In Understanding Jet Lag: How Time Zone Changes Affect Our Brains, 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 Table Tennis: Boosting Brain Power Through Play, 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 Mastering Muay Thai: Conditioning and Brain Training for Powerful Kicks, host Harith Iskander presents the unique training techniques used in Muay Thai, particularly the roundhouse kick. Children start with shin conditioning to build strength, followed by desensitization, where the brain is trained to ignore pain signals during intense training. Learn how these techniques help martial artists develop both physical resilience and mental toughness. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In Spicy Food: What Happens in Your Brain, 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 Left-Brained or Right-Brained: What Does the Brain Really Do?, 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 Dogs Understand Us: Brain Power and Communication, 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 Running on Empty: The Science of Dehydration, Jem pushes his body to the limit with intense exercise while scientists measure how dehydration affects his performance. After sweating it out on a treadmill and exercise bike — without drinking any water — his blood volume drops, and his reaction time slows by a third! The results prove just how crucial hydration is for both the body and the brain. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Bang Goes the Theory, a series that delves into the ways science impacts our lives and shapes the world we experience every day.
In Sleep Paralysis: Understanding the Overlap of Wakefulness and Sleep, 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 Cute Aggression: 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 Understanding Jet Lag: How Time Zone Changes Affect Our Brains, 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 Table Tennis: Boosting Brain Power Through Play, 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 Mastering Muay Thai: Conditioning and Brain Training for Powerful Kicks, host Harith Iskander presents the unique training techniques used in Muay Thai, particularly the roundhouse kick. Children start with shin conditioning to build strength, followed by desensitization, where the brain is trained to ignore pain signals during intense training. Learn how these techniques help martial artists develop both physical resilience and mental toughness. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
In Spicy Food: What Happens in Your Brain, 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 Left-Brained or Right-Brained: What Does the Brain Really Do?, 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 Dogs Understand Us: Brain Power and Communication, 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 Running on Empty: The Science of Dehydration, Jem pushes his body to the limit with intense exercise while scientists measure how dehydration affects his performance. After sweating it out on a treadmill and exercise bike — without drinking any water — his blood volume drops, and his reaction time slows by a third! The results prove just how crucial hydration is for both the body and the brain. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Bang Goes the Theory, a series that delves into the ways science impacts our lives and shapes the world we experience every day.
In Sleep Paralysis: Understanding the Overlap of Wakefulness and Sleep, 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 Cute Aggression: 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.