This short video beautifully illustrates the history of life (as we know it) on Earth in just 60 seconds. Its real point, I think, is that humans are pretty new at all of this which is true. People tend to take this though as some kind of admonishment or warning: a sort of “we’re pretty…
What you should know about Ebola (+video)
Viruses are scary things. Some of them are deadly but they are very small and invisible to the naked eye. The only defenses against them, even in states where you can openly carry firearms, are good hygiene, vaccines and your body’s natural defenses. That means that there is no way to be 100% sure that…
A single video with all 135 Space Shuttle launches
Sure, the stuff NASA is working on now is cooler but from 1981 until 2011 the Space Shuttle was the whole show. Over the course of 30 years NASA sent more than 350 people up on 135 shuttle missions. If you’re feeling a bit nostalgic or you’re tired of waiting for NASA’s next generation spacecraft YouTuber…
How much sleep do you actually need (science video)
No one I know gets ‘enough sleep’ as far as I know. There are always reasons not to or things keeping us up. But, how much sleep is ‘enough’? Part of it depends on genetics but for most people the answer actually is 7-8 hours/night. What you may not know is that there are potential…
Short video on how you, personally, are connected to the first life on Earth and the big bang
Carl Sagan famously said that ‘we are all star stuff’. While that sounds nice there are a lot of people out there who don’t know what that really means. This short video from Kurzgesagt explains all of that – exactly what kind of star stuff you are and how you personally are came from the Big Bang…
Short video examines what, exactly, ‘dark matter’ is
The math of the law of gravity and astrophysics work. They work well enough to find exoplanets, other galaxies, to accurately calculate orbits, trajectories and speeds and well enough to figure out other fantastic and amazing things. The problem is that in order for the math to work we have to assume that there is…
Can we genetically improve human intelligence
At the moment IQ is a roll of the dice. Intelligence is passed down genetically and there is not very much that can be done about it. However, in the not too distant future that may change. Using gene therapy scientists may be able to improve the intelligence of children in the womb, as well…