Be Smart.

Joe Hanson
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Education
  • Updated Daily

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. 31m ago

    Why Do Fireflies Have Blinky Bottoms?

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Try CuriosityStream: http://curiositystream.com/smart Want even more illuminating ideas? SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓↓↓More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Nearly all life on Earth is ultimately powered by light. But many creatures have learned how to make their own. This week we investigate the beautiful phenomenon of bioluminescence. From blinking fireflies on summer nights to glowing deep sea monsters, prepare to learn about the chemistry of living light. REFERENCES: Eisner, Thomas, et al. "Firefly “femmes fatales” acquire defensive steroids (lucibufagins) from their firefly prey." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 94.18 (1997): 9723-9728. Martini, Séverine, and Steven HD Haddock. "Quantification of bioluminescence from the surface to the deep sea demonstrates its predominance as an ecological trait." Scientific Reports 7 (2017). ----------- 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 @okaytobesmart ----------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Director: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Joe Hanson Producer/editor/animator: Andrew Matthews Producer: Stephanie Noone and Amanda Fox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    7 min

  2. 1h ago

    How Your Memory Works

    To learn more about Brilliant, go to https://brilliant.org/BeSmart/ and sign up for free. First 200 people will get 20% off the annual Premium subscription. ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ How does memory work? And how does… un-memory work? Our brain does a lot of remembering and forgetting every day, so you should probably make room for som info on how it works. You’ll also get to meet some people who can’t make memories, and also never forget anything. References: http://bit.ly/2rdFW0O ----------- FOLLOW US: Twitter:@DrJoeHanson @okaytobesmart Instagram: @DrJoeHanson Merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart 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/ ----------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Director: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Maria Ter-Mikaelian Creative Director: David Schulte Editor/animator: Karl Boettcher and Derek Borsheim Producers: 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

    13 min
  3. Why Y Is a Vowel Through Physics (and so is W)

    1h ago

    Why Y Is a Vowel Through Physics (and so is W)

    We’re on PATREON! ►► Join the community https://www.patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ Human language is an incredible thing: a combination of mouth sounds that we combine into words, sentences, poems, and constitutions. They carry meaning, emotion, and power. But underneath it all, language is really just physics. In this episode, we explore how physics is at the core of every syllable, starting with the first word most of us ever speak. Try the Pink Trombone vocal simulator! - https://experiments.withgoogle.com/pink-trombone References: https://sites.google.com/view/vowel-sounds-physics/home SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss a video! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub 0:00 Your voice is just physics 1:16 Some basics of linguistics 2:27 There are more than 5 vowels? 4:49 The physics of the vocal tract 7:04 Resonance and sound filters 8:47 How vowels are an acoustic illusion 11:25 Finding vowels in surprising places 13:09 A touching moment 13:45 The extra bits ----------- High fives to all our Brain Trust Patrons: Jaap Westera Millennial Glacier Mark Littlehale Mehdi Damou Barbora Bei Burt Humburg dani bowman David Johnston Salih Arslan Baerbel Winkler Robert Young Eric Meer Dustin 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

    20 min
  4. Clarifying Lunar Eclipses and the SUPER BLOOD MOON!

    2h ago

    Clarifying Lunar Eclipses and the SUPER BLOOD MOON!

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate This episode is brought to you by Dropbox https://www.dropbox.com/ Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓ More info and sources below ↓ We’ve got t-shirts! Get yours here: http://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Special thanks to: Rob Pettengill, Ph.D. http://www.robpettengill.org and the Austin Astronomical Society http://www.austinastro.org/ for helping me photograph the lunar eclipse timelapse 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 Follow on Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Follow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoe Email me: itsokaytobesmart AT gmail DOT com Facebook: http://www.facebook.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 Inc. Kate Eads - Producer Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics/Animation Katie Graham - Camera John Knudsen - Gaffer Theme music: “Ouroboros” by Kevin MacLeod Other music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted)​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    7 min
  5. Spit: Everything You Never Sought To Know

    2h ago

    Spit: Everything You Never Sought To Know

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Warning: May contain the “m-word”… Tweet this video ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSspit Share on FB ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSspitFB ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Get yourself an awesome IOTBS shirt! http://dftba.com/besmart References/further reading: “Gulp” by Mary Roach: A great read about the odd science of the digestive system http://amzn.to/1U4i2N7 (Public library: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/811599508) Carpenter, Guy H. "The secretion, components, and properties of saliva."Annual review of food science and technology 4 (2013): 267-276. Perry, George H., et al. "Diet and the evolution of human amylase gene copy number variation." Nature genetics 39.10 (2007): 1256-1260. ---- 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! Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart 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 Follow on Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Follow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoe Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios 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

    7 min
  6. Does The Moon Really Orbit The Earth?

    3h ago

    Does The Moon Really Orbit The Earth?

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonateWhat holds the moon up? Moonbeams!Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub↓ More info and sources below ↓According to Newton's law of gravitation, the sun should "pull" way harder on the moon than the Earth does. So does the moon actually orbit the Earth? Why?Special thanks to Ariel for submitting this awesome question to our Facebook page!Hill Spheres and lunar orbit: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/09/29/the-moon-that-went-up-a-hill-but-came-down-a-planet/#.VULLHq1Viko True shape of moon's orbit: http://www.math.nus.edu.sg/aslaksen/teaching/convex.html Newton's law of gravitation vs. Hill Sphere: https://van.physics.illinois.edu/qa/listing.php?id=18501 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_sphere 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/jtotheizzoeFollow 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: @jtotheizzoeEmail me: itsokaytobesmart AT gmail DOT comFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartGoogle+ https://plus.google.com/+itsokaytobesmart For more awesome science, check out: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.comProduced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios Joe Hanson - Creator/Host/WriterJoe Nicolosi - DirectorAmanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate ProducerStephen Bohls - Editing/Motion Graphics/AnimationKatie Graham - Director of PhotographyJohn Knudsen - GafferTheme music:"Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeodOther music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from VideoblocksFrench subtitles by Alessandro Dal Cero-----------------Last week's video: What's The Loudest Possible Sound? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi_aawsChqA More videos:Why Does February Have 28 Days? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgKaHTh-_GsWhy 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

    3 min
  7. Why Seasons Lack Sense

    3h ago

    Why Seasons Lack Sense

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Your winter isn't everyone's winter Don’t miss our next video! SUBSCRIBE! ►► http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Sources: Trenberth, Kevin E. "What are the seasons?." Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 64.11 (1983): 1276-1282. http://climate.envsci.rutgers.edu/climdyn2014/TrenberthSeasons.pdf http://nautil.us/blog/dont-believe-the-hype-winter-does-not-begin-tonight 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 Follow on Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Follow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoe Email me: itsokaytobesmart AT gmail DOT com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart For more awesome science, check out: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios Music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    4 min
  8. How Many Trees Are Growing?

    4h ago

    How Many Trees Are Growing?

    Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Tweet this ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBStree Share on FB ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBStreeFB Try Squarespace: http://squarespace.com/itsokaytobesmart ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Crowther, T. W., et al. "Mapping tree density at a global scale." Nature 525.7568 (2015): 201-205. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/... Learn more about forest habitats: http://www.worldwildlife.org/habitats... And let’s hear it for John Denver… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBEkj... 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 Follow on Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Follow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoe Email me: itsokaytobesmart AT gmail DOT com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart For more awesome science, check out: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigita... Music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    8 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

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  • Creator
    Joe Hanson
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    252

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