Awesome Science

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.

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.

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!

Filmmaker Maria Constanza Ferreira explores the incredibly ethereal and colorful organic patterns that reveal themselves when viewing the microscopic structures of sugar crystals under polarized light.

Engineer Allison Murray from the Purdue University Mechanical Engineering department shows us how their team used a customized inkjet printer to lay down a thin sheet of thermite, resulting in designs which explode into shapes when ignited. Learn more here.

Director, writer, producer, and explorer James Cameron recently sat down with WIRED to answer questions posted on Twitter about the technology found in science fiction, how close some of these are to becoming reality, and the ethical questions they pose.

The study of extreme weather like hurricanes can help save lives and property. The engineers at the University of Miami’s Surge Structure Atmosphere Interaction Facility (SUSTAIN) have built an system which allows them to simulate hurricane force winds and water.

By using an air pump and a burst disc to pressurize and release helium gas, The Backyard Scientist shows off an insanely powerful NERF gun that can fire darts faster than the speed of sound. Watch, and you might even learn a thing or two about physics.

Life Noggin explores another one of life’s imponderables – what would have to happen for it to be possible for humans to move through solid objects? Even though there’s lots of empty space between the atoms everything is made of, it’s highly unlikely.

Engineer Mark Rober and teacher Al “Doc Fizzix” Balmer explain the physics of these primitive race cars that get their power solely from the energy stored in a mousetrap’s spring. Along the way, you’ll learn about the principles of mechanical advantage, levers, and wheels.

This super-fine steel wool reminds us of Donald Trump’s hair. But these skinny metal strands are most interesting when they have their electrons excited by a microwave oven. Steve Mould explains why it behaves so spectactularly. The 9-volt battery trick is pretty neat too.

Theoretically, the reason that whipped cream is thick is because of the air in it. So if you put it in a vacuum chamber and remove all the air, does it go back to the way it was? The King of Random sucks as hard as they can to answer the question none of us was asking.

Kurzgesagt explores string theory, and how it attempts to explain the nature of the universe. It’s supposed to solve the incompatibilities between quantum and gravitational physics by describing particles as “strings” rather than points. Yeah, we’re still confused.

After seeing the unusual way in which magnets interact with copper, NightHawkInLight explores whether an electromagnetically-generated force field in copper could stop or slow a magnetic projectile in mid-flight.

Mårten Ajne skates across a dangerously thin 2″ layer of pristine black ice on a lake outside of Stockholm, Sweden. As he dances along its shimmering surface, the ice emits otherworldly sounds straight out of a science fiction movie.

Unlike steel, copper isn’t attracted to or repulsed by magnets. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t some interaction. NightHawkInLight takes a look at some of the strange behaviors that occur between thick sheets of copper and strong neodymium magnets.

Mehdi Sadaghdar puts on his superhero guise as “The Rectifier” to debunk another ridiculous claim of “free energy,” as he crushes the hopes and dreams of a young inventor who has been making the rounds with his supposed energy-harnessing machine.

Destin from Smarter Every Day teamed up with Gav and Dan from The Slow Mo Guys to see what exactly happens when a bullet hits a piece of bulletproof acrylic, both with a bullet that can’t make it through, and then with a .50 cal that can. Watch The Slow Mo Guys’ video here.