Awesome Learning

George Zaidan and Charles Morton teach us about biochemistry using a tiny robot factory which illustrates how all living organisms are created from the same basic building blocks. View the full lesson here. Animation by Pew36.

Remember the daring carnival trick involving ping pong paddles, a girl and knives? Viral video vigilante Captain Disillusion reveals that the video has two more crucial ingredients: visual effects and a piece of string.

Mental Floss’ List Show explains the history behind 32 superstitions as well as customs and expressions with nonsensical origins. Thank the FSM for the scientific method, otherwise we’d still be wishing for birds to poop on us.

“Imagine trying to move by vomiting out of giant straw and flapping your skirt around very fast – that is how a cuttlefish do.” That’s just one of the many weird facts you’ll learn from Zefrank’s flick about this odd little cephalopod.

Autoline’s Design Handbook is a series of short but informative videos that tackle specific aspects of car design. A great show for vets and newbie gearheads alike. This clip talks about the history of a popular trend in cars: big wheels.

This entertaining and easy to understand video will remind you of the basics of evolution. It could also make you want to play Pokémon. Designed by Phillipp Dettmer and animated by Jacques Alomo.

Looking forward to that bucket of sweets you’re forcing your kid brother and sister collect for you this Halloween? Why not find out some of the truths behind those sugary treats before you pop ’em all down your gullet.

Artist Nickolay Lamm looked at facts and theories about the eyesight of cats and used them to visualize the difference between human and cat vision. It’s a pale and blurry world for cats, but it’s also way less dark.

Want to know how to speak like they do in jolly old England? Listen well to drama professor and voice coach David Ley’s tips, which he gamely demonstrates on the fly. His ability to switch accents in a split second is amazing.

Why do you need to go to school when you’ve got Mental Floss? Guest host Emily Grasile from The Brain Scoop fills our noggins with numerous animals we’re pretty sure you’ve never heard of. Dugongs? Huh? Gerenuks? Wha?

John Green of Mental Floss teaches us that not everything you read on the Internet can be trusted. He puts 30 “life hacks” to the test, many of which fail to live up to expectations. Though he didn’t test this one, which works brilliantly.

Mental Floss takes a look at how some of the most popular idioms in the English language came to be. You might already know some of them, but many have surprising origins. We hope they feature foreign idioms as well.

A beginner’s guide to the major theories of physicist Stephen Hawking. He continued his pursuit for knowledge despite his extreme physical limitations, and in doing so elevated not just himself but the whole human race.

ASAPScience explores the sort of weird and unpleasant things that start to happen to our bodies and minds if we’re deprived of sleep. There’s not a lot of conclusive data, since the longest anyone’s ever stayed awake is 11 days.

An informative safety video which ensures you’ll know exactly what to do when an emergency strikes. Just remember to stow all cats under the seat in front of you. Don’t let any actual airlines see this – they might actually install feedbags.

(NSFW: Language, Gore) “Imagine sneezing, but through your whole body. That is how a frog do.” Once again, ZeFrank saves his nastiest True Facts episodes for the common fauna. Seriously, this video is not for the squeamish.

Theatrical pickpocket Apollo Robbins shares the foundation of his tricks – “attention is a limited resource” – and backs it up with another suave display. The fun starts at 4:45. Be sure to catch his last trick.

YouTuber golfcharlie232 pieced together several videos to simulate the standard procedure for firing up a Boeing 737 airliner. Needless to say, it involves fiddling with dozens of cryptic switches, knobs, buttons and more.

(NSFW: Language) “Being honest is what counts.” Award-winning funnyman and creator Ricky Gervais turns serious for a couple of minutes to share a moment from his childhood that defined his style of writing.

Mental Floss picks up where BuzzFeed left off and stuffs our brain tanks with more fairly unknown names for common things and events. Like their cars, the German language is engineered for precision.

YouTube’s famous illusionist brusspup shares a mixture that suddenly changes its color. But it’s no trick. It’s called the iodine clock reaction, a chain reaction where the slow first step is followed by one or two speedy reaction(s).

So if you’re watching this, chances are you’re sitting indoors. AsapSCIENCE explores what might happen to us if we no longer went outside. Maybe we should start selling vitamin D supplements and stand-up desks.

A compilation of some of the best six second videos and animations submitted by Vine users to GE’s 6SecondScienceFair. Some are too brief to be informative or even comprehensible, but many of the clips are awesome.