated 100 million sharks are killed per year: http://bit.ly/1oE7uRS Palau sharks are worth $2 million: http://nyti.ms/1kX4fua Effect of shark overfishing on reefs: http://bit.ly/1opLhwF Overfishing sharks led to scallop fishery collapse: https://www.sciencemag.org/content/315/5820/1846.short?related-urls=yes&legid=sci;315/5820/1846 Joe Hanson - Host and writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer Katie Graham - Camera Editing/Motion Graphics - Andrew Matthews Gaffer - John Knudsen Theme music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Stock images via Shutterstock Produced for PBS Digital Studios ----------- 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

Showing 161–180 of 314 episodes