Bitten by a venomous snake? There’s hope! French scientist Albert Calmette developed the first snake antivenom in the late 1890s, and did such a good job that we use his technique to this day. Antivenom works by stimulating the production of antibodies which can smother venom’s toxic effects, preventing spread and rendering them harmless. But how do you make it? Well, stay tuned to this episode of SciShow to find out.
Like SciShow? Want to help support us, and also get things to put on your walls, cover your torso and hold your liquids? Check out our awesome products over at DFTBA Records: http://dftba.com/artist/52/SciShow —- References for this episode can be found in the Google document here: http://dft.ba/-5FF8
Coriolis Effect: IDTIMWYTIM
Does your toilet water drain differently than in the other hemisphere? Is it because of the Coriolis effect? Hank has some things to clarify about these questions, and more in this edition of I Don’t Think It Means What You Think It Means.
The Most Venomous Animals in the World
There are a lot of ways to kill and be killed in the animal kingdom, but only a lucky few use the powers of venom. Not all are closely related, so how did they acquire the same defenses, where did venom come from, and how does it work? And what animals can kill you the most quickly? Find the answers to these questions, and more, in today’s episode of SciShow.
Like SciShow? Want to help support us, and also get things to put on your walls, cover your torso and hold your liquids? Check out our awesome products over at DFTBA Records: http://dftba.com/artist/52/SciShow —
References for this episode can be found in the Google document here: http://dft.ba/-5GmD
Thanks again to Dr. Bryan Fry at the University of Queensland.
Magical Medicinal Maggots
Although it may sound crazy, many doctors use maggots today to clean wounds of dead and infected tissue. This process, called debridement, is important for preventing the spread of infection in a world of increasing antibiotic resistance. Hank has more details on the marvelous maggot in today’s episode of SciShow.
CICADAS ARE COMING!
Cicadas have developed an amazing strategy for growth, survival, reproduction, and overcoming predation by…doing nothing. They do nothing for years (except sip at the juice excreted from root structures) before emerging in huge, simultaneous swarms.
The swarm is so huge that predators can’t consume even a fraction of it, but so rare that predator populations can’t sustain themselves between emergence events. Clever little things!
6 Surprising Blood-Drinking Animals
Hank introduces us to 6 blood-drinking (or otherwise consuming) animals that you may not be aware of. Don’t freak out…
Like SciShow? Want to help support us, and also get things to put on your walls, cover your torso and hold your liquids? Check out our awesome products over at DFTBA Records: http://dftba.com/artist/52/SciShow
Stem Cells
Hank gives you the facts on stem cells - what they are, what they’re good for, where they come from, and how they’re used in medicine.
The Times and Troubles of the Scientific Method
** UPDATE: We got a couple of things wrong when it comes to gravity (particularly that it has nothing to do with photons). Check out this video from TheGentlemanPhysicis (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y-dFLZHb1c) in which our confusion is explained. We also did a whole video about gravitation in our series on the four fundamental forces of physics, which you can watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhG_ArxmwRM **
Science is working tirelessly night and day to disprove its own theories about how the universe works (or at least, that’s what science thinks it’s doing). Hank tells us a quick history of how we came to create and adopt the scientific method and then gives us a vision of the future of science (hint: it involves a lot more computers and a lot less pipetting).
The Science of Terrorism
Science can help create understanding where there is none, but is it possible to study and understand terrorists if we’re too busy doing everything we can to stop it? Terrorism is notoriously difficult to study because governments constantly subpoena scientists lists of contacts, making source anonymity impossible.
And an outbreak of TB in North Korea is terrible and unnecessary, but it is providing an opportunity for North Korea to, potentially, join the global scientific community.
Why No Giant Mammals?
Hank gives a quick run-down of the reasons scientists think the land mammals of today are nowhere near the size of the largest sauropods. Some of them might surprise you!
