As archaeologists pored over ancient tombs in western China, they discovered some surprisingly well-preserved and familiar relics. Though hardened over 1,000 years, there sat little crescent-shaped dumplings. So who invented these plump...

How Long Can You Balance a Pencil

Genitals are the fastest-evolving organs in the animal kingdom. But why is this so? And what's the point of having decorative private parts? Menno Schilthuizen explains how the evolutionary biology of nature's nether regions uncovers a...

On today's Quick Question, we absolve the poor, humble toad of its wart-giving reputation. Learn about the virus that causes warts, how they spread, and what you can do to get rid of them.

Scientists are closely watching SARS-CoV-2 to track mutations and see if it's developed into different strains. So, has it?

Sometimes, species end up in places we wouldn't expect, like when the same or very similar species end up on opposite parts of the globe. It's called disjunct distribution, and here are 6 ways that it can happen.

Since you're on YouTube, you probably know what a meme is; but what is it really and how does it go viral?

In August 2015, Jimmy Carter announced that he had a form of cancer that spread to his liver and brain. A few months later he reported the cancer was gone. How?

COVID-19 has the potential to ebb and flow with the seasons, but because it's a novel pandemic, that doesn't mean we're off the hook this summer.

Several COVID-19 variants are acting uniquely enough to qualify as a distinct strain. And you might have heard about one on the news: the Delta variant. Today we’re going to talk about what it is, why it’s here, and what you need to know...

In which John Green teaches you the history of the Indian Ocean Trade. John weaves a tale of swashbuckling adventure, replete with trade in books, ivory, and timber. Along the way, John manages to cover advances in seafaring technology,...

It's so obvious that it's practically proverbial: you can't unboil an egg. But actually, it turns out that you can -- sort of. Eleanor Nelsen explains the process by which mechanical energy can undo what thermal energy has done.

SARS-CoV-2 is super contagious, and researchers don’t yet know all the reasons why. But by comparing this new virus to the similar one that causes SARS, we’ve found a lot of promising leads that could help us figure out how to beat this...

Is it possible that overfishing, super germs, and global warming are all caused by the same thing? In 1968, a man named Garrett Hardin sat down to write an essay about overpopulation. Within it, he discovered a pattern of human behavior...

When poet Robin Morgan found herself facing Parkinson’s disease, she distilled her experiences into these four quietly powerful poems — meditating on age, loss, and the simple power of noticing.

Still wondering why leaves are green and not purple or even black? CHLOROPHYLL! It's how leaves work.

This video is about how the way we describe the world can influence the way we perceive it. In particular, with regards to Bohmian mechanics, Schrodinger wave functions, Feynman path integrals, and Galilean...

The study of clouds has always been a daydreamer’s science, aptly founded by a thoughtful young man whose favorite activity was staring out of the window at the sky. Richard Hamblyn tells the history of Luke Howard, the man who...

The sight of mistletoe may either send you scurrying or, if you have your eye on someone, awaiting an opportunity beneath its snow-white berries. But how did the festive tradition of kissing under mistletoe come about? Carlos Reif...

Something is very wrong with the news industry. Trust in the media has hit an all-time low; we're inundated with sensationalist stories, and consistent, high-quality reporting is scarce, says journalist Lara Setrakian. She shares three...

You might be surprised to hear that measles is 10 times more contagious than Ebola or the plague. How do epidemiologists quantify a disease's catchiness?

* Viewer discretion advised. This video includes discussion of mature topics and may be inappropriate for some audiences.

The use of deepfake technology to manipulate video and audio for malicious purposes -- whether it's to stoke...

In this poignant, funny follow-up to his fabled 2006 talk, Sir Ken Robinson makes the case for a radical shift from standardized schools to personalized learning -- creating conditions where kids' natural talents can flourish.

The highly virulent Ebola virus has seen a few major outbreaks since it first appeared in 1976 -- with the worst epidemic occurring in 2014. How does the virus spread, and what exactly does it do to the body? Alex Gendler details what...