Cosmos: A Personal Voyage and A Spacetime Oddyssey

If you love science, the following two TV programs might be right up your alley. Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, presented by the beloved scientist Carl Sagan, takes viewers on a journey through the cosmos, from the Big Bang to the lives of stars to the origin of organic life on Earth. You can watch all thirteen episodes for free on Youtube.

Cosmos recently got a modern revamp with all of the latest special effects designed to enhance the viewer's engagement with the series. Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey is presented by the well-renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and will take viewers on a similar voyage through the stars. In the words of the National Geographic Network, "Cosmos will explore how we discovered the laws of nature and found our coordinates in space and time. It will bring to life never-before-told stories of the heroic quest for knowledge and transport viewers to new worlds and across the universe for a vision of the cosmos on the grandest scale."

I've been unable to find a site where you can watch Cosmos for free, so check your local TV listings if you're interested in watching. In the meantime, check out the official site, where you can learn more about the host, watch clips from the series, and construct your own virtual solar system.

Hidden Kingdoms Documentary Series

In the BBC's own words, Hidden Kingdoms allows viewers to "immerse {themselves} in the lives of extraordinary characters that stand a few inches tall. From chipmunks to mice, be entertained and spellbound by the creatures that call the Hidden Kingdoms home."

Hidden Kingdoms: Under Open Skies

Hidden Kingdoms: Secret Forests 

Wild Weather Documentary Series

In the BBC documentary series Wild Weather, presenter Richard Hammond travels around the globe to show viewers how the forces of wind, water, and temperature shape our world. Viewers of all ages will enjoy watching him chase a tornado, build a fire twister, fly a helicopter into a cloud, start a controlled avalanche, and build his very own dust storm.

Wild Weather: Wind

Wild Weather: Water

Wild Weather: Temperature 

Filthy Cities Documentary Series

Filthy Cities is a BBC documentary series that explores three historical cities and analyzes how their efforts to clean up led to lasting social, political, economic, and infrastructural changes that helped bring each city into the modern age.

Filthy Cities: Medieval London

Filthy Cities: Revolutionary Paris

Filthy Cities: Industrial New York

I would recommend this documentary series only for high schoolers and mature middle school students due to the depiction of disease, death, organic decay, and execution.

What Color Were Dinosaurs? (And Other Frequently Asked Questions)

Humans are naturally curious. I don't know anyone over the age of 15 who hasn't seen or heard a little kid ask why the sky is blue. (The short answer is that it isn't. The color of something depends on which wavelengths of light it absorbs and which wavelengths it reflects, and to what extent it reflects and absorbs each particular wavelength. You see the sky as blue because that's the color that is reflected by gas molecules in our atmosphere. It's also important to note that color is incredibly subjective. You may look up and see a blue sky, a couple of green trees in the background, and some people milling around just over there on that hill, but a person with colorblindness, your family pet, the bird that just crossed into your line of sight, and the various insects buzzing around will see all see that same scene colored far differently. If you'd like to see how a colorblind person sees, click here. And if you want to see the world through your dog's eyes, click here. Spoiler: To them, you're a rather unappealing shade of green, but they love you anyway.)  

So, back to today's resource.

This Youtube channel offers answers to some of life's more unusual questions, like what color dinosaurs used to be. If you're anything like me, you might have hoped to answer to be 'rainbow-colored, sparkly, and florescent.' However, the experts at Scientific American offer a bit more plausible explanation. 

You can also find the answers to such burning questions as 'why do onions make us cry,' 'what does the universe sound like,' 'why does toothpaste makes orange juice taste bad,' and 'why can't humans regrow limbs like awesome little starfish?' 

TED Talks

TED Talks online gives learners from all over the globe access to innovative talks given from the world's premier experts. The Talks range from subtly humorous to jaw-droppingly beautiful to awe-inspiringly ingenious. The Talks range in duration from five minutes to just over a half hour, so you can fit them into your morning train commute, your mid-morning coffee break, your lunch hour, or your late afternoon snack time. High schoolers and adult learners would likely get the most out of this resource, but middle schoolers can feel free to take a peek around as well.

Miracles of Nature Documentary Series

This three-part BBC documentary explores the extraordinary range of abilities extant in the animal kingdom, and presents a variety of cutting-edge new technologies inspired by the remarkable range of survival strategies nature has developed over the past few billion years.

You can watch the documentaries here:

Miracles of Nature: Super Bodies

Miracles of Nature: Super Senses

Miracles of Nature: Super Powers

Educational Youtube Channels to Add to Your Subscription List

If you're looking to subscribe to some channels that make learning fun, check out the following links:

• Minute Physics
• Minute Earth
• The Brain Scoop
• Nova
• It's Okay to Be Smart
• Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Smarter Every Day

Khan Academy

A while back, one of our readers suggested that we add Khan Academy to our list of resources.

Khan Academy offers an amazing variety of learning resources. Students can brush up on their math or science skills, learn about economics and finance, dive into the world of computer programing, prep for the Big Test, or access partner content offered by world-renowned museums.

Khan Academy is an awesome resource for learners of all ages. Kindergartners through college students can benefit from using Khan Academy, as can their caregivers and teachers. Adult learners can enjoy these resources as well. Whether you're 5 or 125, Khan Academy will help you learn something new.

Give Yourself a Science Head Rush!

Head Rush is a series of short clips hosted by former Mythbuster Kari Byron. Ms. Byron makes science explosively fun for learners of all ages. Her enthusiasm is contagious, and learners will walk away from each video excited about science and armed with the knowledge of a scientific principle they may have been previously unaware of. While these videos can absolutely be enjoyed by anyone, I'd particularly recommend them to young girls. It's vital to get young women interested in and excited about science due to the severe gender imbalance in many scientific careers. In some fields, the ratio of women to men is as low as 1:9. If you're the parent or guardian of a little girl, we'd recommend introducing her to the joys of science at a young age.

A Tudor Feast Documentary

Take a peek at this fascinating documentary in which a team of expert historians attempts to recreate an authentic Tudor feast using a real period kitchen, locally caught and sourced food, and none of the conveniences of modern culinary technology. It'll give you an interesting glimpse into the pre-refrigeration, pre-super-market, pre-running water, pre-electricity past.

Black Death Documentary

This documentary explores the first outbreak of Bubonic Plague in Europe from 1347 to 1350. It provides an overview of the symptoms of the disease, its spread through Western Europe, and society's reaction to the pandemic.

While this documentary is a good starting place to learn about the plague, it is in no way comprehensive. If you're interested in learning more about Bubonic Plague, you should research the Justinian Plague (the first major outbreak of the Bubonic Plague) as well as the frequent and devastating subsequent outbreaks that would continue plague Europe through most of the last millennium.

Please note that this documentary labels the Bubonic Plague as the 'worst event in European history.' While the Black Death was the most devastating pandemic ever to sweep across Europe, both myself and my co-partner firmly believe that several historical events, including the World Wars and the Crusades, would be far better contenders for that grim honor.

As this documentary discusses disease and mortality in vivid detail, I would not recommend it for elementary schoolers, and I would advise that parents of middle schoolers exercise caution before allowing their children to watch it.

Learn About the Internal Processes on Planet Earth

The following documentaries, produced by the BBC and narrated by Richard Hammond, are incredibly informative, interesting, and easy to understand. If you've ever wondered how our planet works, take a look.

Richard Hammond's Journey to the Centre of the Planet

Richard Hammond's Journey to Bottom of the Ocean

The following two documentaries give you a glimpse into how solar systems and planetary bodies are formed.

Richard Hammond Builds a Planet: Part 1 and Part 2

Animalist News

While we're on the subject of news, I'd like to direct your attention to this Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/AnimalistNetwork/videos

Before I tell you more, let me share a secret with you. From the time I was two to around the time I turned ten, I wanted to be a veterinarian so badly. I loved animals (and still do!) and I wanted to spend the rest of my life helping them. My career goals have shifted a bit since then, but I still have a massive soft spot in my heart for the furry, scaled, slimy, slithering, hopping, swinging, running, digging creatures we share this world with. I believe in respecting all living things, though I must confess that I am quite a bit more fond of my three dogs and my cat than my neighbor's garden snake or the raccoon that routinely terrorizes our neighborhood garbage pails.

Okay, back to today's resource. In a nutshell, Animalist News is all about animals! Recent episodes have taught viewers about crime-solving animals, the secret to a cat's cleanliness, and how exceptional members of the animal kingdom have inspired some of the coolest technology our species has ever invented.

Parents of younger children might want to note that a few of the episodes deal with reproduction. However, the majority of episodes can be enjoyed by all!

Fun and Educational Videos

I recently found a great resource for students interested in science or simply for anyone who wants to know more about how to world works.

The man behind the SmarterEveryDay Youtube channel posts a video every week or so exploring something that most people wonder about but often know little about. You can find these videos here: https://www.youtube.com/user/destinws2/videos

A word of caution: While many of the videos can be enjoyed by learners of all ages, I would recommend a bit of parental caution. Some of the videos deal with mortality, the mechanics of punches and the details of reproduction in the animal kingdom. Parents of younger children may want to supervise their young student's use of this site.

Learning Video Resource - Crash Course

Crash Course is a great way to review for tests and quizzes or to catch up on a lesson you've missed. It's completely free, and while the maker of the videos tends to talk very fast, he manages to make even the dullest subjects fascinating.

World History: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBDA2E52FB1EF80C9

Biology: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3EED4C1D684D3ADF

Ecology: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtNdTKZkV_GiIYXpV9w4WxbX

Literature: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtOeEc9ME62zTfqc0h6Pe8vb

US History: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtMwmepBjTSG593eG7ObzO7s

Chemistry: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtPHzzYuWy6fYEaX9mQQ8oGr

Educational Videos

Sometimes it's fun just to kick back and watch TV. That doesn't mean you can't learn and have fun at the same time, though. Here are links to two shows done by the guys that do Top Gear about science. Watch as Jeremy Clarkson takes you through the history of the five inventions that shaped the world into what we know it as today, and view as Richard Hammond takes you into three 'invisible worlds.' Fans of Top Gear will realize that I forgot James May, but he does in fact have his own science series, Things you Need to Know, just like his co-hosts. However, as that show is only for mature students, it will not be linked.


Inventions that Changed the World:

Computers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E56QitzsoU

Jets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8D_UzMhjH8

Telephones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8Cb1q2BwBc&list=UUUc6nl6726mbwhIEEPnRUJA

Guns: (For older children only) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JLfWnpkA9g&list=UUUc6nl6726mbwhIEEPnRUJA

Televisions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeW-IZNKTd8


Invisible Worlds: 

Episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKA97VWmwtU

Episode 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihewOunI1X4

Episode 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VdthV6sLFA