Why Do More Species Concentrate Near the Equator?

The Science and Grace of Auroras

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 science behind Earth's nocturnal light showClick here to SUBSCRIBE, it's FREE! -- http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Space might seem like an empty place, but the area surrounding Earth is constantly being bombarded by waves of charged particles released by the Sun: The solar wind. Luckily, thanks to Earth's swirling, molten core (and the magnetic field it provides), we are protected from this planet-sterilizing onslaught like an invisible force field All that science has a beautiful side effect: It makes the auroras! The Northern and Southern lights are the result of the solar wind and its dance with Earth's magnetic field and polar atmosphere. It's Earth's own cosmic light show! References for this episode: http://dft.ba/-4G6G Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment below! Written and hosted by Joe Hanson Produced by Painted On Productions (http://www.paintedon.com/) Special thanks to Laura Eakins from UT-Austin's Department of Astronomy Music in this episode: Gustav Holst: "Neptune, the Mystic," "Mercury, the Winged Messenger" Johnny Ripper: "Speak" Misha Nuis: "Ambient" Clips used in this episode: "Aurora 2012" by Christian Mülhauser http://vimeo.com/36141149 Gradient Sun by NASA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUL4JY15jSg Auroras underfoot by NASA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL_-Zz7JDoA "Temporal Distortion" by Randy Halverson: http://vimeo.com/36684976 "In Plain Sight" by Brad Goldpaint: http://vimeo.com/52347966 Massive Solar Filament Eruption by NASA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrnGi-q6iWc "ISS Stacks" by Christoph Malin: http://vimeo.com/51499009 ----------- 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 [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

MILLION Year-Old Spider and the Science of Silk Webs

Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Don't miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Check it out: BrainCraft visits another MacArthur Genius! https://youtu.be/ewPeAFQWg3s ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Living things have engineered some pretty awesome materials, but I'm not sure anything measures up to spider silk. It's as strong, as stretchy, and as resilient than even humans' most advanced creations like Kevlar and steel. So how do these awesome arachnids weave such an incredible substance using nothing but their rear ends? And… what IS this stuff? I went to meet Dr. Cheryl Hayashi, one of the world's experts in spider silk, to find out. Special thanks to the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation: https://www.macfound.org/ READ MORE: Brunetta, Leslie, and Catherine L. Craig. Spider silk: evolution and 400 million years of spinning, waiting, snagging, and mating. Yale University Press, 2010. Römer, Lin, and Thomas Scheibel. "The elaborate structure of spider silk." Prion (2008). ----------- FOLLOW US: Merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter: @okaytobesmart @DrJoeHanson Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Instagram: @DrJoeHanson Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------- It's Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Director: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Sarah Keartes Producer/editor/animator: David Schulte 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 [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Barrage of the Cosmic Space Junk!

Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate No Sandra Bullocks were harmed in the making of this video. Tweet this video ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSjunk Share on FB ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSjunkFB ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Window chip in the ISS: http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2016/05/Impact_chip The extent of space debris: http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Videos/2013/04/Space_debris_story Where did all that debris come from? http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/where-did-all-that-space-debris-come-from/ USSTRATCOM space surveillance fact sheet: https://www.stratcom.mil/factsheets/11/Space_Control_and_Space_Surveillance/ This is cool: http://stuffin.space/ Every satellite orbiting Earth, visualized: http://qz.com/296941/interactive-graphic-every-active-satellite-orbiting-earth/ 8 weird pieces of space junk: http://www.wired.com/2009/02/spacestuff/ Project West Ford: http://www.wired.com/2013/08/project-west-ford/ STK animation courtesy of Analytical Graphics, Inc. Get yourself an awesome IOTBS shirt! http://dftba.com/besmart ---------------- 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 Stock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted) http://www.videoblocks.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The Foundations of Energy

Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Check out our whole series on ENERGY! http://bit.ly/1BnH5zu Subscribe: http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Twitter: @okaytobesmart ↓ More info and sources below ↓ The world of energy is a confusing place. What's better, nuclear or solar? What's the difference between fluorescent bulbs and LEDs? What's the difference between energy and power? And what the heck is a kilowatt-hour?! In this video, we give you a tour of the essential principles behind the energy machine that puts fuel in our tanks and brings electricity to our homes. To be a good energy citizen, you need to speak the language LEARN MORE: Special thanks to Sheril Kirshenbaum and the Webber Energy Group at the University of Texas at Austin for their help with this series. http://www.webberenergygroup.com/ Check out their awesome online course "Energy 101" to learn about energy and energy policy from A to Z! http://www.energy101.com/ And to find out what people think about energy, check out the UT Energy Poll: http://www.utenergypoll.com/ 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! Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart http://twitter.com/jtotheizzoe Follow on Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Follow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/jtotheizzoe ----------------- It's Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.DFollow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoe Email me: itsokaytobesmart AT gmail DOT com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Google+ https://plus.google.com/+itsokaytobesmart For more awesome science, check out: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios Joe Hanson - Creator/Host/Writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics/Animation Katie Graham - Director of Photography John Knudsen - Gaffer Theme music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Other music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks ----------------- Last week's video: Does the Moon Orbit the Earth? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cJ3AemeUFM More videos: Why Does February Have 28 Days? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgKaHTh-_Gs Why Vaccines Work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aNhzLUL2ys Why Are Some People Left-Handed? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPvMUpcxPSA Where Does the Smell of Rain Come From? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGcE5x8s0B8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Why Do Clouds Hover Aloft?

There's nothing wrong with having your head in the clouds! 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 Big thank you to my favorite cloud scientist Dione Rossiter for help researching this episode! "The Cloudspotter's Guide" by Gavin Pretor-Pinney http://amzn.to/1s3kk2S The International Cloud Atlas: http://bit.ly/1q0kgLy William Rankin - The Man Who Rode the Thunder http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cqQzcChFG0 Bacteria that live in the clouds: http://www.pnas.org/content/110/7/2575.abstract Mass of a cloud: http://mentalfloss.com/article/49786/how-much-does-cloud-weigh Amazing facts about clouds: http://blog.ted.com/2013/07/16/8-illuminating-facts-about-clouds/ A beginner's guide to being a cloudspotter: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/apr/12/cloud-spotting-beginners-guide-predicting-weather How clouds affect climate change: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDo7saKaEys The clouds and bushes in Super Mario Bros are the same thing: http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/01/the-clouds-and-bushes-in-super-mario-bros-are-the-same/ Produced for PBS Digital Studios Joe Hanson - Host and writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer Katie Graham - Director of Photography Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics John Knudsen - Gaffer Dalton Allen - Post-production Intern Theme music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Stock images via 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 [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]