The article "Why Your Brain Avoids Exercise!" from BBC's Science Focus explores the reasons why humans often avoid physical activity despite its benefits. It discusses the brain's sensitivity to effort, the tendency to avoid discomfort, and how motivation and willpower can help overcome these challenges.
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 What Happens in Your Brain When You Eat Spicy Food, host Harith Iskander explains how capsaicin, the chemical found in hot peppers, affects the brain. When you eat something spicy, capsaicin binds to pain receptors in your tongue, sending a signal to your brain that your mouth is "on fire." In response, your brain activates cooling mechanisms, like making you sweat. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In Caffeine and the Brain, presenter Cherry Healey visits the University of Bristol to learn more about how her daily cup of coffee impacts her brain. Then she stops drinking coffee cold turkey to see how she feels. Learn how caffeine impacts the receptors in the brain, and why it feels awful when we stop drinking caffeine. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Inside the Factory, a series that takes viewers behind the scenes in factories that make our favorite products.
This video playlist brings together 10 fascinating clips from the BBC’s Got Science? series, where everyday questions lead to surprising scientific discoveries. Students explore what’s really happening in the body and brain — from what your brain is doing during sleep paralysis to what it truly means to be “left-brained” or “right-brained.” They’ll investigate what happens when the body becomes dehydrated, how cold temperatures and high altitudes affect how we function, and the unexpected ways our bodies trick us every single day. Packed with “What! Really?” moments, this weird-but-wonderful playlist helps learners connect real science to daily life in unforgettable ways. Get ready to see the familiar become fascinating.
Explore the five senses like never before! Dive into 10 fascinating BBC videos from shows like Got Science? and Secrets of Skin that uncover the amazing science behind how we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. Students will discover why food tastes different on an airplane, how smell involves more than just the nose, why our eyes make emotional tears, how sound can change flavor, and how fingertips and smell receptors send powerful signals to the brain. It’s a fun, surprising look at the hidden connections between the brain and our everyday experiences.
In How Dogs Understand Us, host Harith Iskander explores how dogs process human speech. Research suggests that dogs think similarly to humans, as their brains use the left side to understand the meaning of words and the right side to interpret emotions or tone. By studying dog brains in an MRI machine, scientists have discovered that dogs not only hear what we say but also feel the emotions behind it. 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 Understanding Sleep Paralysis, host Harith Iskander explores the phenomenon of sleep paralysis, a condition where the mind wakes up, but the body remains in a state of sleep. Learn how the brain transitions between sleep stages, particularly REM, and why the body remains immobile to prevent us from acting out our dreams. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In The Impact of Screens on Our Vision and Memory, host Harith Iskander explores how smartphones and other screen devices are affecting our eyes and memory. When we hold our phones close to our faces, it strains our eyes and can cause them to become more elongated, leading to vision problems like myopia (nearsightedness). Additionally, overusing technology can also impact how the brain stores and processes information. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In What Is Acquired Savant Syndrome? hear the incredible story of Derek Amato, a man who developed the ability to play the piano overnight after sustaining a traumatic brain injury. A concussion transformed his brain, unlocking a rare phenomenon known as acquired savant syndrome. Students will learn about the science behind savant syndrome, the changes in Derek’s brain, and how he describes his newfound musical talent as an unstoppable flow of notes. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The World’s Most Extraordinary People, a documentary series revealing how rare medical conditions inspire groundbreaking scientific discoveries.
Dive into this curated playlist of clips from Got Science?, the BBC’s magazine-style series that unpacks the science behind everyday life. From why we melt at baby animals to how dogs understand us, each episode reveals the surprising biology and behavior shaping our world. Students can explore questions like why flies are nearly impossible to catch and why bedbugs are so tough to defeat. Every video includes discussion questions, writing prompts, and more to spark curiosity and critical thinking in middle and high school classrooms.
The article "Why Your Brain Avoids Exercise!" from BBC's Science Focus explores the reasons why humans often avoid physical activity despite its benefits. It discusses the brain's sensitivity to effort, the tendency to avoid discomfort, and how motivation and willpower can help overcome these challenges.
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 What Happens in Your Brain When You Eat Spicy Food, host Harith Iskander explains how capsaicin, the chemical found in hot peppers, affects the brain. When you eat something spicy, capsaicin binds to pain receptors in your tongue, sending a signal to your brain that your mouth is "on fire." In response, your brain activates cooling mechanisms, like making you sweat. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In Caffeine and the Brain, presenter Cherry Healey visits the University of Bristol to learn more about how her daily cup of coffee impacts her brain. Then she stops drinking coffee cold turkey to see how she feels. Learn how caffeine impacts the receptors in the brain, and why it feels awful when we stop drinking caffeine. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Inside the Factory, a series that takes viewers behind the scenes in factories that make our favorite products.
This video playlist brings together 10 fascinating clips from the BBC’s Got Science? series, where everyday questions lead to surprising scientific discoveries. Students explore what’s really happening in the body and brain — from what your brain is doing during sleep paralysis to what it truly means to be “left-brained” or “right-brained.” They’ll investigate what happens when the body becomes dehydrated, how cold temperatures and high altitudes affect how we function, and the unexpected ways our bodies trick us every single day. Packed with “What! Really?” moments, this weird-but-wonderful playlist helps learners connect real science to daily life in unforgettable ways. Get ready to see the familiar become fascinating.
Explore the five senses like never before! Dive into 10 fascinating BBC videos from shows like Got Science? and Secrets of Skin that uncover the amazing science behind how we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. Students will discover why food tastes different on an airplane, how smell involves more than just the nose, why our eyes make emotional tears, how sound can change flavor, and how fingertips and smell receptors send powerful signals to the brain. It’s a fun, surprising look at the hidden connections between the brain and our everyday experiences.
In How Dogs Understand Us, host Harith Iskander explores how dogs process human speech. Research suggests that dogs think similarly to humans, as their brains use the left side to understand the meaning of words and the right side to interpret emotions or tone. By studying dog brains in an MRI machine, scientists have discovered that dogs not only hear what we say but also feel the emotions behind it. 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 Understanding Sleep Paralysis, host Harith Iskander explores the phenomenon of sleep paralysis, a condition where the mind wakes up, but the body remains in a state of sleep. Learn how the brain transitions between sleep stages, particularly REM, and why the body remains immobile to prevent us from acting out our dreams. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In The Impact of Screens on Our Vision and Memory, host Harith Iskander explores how smartphones and other screen devices are affecting our eyes and memory. When we hold our phones close to our faces, it strains our eyes and can cause them to become more elongated, leading to vision problems like myopia (nearsightedness). Additionally, overusing technology can also impact how the brain stores and processes information. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In What Is Acquired Savant Syndrome? hear the incredible story of Derek Amato, a man who developed the ability to play the piano overnight after sustaining a traumatic brain injury. A concussion transformed his brain, unlocking a rare phenomenon known as acquired savant syndrome. Students will learn about the science behind savant syndrome, the changes in Derek’s brain, and how he describes his newfound musical talent as an unstoppable flow of notes. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The World’s Most Extraordinary People, a documentary series revealing how rare medical conditions inspire groundbreaking scientific discoveries.
Dive into this curated playlist of clips from Got Science?, the BBC’s magazine-style series that unpacks the science behind everyday life. From why we melt at baby animals to how dogs understand us, each episode reveals the surprising biology and behavior shaping our world. Students can explore questions like why flies are nearly impossible to catch and why bedbugs are so tough to defeat. Every video includes discussion questions, writing prompts, and more to spark curiosity and critical thinking in middle and high school classrooms.