Be SmartTemporada 2025
Joe Hanson, Ph.D. is a curious group of atoms in a curious universe, and he's here to tell you how it all works.
Where to Watch Be Smart • Temporada 2025
15 Episodes
- The Weird Science That Lets Insects Fly in the Rain
E1The Weird Science That Lets Insects Fly in the RainImagine the scale of raindrops if you were the size of a small bird. Or mosquito. Flying through a drizzle should be deadly! Like flying through falling cars and boulders. And yet it’s not, because nature has given them a superpower—superhydrophobic surfaces that repel water and keep them airborne. How do these microscopic structures work? And how has modern engineering been inspired by them? - Why Your Grandma Is an Evolutionary Mystery
E2Why Your Grandma Is an Evolutionary MysteryThis is one of the weirdest mysteries of human evolution: Why do we have grandmas? From menopause to our slow maturation and super-long lifespans, humans are quite unique in the animal kingdom. Could grandma be an evolutionary secret weapon? Or is she just a surprise side effect of living long lives? - What’s inside the oldest rocks in the world?
E3What’s inside the oldest rocks in the world?The oldest rocks on Earth are more than just ancient—they’re time machines, holding clues to Earth’s missing history and revealing what happened in the unknown times after the Big Bang. We’ll work with our Adam and Joss from Howtown to learn more and visit our friends at The Smithsonian to examine some of these beyond-ancient rocks ourselves. - Photosynthesis Has a Fatal Flaw (and We Can Fix It)
E4Photosynthesis Has a Fatal Flaw (and We Can Fix It)Plants eat sunlight and air to make life. But the key enzyme behind it all, called rubisco, isn’t actually all that great at its job. Let’s talk about how photosynthesis really works, why oxygen isn’t coming from where you think, and whether we can fix the biggest flaw in one of Earth’s most essential processes. - I Talked to the Scientists Who (Maybe) Brought Back the Dire Wolf
E5I Talked to the Scientists Who (Maybe) Brought Back the Dire WolfDire wolves are back—sort of. Colossal Biosciences seems to have resurrected this extinct predator, but it's not quite as simple as that. Joe talks with their scientists to explore the truth, tech, and ethics of “de-extinction.” - What could we see with a planet-sized telescope?
E6What could we see with a planet-sized telescope?The James Webb Telescope just took a photo of a newly discovered exoplanet. Exciting stuff but the raw image just looks like a small, faint dot—not a fully detailed world. The question is, just how big would a telescope need to be to actually see an alien world in detail? Let’s explore diffraction, resolution, wild telescope tech, and one mind-blowing idea that could change everything. - The Dinosaur Dilemma That Darwin Couldn’t Solve
E7The Dinosaur Dilemma That Darwin Couldn’t SolveHow did dinosaurs become birds—and what good is half a wing? Join Joe and a few brave chickens as they recreate a brilliant experiment that helps solve one of evolution’s greatest mysteries: the origin of feathered flight. - Why Are Blood Types a Thing?E8
Why Are Blood Types a Thing?Across life on Earth, blood comes in red, blue, green, purple, even clear. But why? And what makes your blood different from mine? This video will teach you everything you need to know about the strange world of blood—what it does, why it varies, and why we can’t live without it. - The Randomness Crisis Threatening the Internet
E9The Randomness Crisis Threatening the InternetCoin tosses aren't truly random. Lava lamps help secure the internet. And quantum physics might break encryption—or save it. This video is what randomness really means, and why your digital life depends on it! - Why Seedless Fruit Is a Disaster Waiting To Happen
E10Why Seedless Fruit Is a Disaster Waiting To HappenSeedless fruits are delicious, convenient… and completely unnatural. In this video, we explore the science, history, and hidden risks behind seedless bananas, watermelons, and grapes — and why they literally can’t survive without us. - Why Everyone Suddenly Has Autism (It’s Not What You Think)E11
Why Everyone Suddenly Has Autism (It’s Not What You Think)Is autism really on the rise—or are we just recognizing it more? This video breaks down what ASD is, explores real vs rumored causes, and examines how science separates fact from fiction. A clear, evidence-based look at autism amidst the noise from media, government officials, and online speculation. - Something Weird Is Going On With Mars’ Sunsets
E12Something Weird Is Going On With Mars’ SunsetsWhy is the Martian sky red by day… but blue at sunset? And how did it used to look more like Earth? The strange story of Mars’ skies can reveal a lot about the Red Planet's past, and the surprising ways it is more like Earth than you may know. - Did I Make This Video to Debunk Your Biology Class?
E13Did I Make This Video to Debunk Your Biology Class?Think traits like eye color or tongue-rolling are simple genetics? Think again. From Mendel’s peas to modern DNA science, let’s talk about why most human traits aren’t just “dominant” or “recessive.” Eye color, red hair, earlobes, even cilantro—genetics is way messier (and cooler) than you learned in school. - The Day That Ended the Dinosaurs (Moment by Moment)
E14The Day That Ended the Dinosaurs (Moment by Moment)A giant asteroid impact ended the age of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. How did this mass extinction play out, moment by moment? In this video we meet a geologist who has explored the asteroid crater and learn what the rocks tell us about the last days of the dinosaurs. It was pretty bad! - What Everyone Gets Wrong About Alpha Males
E15What Everyone Gets Wrong About Alpha MalesThis idea of “alpha males” has dominated pop culture for a while now. But here’s the thing–it’s built on bad science. What the real science shows is that, from wolves to chimpanzees to humans, power and success isn’t about aggression or dominance. It’s about relationships, cooperation, empathy, and prestige.