Be Smart.

Be Smart.

By Joe HansonScienceEducationNatural Sciences
Download on the App Store

Be Smart. episodes

  • Could You Ever Be Immune To EVERY Disease? Your Immune System, Explained!

    You can learn more at https://curiositystream.com/smart
    Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub
    ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓

    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/

    -----------
    FOLLOW US:

    Merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart
    Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart
    Twitter: @DrJoeHanson @okaytobesmart
    Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com
    Instagram: @DrJoeHanson

    -----------

    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

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    11 min
  • Shadows of Evolution
    PBS 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_sub
    Every 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 bird
    Check out "Ghosts of Evolution" by Connie Barlow: http://amzn.to/1iLBpsb
    Why 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/1aO0qiY
    Joe Hanson - Host and writer
    Joe Nicolosi - Director
    Amanda Fox - Producer
    Katie Graham - Director of Photography
    Andrew Matthews - Editor and Motion Graphics
    Kate Eads - Production Manager
    Filmed at Onion Creek Productions in Austin, TX
    Thanks to Dan Silver for the footage of ginkgo trees in NYC
    Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios
    -----------
    Join us on Patreon!
    https://patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart
    Twitter
    http://www.twitter.com/DrJoeHanson
    http://www.twitter.com/okaytobesmart
    Instagram
    http://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHanson
    http://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart
    Merch
    https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart
    Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartpbs/

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    7 min
  • Plants Are Smarter Than You'd Expect
    Plants 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/s10886-007-9404-0
    Gerbode, 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=1
    Darwin’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/itsokaytobesmart
    Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart
    http://twitter.com/jtotheizzoe
    Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com
    Instagram: http://instagram.com/jtotheizzoe
    Snapchat: YoDrJoe
    Produced by PBS Digital Studios
    Music via APM
    Stock images from SciencePhoto http://www.sciencephoto.com/ and Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    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?

    SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub
    Fyfluiddynamics: https://www.youtube.com/user/fyfluiddynamics
    Origin of Everything: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiB8h9jD2Mlxx96ZFnGDSJw

    REFERENCES:


    -----------
    FOLLOW US:

    Twitter: @DrJoeHanson @okaytobesmart
    Instagram: @DrJoeHanson
    Merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart
    Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart

    SEND US STUFF:

    It’s Okay To Be Smart
    PO Box 303356
    Austin, TX 78703
    USA

    BOOKS WE’VE FEATURED:
    http://smart-books.tumblr.com/

    -----------
    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

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    11 min
  • How The Elements Were Named
    PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateOKAY
    ↓ More info and sources below ↓
    There's a story inside every box!
    Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub
    Ever wonder what all those names on the periodic table actually mean?
    There's a whole lot of fascinating history on Mendeleev's table. Some carry names from antiquity, some are named for people, some are named for places, and some are named for mythical beings. Discover the etymology of the elements!
    If you want to know more about the love, betrayal, and drama behind the periodic table, check out Sam Kean's "The Disappearing Spoon": http://amzn.to/1eVZS8L
    Music:
    "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod
    Joe Hanson - Host and writer
    Joe Nicolosi - Director
    Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer
    Katie Graham - Director of Photography
    Andrew Matthews - Editor and motion graphics
    John Knudsen - Gaffer
    Isaac Hammons - Sound
    Special thanks to the following for help researching this episode:
    Sister Mary Virginia Orna, teacher and historian of chemistry
    Mark Benvenuto, chemist at University of Detroit - Mercy
    Steven Maguire, chemist at University of Ottawa
    Produced for PBS Digital Studios
    -----------
    Join us on Patreon!
    https://patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart
    Twitter
    http://www.twitter.com/DrJoeHanson
    http://www.twitter.com/okaytobesmart
    Instagram
    http://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHanson
    http://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart
    Merch
    https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart
    Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartpbs/

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    6 min
  • The Appetizing Science of CHEESE!
    I am an absolute freak for cheese. Next to bread, it might be our oldest biotechnology! Here's some of the science about how it's made and where it comes from.
    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate
    Subscribe to It's Okay To Be Smart: http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub
    ↓ More info and sources below ↓
    Special thanks to Kara Chadbourne from Antonelli's Cheese in Austin, TX!!! She's a cheese genius.
    Joe Hanson - Host and writer
    Joe Nicolosi - Director
    Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer
    Katie Graham - Director of Photography
    Andrew Matthews - Editor and motion graphics
    John Knudsen - Gaffer
    Music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod
    Stock images via Shutterstock
    Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios
    -----------
    Join us on Patreon!
    https://patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart
    Twitter
    http://www.twitter.com/DrJoeHanson
    http://www.twitter.com/okaytobesmart
    Instagram
    http://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHanson
    http://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart
    Merch
    https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart
    Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartpbs/

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    8 min
  • Why Don't Birds Lay Square Eggs?

    PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateOKAY
    ↓ More info and sources below ↓

    Uploaded 19-08-19

    SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub

    What is ”egg-shaped” even? I used to think it was the shape of a chicken egg. Then one day I saw a collection of eggs from lots of different bird species, and I realized just how many different kind of egg shapes there really are! I had to know why. And it turns out a couple teams of scientists had wondered the same thing. Here’s what science says about why eggs are egg-shaped, if that's even a thing, which I’ve learned it might not be. Evolution of bird eggs, go!
    #egg #biophysics #eggvolution

    References: https://sites.google.com/view/why-are-eggs-egg-shaped/home

    -----------
    FOLLOW US for more curiosity:

    Twitter
    http://www.twitter.com/DrJoeHanson
    http://www.twitter.com/okaytobesmart

    Instagram
    http://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHanson
    http://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart

    Merch
    https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart

    Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartpbs/

    Books from our episodes:
    http://smart-books.tumblr.com/

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    11 min
  • This Is How Astronauts Drink Coffee In Space!

    PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateOKAY
    ↓ More info and sources below ↓

    Uploaded 03-05-19

    You can learn more at https://curiositystream.com/smart
    SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub

    I love coffee. Like, a lot. You know who else loves coffee? Astronauts! And also the people who help them do awesome things in space (I think NASA might be powered by coffee). But how do astronauts actually drink coffee in space, aboard the International Space Station, in microgravity? I visited astronaut Don Pettit to learn about his invention for having a cup o’ Joe in orbit. This is some awesome science.
    #space #coffee #nasa

    Special thanks to Don Pettit and NASA!

    Don’s collaborator on this research is Mark Weislogel from Portland State University. Learn more about Mark’s research here: https://www.pdx.edu/profile/mark-weislogel

    -----------
    FOLLOW US for more curiosity:

    Twitter
    http://www.twitter.com/DrJoeHanson
    http://www.twitter.com/okaytobesmart

    Instagram
    http://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHanson
    http://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart

    Merch
    https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart

    Facebook
    http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    15 min
  • Are the Nobel Prizes Still Meaningful in the 21st Century?
    PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateOKAY
    ↓ More info and sources below ↓
    The Nobel Prizes reward the greatest accomplishments of the human race. Right? Then why haven't they changed much in 100+ years? Do they really represent how science is done? And why so few women?
    References and more:
    Molly Oldfield - The Secret Museum http://amzn.to/173lLpj
    Georgia Lupi Nobel Prize infographic: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/11/29/giorgia-lupi-noble-prizes-visualization/
    Alfred Nobel's will: http://www.nobelprize.org/alfred_nobel/will/will-full.html
    Top 10 Nobel snubs: http://www.scientificamerican.com/slideshow.cfm?id=10-nobel-snubs
    Nobel Prize controversies (like Johannes Fibiger) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_controversies
    Women who have won science Nobels http://mentalfloss.com/article/53186/14-women-whove-won-science-nobel-prizes-marie-curie
    The Nobel ignores how modern science works: http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/aerospace/astrophysics/nobel-for-higgs-boson-discovery-ignores-how-modern-science-works
    Nobel prize and myth of the "lone genius" http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/the-curious-wavefunction/2013/10/08/nobel-complexity/
    Thomas Edison on success: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/02/11/thomas-edison-on-sleep-and-success/
    Steve Jobs on creativity: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/4.02/jobs_pr.html
    Open letter to Nobel committee: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17863-open-letter-to-the-nobel-prize-committee.html#.Ul8DHWT5n6Q
    Thumbnail art via catwalker/Shutterstock
    -----------
    Join us on Patreon!
    https://patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart
    Twitter
    http://www.twitter.com/DrJoeHanson
    http://www.twitter.com/okaytobesmart
    Instagram
    http://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHanson
    http://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart
    Merch
    https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart
    Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartpbs/

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    11 min
  • What Would Happen if ONE MILLION Species Went Extinct?

    PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateOKAY
    ↓ More info and sources below ↓

    Uploaded 24-05-19

    Check out Hot Mess: http://www.youtube.com/hotmesspbs
    SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub
    ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓

    A massive new study has just been released showing that human activities are threatening Earth’s other life forms in some very bad ways. One million species may be at risk of extinction. Just let that sink in. Isn’t the Anthropocene awesome? Check out the study below to learn more and find out how we can stop it. #anthropocene #extinction #nature

    REFERENCES:

    IPBES Biodiversity Global Assessment Report https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yd8l2v0u4jqptp3/AAACtf6ctsoUQ9hlPQxLpVsKa?dl=0

    Information on the IPBES Biodiversity Report https://www.ipbes.net/news/Media-Release-Global-Assessment

    IPBES Summary for Policymakers: https://www.ipbes.net/sites/default/files/downloads/spm_unedited_advance_for_posting_htn.pdf

    -----------
    FOLLOW US for more curiosity:

    Twitter
    http://www.twitter.com/DrJoeHanson
    http://www.twitter.com/okaytobesmart

    Instagram
    http://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHanson
    http://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart

    Merch
    https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart

    Facebook
    http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart

    Books from our episodes:
    http://smart-books.tumblr.com/

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    9 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.