Science and Nature

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Join Joe Hanson as he explores curiosity and illuminates the science behind… well, everything.

Why Your Grandma Is an Evolutionary Mystery

17m 11s

This is one of the weirdest mysteries of human evolution: Why do we have grandmas? From menopause to our slow maturation and super-long lifespans, humans are quite unique in the animal kingdom. Could grandma be an evolutionary secret weapon? Or is she just a quirky side effect of living long lives?

Episodes

  • Why Your Grandma Is an Evolutionary Mystery: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Why Your Grandma Is an Evolutionary Mystery

    S13 E2 - 17m 11s

    This is one of the weirdest mysteries of human evolution: Why do we have grandmas? From menopause to our slow maturation and super-long lifespans, humans are quite unique in the animal kingdom. Could grandma be an evolutionary secret weapon? Or is she just a quirky side effect of living long lives?

  • The Weird Science That Lets Insects Fly in the RainThe Weird Science That Lets Insects Fly in the Rain: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The Weird Science That Lets Insects Fly in the RainThe Weird Science That Lets Insects Fly in the Rain

    S13 E1 - 11m 6s

    Imagine the scale of raindrops if you were the size of a small bird. Or mosquito. Flying through a drizzle should be deadly! Like flying through falling cars and boulders. And yet it’s not, because nature has given them a superpower—superhydrophobic surfaces that repel water and keep them airborne. How do these microscopic structures work? And how has modern engineering been inspired by them?

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