Beetles are the most diverse group of complex organisms on Earth, making up over 20% of all named animal species. One in five species on this planet is...a beetle. How did one group of organisms get THAT massive?

Global obesity rates are on the rise, but body shaming campaigns are doing more harm than good, says medical anthropologist Nancy N. Chen. Reflecting on how the cultural histories of body ideals have changed over time, she offers a new...

You may have heard about a study where researchers were able to grow lumps of neural tissue that showed measurable activity – a little bit like an actual brain. Are scientists trying to grow artificial brains, and if so, what kind of...

You don't actually have a "reptilian brain" somewhere deep in your head making you act like a salty crocodile, so where did that idea even come from?

Some people try to attack things like evolution by natural selection and man-made climate change by saying "Oh, that's just a THEORY!" Yes, they are both theories. Stop saying it like it's a bad thing! It's time we learn the difference...

Our body is supposed to be paralyzed during REM sleep, but REM sleep behavior disorder might not allow you to stay in bed. It could even cause you to act out your dreams in real life.

The real reason you buy insurance may have as much to do with pleasing your psyche as it does protecting your wallet. Behavioral psychologist Orit Tykocinski explores the connection between insurance and the reality-distorting risks of...

This week, we're going to Italy for a Renaissance. The Middle Ages are over, and it's time to talk about the flourishing of art and humanism across Europe. Painting, sculpture, music, architecture, and plays with fart jokes were all...

How is it that a breathalyzer can measure the alcohol content in someone’s blood, hours after they had their last drink, based on their breath alone? And could we use this same technology to detect disease by analyzing a person’s...

Radiation sickness been portrayed in movies and television for more than 50 years. And those portrayals vary a lot. But if there’s one thing pretty much all these portrayals have in common, it’s that they get radiation sickness wrong—at...

In this video Paul Andersen explains how a system can be viewed as an object and an object can be viewed as a system.

While doctors take an oath to do no harm, there's a good chance their unconscious biases can seep into how seriously they take your pain. Physician Sheetal DeCaria explains how perception impacts medical care and treatment -- and calls...

If you feel something inside you say, “I really don’t think you’re strong enough,” you don’t necessarily have to trust that little voice—it might not know you as well as you think it does.

MOMA design curator Paola Antonelli previews the groundbreaking show Design and the Elastic Mind -- full of products and designs that reflect the way we think now.

The toughest, most dominant canine gets the resources and respect - or at least that's the idea that caught on culturally. Turns out, that's not necessarily how it works.

From the sharp mouthparts of mosquitoes to the sticky feet of geckos, researchers have found all kinds of amazing adaptations in the natural world that could be useful in the operating room.

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The Hypatia stone is one of the weirdest rocks on the planet. It's not just out of this world, it might be out of this solar system!

Chris Anderson, then the editor of Wired, explores the four key stages of any viable technology: setting the right price, gaining market share, displacing an established technology and, finally, becoming ubiquitous.

Sensory deprivation tanks, oxygen therapy chambers and unbelievably cold saunas - oh my! These machines are used to reduce stress, ease pain and could be useful in doing that, but these machines are generally meant to be used in very...

Lots of kids are afraid of the dark, and some adults still can't stand sleeping in the complete darkness. But why are we afraid of it?

In today’s episode, Hank asks you to consider all the ways people talk about justice and what we really mean when we use that word. We’ll explain various theories of justice, just distribution, and different approaches to punishment.

You might think we've already found every kind of star by now, but astronomers think there are more that should hypothetically exist!

After observing what we thought was just a big asteroid in the asteroid belt, a team of astronomers now thinks this might qualify as a dwarf planet. And scientists had the chance to directly observe the collision of two neutron stars for...

Are you in control of your choices? Magic tricks might reveal otherwise, says scientist and illusionist Alice Pailhès. Watch closely as she performs magic tricks that unveil how your brain works, how you can be subtly influenced and what...