There are hundreds of billions of planets in our galaxy. Scientists now think hundreds of millions of them have conditions where life could arise. What do scientists think are the best ways of reaching out to them? And why do some scientists think that we shouldn't?

Where did life come from? It’s one of the biggest questions humans have ever asked — and the answer might be locked in ancient space rocks that were around before life began. To find out, NASA pulled off one of its most ambitious missions ever, landing on an asteroid and sending a rock sample back to Earth. Today, we’re going to take a look at what it brought back.

We know pollution is a problem on earth, but we’re filling space with our junk too. And if we don’t figure out a way to clean up space junk, we could end our interstellar dreams before they even get started. Today, we’re visiting some cool engineers in Switzerland to learn about the space junk problem and the giant space claw that might be the perfect solution.

On April 8, 2024, the Moon’s shadow will fall on Earth, creating a total solar eclipse across North America. If you have the chance to see it, you don’t want to miss it. It’s an amazing coincidence that total eclipses happen at all — and that we’re alive at a time when we can see and predict them. We made this video so you can learn how to watch an eclipse safely, what to look for during an eclipse, why eclipses happen, and how eclipses have helped advance scientific research.

Since the time of the ancient Greeks, scientists have been constructing a cosmic measuring tape to measure the universe from our own backyard all the way to its ever-expanding edge: the cosmic distance ladder. In this video, we climb that ladder and explore how each rung has revealed something new and previously unthinkable about the universe we live in.

New technology is revolutionizing how we study and protect nature. In this video, we’ll learn how artificial intelligence is being used to decode the sonic landscapes of the ocean - specifically, whale song. That’s right, there may come a day soon where AI allows us to understand and talk to whales. But some scientists are saying: the question may not be CAN we talk to whales, but SHOULD we talk to whales?

Predictive analytics uses math and historical data to make predictions about the future. It’s used in commerce, sports, politics, social media and tons of other places. And as it turns out, people have been using math to predict people’s death for centuries. Can it predict mine?

We all know Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, right? Natural selection? But what about his lesser-know theory of evolution: sexual selection. Let’s talk about how animals like peacocks, whose eye-catching physical traits make them evolutionarily stronger even though their flashy looks make them more vulnerable to predators. Hint: it’s all about the chemistry.

Would it surprise you to learn that fish and birds count in pretty much the same way that we do? And that infants can do math? Our animal brains deal with quantities in very specific ways, from quick counts of a few dots to how we perceive larger numbers. This "number sense" impacts our psychology, history, and behavior in the most fascinating ways.

Why do the same, self-repeating patterns appear in trees, rivers, lightning, and even inside our own bodies? Is there some secret, hidden rule of nature or mathematics that makes these intricate designs appear all over the place? Let’s talk about fractals.

Have you ever looked at the front of a car and seen a face? Or an electrical outlet and seen a face? You definitely have. We all see faces everywhere we look thanks to a fun quirk of the human brain called facial pareidolia. Here's the neuroscience and psychology of how this weird brain phenomenon works!

Despite what you may have heard or learned in school, the sun is NOT in fact the center of the solar system. And it won’t be until 2027… But this being a science channel, you might be thinking “What the heck is this guy talking about? Of course the sun is the center of the solar system. We’ve known that for more than 600 years.” Like most things in science, it’s not quite that simple.

Ever wonder why certain sounds make us cringe or even feel sick? Join me as I react to some of the most universally hated sounds, from nails on a chalkboard to the infamous word "moist," and we explore the science of why these sounds are so unbearable to so many and how they can impact our lives.

In this episode we're joined by a leading political scientist to help us figure out the complex psychological and social factors that motivate us to vote… or not to. We discuss how and why our decision whether or not to vote might not be a rational one. And why it is important to understand that. And why it’s important to vote!

Nature has had to come up with some crazy ways to survive harsh winters. But none are weirder than hibernation. Turns out there is more than one kind of hibernation, and studying all these ways that life slows down in the cold might help humans one day become an interplanetary species.

Camouflage is nature’s ultimate game of hide-and-seek, and the secret to winning this game is all in the brain. By studying the masters of disguise, we can see how they trick the brain to make themselves invisible — and what this can teach us about how other animals see and perceive the world.

For centuries, diamonds were one of the most mysterious materials on Earth. They were beautiful, indestructible, and completely unexplained. Today, we’re exploring how scientists unlocked their secrets, and how one lab recreates the extreme conditions in Earth's mantle to make diamonds… out of dead people.

Our lizard friend the Gila monster probably has no idea that a chemical in its spit inspired one of the most important medical advancements of the 21st century. But this story is really about something bigger. Something deeper, beneath the surface. About why we do science in the first place. And about what kind of questions are the best ones for scientists to ask.

Did you know some people 'see' letters in color or 'taste' music? In this video, we’ll talk about synesthesia, how it works in the brain, and why some people experience these fascinating sensory connections while most of us don’t.