In How Playing Ping Pong Boosts Your Brain Power, host Harith Iskander shows how this fast-paced game gives your brain a major workout. From making quick decisions to coordinating hand movements, table tennis engages different parts of the brain, including the motor cortex, cerebellum, and prefrontal cortex. As players react to the ball, plan their moves, and remember their opponent’s patterns, the hippocampus — the memory center of the brain — gets stronger. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In How the Human Body Adjusts to Space Travel, host Harith Iskander explains the challenges astronauts face when traveling in space. These challenges include nausea, dizziness, and disorientation due to the lack of gravity. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In Melting Mountains and Sinking Cities, host Harith Iskander explains how physical features of the the Earth, such as the melting snow on Mount Kilimanjaro, the sinking of Mexico City, and the potential disappearance of the Dead Sea, are changing over time. Learn how natural and human-made factors contribute to the transformation of the Earth's physical landscape. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life
In How High Altitude Affects Our Bodies, host Harith Iskander explains why the air feels thinner in high-altitude locations and how our bodies adapt to less oxygen. At high altitudes, the lower oxygen levels can make people feel breathless, but the body responds by adjusting its red blood cells to carry more oxygen. This change in the respiratory system helps people acclimate over time to the challenges of mountain environments. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In Understanding Jet Lag, host Harith Iskander explains how jet lag occurs when a person’s internal clock doesn’t match the external time of a new location. The brain’s oscillator cells in the hypothalamus, which help regulate our sleep-wake cycles, struggle to adjust quickly. Traveling east can be especially difficult because it shortens the body’s natural circadian cycle, while flying west allows for more gradual adjustment. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In The Survival Strategies of Bedbugs, host Harith Iskander dives into the fascinating survival strategies of Cimex Lectularius, commonly known as bedbugs. These tiny insects, about the size of an apple seed, rely on human blood to reproduce and are highly attuned to their environment. With an excellent sense of smell, bedbugs can detect over 100 compounds found in human skin and are drawn to carbon dioxide and even dirty laundry. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science? a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In Why It's So Hard to Catch a Fly, host Harith Iskander explores how flies can quickly evade capture due to their nearly 360-degree vision. Flies have unique vision which makes them incredibly agile and fast, helping them react in an instant when a threat approaches. Learn how and why catching one is often more difficult than we think. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In Why We Love Baby Animals, host Harith Iskander explores the science behind the overwhelming urge humans feel to squeeze or cuddle baby animals. This feeling, known as cute aggression, is an evolutionary response. The brain releases dopamine, making us feel happy and protective when we see something cute. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In Does the Moon Affect Human Behavior? host Harith Iskander debunks myths that connect the Moon's phases to human behavior, particularly the idea of "lunacy" or madness. The Moon's gravitational pull does influence tides, but it does not have an effect on the water in our bodies, despite common myths. Learn about the Moon’s gravitational force and its real effects on Earth, as well as the science that dispels these longstanding myths. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In How Bacteria Spread From Surfaces to Food, host Harith Iskander explains why food dropped on the floor, no matter how quickly it's picked up, is covered in germs. Even if food is only on the floor for five seconds, bacteria and other harmful organisms can transfer to it. Learn how germs move from one surface to another, showing that our surroundings are always teeming with bacteria. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In How Cold Affects Your Body’s Defenses, host Harith Iskander explains how cold temperatures can impact your body’s ability to fight off infections. When you’re cold, the blood vessels constrict, reducing blood flow to certain areas of the body. This process can weaken the immune system, making it easier for viruses, like the common cold, to take hold. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In Left-Brained or Right-Brained?, host Harith Iskander explains how early studies suggested that the left side of the brain was responsible for logical thinking and the right side for creativity and intuition. However, more recent research has shown that the brain works in a much more connected and complex way than originally thought. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In How Playing Ping Pong Boosts Your Brain Power, host Harith Iskander shows how this fast-paced game gives your brain a major workout. From making quick decisions to coordinating hand movements, table tennis engages different parts of the brain, including the motor cortex, cerebellum, and prefrontal cortex. As players react to the ball, plan their moves, and remember their opponent’s patterns, the hippocampus — the memory center of the brain — gets stronger. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In How the Human Body Adjusts to Space Travel, host Harith Iskander explains the challenges astronauts face when traveling in space. These challenges include nausea, dizziness, and disorientation due to the lack of gravity. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In Melting Mountains and Sinking Cities, host Harith Iskander explains how physical features of the the Earth, such as the melting snow on Mount Kilimanjaro, the sinking of Mexico City, and the potential disappearance of the Dead Sea, are changing over time. Learn how natural and human-made factors contribute to the transformation of the Earth's physical landscape. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life
In How High Altitude Affects Our Bodies, host Harith Iskander explains why the air feels thinner in high-altitude locations and how our bodies adapt to less oxygen. At high altitudes, the lower oxygen levels can make people feel breathless, but the body responds by adjusting its red blood cells to carry more oxygen. This change in the respiratory system helps people acclimate over time to the challenges of mountain environments. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In Understanding Jet Lag, host Harith Iskander explains how jet lag occurs when a person’s internal clock doesn’t match the external time of a new location. The brain’s oscillator cells in the hypothalamus, which help regulate our sleep-wake cycles, struggle to adjust quickly. Traveling east can be especially difficult because it shortens the body’s natural circadian cycle, while flying west allows for more gradual adjustment. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In The Survival Strategies of Bedbugs, host Harith Iskander dives into the fascinating survival strategies of Cimex Lectularius, commonly known as bedbugs. These tiny insects, about the size of an apple seed, rely on human blood to reproduce and are highly attuned to their environment. With an excellent sense of smell, bedbugs can detect over 100 compounds found in human skin and are drawn to carbon dioxide and even dirty laundry. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science? a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In Why It's So Hard to Catch a Fly, host Harith Iskander explores how flies can quickly evade capture due to their nearly 360-degree vision. Flies have unique vision which makes them incredibly agile and fast, helping them react in an instant when a threat approaches. Learn how and why catching one is often more difficult than we think. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In Why We Love Baby Animals, host Harith Iskander explores the science behind the overwhelming urge humans feel to squeeze or cuddle baby animals. This feeling, known as cute aggression, is an evolutionary response. The brain releases dopamine, making us feel happy and protective when we see something cute. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In Does the Moon Affect Human Behavior? host Harith Iskander debunks myths that connect the Moon's phases to human behavior, particularly the idea of "lunacy" or madness. The Moon's gravitational pull does influence tides, but it does not have an effect on the water in our bodies, despite common myths. Learn about the Moon’s gravitational force and its real effects on Earth, as well as the science that dispels these longstanding myths. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In How Bacteria Spread From Surfaces to Food, host Harith Iskander explains why food dropped on the floor, no matter how quickly it's picked up, is covered in germs. Even if food is only on the floor for five seconds, bacteria and other harmful organisms can transfer to it. Learn how germs move from one surface to another, showing that our surroundings are always teeming with bacteria. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In How Cold Affects Your Body’s Defenses, host Harith Iskander explains how cold temperatures can impact your body’s ability to fight off infections. When you’re cold, the blood vessels constrict, reducing blood flow to certain areas of the body. This process can weaken the immune system, making it easier for viruses, like the common cold, to take hold. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In Left-Brained or Right-Brained?, host Harith Iskander explains how early studies suggested that the left side of the brain was responsible for logical thinking and the right side for creativity and intuition. However, more recent research has shown that the brain works in a much more connected and complex way than originally thought. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.