Do the Nobel Prizes Still Make Sense in the 21st Century?
The controversial history, present and future of the Nobel Prizes.
How Science Defines A Year
It's been one (tropical/sidereal/anomalous) year since I uploaded the very first It's Okay To Be Smart. Here's everything that's happened since!
The Science of Kissing
When you really think about it, kissing is an odd human behavior. You know, all the rubbing of our faces all over each other. So there must be a good reason why we do it, right? From motherly comforts to testing the genetic compatibility of your "mate" . . . the science of kissing is pretty awesome
Could We Clone Ourselves?
Is the science of Orphan Black realistic? Could we clone humans, or engineer them to have customized traits? We take a look at today's genetic engineering technologies to find out if designer babies and human cloning is, or should be, a reality
You Are An Upside-Down Lobster
Our bodies are mirror images of lobsters and other arthropods from back to belly. We've know since the early 19th century that our guts and nervous systems are inverted from theirs, but only recently has molecular biology shown us why. Here's the evolutionary tale about a worm doing the backstroke and why your guts are on your front.
What’s the Deadliest Animal in the World?
The world's deadliest animal may be closer than you think.
Bats: Guardians of the Night
Visit Bat Conservation International to learn more about these amazing species and what we can do to protect them: http://batcon.org/
A Slice of Pizza Science!
How does math keep a folded slice from drooping? And what does pizza have to do with the speed of light?
How Big is the Solar System?
I took a trip to one of Austin's famous moontowers so I could put the enormity of our solar system into perspective. With the help of a grapefruit, and a lot of walking, you'll get an idea of just how tiny everything is out there!!
Nature's Most Amazing Animal Superpowers
Evolution has come up with some pretty amazing ways to get things done when it comes to animals, plants and microbes. From radiation-resistant bacteria (like Dr. Manhattan) to geckos who climb glass using atomic adhesion (like Spider Man) to a shrimp that can shoot a bubble the temperature of the sun (like Aquaman), nature is pretty super..
There Are Millions of Skeletons Hidden In Washington, DC
I took a trip to Washington D.C. to check out some of our nation's most famous monuments. Where do they come from? From the depths of the Earth to the distant reaches of the cosmos, you'll never look at history the same way again
Why Do We Go to Space?
Why do we go to space? In the beginning of our space program, the answer had a lot to do with war and paranoia. But with the dawn of the space shuttle, that all changed. Where do we go from here?
Exoplanets: Are There Other Earths?
We live in one of a hundred billion of galaxies, each with hundreds of billions of stars. And now, thanks to modern astronomy, we know that the Milky Way is home to perhaps a hundred billion planets! In the past two decades, these exoplanet discoveries have spawned new questions about our universe, and if there might be another Earth, or other life, somewhere out there.
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