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Awesome Learning

The Science of Spiciness

The Science of Spiciness

In this animated TED-Ed lesson, Rose Eveleth walks us through the physiology that make things seem spicy. Interestingly enough, it’s not a taste, but an aversion reaction to perceived heat. Say it with us, now: “polymodal nociceptors!”

26 Truths About Children’s TV

26 Truths About Children’s TV

Mental Floss’ John Green fills us in on a variety of tidbits and odd facts behind the kids’ shows we all know and love. They really should bring Schoolhouse Rock back – with actual rock bands. And Whoopass Girls was a great name.

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What Is the Resolution of the Eye?

What Is the Resolution of the Eye?

Vsauce explores the complex science of human vision, our ability to distinguish fine details, and when the gadget megapixel/pixel density war stops mattering. And at the end of the video, Michael starts to sound a bit like Rust Cohle.

Slow-Mo Airbag Deployment

Slow-Mo Airbag Deployment

The Slow Mo Guys turn their 2,500fps camera lens towards automotive airbags to see how quickly and powerfully they explode to protect drivers. Be sure to stick around for the second explosion for the cooler of the shots.

The Weight of Mountains

The Weight of Mountains

“It is a life that carries the weight of being. An anticipation of sadness – that one day things will change.” Temujin Doran poignantly juxtaposes the life cycle of mountains with the human experience. BRB, off to hug a mountain.

Why Do We Cry?

Why Do We Cry?

Want to know why we tear up? Educator Alex Gendler and TED-Ed’s animators explain not only what makes us cry, but how we have different kinds of tears for different situations. And here we thought that onions just made us sad.

Inaccuracies in Science Illustrations

Inaccuracies in Science Illustrations

Mental Floss reminds us that some of the scientific illustrations we’ve come to know are far from accurate, from the atomic model to the ubiquitous world map. Bonus fact: Vsauce Michael can stay on topic for an entire lesson.

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10 Little-Known Oscar Facts

10 Little-Known Oscar Facts

With the 86th Academy Awards coming up, YouTube channel alltime10s shares 10 little-known facts about the coveted trophy. Here’s what Walt Disney’s and Edgar Bergen’s special Oscars looked like.

The Evolution of Cellphones

The Evolution of Cellphones

Motion designer Amrit Pal Singh made this animated timeline showing some of the notable cellular phones in the past 40 years, from Motorola’s monstrous 1.8lb brick to the light and powerful smartphones we have today.

Indian Headshakes

Indian Headshakes

Here in the States, we pretty much have two headshakes – “yes” and “no” – but in India, there’s a number of different, and sometimes confusing gestures. In this short clip, YouTuber MeenFriedChickenCurry explains it all to us.

Can Silence Drive You Crazy?

Can Silence Drive You Crazy?

An anechoic chamber is a room that eliminates echoes by absorbing sound waves. It’s so quiet inside, some say you can go insane if you stay even a few minutes in it. Veritasium hung out in BYU’s chamber to see what would happen.

Wes Anderson’s Visual Themes

Wes Anderson’s Visual Themes

Wes Anderson’s movies are instantly recognizable. Way Too Indie presents interviews with the director as well as related footage that sheds light on his perfectionist and theatrical approach to film making. More here.

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XKCD: Frequency

XKCD: Frequency

Randall Munroe used a grid of animated gifs to illustrate how often certain events, phenomena or actions occur in real time, from mundane things like someone getting a tattoo to someone dying of cancer.

Why Engagement Rings Are a Scam

Why Engagement Rings Are a Scam

(PG-13: Language) Adam Conover reminds us of one of the world’s greatest ad campaigns, i.e. outright lies. Diamond cartel De Beers duped us into thinking that engagement rings are a thing and that diamonds are precious.

The World’s Shortest Cooking Show

The World’s Shortest Cooking Show

Think your Instagram account is awesome? Check out chef Bart von Olphen’s Bart’s Fish Tales. It’s a cooking show where each episode is crammed into Instagram’s 15-second video limit.

Facebook Fraud

Facebook Fraud

Does the number of Likes on a Facebook page mean anything anymore? Veritasium presents damning evidence that Facebook’s “targeted” advertising service can be as illegitimate, useless and harmful as illegal like-boosting farms.

Fly Fighting

Fly Fighting

What’s most fascinating about this clips isn’t the footage of the flies fighting in slow motion, it’s that there’s something called “Substance P” that could be used to decrease (or increase) aggression in humans. Supervillains, get cracking.

What the Fox Say? (Really.)

What the Fox Say? (Really.)

Last year, Ylvis thought they could teach us all about Foxes, but it turns out they were completely wrong, as SciShow illustrates in this brief educational clip. And here we thought they said “Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding.”

29 Misconceptions About Alcohol

29 Misconceptions About Alcohol

Who better to host an episode of Mental Floss about booze than our old pal Hannah Hart, who you may remember from her drunken mischief on My Drunk Kitchen. Here, she sets us straight on some myths about beer, wine and liquor.

3 Ways to Destroy the Universe

3 Ways to Destroy the Universe

Probably not the happiest video you’ll watch today, Kurzgesagt provides an animated explanation of some of the possible ways our universe will ultimately meet its demise. The good news is that it’s all theoretical.

The Experience of Being Trolled

The Experience of Being Trolled

“Making things does not mean that you sign you up to be harassed. Criticized, sure, but not harassed.” Idea Channel wonders if trolling has any merit. We say NOPE. But it’s still worth studying, if only so we’ll find out how to curtail it.

10 Biggest Animals of All Time

10 Biggest Animals of All Time

Syfy and B movie writers, here’s enough material for the year. YouTuber Hybrid Librarian catalogged some of the largest creatures to ever swim, crawl, stomp or fly on our planet. Props to blue whales for hanging around.

When Robots Go to War

When Robots Go to War

SkyNet sounds more and more possible as autonomous robots could take the place of humans on the battlefield. The Verge takes a look at the fascinating ethical and scientific debate behind letting robots do our dirty work.

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