TED Talks
Stuart Brown: Play is more than just fun
A pioneer in research on play, Dr. Stuart Brown says humor, games, roughhousing, flirtation and fantasy are more than just fun. Plenty of play in childhood makes for happy, smart adults -- and keeping it up can make us smarter at any age.
TED Talks
María Neira: This is your brain on air pollution
Air pollution knows no borders -- even in your own body, says public health expert María Neira. In this startling talk, she describes how the microscopic particles and chemicals you breathe affect all your major organs (including your...
SciShow
Flavor Science: What's Really in a Pumpkin Spice Latte
If you take a look at an ingredients list, odds are you'll find natural and artificial flavors somewhere in there. Turns out there's a whole science to making your pumpkin spice latte taste like pumpkin spice, or your potato chips taste...
SciShow
How Do You Make Memories?
What if you couldn’t remember anything past 30 seconds? Let us introduce you to a man named Henry Molaison who was diagnosed with anterograde amnesia. He couldn’t form new memories.
SciShow
For Some Animals, The World Moves in Slow-Motion
Does your cat have a concept of time? Is it different from a snapping turtle's? Scientists study how animals process sensory information to figure out how they experience time. Spoilers: human kids and adults might experience time...
SciShow
Do You Really Know What You Think You Do?
We are generally pretty confident when it comes to things that we know really well. But what if your brain is lying to you... tricking you into thinking you know everything, but you really know nothing?
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Are all of your memories real? | Daniel L. Schacter
In a 1990's study, participants recalled getting lost in a shopping mall as children. Some shared these memories in vivid detail, but there was one problem: none of these people had actually gotten lost in a mall. They produced these...
SciShow
Is There a Way to Sober Up Faster?
You may be aware of certain hacks to sober up, but researchers have found a way to actually get booze out of our systems faster. And this discovery could help first responders when facing alcohol overdoses.
TED Talks
Philip Zimbardo: The psychology of time
Psychologist Philip Zimbardo says happiness and success are rooted in a trait most of us disregard: the way we orient toward the past, present and future. He suggests we calibrate our outlook on time as a first step to improving our lives.
SciShow
Life-Changing Birdsong
Bird parent's calls can change how their babies develop! And, do you learn faster when playing a game to benefit yourself or other people?
Be Smart
Why Your Brain Is In Your Head
Part 1 of 3 in my series about why our bodies are shaped the way they are.
SciShow
Placebos & Nocebos: How Your Brain Heals and Hurts You
You've probably heard how some drugs and treatments make people feel better, even when they turn out to be fake. That's the placebo effect, but how does it work? And could the same effect backfire, causing your brain to make you feel...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Can you outsmart a troll (by thinking like one)? | Claire Wardle
Your town is holding a mayoral election and the stakes have never been higher. You suspect one of the candidates will begin pushing false information to swing the election. As the cybersecurity expert, your job is to inoculate the...
SciShow
How Gene Therapy Could Revolutionize Addiction Treatment
Cocaine addiction is difficult to treat, but with the help of gene therapy, scientists are hoping to change that
TED Talks
TED: The future race car -- 150mph, and no driver | Chris Gerdes
Autonomous cars are coming -- and they're going to drive better than you. Chris Gerdes reveals how he and his team are developing robotic race cars that can drive at 150 mph while avoiding every possible accident. And yet, in studying...
SciShow
Your Brain on Porn
Hank talks about space shuttle Discovery's retirement, a private space "taxi cab" service, a breakthrough with man-made DNA, and the similarities between religion and pornography in your brain.
SciShow
Visual Illusions: Why You See Things That Aren't There
What's the deal with all those little flashes of light you see when you close your eyes? And why do truck drivers and people in jail see glowing circles and spirals?
SciShow
Cyclopia: A Rare Birth Defect That Could Help Cure Cancer
With a greater understanding of biological mechanisms, humans may be able to take a devastating birth defect and turn it into a treatment for cancer.
TED Talks
Manuel Lima: A visual history of human knowledge
How does knowledge grow? Sometimes it begins with one insight and grows into many branches; other times it grows as a complex and interconnected network. Infographics expert Manuel Lima explores the thousand-year history of mapping data...
SciShow
6 Dangerous Diseases Hiding in U.S. Backyards
Microbes are all around us, on everything we touch, drink, or eat. While most microbes can't hurt us, you don't have to go much farther than your own backyard to find some that really can! Chapters PLAGUE 0:39 TULAREMIA 4:48...
SciShow
What Really Goes Into Storing Food for the Winter?
When birds and squirrels cache food for the winter, it means they have to remember where to find that food later. Their strategies for finding their hidden feasts includes memory tricks and changing brains.
SciShow
Why Do You Stick Out Your Tongue When You Concentrate?
Have you ever done something that required a ton of concentration, like threading a needle, and noticed that sometimes your tongue pokes out involuntarily? It turns out this reflex could be a leftover from the evolution of human language!
SciShow
Rocking & Sleep: It's Not Just for Babies
50 to 70 million people are thought to have some kind of sleeping disorder. If you're one of those people, desperate for a good night's sleep, scientists may have an option for you: rocking!