TED Talks
TED: The deep sea's medicinal secrets | Sam Afoullouss
Under the sea, untold wonders await in the form of untapped medicinal potential. Chemist Sam Afoullouss dives into the science behind natural remedies, explaining why the ocean's great (and still largely unexplored) biodiversity is ideal...
SciShow
The Delightful Mutation Behind Siamese Cats
It's easy to assume a cat's coat pattern is based exclusively on genetics, but that isn't entirely the case for Siamese cats. Their unique coloration comes from a combination of genetics, a fragile enzyme, and losing heat from little...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Which animal has the best eyesight? | Thomas W. Cronin
The animal kingdom boasts an incredible diversity of eyes. Some rotate independently while others have squiggly-shaped pupils. Some have protective lids, others squirt blood. But which creature has the best sight? Which sees best in the...
TED Talks
Leon Marchal: The urgent case for antibiotic-free animals
The UN predicts that antimicrobial resistance will be our biggest killer by 2050. "That should really scare the hell out of all of us," says bioprocess engineer Leon Marchal. He's working on an urgently needed solution: transforming the...
PBS
How a Supervolcano Made the Cenozoic's Coolest Fossils
One of the most dynamic, transformative, and potentially dangerous features in North America is also responsible for some of the continent's most amazing fossil deposits. It's a supervolcano we now call Yellowstone.
Be Smart
Why Do We Have to Sleep
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...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Why don't poisonous animals poison themselves? - Rebecca D. Tarvin
Thousands of animal species use toxic chemicals to defend themselves from predators. Snakes have blood clotting compounds in their fangs, the bombardier beetle has corrosive liquid in its abdomen and jellyfish have venomous, harpoon-like...
SciShow Kids
Dung Beetles and Their Big Balls of Poop!
Jessi teaches Squeaks all about Dung Beetles, a special kind of insect that pushes around something that might surprise you. Next Generation Science Standards 1-LS1-1 Disciplinary Core Idea: LS1.A "Different animals use their body parts...
Crash Course
Pre-Columbian Theater, Spanish Empire, and Sor Juana: Crash Course Theater #22
This week, we're headed to the Americas to learn about the theater that existed there prior to the arrival of Europeans, how the theater of the Spanish influenced it, and the impact of Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz, playwrighting Spanish nun...
PBS
The Time Terror Birds Invaded
About 5 million years ago, a new predator made its way from the south and onto the coastal plains of North America. It was a giant, flightless, carnivorous bird and came to be known by one of the coolest and most richly earned nicknames...
SciShow Kids
Fireflies: Nature’s Baffling Blinkers Animal | Science for Kids
Have you ever wondered how fireflies twinkle and blink on lovely summer nights? Join Jessi and Squeaks at the fort to learn their secret!
SciShow
Why Animals Take Care of Other Animals' Young
Did you know that some species take care of young that are not their own? This surprising practice is called alloparenting, and it’s been observed in animals from otters, like Rosa and Selka, to birds to baboons!
SciShow
How the Electricity in Our Bodies Could Fight Cancer
One potential avenue for cancer treatment uses electricity not from any outside machine, but from within our own bodies.
TED-Ed
These salamanders snack on each other (but don't die) | Luis Zambrano
Axolotls are one of science's most studied animals. Why, you ask? These extraordinary salamanders are masters of regeneration: they can flawlessly regenerate body parts ranging from amputated limbs and crushed spines to parts of their...
SciShow
What Do Different Brainwaves Mean?
The neurons in your brain don't just fire off randomly,they fire in various patterns called neural oscillations. But what do these different brainwaves mean?
SciShow
Do Animals Appreciate Music?
Animals might be music lovers, but how can we know? Is the ability to perceive and appreciate music a shared human and animal experience?
SciShow Kids
How Phytoplankton Make the World Go Round
Jessi and Squeaks take a look at some pond water under a microscope, and learn all about the living things they can see inside! Next Generation Science Standards 2-LS2-2 Disciplinary Core Idea: LS2.A “Plants depend on water and light to...
PBS
The Other Explosion You Should Know About
Fossils found around the world suggest that multi-cellular life was not only present before the Cambrian Explosion, it was much more elaborate and diverse than anyone thought. This is the story of the sudden burst of diversity that...
SciShow
Animal Personalities Are More Like Ours Than You Might Think
If you’ve ever been around animals, you know they can have different personalities, but there’s one trait that scientists used to believe was uniquely human.
SciShow
8 Strange Animal Sleeping Habits
Sleep is important, but not all animals need the same kind of deep rest as humans. From sleeping standing up to sleeping inside snot bubbles, here are 8 especially strange ways some animals catch their ZZZs.
SciShow
Crabs, Cockroaches, and 3 Other Pollinators That Aren't Bees
Bees aren’t the only pollinators out there. Some of the other, more surprising pollinators aren't just unconventional, they give us unique examples of how the relationship between pollinators and plants evolved in the first place.
SciShow
The Unbelievably Tough Animals of Lake Natron
With its caustic red waters, Lake Natron doesn’t seem like the ideal place to call home. But some creatures have evolved amazing adaptations that help them survive and thrive in this alkaline lake.
SciShow Kids
Meet 3 Peculiar Penguins | Animal Science for Kids
When you think of penguins, you probably think of the kinds you’ve seen in cartoons and movies. But there are at least 18 different kinds of penguins, including some that are tiny, some that live in hot places, and even some that spend...
SciShow
Do Animals Cry?
Plenty of animals have tears that moisturize their eyes. But does that mean they're sad? Quick Questions explains!