Be Smart.

Joe Hanson

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

  1. 19 MIN AGO

    The Incredible Biological Connection We All Share With Our Mom

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate They say mom's never far away, but I don't think this is what they had in mind. In this episode, learn about the mind-blowing connection you share with your mom. A little bit of you never leaves the other! More reading below! Chimera/fetal microchimerism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microchimerism http://boingboing.net/2012/01/03/cells.html http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientists-discover-childrens-cells-living-in-mothers-brain/ http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fetal-cells-microchimerism/ http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/32678/title/Swapping-DNA-in-the-Womb/ http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/lab-rat/2014/04/13/guest-post-i-am-my-mothers-chimera/ Maternal cells persist to adulthood in child: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC408407/ Fetal cells assist in cardiac repair: http://circres.ahajournals.org/content/110/1/3.full Fetal cells assist in scar healing: https://www.landesbioscience.com/article/28746/full_text/#load/info/all Spider babies that eat their mother: https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/gory-details/some-animals-eat-their-moms-and-other-cannibalism-facts 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 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/

    4 min

  2. 1 HR AGO

    The Science of Game of Thrones

    Valar more-curious! Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate SUBSCRIBE, it's FREE! http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓ More info and sources below ↓ WINTER: Seasons of Westeros and the 3-body problem: http://arxiv.org/pdf/1304.0445v1.pdf Other possible explanations for the seasons: http://io9.com/5906300/5-scientific-explanations-for-game-of-thrones-messed-up-seasons Why those other reasons are wrong: http://bit.ly/1hYuRDJ http://boingboing.net/2012/05/14/great-moments-in-pedantry-win.html http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0019103511004064 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milankovitch_cycles NOTE ON MOONS AND STABILIZATION: I'm adding this comment after the video goes up: In retrospect I should have said that a moon doesn't *necessarily* have to be present to stabilize a planet. While our moon does cancel out some tugging from the other planets in the solar system, here's a recent paper shows that moonless planets can orbit with great stability even without the influence of a moon. Basically moons aren't required for stability: http://barnesos.net/publications/papers/2012.01.Icarus.Barnes.Moonless.Earth.pdf Even more reasons for the seasons: http://www.tor.com/blogs/2011/05/how-seasons-qworkq-in-a-song-of-ice-and-fire GEOLOGY: Generation Anthropocene's AMAZING geologic history of Westeros and Essos: http://www.stanford.edu/group/anthropocene/cgi-bin/wordpress/game-of-thrones-geology/ VALYRIAN STEEL: Damascus steel: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus_steel DRAGON FIRE: Kyle Hill's explanation for real-life dragon fire: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/but-not-simpler/2014/01/02/smaug-breathes-fire-like-a-bloated-bombardier-beetle-with-flinted-teeth/ DRAGON FLIGHT: Dragon-sized birds are biologically impossible: http://wapo.st/1lBV2RE WILDFIRE: Greek fire: http://www.sciforums.com/what-is-greek-fire-t-68540.html Trimethyl borate flame by hkparker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OrisgbsRmg MILK OF POPPY: Opates: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium THE WALL: Compression melting of ice: http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1qkdl0/can_ice_be_compressed_into_water/ DIRE WOLVES: Canis dirus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dire_wolf REAL-LIFE CHARACTERS: Abandon all productivity ye who click here: http://history-behind-game-of-thrones.com Stark/Lannister feud in real life tapestry: http://history-behind-game-of-thrones.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/porte_saint_denis170-753x1024.jpg Joe Hanson - Host and writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer Katie Graham - Director of Photography Edited by Stephanie Noone and Kirby Conn from Arts & Labor John Knudsen - Gaffer Music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod 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/​

    10 min

  3. 2 HR AGO

    Why Does Time Go Forward?

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Arrow of Time FAQ: http://preposterousuniverse.com/eternitytohere/faq.html Arrow of Time wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrow_of_time Sean Carroll's TED talk on time and the multiverse: http://www.ted.com/talks/sean_carroll_distant_time_and_the_hint_of_a_multiverse 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 Stock video via Videoblocks 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/

    4 min

  4. 3 HR AGO

    The Science of BBQ!!!

    Science is delicious! Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate SUBSCRIBE, it's FREE! http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Franklin BBQ: https://franklinbarbecue.com/ Basic BBQ science: http://bbq.tamu.edu/bbq-science/ http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/meat_science.html Chemistry smoke ring: http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/mythbusting_the_smoke_ring.html Thermodynamics of BBQ cooking http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/thermodynamics_of_cooking.html The dreaded "stall": http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/the_stall.html Does BBQ smoke contain carcinogens?: http://chemistry.about.com/b/2013/05/05/barbeque-carcinogens.htm Joe Hanson - Host and writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer Katie Graham - Director of Photography John Knudsen - Gaffer Edited by Arts + Labor: http://arts-and-labor.com/ 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/​

    9 min

  5. 4 HR AGO

    Ask Joe Stuff #4

    You have questions, I have answers! Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate SUBSCRIBE, it's FREE! http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓ More below ↓ In this edition of Ask Joe Stuff, you'll find out what the date really is according to Earth's age, why we get chills up our spine, what my favorite planet is, why hair grows (or doesn't), and why root beer is so foamy. Yummy science! Check out my buddy Veritasium's videos on the wave/particle nature of light: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cztocbHiiqQ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iuv6hY6zsd0 Check out the Ask Joe Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsmqeqKj7M-r5ktD9-RAaUYWxWFjPV1w- Joe Hanson - Host and writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer Katie Graham - Director of Photography Stephanie Noone - Editor John Knudsen - Gaffer 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/​

    9 min

  6. 5 HR AGO

    Inside the Lab That Keeps Your Car From Killing You

    Crashing a car is usually not a good idea. But sometimes, it can save lives. ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ No one ever wants to get in a car crash. But if you ever do, be very thankful for the engineers who crash test cars. You may have seen crash test simulations on TikTok using physics engines like BeamNG but I promise you they are nothing compared to the real thing! Join us for this DEEP dive into the physics of car crashes and the ways that engineers hack Newton's laws to keep you safe. Filmed on location at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety https://www.iihs.org/ IIHS on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iihs-hldi IIHS resources for teachers: https://classroom.iihs.org/ Crash test sensor car by PocketLab: https://www.thepocketlab.com/ References: https://sites.google.com/view/be-smart-crash-test-physics/home Join our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub 0:00 Intro - Deep dive into crash testing 1:37 Welcome to crash test HQ 2:25 She crashes cars for a living 3:42 A visit with Isaac Newton 5:41 Why Newton's 2nd law rules all 11:21 New problems, new crash tests 14:37 Very finely-tuned violence 17:58 How engineers prepare a crash test (lots of duct tape) 20:42 Who you callin' dummy, dummy? 25:02 Car go BOOM (and the aftermath) 31:00 In the future, will cars be smart enough not to crash? 36:24 Conclusion and extras ----------- High fives to all our Brain Trust Patrons: Charles Horton, Jr Holly, Brett, and Ashe Bullion Jaap Westera Millennial Glacier Mehdi Damou Barbora Bei Burt Humburg dani bowman David Johnston Baerbel Winkler Robert Young Eric Meer Karen Haskell 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/

    48 min

  7. 6 HR AGO

    Why Sports Fans' Brains are Built Different (with @smartereveryday)

    Take the PBS Digital Studios Audience Survey: https://to.pbs.org/pbssurvey2023a ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Humans can develop intense relationships, even obsessions, with the things we’re fans of. A huge part of our identities, our emotions, and our lives get tied up in these things. Why are we like this? Join our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ----------- High fives to all our Brain Trust Patrons: Charles Horton, Jr Holly, Brett, and Ashe Bullion Jaap Westera Millennial Glacier Mehdi Damou Barbora Bei Burt Humburg dani bowman David Johnston Baerbel Winkler Robert Young Eric Meer Karen Haskell 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/

    24 min

  8. 7 HR AGO

    How did X come to mean "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/home SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ----------- High fives to all our Brain Trust Patrons: Charles Horton, Jr Holly, Brett, and Ashe Bullion Jaap Westera Millennial Glacier Mehdi Damou Barbora Bei Burt Humburg dani bowman David Johnston Baerbel Winkler Robert Young Eric Meer Karen Haskell 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/​

    14 min
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About

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

Information

  • Creator
    Joe Hanson
  • Years Active
    2k
  • Episodes
    157
  • Provider