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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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  • Today · 8 min

    Mindfulness in the Digital Age

    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 ↓ In a world of distractions, how do we pay attention? It seems like every week someone tells us how the internet and the digital age are overloading our brains. Sure, sometimes it feels like we're being fed more information than we can handle, that we're paying attention to the wrong things. Are we giving our brain a fair shot? I explore some science that show how paying attention can be a bad thing, and then some science about how paying attention can be a very helpful thing Special cameos by Hank Green and Mike Rugnetta! Further reading: The original Simons and Chabris experiment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo The cocktail party effect: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/03/07/173613681/hear-that-in-a-din-of-voices-our-brains-can-tune-to-one The illusion of attention: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/neurophilosophy/2011/aug/11/neuroscience-psychology How is the internet changing our brains? (Harold Rheingold and more) http://www.edge.org/q2010/q10_index.html#responses Sherry Turkle - Alone Together http://www.ted.com/talks/sherry_turkle_alone_together.html Written and hosted by Joe Hanson Produced by Painted On Productions (http://www.paintedon.com/) ----------- 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

  • Today · 10 min

    Why Do More Species Concentrate Near the Equator?

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Go to http://Raceforretirement.com and see how the action gap affects you. Follow all of our Peru adventures on this playlist: http://bit.ly/SmartPeru ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Special thanks to Rainforest Expeditions for hosting us! Visit http://www.perunature.com/ References: Wilson, E.O. "The Diversity of Life" http://eowilsonfoundation.org/the-diversity-of-life/ Eichhorn, Markus P. "Latitudinal gradients." Natural Systems: The organisation of life: 249-264. "Tropical Ecology" (textbook) by John Kircher (2011) http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9486.html Condamine, Fabien L., et al. "What causes latitudinal gradients in species diversity? Evolutionary processes and ecological constraints on swallowtail biodiversity." Ecology letters 15.3 (2012): 267-277. Jenkins, Clinton N., Stuart L. Pimm, and Lucas N. Joppa. "Global patterns of terrestrial vertebrate diversity and conservation." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 110.28 (2013): E2602-E2610. Mannion, Philip D., et al. "The latitudinal biodiversity gradient through deep time." Trends in ecology & evolution 29.1 (2014): 42-50. Mittelbach, Gary G., et al. "Evolution and the latitudinal diversity gradient: speciation, extinction and biogeography." Ecology letters 10.4 (2007): 315-331. Wiens, John J., et al. "Evolutionary and ecological causes of the latitudinal diversity gradient in hylid frogs: treefrog trees unearth the roots of high tropical diversity." The American Naturalist 168.5 (2006): 579-596. ---------------- 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/jtotheizzoe Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/jtotheizzoe Snapchat: YoDrJoe 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

  • Today · 10 min

    Why People Don't Trust Climate Science

    Get the FACTS about climate change: http://youtu.be/ffjIyms1BX4 Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓ 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 Scientists overwhelmingly agree that our climate is changing, Earth is getting warmer, sea levels are rising, and it's primarily because of humans putting lots of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Yet 4 in 10 Americans aren't convinced. Here's what psychologists and sociologists have to say about why some people don't believe in climate science. Last week's video: Climate Science - What You Need to Know https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffjIyms1BX4 RECOMMENDED READING/SOURCES: "Don't Even Think About It" by George Marshall: http://amzn.to/1DCX6HU Also check out George Marshall's website: http://www.climateconviction.org/ "The Republican Brain" by Chris Mooney: http://bit.ly/1GJew1C "Unscientific America" by Chris Mooney and Sheril Kirshenbaum: http://amzn.to/1BQsocf "Fool Me Twice" by Shawn Lawrence Otto: http://bit.ly/12Y2Gnc Want to learn about the science of climate change and why humans are causing it, but in layman's terms? I recommend these books: Climate Change: Evidence and Causes (National Academy of Sciences/Royal Society) FREE ebook: http://amzn.to/1w6itfl Global Weirdness (Climate Central) http://amzn.to/1BtZZbP How to Change Minds About Our Changing Climate (Seth Darling + Douglas Sisterson) http://amzn.to/12jjcxN Produced for PBS Digital Studios Joe Hanson - Creator/Host/Writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen Inc Kate Eads - Associate Producer Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics Katie Graham - Director of Photography 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

  • Today · 14 min

    How Do We Measure How Vast the Universe Is?

    Watch me host @HighSchoolQuizShow! https://www.youtube.com/@HighSchoolQuizShow Join our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Since the time of the ancient Greeks, scientists have been constructing a cosmic measuring tape to measure the universe from our own backyard all the way to its ever-expanding edge: the cosmic distance ladder. In this video, we climb that ladder and explore how each rung has revealed something new and previously unthinkable about the universe we live in. References: https://sites.google.com/view/cosmic-distance-references/home 0:00 How far away are things? 1:05 Near, far, parallax that star 3:25 Island universes and Hubble's blinking star 5:51 Redshifted rainbows and the expanding universe 7:41 Supernovae and the end of everything 9:08 Conclusion: The ladder of discovery 10:00 I'm hosting a game show! ----------- High fives to all our Brain Trust Patrons: Ed Eyden Jennifer Burton Charles Horton, Jr Holly, Brett, and Ashe Bullion Jaap Westera Mehdi Damou Barbora Bei Burt Humburg dani bowman David Johnston Baerbel Winkler Eric Meer Karen Haskell Join us on Patreon! https://patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart Instagram http://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart Facebook https://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartpbs/ Merch https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Today · 9 min

    How These Ants Swept Across the U.S. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

    And how we're fighting back! Don't miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Get yourself an awesome IOTBS shirt! http://dftba.com/besmart Special thanks to Dr. Rob Plowes from the University of Texas at Austin fire ant research lab for letting us come film their ants and phorid flies: http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/fireant/Research%20Program.html If you want to learn everything there is to know about fire ants, read "The Fire Ants" by Walter R. Tschinkel http://amzn.to/1U8jz1S Check your local library! https://www.worldcat.org/title/fire-ants/oclc/64379652 Rachel Carson - "Silent Spring" http://amzn.to/20QwWbM Fire ant raft - Matt Bennett https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA-e65i3bDs Fire ant escape rafts - Company of biologists https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxjT99l0mqw ---- 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! Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart http://twitter.com/drjoehanson Follow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/DrJoeHanson ----------------- It's Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Follow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoe Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios Music via APM Stock images from SciencePhoto http://www.sciencephoto.com/ and Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com Stock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted) http://www.videoblocks.com​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Today · 5 min

    Building Music From Space!

    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 ↓ Check out some beautiful music made from space itself Click here to SUBSCRIBE, it's FREE! -- http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub There is no sound in space. In the near-vacuum of space, there is nothing to transmit the physical waves that we need to perceive sound. But that doesn't mean we can't MAKE sound from space. This week, I feature several artists using scientific data to create "space sonification" projects. From the longest palindrome ever created to a chorus created from Earth's magnetic field, these pieces lie at the intersection of art and science. More than just art, they allow us to perceive patterns in complex data in a completely new way Perhaps it answers the question: If the universe had a voice, what song would it sing? FULL Versions of Pieces Featured: Robert Alexander - Transit of Venus http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/post/42845983348/robert-alexander-solar-sonification Semiconductor Films - "20 Hz" http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/post/44264199289/20-hz-auroras-as-sound Van Allen Belt chorus http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/post/32692373350/chorus-van-allen-belts Daniel Starr-Tambor - "Mandala" http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/post/15977543553/mandala-a-planetary-musical-palindrome-by-daniel (this piece is the longest palndrome ever created, at 62 viginitillion notes!!) Written and hosted by Joe Hanson Produced by Painted On Productions (http://www.paintedon.com/) ----------- 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

  • Today · 10 min

    How a Planet-Sized Telescope Took the First Picture of a Black Hole | STELLAR

    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 03-07-19 Thank you to Draper and its Hack the Moon initiative for supporting PBS Digital Studios | Learn more at https://wehackthemoon.com It took about a century for black holes to go from impossible, to theoretical, to real. And it was just this year, in 2019, when we finally saw the first picture of a black hole! But how to you take a photo of something so massively dense that not even light can escape its gravitational pull? You use a telescope the size of the Earth! This video is a bit different from most It's Okay To Be Smart videos. It's part of a new PBS miniseries called STELLAR, done in collaboration with Matt O’Dowd from PBS Space Time and Dianna Cowern from Physics Girl. Over six episodes we travel to telescopes, go inside space research centers, and chat with amazing scientists to bring you the most exciting stories about space. Next up is Matt's episode where he tells you how we discovered galaxies outside of our own. And if you missed it, check out: **Matt O’Dowd exploring the oldest quasar ever seen at the Gemini Telescope: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqCPnXHKO5c **Physics Girl visits LIGO to learn about gravitational waves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtp71NT0GNg You'll be able to see future episodes on the Physics Girl, Space Time and It’s Okay to be Smart YouTube channels, as well as the PBS Digital Studios Facebook page. Stellar is a part of the PBS Summer of Space. They'll be lots of awesome space related content all summer long on PBS. See what's happening at https://www.pbs.org/summer-of-space/ #SummerOfSpacePBS #astrophysics #space Hosted by Joe Hanson Written by: Sophia Chen, Joe Hanson, Andrew Kornhaber, Eric Brown Directed by: Eric Brown and Andrew Kornhaber Producer: Randa Eid Director of Photography: Eric Brouse Sound: Tobi Nova Production Assistant: Anna Bosketti Editing: Pavel Ezrohi Graphics: Murilo Lopes Assistant Editing: Daniel Sircar Produced By: Kornhaber Brown Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Today · 9 min

    Ask Joe Matters #1

    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 ↓ You guys asked me questions, so I answered them! SUBSCRIBE and get more great science, it's FREE! -- http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Engineering RuBisCo to make better carbon-capturing plants: http://www.plantphysiol.org/content/155/1/27.full The paradox of the plankton and Gause's law: http://www.biodiverseperspectives.com/2013/02/02/the-paradox-of-the-phytoplankton-why-do-we-have-so-many-species/ Written and hosted by Joe Hanson Produced by Joe Nicolosi (http://joe-nicolosi.com/) 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

  • Today · 9 min

    Ask Joe Anything #5

    You've got questions, I've got answers! 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 Big thank you to the 7th and 8th graders from Northwest Middle School in Salt Lake City, UT! Great questions! Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment below! Produced for PBS Digital Studios Joe Hanson - Host Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer Elizabeth Case - Writer Katie Graham - Director of Photography Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics Dalton Allen - Post-production intern John Knudsen - Gaffer Theme music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Stock images via Shutterstock ----------- 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

  • Today · 10 min

    Where Do Teeth Come From?

    So… baby teeth are pretty terrifying, huh? Remember to brush, floss, and SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Uploaded 09-10-18 Teeth. We’ve all got ‘em (most of us, anyway). But how do they grow? Teeth are made from some biological nanotechnology that will blow your mind. They are strong enough to last hundreds of millions of years. Oh, and if you’ve ever wondered how adult teeth replace your baby teeth, get ready to see something terrifying. Special thanks to Matthew Brown, Ph.D. and the University of Texas Vertebrate Paleontology Collection Watch the tasty new series “Tacos of Texas” https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdzQ_ilHPH3rQtgzo4nKM_g REFERENCES: Dr. Gareth J. Fraser, Department of Biology, University of Florida Dr. Andrew Gillis, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge S.J. AlQahtani Et al. (2010) Brief Communication: The London Atlas of Human Tooth Development and Eruption. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 142:481–490 Teruel Jde D Et al. (2015) Comparison of chemical composition of enamel and dentine in human, bovine, porcine and bovine teeth. Archives of Oral Biology Volume 60, Issue 5 768-775 Hill, M.A. (2018) Embryology Timeline human development. https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Timeline_human_development ----------- 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/ ----------- 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: Mark Rodriguez Producers: 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

  • Today · 31 min

    You've Been Lied to About DNA Evidence

    Thank you to Squarespace for supporting PBS. Go to https://www.squarespace.com/besmart for a free trial and use code BESMART to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Uploaded 31-03-26 Follow me to Deep Look and celebrate Earth Month with PBS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbuJSmpxiNY PBS Earth Month Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnNZYWyBGJ1F8ofFm4H9UTrHxqU8zngK4 DNA evidence is supposed to be the gold standard of criminal investigation. But what happens when that same technology sends innocent people to prison? Featuring interviews with Amanda Knox and forensic DNA expert Dr. Greg Hampikian, this is my investigation of DNA forensics, and what happens when we trust the science but don't ask the right questions. References: https://sites.google.com/view/besmart-forensic-dna/home 0:00 "I'm being framed." 1:28 DNA is supposed to be magic 2:40 The serial killer who never existed 7:02 How forensic DNA actually works 11:41 His DNA was at the crime scene. He wasn't. 14:37 What happened to Amanda Knox 20:02 The DNA never lied. Or did it? Be Smart explores science questions you didn’t even know you wondered about. It is hosted and produced by Joe Hanson, PhD. We post new videos all the time, so please subscribe! If you enjoyed this video, hit the ‘like’ button, leave a comment, or watch another of our videos! CONNECT WITH ME ____________________________________ Website: https://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart/ https://www.instagram.com/drjoehanson/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/itsokaytobesmart A big thanks to our Brain Trust patrons: Baerbel Winkler, Brent Lopez, dani bowman, David Johnston, Ed Eyden, Eric Meer, Greg Olson, Holly, Brett, and Ashe Bullion, Jaap Westera, Karen Haskell, Marcus Pingel, Mike and Patty Loftis, Paul Weir, Reuben Brewer SPONSORSHIP INQUIRIES ____________________________________ Please email biz@itsokaytobesmart.com Stock video and images provided by Shutterstock, Artlist, and MotionArray Music provided by APM Written by Molly Edwards and Joe Hanson Edited by Ben Harrison Produced by Least Square Media and Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Today · 13 min

    Sunlight Is Way Older Than You Think. Here’s Why…

    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 03-03-20 Thank you for The Great Courses Plus for supporting PBS. To learn more click http://ow.ly/3fCw30qmlF1 We’re on PATREON now! Join the community ►► https://www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub If the sun instantly switched off like a light bulb–which can’t happen, by the way–then we wouldn’t know for almost 8 and a half minutes. Light travels at the fastest speed there is, but it still takes almost 500 seconds to get to Earth. That’s how long it would take before we knew the sun went dark. But the most amazing thing about the sunlight we see is it’s actually really old. SUPER old. AMAZINGLY OLD! Tens of thousands of years old. How is that possible? Because of the physics and mathematics of random walks. References: https://sites.google.com/view/how-old-is-sunlight-references/home Special thanks to our Brain Trust Patrons: AlecZero Bob Rosset Brent M. Diego Lombeida George Gladding Ron Kakar vincbis ----------- 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

  • Today · 5 min

    You Are Chiefly Microbe!

    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 ↓ Your body is essentially a walking home for trillions of bacteria Click here to SUBSCRIBE, it's FREE! -- http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Ever not felt completely like yourself? There's a good reason for that. Because a large part of you . . . isn't you. Our bodies are home to ten times as many microbes as human cells. We are walking ecosystems, each of us home to thousands of different species on and inside of us. Meet your microbiome! Sure, some bacteria are dangerous, but without our tiny friends we wouldn't be here (literally). Enjoy this introduction to your microbiome, and let me know in the comments if you'd like to know more about any part of your personal ecosystem! References for this episode, and lots more microbiome goodies: http://dft.ba/-5eZy Want a "Mainly Microbe" shirt? Here's where I got mine: http://bit.ly/X6gNmL Written and hosted by Joe Hanson Produced by Painted On Productions (http://www.paintedon.com/) Music in this episode: Chris Zabriskie's "Divider." ----------- 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

  • Today · 9 min

    Why Do We All Hate Pigeons?

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Check out Planet Earth II! https://youtu.be/c8aFcHFu8QM On BBC One in the UK this Sunday and coming to BBC America on 28th January 2017 Don’t be bird-brained. You should SUBSCRIBE! http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Want to wear your love for science? We’ve got merch: http://dftba.com/besmart Find out when you can watch Planet Earth II: http://www.bbcamerica.com/shows/planet-earth http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02544td Special thanks to BBC Earth: https://www.youtube.com/user/BBCEarth Planet Earth II is a BBC Studios Natural History Unit Production, co-produced with BBC America, ZDF, Tencent and France Télévision Books from this episode: “Superdove” by Courtney Humphries: http://amzn.to/2h0sZly “Unseen City” by Nathanael Johnson http://amzn.to/2g3v1nM -References/Learn More- Robert Fulton’s illustrated “Book of Pigeons” - 1876 https://archive.org/details/illustratedbooko00robe Scarf, Damian, Harlene Hayne, and Michael Colombo. "Pigeons on par with primates in numerical competence." Science 334.6063 (2011): 1664-1664. Scarf, Damian, et al. "Orthographic processing in pigeons (Columba livia)." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113.40 (2016): 11272-11276. Skinner, Burrhus F. "Pigeons in a pelican." American Psychologist 15.1 (1960): 28. Watanabe, Shigeru, Junko Sakamoto, and Masumi Wakita. "PIGEONS'DISCRIMINATION OF PAINTINGS BY MONET AND PICASSO." Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior 63.2 (1995): 165-174. ---------------- 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/jtotheizzoe Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/jtotheizzoe Snapchat: YoDrJoe 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

  • Today · 10 min

    Where On Earth Do You Weigh The Least?

    You can learn more at https://curiositystream.com/smart SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Uploaded 05-03-19 You may have heard that a kilogram of feathers weighs the same as a kilogram of steel, but that all depends on where you weigh them. This video is all about the difference between mass and weight, and how weirdly awesome Earth’s gravity really is. REFERENCES: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_versus_weight http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/about-us/42-our-solar-system/the-earth/gravity/94-does-your-weight-change-between-the-poles-and-the-equator-intermediate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equatorial_bulge http://www.cleonis.nl/physics/phys256/equatorial_bulge.php https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoid https://gracefo.jpl.nasa.gov/ http://www2.csr.utexas.edu/grace/publications/fact_sheet/4.html ----------- FOLLOW US: Twitter: @DrJoeHanson @okaytobesmart Instagram: @DrJoeHanson @okaytobesmart Merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart BOOKS WE’VE FEATURED: http://smart-books.tumblr.com/ ----------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Director: Joe Nicolosi Researcher: Matt Caplan, Ph.D. Creative Director: David Schulte Editors/animators: Derek Borsheim Executive Producer: Amanda Fox Producer: Stephanie Noone 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

  • Today · 16 min

    Evolution FAILS in the Human Body

    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 19-11-19 SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub We’re on PATREON now! Join the community ►► https://www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart If you were taking an engineering class in school and you turned in the human body for your final exam… you would get like, a C+. Or maybe a B- at best. That’s because the human body is full of design flaws. Except they aren’t really design flaws, because the human body wasn’t designed. It was evolved, and it is still evolving. And that means some of our parts don’t work as well as they could, they just work well enough. Here’s a rundown of a few of the human body’s biggest evolutionary fails! Special thanks to our Brain Trust Patrons: AlecZero Bob Rosset Brent M. Diego Lombeida Sony Varghese ----------- 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

  • Today · 9 min

    How Did We Work Out What Light Is?

    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 Here's a bright idea: Subscribe ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Beyond what we can touch, taste, smell, and hear, we experience the universe through light. But how did we come to discover light, and how did we learn light’s true nature, as the fastest thing in the universe, an electromagnetic spectrum, a wave and particle capable of the most amazing things? Here is the history of light, according to physics. ----------- LEARN MORE: “Light” by Kimberly Arcand and Megan Watzke Light: The Visible Spectrum and Beyond https://www.amazon.com/dp/163191006X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_C8j0yb2BY9XD9 ----------- FOLLOW US: Merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter: @okaytobesmart @DrJoeHanson http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Instagram: @DrJoeHanson @okaytobesmart ----------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Director: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Matt Caplan 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

  • Today · 15 min

    Why Contacting Extraterrestrials Could Be Risky (Dark Forest Hypothesis)

    Learn more about Surfshark with Incogni at: https://incogni.com/besmart SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ There are hundreds of billions of planets in our galaxy. Scientists now think hundreds of millions of them have conditions where life could arise. What do scientists think are the best ways of reaching out to them? And why do some scientists think that we shouldn't? Join our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart ----------- High fives to all our Brain Trust Patrons: Ed Eyden Jennifer Burton Charles Horton, Jr Holly, Brett, and Ashe Bullion Jaap Westera Mehdi Damou Barbora Bei Burt Humburg dani bowman David Johnston Baerbel Winkler Eric Meer Karen Haskell Join us on Patreon! https://patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart Instagram http://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHanson http://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart Facebook https://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartpbs/ Merch https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Today · 6 min

    Why Does February Have Just 28 Days?

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate It's not the size of the month that matters… Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Why does February have 28 days when all the other months get 30 or 31? The answer is part superstition, part politics, and parts astronomy. (Basically, it's the Romans' fault) Special thanks to Dr. Jen Ebbeler from the University of Texas Classics department for walking me through the history of the Roman calendar REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING: Wikipedia's "Roman Calendar" page is really good http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_calendar More: http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/secondary/SMIGRA*/Calendarium.html http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/calendar/romancalendar.html http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/calendar/intercalation.html Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment below! Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart http://twitter.com/jtotheizzoe Follow on Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Follow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/jtotheizzoe ----------------- It's Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.DFollow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoe Email me: itsokaytobesmart AT gmail DOT com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Google+ https://plus.google.com/+itsokaytobesmart For more awesome science, check out: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios Joe Hanson - Creator/Host/Writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics/Animation Katie Graham - Director of Photography John Knudsen - Gaffer Dalton Allen - Post-Production Intern Theme music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Other music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock ----------------- Last week's video: Why Vaccines Work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aNhzLUL2ys More videos: Why Are Some People Left-Handed? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPvMUpcxPSA Where Does the Smell of Rain Come From? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGcE5x8s0B8 Why Did We Blow on NES Games? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gf9mtXnJfM The Science of Game of Thrones - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Utu-LpJn3Is There Was No First Human - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdWLhXi24Mo​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Today · 11 min

    The Strange Evolutionary Story of the Thylacine

    Special thanks to Vanessa from BrainCraft for help with this video! Check out her channel: https://www.youtube.com/braincraft ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Uploaded 05-06-18 Until the early 20th century, Tasmania was home to a very weird wolf-like creature. Except that it wasn’t a wolf. Even though it looked like a wolf. How did that happen? Here’s the science of convergent evolution! Want to see more of my interview with Rob? Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsek8JxUS7M Special thanks to: Rob Voss - American Museum of Natural History, New York City Vanessa Hill from BrainCraft! References: Quammen, D. (2012). The song of the dodo: island biogeography in an age of extinctions. Random House. Feigin, C. Y., Newton, A. H., Doronina, L., Schmitz, J., Hipsley, C. A., Mitchell, K. J., ... and Menzies, B. R. (2018). Genome of the Tasmanian tiger provides insights into the evolution and demography of an extinct marsupial carnivore. Nature ecology and evolution, 2(1), 182. Newton, A. H., Spoutil, F., Prochazka, J., Black, J. R., Medlock, K., Paddle, R. N., ... and Pask, A. J. (2018). Letting the ‘cat’out of the bag: pouch young development of the extinct Tasmanian tiger revealed by X-ray computed tomography. Royal Society open science, 5(2), 171914. ----------- FOLLOW US: Twitter: @DrJoeHanson @okaytobesmart Instagram: @DrJoeHanson Merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart BOOKS WE’VE FEATURED: http://smart-books.tumblr.com/ ----------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Director: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Stephanie Keep Creative Director: David Schulte Editor/animator: Karl Boettcher and Derek Borsheim Producers: 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

Showing 21–40 of 352 episodes