Carbon capture: the magical chemistry trick that’s been around for nearly 300 years but still hasn’t saved us from climate change. But could a new breakthrough finally be the game-changer we need? PBS Reactions dives into the science with Erlenmeyer flasks, limestone, and… a straw. This new electrochemical method uses way less energy than current […]
Can you “see” images in your mind? Some people can’t. TED-Ed explores aphantasia, a condition where the mind’s eye remains blank. While most people can picture the Queen’s croquet game in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, those with aphantasia see nothing at all. Scientists have linked this to differences in brain activity and even pupil responses. […]
Helicobacter pylori. Peddalanka Ramesh Babu/Shutterstock María Rosa Pino Otín, Universidad San Jorge We often forget how wonderful it is that life exists, and what a special and unique phenomenon it is. As far as we know, ours is the only planet capable of supporting life, and it seems to have arisen in the form of […]
Masoud Kianpour, Toronto Metropolitan University I teach a course on the relationship between social media and society at Durham College. As part of their assessments, I ask my students to reflect on their social media use. A recurring theme is that they cannot be separated from their smartphones. Many admit to spending significant time daily […]
Pharmacology can be a mystery, but clinical pharmacist Dr. Christina Madison is here to clear things up! In this WIRED video, she tackles the internet’s biggest questions—like why grapefruit messes with meds, how extended-release pills work, and why we still don’t have a cure for the common cold. Plus, she busts myths about expired meds, […]
Ever seen a magnet levitate above bismuth? It shouldn’t happen—but it does, thanks to a mind-bending mix of quantum mechanics and relativity. In this video from The Action Lab, host James Orgill dive into the world of diamagnetism—the surprising force that makes everyday materials, including water, weakly repel magnets. Bismuth, despite having unpaired electrons that […]
Ah, blue raspberry—because apparently, regular raspberries just weren’t cool enough. This flavor, with its electric hue and sugar overload, has a backstory that’s way more complicated than you’d expect. It started in the ’50s when a snow cone company decided to invent a “blue raspberry” to avoid getting sued for using a questionable red dye. […]
Fluoride: the ingredient that’s either saving your teeth or a hidden neurotoxin? Reactions and Dr. Alex Dainis, PhD, tackle seven big questions about fluoride’s benefits, risks, and that whole “lower IQ” debate. Does science back the hype or bust the myth? Should fluoride stay or go? Watch the video to find out what the research […]
Okay, so you’ve heard about the greenhouse effect a billion times by now, right? We all know that the Earth is heating up and some molecules are “trapping” heat like they’re the annoying party guests who refuse to leave. But here’s the real question: Why is carbon dioxide, which makes up about 0.04% of our […]
Would you sell a kidney for $100,000? In Ada, a thought-provoking series from Ted Ed, a young library assistant named Ada navigates both her everyday life and the futuristic possibilities she envisions for humanity. In this episode, she explores the ethics of paid organ donation. With kidney shortages leading to long transplant waitlists, Ada imagines […]