Water cooler: YouTube channels treasure trove for the curious science fans

Sally Ride, astronaut, physicist and the first American woman in space, once said, “Science is fun. Science is curiosity. We all have natural curiosity. Science is a process of investigating. It’s posing questions and coming up with a method. It’s delving in.”

Now is a great time to indulge that natural human curiosity, not only because of quarantine but because of the tremendous amounts of easily accessible information online just waiting for you to find it. YouTube is a fantastic resource for bite-sized science, so go forth and explore from your very own home. Here are a few channels to get you started.

Vsauce: With more than 15 million subscribers, Vsauce is a popular choice for the random assortment of life’s questions. Some of his most popular videos explore what would happen if everyone on Earth jumped at the same time, why certain things are creepy, what you could do without a brain, why people get bored, why we dream, what is consciousness, and even why humans have two nostrils.

The videos are endless and always entertaining, so this is a great place to start to get those mental gears cranking.

AsapSCIENCE: This channel is great for taking common and pragmatic questions and making sense of the science behind their answers.

They have several videos on COVID-19, but some of their most popular videos tackle what would happen if you stopped sleeping, comparing smoking and vaping, what would happen if you stopped going outside, the science of laziness, if video games can make you smarter, and many more topics about the science of our everyday lives.

This channel will make you realize just how much science we take for granted on a daily basis.

Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell: In case you’re curious – which being human means you most likely are – kurzgesagt is German for in a nutshell.

This Munich-based channel creates beautifully animated videos to explain things, as their description puts it, with an optimistic nihilism. If you’re not entirely sure what that is supposed to mean, don’t worry they have a whole video just to explain that part.

Their videos explore everything from existentialism to futurism, from medical science to astronomy and nearly everything in between.

Periodic Videos: This is a gold mine for the chemistry nerds out there, but since everyone loves exploding chemicals and scientists with crazy hair, really anyone can enjoy this channel.

Their videos show experiments in action, archival footage of how people used to handle chemicals and explanations from the quintessential science professor you always wanted.

If you ever wondered what a McDonald’s cheeseburger as you digest it, you’re in luck because their most popular video is a cheeseburger taking a dip in some hydrochloric acid… yum.

If that’s not enough to satisfy your curiosity, check out these other great channels: MinutePhysics, The Brain Scoop, CrashCourse, Because Science, Naked Science and Science Magazine.

Social circle

Brain train

Test your knowledge with today’s trivia question

What is the most-watched video in the history of YouTube?

• “Baby Shark Dance”
• “Uptown Funk”
• “Despacito”
• “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Tuesday’s answer: 1602

Mindfulness moment

Mindfulness is a word that gets thrown around a lot, but that doesn’t mean it’s just a fad. Used in clinical psychology since the 1970s to ease depression, stress and anxiety, mindfulness is a great tool.

It is a tool for your brain to help calm the sympathetic nervous system, which controls the physiological reactions of our natural fight-or-flight response. In other words, a calm mind generally makes for a calmer body.

All it takes to use that tool is practice. Luckily, there are endless exercises using guided imagery, breathing and your senses to practice bringing your mind to the present moment and allowing your nervous system to calm down. Here are a few to get started.

Body scan: This can be done sitting, standing or lying down. Let your arms hang or lie by your sides, with your palms facing up. Beginning from the top of your head, analyze each part of the body, slowly working your way down to your feet. Make note of any emotions, sensations or thoughts experienced as you go.

Five senses: This is a quick exercise that’s great in a pinch. Follow this order of practicing with your senses. Notice five things you can see. Aim for small things you might not normally see. Bring awareness to four things you can feel, such as the texture of your clothes or the temperature of the air. Pick out three sounds and listen to each one for a moment. Observe two smells. Find one thing to taste, or notice the current taste of your mouth.

Happy place: This can be practiced anytime and anywhere, eyes closed or open, lying down or during chores. The fewer distractions the better, but use the space or time you are able. Imagine the place you are happiest and remember it as a place you can always visit in times of stress. It can be a real place or imaginary setting. Anyone you want can be there. You can fill it with all the smells, tastes, sights, sounds and sensations you’d like.

Worth a listen

Five philosophy podcasts that will teach you about some of the oldest ones.

Philosophy Bites: 15-20 minute interviews of contemporary philosophers. https://philosophybites.com/

The Partially Examined Life: Two hours of roundtable discussion with a short reading to introduce a philosophical question, idea or concern. https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/

The Philosophy Guy: Short and long form episodes discussing philosophical ideas in pop culture. https://thephilosophyguy.fireside.fm/episodes

New Books in Philosophy: Medium to long form discussion about various philosophy books. https://newbooksnetwork.com/category/philosophy/

The Panpsycast: Informal discussions with students, teachers and academics of philosophy. https://thepanpsycast.com/