Search Results

Unlike its name, Bicycle Day is not a holiday honoring your favorite two-wheeled, environmentally friendly vehicle. This holiday celebrates the day chemist Albert Hofmann first discovered the psychedelic effects of lysergic acid diethylamide,…

When you hear the name "Hubble," you might think of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. But, decades before this telescope was built, Dr. Edwin Powell Hubble revolutionized the field of astronomy. This video looks at the life and work of…

A figure skating performance often begins with a moment of quiet focus to mentally "upload" a routine, consisting of a linked series of complex movements—such as jumps and spins—that must be executed expertly and automatically. This video…

Thanksgiving is a holiday when many people look forward to a tasty home-cooked meal. According to neuroscientist Charles Zuker, not only is that sense of taste in the brain, but it is a matter of life and death. This video takes you on a…

Is there such a thing as love at first scent? Hundreds of spray-on pheromone products claim to put you on the fast track to romance, but can they really help humans land a mate? This video has the answers. [Credit: Reactions/American Chemical…

It’s a sinister condition that affects millions of people: addiction. Whether it’s alcohol, drugs, food, or gambling, addiction can ruin lives. This video takes a look at the chemistry behind addiction. Credit: Reactions/American Chemical…

This video uncovers the chemistry behind the spine-tingling sense of fear. Watch as Abigail Marsh, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology at Georgetown University, highlights key brain chemicals and hormones involved in fear and the…

This video explains how certain neurotransmitters fuel lifelong pair bonds in prairie voles, which—along with humans—are the mammalian kingdom's leading monogamists. In the video, Abigail Marsh, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology at…

What’s that stuff that collects in the corners of your eyes when you sleep? This video explains the chemistry of the film that protects your eyes. Credit: Reactions/American Chemical Society

This animation explains what a comet is and shows the different graphical distinctions of a comet with respect to its distance from the Sun

Some science-fiction fans have already caught a glimpse of a world with super-powered humans secretly living among us, capable of physical feats far beyond the norm. Now, with the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system, are we looking at a future…

Yes, you read that correctly. Comets may have helped seed life on Earth. Far out, right? Sarah Everts of C&EN has the chemical clues that back up this out-of-this-world hypothesis. Credit: Reactions/American Chemical Society

Much can be learned when a planet crosses between its host star and Earth. This video describes how astronomers get information about planets beyond our solar system using such transits. The video also introduces sophisticated technologies…

How do astronauts survive the deadly radiation of deep space? NASA is still figuring out how to protect astronauts from cosmic radiation using plastic shielding and magnetic deflectors. Credit: Reactions/American Chemical Society

Online entrepreneurs may try to sell bottled human pheromones, but do these even exist? It's doubtful, according to this video. Credit: Reactions/American Chemical Society

This animation explains how seasons depend on the Earth's orbit and explains how the Earth's orbital distance and axial tilt give rise to seasons.

This animation shows how eclipses occur when the Sun's rays are blocked.

This animation depicts how the solar system formed from a spinning disk of interstellar gas.

Born in 1868, Henrietta Leavitt was an astronomer ahead of her time, whose work helped to revolutionize our understanding of the universe. While working at Harvard Observatory, Leavitt began to study stars of fluctuating brightness. This…

More than 25 million people rely on Adderall™ and other similar drugs to help treat narcolepsy, depression and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). But how does amphetamine, the active ingredient in Adderall™, work? This video…

Whether or not you have anxiety, you've probably heard of Xanax®. This video uncovers the chemistry behind this popular and widely prescribed drug, and answers the question of how Xanax works in the body. Credit: Reactions/American…

Your smartphone addiction isn't helping you sleep. In fact, an obscure chemical reaction may be keeping you awake. This video looks at the process that connects your late-night texts to your lack of sleep. [Credit: Reactions/American Chemical…

Immediately after the universe started with the big bang, the cosmos was dark. Only the first stars appearing millions of years later brought light. These first stars and their radiation drastically changed the universe during what is known…

Chocolate-chip cookies are nearly universally adored. People enjoy them in all sorts of textures, sizes, and tastes. So, how can you make a perfect cookie? By using science, of course. This video features Science News magazine's Bethany…

This video tells the story of what happens to the Hubble Space Telescope in the mysterious region known as the South Atlantic Anomaly. When satellites pass through this area, they are bombarded with swarms of intensely high energy particles.…

This animation explains Kepler's first law of planetary motion and demonstrates a planet's elliptical orbit around the Sun.

This animation demonstrates Kepler's second law of planetary motion using 12 triangles of equal area.

This animation shows Kepler's third law of planetary motion by comparing the revolutions of two planets around the Sun.

Neuroscientist Daphna Shohamy has found that teen brains are wired to learn. She thinks that studying teenagers can help us discover how everyone makes decisions based on experiences and memories. Shohamy’s research is showing that learning…

Songbirds have a finite time period in which they must learn to sing. Humans, too, have a limited period to learn to communicate. Neuroscientist Sara Woolley studies the brain science and learning pathways of finches—songbirds who mate for…

This animation shows how the phases of the Moon depend on the relative positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun.

When days get shorter, darker, and colder, some people become gloomier. For people with seasonal affective disorder, the changing seasons can make them sadder than most, to the point of depression. Why does this happen? What can someone with…

Durian is known as the king of fruits in southeast Asia, but it’s also banned from many public spaces due to its powerful odor. This video explains the unique chemistry behind durian, and catches some participants at PBS Digital Studios…

This animation explains what telescope aberration is and shows how Earth's rotation affects the shape of viewed objects

Andy Klesh of NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab welcomes you to the cleanroom to talk about how satellites smaller than a briefcase could one day explore the chemistry of alien moons and planets. But first, Andy and his team have to show that…

This video focuses on one of the Hubble Space Telescope’s most important, but least known, functions. For much of their research, astronomers use Hubble’s spectrometers—devices that split up light into a rainbow of component colors—to reveal…

There are many misconceptions about what causes auroras as well as when, where, and how they occur. Watch this video to learn the true answers. Credit: Reactions/American Chemical Society

This video takes a close look at what happens chemically in the brain and body just before a person dies. Credit: Reactions/American Chemical Society

Carbon is the backbone of all forms of life on Earth, and perhaps in the surrounding universe. This video explores the chemistry of carbon to explain why. Credit: Reactions/American Chemical Society

Whether it's rock, hip-hop, classical, or deep house, everyone has a favorite kind of music. But why do we love to throw on the headphones and get lost in the beat? It turns out that chemistry plays a big role in our favorite tunes. Watch…

Dogs—they can be our best four-legged friends, and they’re the stars of many Internet videos. This video investigates the chemistry behind a dog’s amazing sense of smell, and why wet dogs stink. And have you ever noticed that dog food smells…

You’re sitting in your favorite restaurant when a waiter walks by with a hot plate of your favorite food, and your mouth starts to water. Why? What causes drooling in the first place, and why do we only sometimes salivate? This video explains…

The mind-bending pain of a bare foot pressing down on a LEGO® brick is one of the worst known to humanity. How does something so innocent-looking create such an intense feeling? This video discusses nociception, and the chemistry of how these…

This video explores the curious question of why dust from the surface of the Moon smelled like spent gunpowder to Apollo astronauts. Credit: Reactions/American Chemical Society

It’s supposed to help keep our bodies healthy in stressful situations, but the constant stress of our everyday lives means we’re getting overexposed to cortisol. In this video, Raychelle Burks, Ph.D. explains why too much cortisol is bad for…

As the late Carl Sagan famously said, "We are made of star stuff." What exactly did he mean? In this video, best-selling author Sam Kean explains the chemistry behind this iconic quote. [Credit: Reactions/American Chemical Society…