Science

Gavin and Dan of The Slow Mo Guys turn their attention inwards, capturing detailed macro footage that shows how the pupil of a human eye reacts to light. Gav used one of those unique Laowa macro probe lenses to get right up to Dan’s peepers.

2046 Design offers a variety of prints inspired by space, science, science fiction, and nature. The prints come in a variety of art styles, and many are limited editions. They also offer apparel and accessories. Touch of Modern has a limited number of designs on sale.

Have you ever wondered why insects, birds, fish, and bats gather together into huge and coordinated groups? TED-Ed’s Maria R. D’Orsogna explores the fascinating science behind this behavior, which drives many species as a method of survival and group productivity.

Science fiction is loaded with depictions of artificial intelligence – usually becoming sentient and running off the rails. BuzzFeed’s Professionals Review asked an AI scientist for her take on the on-screen tech, and how far away we are from such realities.

A simple, but fascinating construction that demonstrates the energy transfer that occurs when two pendulums are placed along the same string. Each one almost completely stops as its momentum moves to the other one like some kind of a seductive dance. (Thanks Kate!)

While we’re most familiar with planets which are bound to a solar system, there are countless rogue planets out there which float in the darkness of space. It turns out that those frozen conditions might actually provide a home to lifeforms. Kurzgesagt explains.

Have you ever wondered how its possible for animals to rest for months on end without eating, drinking, or doing their business? Well it’s because sleep and hibernation are completely different things. TED-Ed presenter Sheena Lee Faherty explains.

A hypnotic video of a martini glass filled with some kind of black fluid that is both thick and viscous, and exhibits elastic properties as well. This unspillable gunk looks like the lifeblood of some sort of demonic creature.

Most fire is orange, or maybe shades of yellow, white or blue. But it turns out if you spray sodium salts and ethanol into a flame and then view it in front of a sodium vapor lamp, it looks black. Natasha Simons of The Royal Institution explains the science behind this phenomenon.

No, Kurzgesagt’s latest video isn’t about building a fancy vacuum cleaner. Instead, it’s an explanation of how we might go about creating a megastructure in space, capable of harnessing the power of a star, by containing it. Basically, it would be the largest task every undertaken.

The Slow Mo Guys decided to see if they could determine the speed at which glass shatters. With the help of some specially-marked sheets of glass and a super slow-motion camera, they were able to answer the question at hand, while also revealing the way in which it cracks.

Meet Arnold, the king of animated hypotheticals is here to explore what might happen to us if we actually could cure aging, and live at least 10 times longer we can today. The result isn’t all butterflies and lollipops. Also, nice segue to the sponsorship, guys.

TED-Ed shares a head-scratcher that you can solve, even with brute force thinking. You need to build a time travel machine by forming a triangle of one of two colors. But you have no way of knowing which color will appear when you connect the time travel dots.

Want to know about our genetic ancestors? American Museum of Natural History’s fascinating video takes us back to the moment where humans branched off from chimpanzees, and illustrates our progress via maps of significant archaeological discoveries.

These days, we all spend countless hours staring at digital screens, from smartphones, to tablets, to televisions, to computers. But is the notion that looking at these backlit devices can permanently harm your eyesight a myth or reality? SciShow provides their brief take.

WIRED sat down with forensic scientist Thiago Piwowarczyk and art historian Jeffrey Taylor PhD to get the inside skinny on ways that science and a skilled eye can help detect art forgeries. Abstract works like Jackson Pollock’s drips and splashes are especially challenging.

Real Life Lore schools us on things that can kill us, and makes us even more afraid of spiders, snakes and frogs. They list everything from common substances such as water and sugar, to wild venom and rare elements that can easily do you in.

If you thought that rain had a teardrop shape as it fell, you’d be totally wrong. With the help of a vertical wind tunnel, It’s Okay to Be Smart shows us what these droplets of water look like as they head towards Earth, while teaching us about surface tension and air resistance.

If you live somewhere that snow coats roads in the wintertime, you’ll want to check out Engineering Explained’s latest clip, as Jason walks us through the variables at work when driving on slippery surfaces, and provides some tips on how to maintain control on the snow.

Learn a little bit about the chemistry and physics that go into the construction of a basic rocket in this clip from BBC Earth Lab’s Bang Goes the Theory. The demonstration with the oxy-acetylene soda bottle rockets is neat, but is way too dangerous to try at home.

Unlike the undying affection and dedication that dogs offer their masters, cats seemingly couldn’t care less about us humans. SciShow provides a biological explanation for the expression of disdain that felines show for those of us who keep them warm and fed.

We all know that boys’ voices get deeper as they go through puberty, but hormones aren’t the only process in play as our voices evolve. TED-Ed educator Shaylin A. Schundler explains how other physical changes affect the sound of our voices as we get older.

The more legs something has, the more it freaks us out. As such, one of the creatures that makes our skin crawl most is the millipede. Why is it that they have so many tiny dangly legs? Anna’s Science Magic Show Hooray! delves into what makes these crawlies so creepy.

Portholes that can instantly transport us between different areas of space and time are a staple of science fiction and fantasy. But are wormholes really a thing, and if they are, how might they work, and where could we find one? Kurzgesagt explores.

The human body is an amazing organic machine that performs countless tasks every minute of every day. In this video from The Infographics Show, they tally up some of the things that your body will do in the next minute – or twice as much while you watch the entire 2 minute clip.

When you think about how the whole six degrees of separation thing, it’s not a stretch to imagine that we’re all related in one way or another. It’s Okay to Be Smart explores the mathematical and genealogical complexities of our ancestral connections.

Veritasium filmed his latest video to show ultraviolet light so that we could see how objects would look like if we could see UV light. Sunscreen becomes dark, as do many light objects. He goes on to explain why this is the case and how it can be useful.

Kurzgesagt explores another really unpleasant hypothetical – what would happen if we detonated a nuclear bomb at the bottom of the Mariana Trench? But nuking the Earth’s deepest known point might not have the apocalyptic results you’d think it would.

While we know it’s possible to extract natural colorings from food and other items, is there a way to completely remove its pigmentation and make it white? The Action Lab performed a series of experiments to test this, and provides a brief lesson on the physics of color.

Kurzgesagt looks at one of the many ways in which mankind is leaving its mark on our planet. Despite its usefulness, this man-made invention is one of the most destructive forces when it comes to the environment. But in some cases, it’s still better than other materials.

Engineers from MIT have developed 3D-printed objects with embedded magnetic particles that allow them to change shapes in an instant. The current prototypes are mere playthings, but the tech could give way to tiny, remote-controlled medical devices.

An amazing demonstration of the OpenDrop V3 – a compact system which uses current to precisely control the movement of fluids across the surface of an electrically charged grid. Thanks to its sophisticated control software, it can even play Frogger!