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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 370

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  • 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 · 4 min

    Developing Curiosity

    An ode to curiosity... with LEGO! 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 My tribute to Curiosity, both the NASA rover and the human desire to discover, featuring words from some of science's greatest minds and LEGO's special edition Mars rover set SOURCES: Carl Sagan: "Cosmos: A Personal Voyage - The Lives of the Stars" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7L6SZPxgNg "Cosmos: A Personal Voyage - The Backbone of the Night" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeaPIy6eS_g "Cosmos: A Personal Voyage - The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCxc5w-SfpA Neil deGrasse Tyson: "Science is in our DNA" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVrVdtSFK7c "Cosmos: A SPacetime Odyssey Q&A" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfUuj0YLmMg Bill Nye: "The Good Stuff - Bill Nye and the Origin of Everything" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMKTiPUl8E4 "Why We Explore" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVZmL5UARcs "Bill Nye Debates Ken Ham" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6kgvhG3AkI Hank Green: "Curiosity is the Finest Human Quality" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kQ1Po7vzUk Jane Goodall: "Sowing the Seeds of Hope" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vibssrQKm60 Richard Feynman: "Take the World From a Different Point of View" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgJPjG4KJYQ James Cameron: "Before Avatar - A Curious Boy (TED2010)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVfd6fg7QsM Produced for PBS Digital Studios Joe Hanson - Host/Writer Joe Nicolosi - Director/Editor Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen Inc Kate Eads - Associate Producer Music: "Evolver" by Jesper Kyd (APM Music Library) ----------- 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 · 19 min

    Sand Dunes Shouldn’t Exist (Here’s Why They Do)

    Check out Overview on @pbsterra ►► https://youtu.be/WWrb1iyCLlI We’re on PATREON! Join the community https://www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Uploaded 20-10-21 How can sand, blown by the wind, form such intricate and beautiful patterns as ripples and dunes? The answer is a surprising secret of self-organization. In this video, we travel to Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado to climb the largest sand dunes in North America and bring you the science of how wind and sand combine to create ordered landforms out of chaos. The science must flow. References: https://sites.google.com/view/sanddunesreferences/home Thank you to Dr. Mathieu Lapôtre (Stanford) and Dr. Orencio Duran Vinent (Texas A and M) for helpful discussions while researching this epsiode. SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ----------- Special thanks to our Brain Trust Patrons: Ronnie Adams Barbora Bei Ken Board T Clinger Attila Pix Burt Humburg DeliciousKashmiri Brian Chang Roy Lasris dani bowman David Johnston Salih Arslan Baerbel Winkler Robert Young Amy Sowada Eric Meer Dustin Marcus Tuepker Karen Haskell AlecZero 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Friday · 7 min

    Why Does Hair Grow In The Way It Does?

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Try CuriosityStream today: http://curiositystream.com/smart Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Check out more of my friend Kyle’s sweet hair on his channel “Because Science”: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLl4T6p7km9dZSdTfPxucpwZY7Try86hFW All mammals have hair at some point in their lives, but none of them wear it quite like humans. Why does our hair grow where it does, and not grow where it doesn’t? How does our hair get its color? And why does it go gray and often fall out when we get older and go bald? Learn all about the science of human hair in this week’s video! ----------- REFERENCES: Harding RM, Healy E, Ray AJ, et al. Evidence for Variable Selective Pressures at MC1R. American Journal of Human Genetics. 2000;66(4):1351-1361. Randall, Valerie Anne. "Androgens and hair growth." Dermatologic therapy 21.5 (2008): 314-328. Yablon, J. "What is the latest theory of why humans lost their body hair?." SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN 297.3 (2007): 124-124. APA ----------- 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: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Sarah Keartes 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 · 9 min

    How Do Glaciers Move?

    This video is so cool, it's ICE COLD Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Uploaded 25-07-17 Glacier ice is weird. It’s solid. Solid things aren’t supposed to flow. But glacier ice flows like a liquid, and it does that without melting! How is this possible? I traveled to Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska to find out. Special thanks to Josh Cassidy from KQED’s Deep Look for joining me in Alaska and shooting this episode! ► https://www.youtube.com/user/KQEDDeepLook Filmed under a Special Use Permit on the Juneau Ranger District, Tongass National Forest Archival glacier image: Glacier Photograph Collection - National Snow and Ice Data Center ----------- READ MORE: Paterson, William Stanley Bryce. “The Physics of Glaciers.” Elsevier, 2016. ----------- 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 ----------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Director: Joe Nicolosi/Josh Cassidy Writer: Sarah Keartes Cinematography: Josh Cassidy Producer/editor/animator: Anastasiya Bulavkina 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Friday · 9 min

    Sonic Hedgehog Gene - Why You Have Thumbs Rather Than Fins

    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 ↓ Ever wonder why you have thumbs? Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub The human hand, with its multi-talented thumb, might be man's greatest tool. But did you know we can trace that thumb, and the hand and arm it's connected to, all the way back to a 375 million-year-old fish named Tiktaalik? This week I sit down with paleontologist and geneticist Dr. Neil Shubin to learn what a fish, and a little blue hedgehog, can teach us about the evolution of thumbs. Be sure to watch Neil Shubin's special 3-part series "Your Inner Fish" on your local PBS station, premiering Wednesday, April 9 at 10 PM Eastern! http://www.pbs.org/your-inner-fish/home/ Also check out Neil's book "Your Inner Fish": http://amzn.to/1ssBCFt 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 Music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod 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

    How to Sidestep a Deadly Asteroid Impact

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Turns out the sky IS falling. SUBSCRIBE! http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Tweet this video ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSdfa Share on FB ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSdfaFB ↓ More info and sources below ↓ A giant asteroid took out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Could a big meteor hit Earth again? And if we find one coming our way, how can we use science to avoid a deadly asteroid or meteorite impact? Want to wear your love for science? We’ve got merch: http://dftba.com/besmart References/Learn More: Impact Earth! Simulator: https://www.purdue.edu/impactearth/ Thanks to Destin for letting us use a clip from Smarter Every Day #84! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NLBtZKx2cA National Academies report: “Defending Earth” https://www.nap.edu/catalog/12842/defending-planet-earth-near-earth-object-surveys-and-hazard-mitigation 3D asteroid simulation www.asterank.com/3d/ NASA’s near-Earth object program http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/ Facts about asteroids from NASA http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/asteroids/overview/fastfacts.html Great meteor/meteorite FAQ http://www.amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/meteor-faq/ ---------------- 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/DrJoeHanson Instagram: http://instagram.com/DrJoeHanson 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 · 9 min

    The Science of Marathon Performance

    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 ↓ I ran one… FOR SCIENCE! Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub So maybe we can't outrun cheetahs or antelope, but humans are uniquely adapted for long distance running. What does science have to say about marathon running? To find out, (and because I was feeling a little crazy) I decided to run one! Here's what I discovered about the science of long distance running Endurance running adaptations: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Human_Running_Adaptations.png For more on the science and evolution of distance running, from training plans to cellular physiology, check out Tim Noakes' "The Lore of Running" http://amzn.to/1eKYir9 and Christopher McDougall's "Born to Run" http://amzn.to/NnF7wb 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 Music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Other music via APM 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 · 21 min

    This Is Where New Ideas ACTUALLY Arise

    Check out Hungry Planet on @pbsterra https://youtu.be/uH2jWc9TEVM ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ The idea of the lone genius creating everything isn’t just misleading. It’s harmful and wrong. Innovation thrives when people work together, and rather than nice linear paths, new ideas come from chance events and unexpected connections. This video tells the story of one such invention, and offers a new idea about how new ideas are really born. 0:00 I've got a gripe 1:30 How innovation stories usually go 2:28 The last time this happened, things got weird 2:51 Stabbing sick people in Olde London 4:23 A heroic cow named Blossom 5:05 Why Napoleon hated swamps 6:22 The preacher, sparks, and a fortuitous explosion 7:08 Who's "in charge" here? 8:26 Bubbles, for your health! 9:33 Putting the club in soda 10:13 Needles and drugs 11:01 A tower in Paris 11:58 Quantum bros 12:53 Very VERY tiny things 13:37 This physicist hates cats 14:20 Mr. Helix and the messengers 15:18 It's all coming together 16:08 The best part of the story 17:35 Extras We’re on PATREON! Join the community: https://www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ----------- High fives to all our Brain Trust Patrons: Charles Horton, Jr Holly, Brett, and Ashe Bullion Jaap Westera Millennial Glacier Mehdi Damou Barbora Bei Burt Humburg dani bowman David Johnston Baerbel Winkler Robert Young Eric Meer 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​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Friday · 24 min

    When Is Now?

    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 ↓ Uploaded 15-02-21 We’re on PATREON! Join the community ►► https://www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub When is now? Seems like a pretty simple question… just look at your watch. But do you and I share the same “now”? Let’s journey from Einstein’s thought experiments about relativity to cutting edge neuroscience research to try and answer that question. References: https://sites.google.com/view/when-is-now-references/home ----------- Special thanks to our Brain Trust Patrons: dani bowman David Johnston Ahmed Elkhanany Zenimal Salih Arslan Baerbel Winkler Robert Young Amy Sowada Benjamin Teinby Eric Meer Jay Stephens Peter Ehrnstrom Dustin Marcus Tuepker Karen Haskell AlecZero Diego Lombeida 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Friday · 16 min

    7 Scientific Urban Legends Debunked!

    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 ↓ Uploaded 06-09-19 I HAVE A PATREON NOW!! Join the community ►► https://www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub It sounds like such an incredible fact. “Our own cells are outnumbered by our microbes 10 to 1!” I don’t remember where I first heard it. But I read it in science papers and articles by journalists, so I believed it without question. I even made one of my first videos based on this fact. Problem is, this fact is not true. So how did it remain firmly planted in our common knowledge for almost four decades without any scientific scrutiny? And how can you prepare yourself to not be fooled by other scientific urban legends? I look at a few of the most famous incorrect factoids in science, and give a few suggestions for how to make our common knowledge more correct. References: https://sites.google.com/view/7-scientific-urban-legends/home Please do not watch this old video, it is wrong and my hair is awful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BZME8H7-KU ----------- Join us on Patreon! URL 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/itsokaytobesmart Books from our episodes: http://smart-books.tumblr.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Friday · 5 min

    How Poop Shapes the World

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Uploaded 29-08-17 Nature is truly the ultimate recycler… Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Waste not, want not… right? Poop, in all of its various forms throughout nature, shapes the world in ways you might not imagine. One creature’s waste is another’s fuel, and all over nature these leftovers help new life spring up. Here’s how whales, birds, worms, bats, and more help the world breathe clean, thanks to their poop. Thanks to the following for their expert info: Dr. Richard Kirby (@PlanktonPundit) David Moscato (@DMos150) Dr. Cullen Geiselman Dr. Winifred Frick (@frickwinifred) Watch our old video: The Ghosts of Evolution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWW5OuxlKec ----------- READ MORE: Ghosts of Evolution by Connie Barlow http://amzn.to/2wfQFLX How whale poop helps feed the ocean: https://theconversation.com/bottoms-up-how-whale-poop-helps-feed-the-ocean-27913 ----------- 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: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Sarah Keartes Editor/animator: David Schulte 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Friday · 10 min

    Could You Ever Be Immune To EVERY Disease? Your Immune System, Explained!

    You can learn more at https://curiositystream.com/smart Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Uploaded 07-03-18 **We said 30 days free, but CuriosityStream is feeling extra generous and is giving our viewers the first 60 days free!!** Do you remember having a cold in 5th grade? Or the flu a couple years ago? Your immune system does. Our bodies hold many levels of immune defense.Physical barriers like skin, the innate immune system, and our body’s most powerful defender, the adaptive immune system. Millions of B cells and T cells and antibodies are constantly on patrol for germs and antigen invaders. As scientists learn more about how this system works and how to engineer it, could we ever actually be immune to everything? Special thanks to Dr. James Crowe (Vanderbilt University) http://www.crowelab.com/ ----------- 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: Sarah Keartes Creative Director: David Schulte Editor/animator: Karl Boettcher and Derek Borsheim 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 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 · 13 min

    Can We Get Older Without Aging?

    Learn more about opportunities from KiwiCo here: https://www.kiwico.com/okay SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Uploaded 21-11-18 Nothing is guaranteed in life except death, taxes, and entropy. What do other life forms have to teach us about staying alive as we get old, and will we ever conquer death? REFERENCES: Arias, E. et al. (2013). United States life tables eliminating certain causes of death, 1999–2001. National Vital Statistics Reports 61(9) De Cecco, M. et al. (2013). Transposable elements become active and mobile in the genomes of aging mammalian somatic tissues. Aging 5(12): 867–883. DOI: 10.18632/aging.100621 Hayflick, L. (2016). Unlike aging, longevity is sexually determined. In Handbook of theories of aging, 3rd ed. (pp. 31-52). New York, NY, Springer. Hayflick, L. (UCSF School of Medicine). Interview. Klapper, W. et al. (1998). Longevity of lobsters is linked to ubiquitous telomerase expression. FEBS Letters 439: 143-146 Martinez, D.E. (1998). Mortality patterns suggest lack of senescence in hydra. Experimental Gerontology 33(3): 217–225 Reilly, M.T. et al. (2013). The role of transposable elements in health and diseases of the central nervous system. The Journal of Neuroscience 33(45): 17577–17586 Roth, A.W. and Polotsky, A.J. (2012). Can we live longer by eating less? A review of caloric restriction and longevity. Maturitas 71: 315–319 Sturm, A. et al. (2015). The mechanism of ageing: primary role of transposable elements in genome disintegration. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 72:1839–1847 ----------- 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/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Friday · 20 min

    What Is the Most Unremarkable Thing?

    We’re on PATREON! Join the community: https://www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ We may not know it, but averages affect our lives every day. Designers and manufacturers use averages to make our houses, cars, shoes and airline seats safer and more comfortable(ish). But calculating averages is way more complicated than one might think! And as long as we are at it - let’s talk about what the most average thing in the known universe might be! SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ----------- High fives to all our Brain Trust Patrons: Charles Horton, Jr Holly, Brett, and Ashe Bullion Jaap Westera Millennial Glacier Mehdi Damou Barbora Bei Burt Humburg dani bowman David Johnston Baerbel Winkler Robert Young Eric Meer 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​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Thursday · 6 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

  • Thursday · 10 min

    The Science of Barbecuing!!!

    Science is delicious! Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate SUBSCRIBE, it's FREE! http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Franklin BBQ: https://franklinbarbecue.com/ Basic BBQ science: http://bbq.tamu.edu/bbq-science/ http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/meat_science.html Chemistry smoke ring: http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/mythbusting_the_smoke_ring.html Thermodynamics of BBQ cooking http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/thermodynamics_of_cooking.html The dreaded "stall": http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/the_stall.html Does BBQ smoke contain carcinogens?: http://chemistry.about.com/b/2013/05/05/barbeque-carcinogens.htm Joe Hanson - Host and writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer Katie Graham - Director of Photography John Knudsen - Gaffer Edited by Arts + Labor: http://arts-and-labor.com/ 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

  • Thursday · 9 min

    How The Toilet Revolutionized History

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate This video was supported by Bill and Melinda Gates. You can check out the Gates Annual Letter here: http://b-gat.es/2lhhtmJ. ↓ More info and sources below ↓ We’re proud to collaborate with Bill and Melinda Gates for this week’s video! It may sometimes seem like things are getting worse, but there’s lots of reasons to be optimistic about the future. More people have access to toilets and sanitation than ever before. Thanks to public health improvements like this, since 1990, 122 million children’s lives have been saved. Diseases like polio are nearing eradication. Women have more access to health care and education than ever before. But our work is not done. How can YOU help make the future better for the world’s poorest? SPECIAL THANKS: Bill and Melinda Gates Francisco de los Reyes (watch his TED talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/francis_de_los_reyes_sanitation_is_a_basic_human_right#t-303612) ----------- LEARN MORE: George, Rose. “The Big Necessity: The unmentionable world of human waste and why it matters.” 2008. Perdew, Laura. “How the Toilet Changed History” 2016. Ferriman, A. (2007). BMJ readers choose the “sanitary revolution” as greatest medical advance since 1840. BMJ : British Medical Journal, 334(7585), 111. http://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39097.611806.DB CDC Global WASH statistics: https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/global/wash_statistics.html WHO Toilet/Sanitation Fact Sheet: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs392/en/ WaterAid “We Can’t Wait”: http://www.wateraid.org/what-we-do/our-approach/research-and-publications/view-publication?id=a5ab0a96-1574-4225-a16a-75d5e5ec4232 Unilever “Toilets for Health” https://www.unilever.com/Images/sd_toilets-for-health-141113_tcm13-387337_tcm244-409783_1_en.pdf ----------- 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: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Joe Hanson Editor/animator: Andrew Orsak 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

  • Thursday · 14 min

    Why Some of the Rainbow is Absent

    We’re on PATREON! Join the community: https://www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Over 200 years ago, scientists were looking at sunlight through a prism when they noticed that part of the rainbow was missing. There were dark lines where there should have been colors. Since then, scientists have unlocked the secrets encoded in these lines, using it to uncover mind-boggling facts about the fundamental nature of our universe and about worlds light-years away. Want to build your own DIY spectrometer? Mine is a modified version of this one from @exploratorium https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/cd-spectroscope And here's what you'll need to make one: https://amzn.to/3sbhr7C References: https://sites.google.com/view/whysomeoftherainbowismissing/home 0:00 Fraunhofer's mystery of missing colors 0:54 Playing with fire 2:11 Puzzle pieces and color codes 3:30 Electrons do the strangest things 5:40 How to make a rainbow analyzer 8:00 Using rainbows to understand the universe 9:57 Life beyond Earth 10:57 Final thoughts SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ----------- High fives to all our Brain Trust Patrons: Holly, Brett, and Ashe Bullion Jaap Westera Millennial Glacier Mehdi Damou Barbora Bei Burt Humburg dani bowman David Johnston Baerbel Winkler Robert Young Eric Meer Dustin Karen Haskell Support 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 241–260 of 370 episodes