

SciShow Tangents
Complexly
SciShow Tangents is the lightly competitive knowledge showcase from the geniuses behind the YouTube series SciShow. Every other Tuesday, join Hank Green, Ceri Riley, and Sam Schultz as they try to one-up and amaze each other with weird and funny scientific research... while not getting distracted. There will be tangents about video games, music, weird smells, surprisingly deep insights about life, and of course, poop, but it always comes back to the science.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 12, 2021 • 35min
Cats with Deboki Chakravarti - It Was a Dark & Stormy Month
Thanks to Basepaws for sponsoring this episode. Check out Basepaws here: https://basepaws.com/?rfsn=6159575.bff641“It Was A Dark & Stormy Month" lumbers along with more frightful topics and frightfully bad poetry!This week, an oft-requested and much anticipated topic: cats! These weird little goblins can steal our hearts even while infesting us with behavior-altering, poop-dwelling parasites! We must really love 'em! Need more Deboki in your life? Follow her on Twitter: @okidoki_boki! There you can find links to the myriad of projects she's involved in!Head to https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangents to find out how you can help support SciShow Tangents, and see all the cool perks you’ll get in return, like bonus episodes and a monthly newsletter!A big thank you to Patreon subscribers Eclectic Bunny and Garth Riley for helping to make the show possible!Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! While you're at it, check out the Tangents crew on Twitter: Ceri: @ceriley Sam: @im_sam_schultz Hank: @hankgreen[Truth or Fail]Fact 1:https://phys.org/news/2021-07-dogs-people-lying.htmlFact 2:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003347296903206https://theaggie.org/2021/09/14/study-finds-domestic-cats-prefer-freeloading-to-working-for-food/Fact 3:https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/923830https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/07/cat-genomes/619587/[Fact Off]Cats in development of cochlear implantshttps://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/fullarticle/1688121https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1931-04076-001https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/000348947208100514?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmedhttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/000348947308200407https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4921065/https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/3220685.pdfhttps://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cochlear-implants/about/pac-20385021[Ask the Science Couch]Cat tail movementshttps://www.nationalgeographic.com/pages/article/animals-behavior-cats-tail-body-languagehttps://brill.com/view/journals/beh/56/1-2/article-p69_3.xml https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7696400/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2074215/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0166432897001010http://www.architalbiol.org/index.php/aib/article/view/138271/[Butt One More Thing]Cats sitting and not flipping over litter boxeshttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159114002366?via%3Dihub

Oct 5, 2021 • 34min
Storms - It Was a Dark & Stormy Month
It’s October, so you know what that means: SciShow Tangents is about to get a little spooky! This year, we’re celebrating the Halloween season by talking about traditionally eerie subjects and writing bad collaborative poems! Welcome to “It Was A Dark & Stormy Tangents” month!And to kick it off, we’re talking about the number one most scary of all types of weather: storms!Head to https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangents to find out how you can help support SciShow Tangents, and see all the cool perks you’ll get in return, like bonus episodes and a monthly newsletter!A big thank you to Patreon subscribers Eclectic Bunny and Garth Riley for helping to make the show possible!Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! While you're at it, check out the Tangents crew on Twitter: Ceri: @ceriley Sam: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreen[Fact Off]Project Ice Storm - possible effects of stress on pregnancyhttps://www.thoughtco.com/canadian-ice-storm-in-1998-508705https://www.mcgill.ca/projetverglas/publicationshttps://www.mcgill.ca/projetverglas/icestormhttps://www.mcgill.ca/projetverglas/files/projetverglas/Laplante2007FunctionalPlay.pdfhttps://www.child-encyclopedia.com/stress-and-pregnancy-prenatal-and-perinatal/according-experts/prenatalperinatal-stress-and-itsBlood/red rain mystery in Spainhttps://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/882233https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20028490https://www.livescience.com/62999-siberian-blood-rain-iron-oxide.html[Ask the Science Couch]Aches before stormshttps://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/internalmedicine/50/18/50_18_1923/_pdfhttps://health.clevelandclinic.org/do-you-get-a-migraine-headache-when-it-rains/https://theconversation.com/can-bad-weather-really-cause-headaches-158258https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00484-014-0859-8https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7659442/[Butt One More Thing]Lightning in plumbinghttps://www.cdc.gov/disasters/lightning/faq.htmlhttp://lightningsafety.com/nlsi_lls/lightning-caused-deaths.pdf (table 3)https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/how-hurricanes-form.html

Sep 28, 2021 • 31min
Mosquitos
Summer's over, which is a bummer, but now's the perfect time to remember that summer isn't all perfect. It brings sunburns, too-hot car seats, and, worst of all, blood-sucking mosquitos! So let's embrace the beginning of fall by talking some smack about those nasty, itchy, little guys!Head to https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangents to find out how you can help support SciShow Tangents, and see all the cool perks you’ll get in return, like bonus episodes and a monthly newsletter!A big thank you to Patreon subscribers Eclectic Bunny and Garth Riley for helping to make the show possible!Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! While you're at it, check out the Tangents crew on Twitter: Ceri: @ceriley Sam: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreen[Fact Off]Millipede toxins as mosquito repellent https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1026489826714https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00114-003-0427-2https://www.springer.com/gp/about-springer/media/research-news/all-english-research-news/madagascar-s-lemurs-use-millipedes-for-their-tummy-troubles/15982512https://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/05/science/for-monkeys-a-millipede-a-day-keeps-mosquitoes-away.htmlhttps://www.mdedge.com/dermatology/article/198138/wounds/whats-eating-you-millipede-burnshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7504811/Vampire jumping spiders eating mosquitoeshttps://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/04/17/601896991/what-you-learn-when-you-put-smelly-socks-in-front-of-mosquitoeshttps://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/aug/05/mosquito-eating-vampire-spider-could-be-recruited-for-war-on-malariahttps://www.mentalfloss.com/article/53382/meet-vampire-spiderhttps://www.livescience.com/5818-spiders-attracted-blood-perfume.htmlhttps://www.livescience.com/1214-killer-spiders-prefer-malaria-mosquitoes.htmlhttps://www.livescience.com/20800-vampire-spiders-blood-meal.html[Ask the Science Couch]Attracting mosquitoeshttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S009286741400155Xhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10886-015-0587-5https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(19)30215-5https://www.niaid.nih.gov/news-events/how-mosquitoes-smell-human-sweathttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/229127147_A_Review_of_Mosquito_Attraction_Studies_Important_Parameters_and_Techniqueshttp://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/journal/paperinfo?journalid=547&doi=10.11648/j.aje.20190302.13https://academic.oup.com/jme/article/41/4/796/885285https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5949359/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982219306943[Butt One More Thing]Mosquito anus blood pre-urinehttps://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/20/science/how-hungry-mosquitoes-cool-themselves.html

Sep 21, 2021 • 38min
Brains
This episode is brought to you by Gates Notes, the blog of Bill Gates. Go to gatesnotes.com to learn about the future of Alzheimer's research.I don’t want to alarm you, but you’ve got a big ol’ glob of pink goop in between your ears right now, and it pretty much controls everything you do. In fact, it might BE you... But try not to think about that too much while you enjoy this episode!Head to https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangents to find out how you can help support SciShow Tangents, and see all the cool perks you’ll get in return, like bonus episodes and a monthly newsletter!A big thank you to Patreon subscribers Eclectic Bunny and Garth Riley for helping to make the show possible!Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! While you're at it, check out the Tangents crew on Twitter: Ceri: @ceriley Sam: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreen[Fact Off]Cetacean brains staying warmhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-84762-0https://phys.org/news/2021-03-whale-dolphin-brains-specialfor-production.htmlhttps://phys.org/news/2021-04-whale-dolphin-brains-lots.htmlBrain blood flow measuring devicehttps://www.npr.org/2014/08/17/340906546/the-machine-that-tried-to-scan-the-brain-in-1882https://academic.oup.com/brain/article/137/2/634/284537?login=truehttps://www.umassmed.edu/strokestop/modules/module-3-the-blood-supply-of-the-brain/brain-circulation/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5536794/https://www.ndcn.ox.ac.uk/divisions/fmrib/what-is-fmri/introduction-to-fmri[Ask the Science Couch]Brain evolutionhttps://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21128311-800-a-brief-history-of-the-brain/https://www.karger.com/Article/Fulltext/320218https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3873165/https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-3-540-29678-2_3154https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2614228/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/worm-discovery-brain-evolution/[Butt One More Thing]Bony-eared assfish smallest vertebrate brainhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/20270929_Acanthonus_armatus_a_Deep-Sea_Teleost_Fish_with_a_Minute_Brain_and_Large_Earshttps://www.fishbase.se/summary/Acanthonus-armatus.htmlhttps://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.1987.0018

Sep 14, 2021 • 31min
SciShow Tangents Classics - Trees
The days are getting shorter, the sweaters are coming out of the closet and the leaves are starting to take on just a hint of yellow... Fall is officially on its way. And speaking of trees, we spoke of trees at length last year! Please enjoy this encore presentation.Head to https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangents to find out how you can help support SciShow Tangents, and see all the cool perks you’ll get in return, like bonus episodes and a monthly newsletter!A big thank you to Patreon subscribers Eclectic Bunny and Garth Riley for helping to make the show possible!Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! While you're at it, check out the Tangents crew on Twitter: Ceri: @ceriley Sam: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreen

Sep 7, 2021 • 34min
Power Generation
The power required to get this podcast into your ears was brought to you in part by wind, water, coal, gas, and a generous contribution from the old sky guy himself: The Sun! Head to https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangents to find out how you can help support SciShow Tangents, and see all the cool perks you’ll get in return, like bonus episodes and a monthly newsletter!A big thank you to Patreon subscribers Eclectic Bunny and Garth Riley for helping to make the show possible!Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! While you're at it, check out the Tangents crew on Twitter: Ceri: @ceriley Sam: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreen[Fact Off]Power from cheese & mayo (biogas)https://epa.gov/anaerobic-digestion/basic-information-about-anaerobic-digestion-adhttps://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-biogasconverting-waste-to-energyhttps://aip.scitation.org/doi/pdf/10.1063/1.5021214#:~:text=It%20is%20wellknown%20that%20the,well%20%5B5%2D7%5Dhttps://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/natural-gas/https://statenews.com/article/2017/04/msu-uses-mayonnaise-anaerobic-digesterhttps://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a18700/french-power-plant-runs-on-cheese/Sensorfish for damshttps://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a7459/the-robot-fish-that-led-to-better-dam-designs/https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a26135053/robotic-sensor-fish/https://www.pnnl.gov/news/release.aspx?id=1046https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/827634[Ask the Science Couch]Micro hydro powerhttps://www.energy.gov/energysaver/microhydropower-systemshttps://www.energy.gov/eere/water/types-hydropower-plantshttps://energypedia.info/wiki/Micro_Hydro_Power_(MHP)_-_Pros_and_Conshttps://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/business/global/16iht-renmicro.htmlhttps://sswm.info/water-nutrient-cycle/water-distribution/hardwares/water-network-distribution/hydropower-%28small-scale%29[Butt One More Thing]Pig poop pondshttps://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/11/22/781565978/big-companies-bet-on-cleaner-power-from-pig-poop-ponds

Aug 31, 2021 • 31min
Elephants
This week we pay tribute to our big, wrinkly, grey friends with funky trunks: elephants! Head to https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangents to see some great pictures from Ceri’s Fact Off fact, and to find out how you can help support SciShow Tangents, and see all the cool perks you’ll get in return, like bonus episodes and a monthly newsletter!A big thank you to Patreon subscribers Eclectic Bunny and Garth Riley for helping to make the show possible!Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! While you're at it, check out the Tangents crew on Twitter: Ceri: @ceriley Sam: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreen[Fact Off]Elephants and beeshttps://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/893601https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/632820https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2015/12/beehive-fences/https://www.livescience.com/33261-elephants-afraid-of-mice-.htmlElephant skin wrinkleshttps://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/607368https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-06257-3Computer simulation image: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-06257-3/figures/4https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2010JF001842https://elephantconservation.org/elephants/just-for-kids/[Ask the Science Couch]Elephant communication/grief/etc.https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/animal-grief/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/do-animals-experience-grief-180970124/https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2005/11/04/1497634.htmhttps://www.audubon.org/news/how-do-elephants-talk-each-otherhttps://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/unforgettable-elephants-crack-the-code-of-elephant-communication/5885/https://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/the-internet-appears-to-believe-elephants-worship-the-moon/https://confluence.gallatin.nyu.edu/context/interdisciplinary-seminar/the-elephant-before-darwin[Butt One More Thing]Elephant gold enemahttps://muse.jhu.edu/article/442189/pdfhttps://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/a-16th-century-pope-buried-his-pet-elephant-under-the-vatican

Aug 24, 2021 • 33min
Water
Time to take a big ol’ sip of science knowledge as we dive deep on that good, wet stuff we call water! Head to https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangents to see some great pictures from Ceri’s Fact Off fact, and to find out how you can help support SciShow Tangents, and see all the cool perks you’ll get in return, like bonus episodes and a monthly newsletter!A big thank you to Patreon subscribers Eclectic Bunny and Garth Riley for helping to make the show possible!Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! While you're at it, check out the Tangents crew on Twitter: Ceri: @ceriley Sam: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreen[Fact Off]Wet water (to fight fires)https://www.biolinscientific.com/blog/what-is-a-wetting-agent-and-where-are-they-usedhttps://www.fireengineering.com/leadership/fighting-fires-with-wet-water/#grefhttps://childrensmuseumatlanta.org/blog/how-does-water-put-out-a-fire/http://fcfsd.com/wetting-agents.htmlhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10694-016-0640-0Water to air communicationhttps://news.mit.edu/2018/wireless-communication-through-water-air-0822https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/489210[Ask the Science Couch]Water conducting electricityhttps://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/conductivity-electrical-conductance-and-waterhttps://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/water-universal-solventhttps://www.sciencealert.com/after-centuries-scientists-have-finally-figured-out-how-water-conducts-electricityhttps://science.sciencemag.org/content/354/6316/1131[Butt One More Thing]Hippo poop waterhttps://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/05/hippos-poop-so-much-that-sometimes-all-the-fish-die/560486/https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-04391-6

Aug 17, 2021 • 31min
Listener Questions- Unlocked Patreon Bonus Episode
This week, we're sharing one of our Patreon bonus episodes with all of our listeners! Join us as we answer some questions from our audience, and be sure to check out Patreon.com/SciShowTangents if you want more content like this! Head to the link below to find out how you can help support SciShow Tangents, and see all the cool perks you’ll get in return, like bonus episodes and a monthly newsletter! https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangentsA big thank you to Patreon subscribers Eclectic Bunny and Garth Riley for helping to make the show possible!Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! While you're at it, check out the Tangents crew on Twitter: Ceri: @ceriley Sam: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreen

Aug 10, 2021 • 31min
Volcanoes
In this truly explosive episode that will have you erupting with laughter, we share our lava of volcanoes! This is a hot one, folks! Head to https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangents to see a great video on the subject of Ceri’s Fact Off fact, and to find out how you can help support SciShow Tangents, and see all the cool perks you’ll get in return, like bonus episodes and a monthly newsletter!A big thank you to Patreon subscribers Eclectic Bunny and Garth Riley for helping to make the show possible!Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! While you're at it, check out the Tangents crew on Twitter: Ceri: @ceriley Sam: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreenSources:[Hear Ye]Round 1 AudioSource: NOAA Ocean Explorationhttps://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/06fire/logs/april29/media/movies/spectragram.htmlRound 2 AudioAudio Credit: Robin MatozaCitation: Matoza, R.S., D. Fee, M.A. Garces, J.M. Seiner, P.A. Ramon, and M.A.H. Hedlin (2009), Infrasonic jet noise from volcanic eruptions, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L08303, doi:10.1029/2008GL036486Round 3 Audio Audio Credit: Robin MatoozaCitation: Matoza, R.S., D. Fee, M.A. Garces, J.M. Seiner, P.A. Ramon, and M.A.H. Hedlin (2009), Infrasonic jet noise from volcanic eruptions, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L08303, doi:10.1029/2008GL036486Round 3 Audio - AirplaneCredit: PDX AviationPDX Aviation - https://www.youtube.com/user/buybygb[Fact Off]Elephant salt mining in extinct volcanohttp://faculty.jsd.claremont.edu/dmcfarlane/MtElgon/index.htmhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/240675138_Formation_of_cave_salts_and_utilization_by_elephants_in_the_Mount_Elgon_region_Kenyahttps://eawildlife.org/east-african-wildlife-societys-mount-elgon-elephant-project-eawls-meep/https://volcano.oregonstate.edu/faq/how-volcano-defined-being-active-dormant-or-extincthttps://theconversation.com/how-volcanoes-recycle-the-earths-crust-to-uncover-rare-metals-that-are-vital-to-green-technology-125159https://en.unesco.org/biosphere/africa/mount-elgon-ugandaParícutin volcanohttp://www.unmuseum.org/7wonders/mob/paricutin.htmhttp://sci.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/Paricutin.html[Ask the Science Couch]Preventing volcano eruptionshttps://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-can-we-tell-when-a-volcano-will-erupthttps://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/865376 https://theconversation.com/explainer-why-volcanoes-erupt-44732https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/can-we-drill-yellowstone-stop-it-erupting?qt-news_science_products=0https://www.forbes.com/sites/robinandrews/2018/05/28/why-cant-we-artificially-drain-magma-chambers-to-stop-volcanic-eruptions/https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02600367https://www.usgs.gov/center-news/volcano-watch-did-aerial-bombing-stop-1935-mauna-loa-lava-flow[Butt One More Thing]Ardley island penguin poop https://www.audubon.org/news/how-millennia-old-penguin-poo-led-scientists-volcanic-discovery