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- How did X come to symbolize "The UNKNOWN"?A truly X-cellent and X-ceptional video…Join our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓Despite being one of the rarest letters in English, the letter X is everywhere. We sign letters with it, we rate movies with it, we name all sorts of things after it. We’re kind of obsessed with it. And that’s probably all thanks to math, where X stands for the unknown. Let's explore the bizarre history of how X took on this role…References: https://sites.google.com/view/why-are-we-so-obsessed-with-x/homeSUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub-----------High fives to all our Brain Trust Patrons:Charles Horton, JrHolly, Brett, and Ashe BullionJaap WesteraMillennial GlacierMehdi DamouBarbora BeiBurt Humburgdani bowmanDavid JohnstonBaerbel WinklerRobert YoungEric MeerKaren HaskellJoin us on Patreon!https://patreon.com/itsokaytobesmartTwitterhttp://www.twitter.com/DrJoeHansonhttp://www.twitter.com/okaytobesmartInstagramhttp://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHansonhttp://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmartMerchhttps://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smartFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartpbs/
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15 min - Why Are You Polycellular?Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonateStart your Audible trial today: http://www.audible.com/okTweet this ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSmc Share on FB ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSmcFB↓ More info and sources below ↓Check out Destin’s video on Smarter Every Day: “DEVIL FACIAL TUMOR DISEASE” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hol33ga9G_E“The Vital Question” by Nick Lane: http://amzn.to/1SntUdGFurther reading:Bonner, J. T. (1998), The origins of multicellularity. Integr. Biol., 1: 27–36.Grosberg, Richard K., and Richard R. Strathmann. "The evolution of multicellularity: a minor major transition?." Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics (2007): 621-654.Parfrey, Laura Wegener, and Daniel JG Lahr. "Multicellularity arose several times in the evolution of eukaryotes" Bioessays 35.4 (2013): 339-347.Szathmary, Eors, and John Maynard Smith. "The major evolutionary transitions." NATURE 374 (1995): 16.Szathmáry, Eörs. "Toward major evolutionary transitions theory 2.0."Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 112.33 (2015): 10104.----Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below!Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartFollow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmarthttp://twitter.com/jtotheizzoeFollow on Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.comFollow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/jtotheizzoeFollow on Snapchat: YoDrJoe-----------------It’s Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D.Follow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoeProduced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudiosMusic via APMStock images from Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.comStock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted) http://www.videoblocks.com
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8 min - Developing CuriosityAn ode to curiosity... with LEGO!Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonateSubscribe to It's Okay To Be Smart: http://bit.ly/iotbs_subMy tribute to Curiosity, both the NASA rover and the human desire to discover, featuring words from some of science's greatest minds and LEGO's special edition Mars rover setSOURCES:Carl Sagan:"Cosmos: A Personal Voyage - The Lives of the Stars" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7L6SZPxgNg"Cosmos: A Personal Voyage - The Backbone of the Night"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeaPIy6eS_g"Cosmos: A Personal Voyage - The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCxc5w-SfpANeil deGrasse Tyson:"Science is in our DNA" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVrVdtSFK7c"Cosmos: A SPacetime Odyssey Q&A" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfUuj0YLmMgBill Nye:"The Good Stuff - Bill Nye and the Origin of Everything" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMKTiPUl8E4"Why We Explore" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVZmL5UARcs"Bill Nye Debates Ken Ham" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6kgvhG3AkIHank Green:"Curiosity is the Finest Human Quality" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kQ1Po7vzUkJane Goodall:"Sowing the Seeds of Hope" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vibssrQKm60Richard Feynman:"Take the World From a Different Point of View" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgJPjG4KJYQJames Cameron:"Before Avatar - A Curious Boy (TED2010)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVfd6fg7QsMProduced for PBS Digital StudiosJoe Hanson - Host/WriterJoe Nicolosi - Director/EditorAmanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate ProducerMusic:"Evolver" by Jesper Kyd (APM Music Library)-----------Join us on Patreon!https://patreon.com/itsokaytobesmartTwitterhttp://www.twitter.com/DrJoeHansonhttp://www.twitter.com/okaytobesmartInstagramhttp://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHansonhttp://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmartMerchhttps://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smartFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartpbs/
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5 min - Why Does Hair Grow In The Way It Does?Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonateTry CuriosityStream today: http://curiositystream.com/smartDon’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub↓↓↓More info and sources below ↓↓↓Check out more of my friend Kyle’s sweet hair on his channel “Because Science”: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLl4T6p7km9dZSdTfPxucpwZY7Try86hFWAll mammals have hair at some point in their lives, but none of them wear it quite like humans. Why does our hair grow where it does, and not grow where it doesn’t? How does our hair get its color? And why does it go gray and often fall out when we get older and go bald? Learn all about the science of human hair in this week’s video!-----------REFERENCES:Harding RM, Healy E, Ray AJ, et al. Evidence for Variable Selective Pressures at MC1R. American Journal of Human Genetics. 2000;66(4):1351-1361.Randall, Valerie Anne. "Androgens and hair growth." Dermatologic therapy 21.5 (2008): 314-328.Yablon, J. "What is the latest theory of why humans lost their body hair?." SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN 297.3 (2007): 124-124.APA-----------FOLLOW US:Merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smartFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartTwitter: @okaytobesmart @DrJoeHansonTumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.comInstagram: @DrJoeHansonSnapchat: YoDrJoe-----------It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D.Director: Joe NicolosiWriter: Sarah KeartesProducer/editor/animator: Andrew MatthewsProducer: Stephanie Noone and Amanda FoxProduced by PBS Digital StudiosMusic via APMStock images from Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com
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8 min - The Science of Marathon PerformancePBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateOKAY↓ More info and sources below ↓I ran one… FOR SCIENCE!Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_subSo maybe we can't outrun cheetahs or antelope, but humans are uniquely adapted for long distance running. What does science have to say about marathon running? To find out, (and because I was feeling a little crazy) I decided to run one!Here's what I discovered about the science of long distance runningEndurance running adaptations: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Human_Running_Adaptations.pngFor more on the science and evolution of distance running, from training plans to cellular physiology, check out Tim Noakes' "The Lore of Running" http://amzn.to/1eKYir9 and Christopher McDougall's "Born to Run" http://amzn.to/NnF7wbJoe Hanson - Host and writerJoe Nicolosi - DirectorAmanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate ProducerKatie Graham - Director of PhotographyAndrew Matthews - Editor and motion graphicsJohn Knudsen - GafferMusic:"Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeodOther music via APMStock images via ShutterstockProduced for PBS Digital Studios-----------Join us on Patreon!https://patreon.com/itsokaytobesmartTwitterhttp://www.twitter.com/DrJoeHansonhttp://www.twitter.com/okaytobesmartInstagramhttp://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHansonhttp://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmartMerchhttps://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smartFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartpbs/
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10 min - 7 Scientific Urban Legends Debunked!
PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateOKAY
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Uploaded 06-09-19
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It sounds like such an incredible fact. “Our own cells are outnumbered by our microbes 10 to 1!” I don’t remember where I first heard it. But I read it in science papers and articles by journalists, so I believed it without question. I even made one of my first videos based on this fact. Problem is, this fact is not true. So how did it remain firmly planted in our common knowledge for almost four decades without any scientific scrutiny? And how can you prepare yourself to not be fooled by other scientific urban legends? I look at a few of the most famous incorrect factoids in science, and give a few suggestions for how to make our common knowledge more correct.
References: https://sites.google.com/view/7-scientific-urban-legends/home
Please do not watch this old video, it is wrong and my hair is awful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BZME8H7-KU
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17 min - Could You Ever Be Immune To EVERY Disease? Your Immune System, Explained!
You can learn more at https://curiositystream.com/smart
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Uploaded 07-03-18
**We said 30 days free, but CuriosityStream is feeling extra generous and is giving our viewers the first 60 days free!!**
Do you remember having a cold in 5th grade? Or the flu a couple years ago? Your immune system does. Our bodies hold many levels of immune defense.Physical barriers like skin, the innate immune system, and our body’s most powerful defender, the adaptive immune system. Millions of B cells and T cells and antibodies are constantly on patrol for germs and antigen invaders. As scientists learn more about how this system works and how to engineer it, could we ever actually be immune to everything?
Special thanks to Dr. James Crowe (Vanderbilt University) http://www.crowelab.com/
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It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D.
Director: Joe Nicolosi
Writer: Sarah Keartes
Creative Director: David Schulte
Editor/animator: Karl Boettcher and Derek Borsheim
Producer: Stephanie Noone and Amanda Fox
Produced by PBS Digital Studios
Music via APM
Stock images from Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com
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11 min - Shadows of EvolutionPBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateOKAY↓ More info and sources below ↓What does a ginkgo tree have in common with a dinosaur?SUBSCRIBE, it's FREE! http://bit.ly/iotbs_subEvery fall, in cities like New York, the smell of vomit fills the crisp air. The culprit? The pungent seeds of the ginkgo biloba tree. So why would a tree evolve such a disgusting and revolting way to disperse its genes and make baby trees? Why not be more like the delicious apple?Join me for an evolutionary ghost story. We'll find out why the ginkgo is so weird, visit with some prehistoric beasts, and learn how an avocado is a bit like a dodo birdCheck out "Ghosts of Evolution" by Connie Barlow: http://amzn.to/1iLBpsbWhy the avocado should have gone the way of the dodo: http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/2013/10/why-the-avocado-should-have-gone-the-way-of-the-dodo/More about evolutionary anachronisms: http://sydkab.wordpress.com/tag/evolutionary-anachronism/The ginkgo is Earth's oldest tree: http://e360.yale.edu/feature/peter_crane_history_of_ginkgo_earths_oldest_tree/2646/Janzen and Martin's 1982 paper "Neotropical Anachronisms: The Fruits the Gomphotheres Ate": http://bit.ly/1aO0qiYJoe Hanson - Host and writerJoe Nicolosi - DirectorAmanda Fox - ProducerKatie Graham - Director of PhotographyAndrew Matthews - Editor and Motion GraphicsKate Eads - Production ManagerFilmed at Onion Creek Productions in Austin, TXThanks to Dan Silver for the footage of ginkgo trees in NYCProduced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios-----------Join us on Patreon!https://patreon.com/itsokaytobesmartTwitterhttp://www.twitter.com/DrJoeHansonhttp://www.twitter.com/okaytobesmartInstagramhttp://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHansonhttp://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmartMerchhttps://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smartFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartpbs/
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7 min - Plants Are Smarter Than You'd ExpectPlants can do some amazing things.But how do they respond to their environment with no brain?↓ More info and sources below ↓Learn more/references:“What a Plant Knows” by Daniel Chamovitz http://amzn.to/2bfvdOg“The Secret Life of Plants” by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird http://amzn.to/2bczCTf (this book is full of bad science mumbo jumbo, but it’s where the Cleve Backster story comes from)Galil, J. "An ancient technique for ripening sycomore fruit in east-mediterranean countries." Economic Botany 22.2 (1968): 178-190.Kost, C., & Heil, M. (2008). The Defensive Role of Volatile Emission and Extrafloral Nectar Secretion for Lima Bean in Nature. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 34(1), 2–13. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-007-9404-0Gerbode, Sharon J., et al. "How the cucumber tendril coils and overwinds."Science 337.6098 (2012): 1087-1091.Darwin’s writings on vines and climbing plants: http://darwin-online.org.uk/content/frameset?itemID=F836&viewtype=text&pageseq=1Darwin’s writings on plant movement: http://darwin-online.org.uk/EditorialIntroductions/Freeman_ThePowerofMovementinPlants.html----------------It’s Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D.Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below!Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartTwitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmarthttp://twitter.com/jtotheizzoeTumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.comInstagram: http://instagram.com/jtotheizzoeSnapchat: YoDrJoeProduced by PBS Digital StudiosMusic via APMStock images from SciencePhoto http://www.sciencephoto.com/ and Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com
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8 min - The Weird Science of the Raisin Bran Effect
AKA "The Brazil Nut Effect" but brazil nuts are blah
You can learn more at https://curiositystream.com/smart
↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓
Uploaded 30-11-18
The bottom of the cereal box is a disappointing place. But at least now you know why. Where do you see the Brazil Nut Effect around you?
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Fyfluiddynamics: https://www.youtube.com/user/fyfluiddynamics
Origin of Everything: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiB8h9jD2Mlxx96ZFnGDSJw
REFERENCES:
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It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D.
Director: Joe Nicolosi
Writer: Sarah Keartes
Creative Director: David Schulte
Editor/animator: Derek Borsheim and Sara Roma
Producers: Stephanie Noone and Amanda Fox
Produced by PBS Digital Studios
Music via APM
Stock images from Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com
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11 min
About Be Smart.
From the publisher's feed
We give you deep answers to simple questions about science and the rest of the universe. And also dad jokes.
Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, PhD. He's a molecular biologist and an award-winning science communicator and journalist