If you ask someone to picture a thunderstorm, chances are they will have no problem slipping into a memory of dark clouds and bright flashes screaming out from them. But, incredibly, they’re probably picturing the tame version of...

Today we explore the penultimate ethical theory in this unit: contractarianism. Hank explains Hobbes’ state of nature, and implicit and explicit contracts, as well as the Prisoner’s Dilemma, and the benefits, and costs, of violating...

We’ve invented airplanes, trains, automobiles and so much more to ease the process of traveling. But many animals have adapted their own techniques for energy efficient travel that don’t require invention!

In which John asks whether globalization is a net positive for humanity. While the new global economy has created a lot of wealth, and lifted a lot of people out of poverty, it also has some effects that aren't so hot. Wealth disparity,...

Hank and physiologist Jon Harrison discuss the question of insect size and major theories that attempt to explain why there is a limit to how large insects can get with current conditions on Earth.

Asteroid mining sounds like something out of a bad space movie, but harvesting materials from space rocks might be our ticket to building space colonies or living on Mars.

Paul surveys the Kingdom Plantae. He begins with a brief description of the phylogeny of land plants. He then describes the defining characteristics of plants, including cell walls, embryophytes, alternation of generation and...

In 1963, Jacques Cousteau lived for 30 days in an underwater laboratory positioned on the floor of the Red Sea, and set a world record in the process. This summer, his grandson Fabien Cousteau broke that record. Cousteau the younger...

Upside Down Mountains in Real Life

About 10,000 years ago, hunter-gatherers, aided by rudimentary agriculture, moved to semi-permanent villages and never looked back. With further developments came food surpluses, leading to commerce, specialization and, many years later...

When it comes to our blood-producing stem cells, biologists have learned that bigger is not better. And a study has taken a look at the accomplishments and obstacles of an in-progress attempt to restore a large belt of degraded land...

Does your toilet water drain differently than in the other hemisphere? Is it because of the Coriolis effect? Hank has some things to clarify about these questions, and more in this edition of I Don't Think It Means What You Think It Means.

Our planet was once populated by megafauna, big top-of-the-food-chain predators that played their part in balancing our ecosystems. When those megafauna disappear, the result is a "trophic cascade," where every part of the ecosystem...

In the Yukon First Nations, women lead; generations of matriarchs have guided and directed the community by forging trade agreements, creating marriage alliances and ensuring business for all. Yukon Regional Chief Kluane Adamek urges...

On November 26, 2020, trade unions in India reported that over 250 MILLION people took part in a strike. What could prompt such massive protest? Farming. Today, we’re going to take a closer look at GMOs, which are organisms whose DNA has...

Hank continues our exploration of animal phyla with the more complexly organized annelida and arthropoda, and a biolography on insects.

If you go to the store in search of milk, there are a dizzying number of products to choose from. There's dairy milk, but also plant-based products such as almond, soy, and oat milks. So which milk is actually best for you? And which...

As the population grows, the demand for food is only going to increase, but luckily, scientists are already working to solve this problem.

Africa’s Sahara desert is a prime location, some say, to build arrays of solar panels and wind turbines. But scientists are aware that building these structures can potentially have large-scale effects on the surrounding environment that...

It's been raining for a few days where Jessi and Squeaks live, and the news even said that there may be a flood! Join Jessi to find out what a flood is, how they form, and how you can stay safe if there's a flood where you live!

How to Build a Better City

Hank introduces us to ourselves by taking us on a journey through the fascinatingly diverse phyla known as chordata. And the next time someone asks you who you are, you can give them the facts: you're a mammalian amniotic tetrapodal...

Empire, imperialism, and colonialism are all interrelated tactics of geopolitics that are used to achieve similar goals of one state maintaining economic, political, or even cultural dominance over other territories. Today, we’re going...

Hank describes three of the whackest weather phenomena on Earth: atmospheric rivers, fire tornadoes, and ball lightning. Super interesting and super weird.