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. 40m ago

    Should You Feel Guilty About Climate Change? - featuring Al Gore

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate “An Inconvenient Sequel” is former Vice President Al Gore’s newest film 🌎🎥 Learn more: http://InconvenientSequel.com #BeInconvenient ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ News about climate change is often full of doom, guilt, and anxiety. This can make many people reluctant to pay attention to or discuss it. We asked former Vice President Al Gore to help us find a different way to talk about climate change. Special thanks to former Vice President Al Gore (@AlGore) http://InconvenientSequel.com Facebook: @AnInconvenientTruth Twitter: @AITruthFilm Instagram: @AnInconvenientTruth The book: http://amzn.to/2vdTYCD Unless otherwise noted, data used in this video comes from: NASA, NOAA, The Global Carbon Project, U.S. Energy Information Administration, and Scripps Institute of Oceanography ----------- WATCH MORE: All of our climate science videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsmqeqKj7M-p_cC_I81favAvBu4U8-5-2 ----------- 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/Editor: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Joe Hanson 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

  2. 1h ago

    Why Don't Woodpeckers Develop Concussions?

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Don’t be hard-headed. You should SUBSCRIBE! http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Tweet this video ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSbang Share on FB ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSbangFB ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Translate this video: LINK TKTK Want to wear your love for science? We’ve got merch: http://dftba.com/besmart -We’d like to thank these folks- Special thanks to Dr. Lorna Gibson of MIT for her woodpecker biomechanics expertise Three-dimensional reconstructions based on CT data courtesy of DigiMorph.org Pileated woodpecker slo-mo footage courtesy of Dr. Robert Shadwick/University of British Columbia -References/Learn More- Daneshvar, Daniel H., et al. "The epidemiology of sport-related concussion." Clinics in sports medicine 30.1 (2011): 1-17. Gibson, L. J. "Woodpecker pecking: how woodpeckers avoid brain injury." Journal of Zoology 270.3 (2006): 462-465. Haldane, John BS. "On being the right size." Harper’s Magazine 152 (1926): 424-427. Maroon, Joseph C., et al. "Chronic traumatic encephalopathy in contact sports: a systematic review of all reported pathological cases." PloS one 10.2 (2015): e0117338. May, Philip RA, et al. "Woodpecker drilling behavior: an endorsement of the rotational theory of impact brain injury." Archives of Neurology 36.6 (1979): 370-373. Schwab, Ivan R. "Cure for a headache." British Journal of Ophthalmology86.8 (2002): 843-843. Wang, Lizhen, et al. "Why do woodpeckers resist head impact injury: a biomechanical investigation." PloS one 6.10 (2011): e26490. ---------------- 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: @okaytobesmart @DrJoeHanson Instagram: @okaytobesmart @DrJoeHanson 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

    Why Don't Woodpeckers Develop Concussions?

  3. 2h ago

    Inside the Lab That Protects You From Your Car

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

    Inside the Lab That Protects You From Your Car

  4. 3h ago

    7 Scientific Urban Legends Debunked!

    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 ↓ I HAVE A PATREON NOW!! Join the community ►► https://www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub It sounds like such an incredible fact. “Our own cells are outnumbered by our microbes 10 to 1!” I don’t remember where I first heard it. But I read it in science papers and articles by journalists, so I believed it without question. I even made one of my first videos based on this fact. Problem is, this fact is not true. So how did it remain firmly planted in our common knowledge for almost four decades without any scientific scrutiny? And how can you prepare yourself to not be fooled by other scientific urban legends? I look at a few of the most famous incorrect factoids in science, and give a few suggestions for how to make our common knowledge more correct. References: https://sites.google.com/view/7-scientific-urban-legends/home Please do not watch this old video, it is wrong and my hair is awful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BZME8H7-KU ----------- Join us on Patreon! URL 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/itsokaytobesmart Books from our episodes: http://smart-books.tumblr.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  5. 3h ago

    Why Sports Fans' Brains are Formed 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/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

  6. 4h ago

    Ask Joe Stuff - 2 Million Subscribers Edition!

    Thanks for your support! Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ We’re celebrating our 2 millionth subscriber with a special Q&A episode! 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/ ----------- 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: Joe Hanson, Ph.D. 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

  7. 4h ago

    What Are The Most Influential Science Images Ever?

    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 ↓ One picture can change the world! Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Science isn't always a visual medium, but I think it's most important moments have often been captured in photos and illustrations. I picked out some of my favorite science images from history. John Barrow's book "Cosmic Imagery" http://amzn.to/1hP80PY Nicolaus Copernicus' "De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium" http://bit.ly/1o3uESj Robert Hooke's "Micrographia" http://bit.ly/1ppce1V 1919 Eclipse http://bit.ly/1ljaoiq Watson & Crick's "A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid" http://bit.ly/1fp2r92 Hubble eXtreme Deep Field http://1.usa.gov/1hukqIz Apollo 8 "Earthrise" http://bit.ly/1mwaIss Music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod "Kitten" by Podington Bear "Wonder" by Podington Bear Created by Joe Hanson 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

    What Are The Most Influential Science Images Ever?

  8. 5h ago

    Infinity isn’t a number. It's something much weirder.

    Learn more about AnyDesk here: https://anydesk.com/besmart Support us on Patreon / itsokaytobesmart ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓Infinity sounds simple. It just means really, really big, right? But something weird happens when you try to do infinite things in a finite amount of time. Let's explore paradoxes, supertasks, and the bizarre mathematics that show how infinity is something far stranger than just a number.Be Smart explores science questions you didn’t even know you wondered about. It is hosted and produced by Joe Hanson, PhD. We post new videos all the time, so please subscribe! If you enjoyed this video, hit the ‘like’ button, leave a comment, or watch another of our videos!CONNECT WITH ME____________________________________Website: https://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart/ https://www.instagram.com/drjoehanson/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/itsokaytobesmart A big thanks to our Brain Trust patrons: Baerbel Winkler, Bernadette Etienne, Brent Lopez, dani bowman, David Johnston, Ed Eyden, Eric Meer, Greg Olson, Holly, Brett, and Ashe Bullion, Jaap Westera, Karen Haskell, Marcus Pingel, MdK, Mike and Patty Loftis, Paul Weir, Reuben BrewerSPONSORSHIP INQUIRIES____________________________________Please email biz@itsokaytobesmart.comStock video and images provided by Shutterstock, Artlist, and MotionArrayMusic provided by APMWritten Joe HansonEdited by Steven SimoneProduced by Least Square Media and Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Infinity isn’t a number. It's something much weirder.
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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
    2026
  • Episodes
    288