SciShow
The Arctic Is Drowning in Plastic
Many people picture the Arctic as a pristine icy wilderness. But when it comes to microplastics, it's one of the most polluted places on Eart
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Does recycling your plastic actually work? | Shannon Odell
If you've ever looked at the bottom of a disposable bottle or cup, you've probably noticed a recycling symbol. Seeing this, many people assume the item should be put in a recycling bin. Yet many plastics are incapable of being recycled...
TED Talks
TED: Meet methane, the invisible climate villain | Marcelo Mena
A landfill on fire doesn't only emit a horrid stench — it has devastating consequences for the environment, too. The culprit is methane, an often underestimated greenhouse gas produced in large part by food systems, organic waste and...
Be Smart
Recycling Is Broken. Here’s How We Can Fix It.
If everyone would just put more in the recycling bin instead of the trash can, the world would be a better place. Right? Well, that’s not exactly true. For many items that end up in the recycling bin, you’ve actually created more trash...
SciShow
Wheezy Waiter on Movie Science, Mutant Flu Facts, and 2 Sounds You've Never Heard!
Wheezy Waiter announces the SciShow nominees for "Worst Science in a Film," & Hank talks about the bird flu and shares two sounds that had never been heard by human ears until very recently.
SciShow
Why Can't We Design A Bear-Proof Trash Can?
Why is it so hard for us to keep the bears out of our trash? Well, it turns out that trash cans are basically like giant food puzzles for the bears, and they are determined to win... But, we can use their wily trash-nabbing instincts...
TED Talks
TED: An Indigenous perspective on humanity's survival on Earth | Jupta Itoewaki
Eighty percent of the world's biodiversity is within Indigenous territories, yet these communities often don't have a say when it comes to protecting the lands they inhabit. Environmental activist Jupta Itoewaki explains why Indigenous...
PBS
Tiny Easter Island deals with giant trash problem
Easter Island off the coast of Chile has a major trash problem. It's near what's known as a "trash vortex" in the middle of the South Pacific and floating waste is constantly washing ashore. Local officials estimate the growing...
SciShow Kids
Keeping Our Water Clean!
Where does the water on the road go after a rain day? And taking care of them can be very important! Second Grade Next Generation Science Standards Disciplinary Core Idea: ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes - Water...
SciShow Kids
Recycling Old Crayons! An Earth Day Activity
Jessi teaches Squeaks all about recycling, and together, they recycle his old crayons to make cool new ones! Second Grade Next Generation Science Standards Disciplinary Core Idea: PS1.B: Chemical Reactions - Heating or cooling a...
Crash Course
Let's Make an AI that Destroys Video Games
Today we create a game and then build an AI to destroy it. Our game is called TrashBlaster, and it’s like Asteroids but with trash in the ocean, and instead of a spaceship John Green Bot is wielding a laser. We'll use machine learning...
TED Talks
TED: Let's bridge the digital divide! | Aleph Molinari
Five billion people can't use the internet. Aleph Molinari empowers digitally excluded people, by giving them access to computers and sharing the know-how to use them.
TED Talks
TED: Coding a better government | Jennifer Pahlka
Can government be run like the Internet, permissionless and open? Coder and activist Jennifer Pahlka believes it can -- and that apps, built quickly and cheaply, are a powerful new way to connect citizens to their governments -- and...
SciShow
How Plastic Balls and Garbage Cans Help Us Study Space
How can we be so sure of the way celestial bodies behave when they're so far away? With the help of some speakers, garbage cans, and springs of course.
TED Talks
Van Jones: The economic injustice of plastic
When we throw away our plastic trash, where does it go? In this hard-hitting talk, Van Jones shows us how our throwaway culture hits poor people and poor countries "first and worst," with consequences we all share no matter where we...
TED Talks
Robin Nagle: What I discovered in New York City trash
New York City residents produce 11,000 tons of garbage every day. Every day! This astonishing statistic is just one of the reasons Robin Nagle started a research project with the city's Department of Sanitation. She walked the routes,...
SciShow
Do You Do More Housework Than Your Roommate?
You do way more housework than your slob of a roommate, right? Well, turns out your roommate might think you're the slob. Our brains are just wired that way.
TED Talks
TED: The eco-creators helping the climate through social media | Zahra Biabani
Climate doom-ism, or a pessimistic outlook on the future of the planet, rivals climate denialism in holding up the fight against climate change, says activist Zahra Biabani. Illuminating how hope combats inaction, she takes us inside the...
SciShow Kids
Make Edible Glass Hearts!
Glass is really cool, but where does it come from? Jessi and Squeaks have a pretty sweet activity to show you how glass is made SOURCES: Disciplinary Core Ideas: PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter - Different kinds of matter exist...
TED Talks
TED: The joy of taking out the trash | Aparna Nancherla
Comedian Aparna Nancherla loves to take out the trash. In this funny and sharp meditation on garbage -- "the stuff that our modern, consumerist, carbon-powered culture makes us buy endlessly, and often for no reason" -- she shares...
SciShow
Space Trash: The Next Big Pickle
Earth's orbit has a bit of a litter problem. Hank outlines a few ways scientists have thought of to help clean things up.
Crash Course
Urinary System, part 1: Crash Course A&P
Even though you probably don't choose to spend a lot of time thinking about it, your pee is kind of a big deal. Today we're talking about the anatomy of your urinary system, and how your kidneys filter metabolic waste and balance salt...
SciShow
Why Don't We Throw Trash in Volcanoes?
We have a garbage problem. Wouldn't it make sense to throw that trash into the nearest volcano?
SciShow
How Can We Clean Up the Oceans?
Plastic is a huge problem in the oceans, but engineers and research groups are working on how to deal with it. Hank describes some of the leading proposed solutions.