SciShow Tangents
Episodes
Speed
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're talking about our old friend, Mr. Distance-Over-Time himself: Speed! From the speediest hedgehog to the slowiest slug, we all have spe...
Numbers
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you're tracking the orbit of satellites, looking at your phone, or picking out a dozen fresh-baked donuts, the chances are pretty good that ri...
Upcoming Schedule Announcement
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
No new episode this week! Come back next week, June 13, and every other week after that for a new episode. To learn more about Hank's recent cancer d...
Crust with Ashley Roboto
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From the planet Earth to the humble pizza pie, some of the most important things in the whole universe have crusts! Including, most likely, the ears t...
Glass
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
"Oh, glass, big deal" you might be saying. Well guess what: if you're reading this, you're looking through glass right now to read about this episode ...
Color
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Click here to check out the limited-time-only Tangents t-shirt inspired by this episode!Color: it's not just for art anymore. From red dwarfs to green...
Growth
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Spring is upon us, which means a whoooole bunch of junk is going to start growing, such as flowers, grass, and little baby animals. So this week, Tang...
Ants
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you are on the planet Earth right now, there's probably a pretty good chance you're near an ant right now. So spare a thought for those hard workin...
SciShow Tangents Classics - Weather
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Original Airdate: January 26, 2021SciShow Tangents will be back next week with a new season and very special guest! Until then, please enjoy this belo...
Aging
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Every millisecond of every day, you, everyone you know, every rock on the ground, every star in the sky... they're all aging. And podcasts are no exce...
Farming
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Learning is a little like farming, in a way. You sow your brain field with facts seeds, nurture those seeds into thoughts and ideas and voila: you're ...
Lasers
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In all of science, there are very few things conceptually cooler than lasers. A beam of light you can use to blast aliens? Heck yeah! But are lasers a...
Poop
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The bodily function so universal, there's a kids book all about how everybody does it! But... is that kids book a lie?! Find out the answer to that an...
Mating
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of Valentine's Day, that most cherished day of beauty and love, the Tangents crew gets real down and dirty by telling you more than you could...
Spit
07 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You need to clean a smudge of your glasses? Use some spit! Gotta make some food moist so you can swallow it? Why not try spit? Lips too dry to whist...
SciShow Tangents Classics - Artificial Intelligence
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Original Airdate: February 19, 2019It seems like everyone's using Artificial Intelligence these days, so we thought we'd dip back into our archives fo...
Rubber
24 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You can bounce it, you can stretch it, heck... some people even chew it! That's right, it's rubber! And at long last, the Tangents team is finally tal...
Tails
17 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From a bunny’s seemingly-useless fluffy li’l puffball to a scorpion’s practical and deadly venom-filled stinger, the world is filled with all so...
Gas
10 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From precious oxygen to the lowly fart, every day we’re all wallowing around in an invisible soup of gas! Exciting, isn’t it? Tune in to go into a...
Memory
03 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's the time of year for old acquaintances to be forgot, but SciShow Tangents has never been one to bow to convention! So this week, we're rememberin...
SciShow Tangents Classics - Sleep
27 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There are no two ways about it: winter is a great time to sleep. In fact, the Tangents crew all decided to sleep this entire week, which is what this ...
Cold
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jack frost ain't just nipping at our noses where we live, he's basically biting them off! Ouch! So we thought we'd learn a little about what "cold" ev...
Testing New Games with Deboki Chakravarti
13 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
sniff sniff... What is that awful smell? Ah, it's our stinky, old games! I mean, just look at Truth or Fail! It's all covered in mold! Good thing Debo...
Poison
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's said that the dose makes the poison, but that doesn't change the fact that some poison is just more poison-y than others. This week, we get a let...
Crystals with Tyler Thrasher
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In a universe of chaos, one scrappy form of highly-ordered solid matter dares to be different: crystals! And crystal expert Tyler Thrasher is here to ...
Wings with Stefan Chin
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's just about Thanksgiving here in the US; a special time during which we count our blessings. And this year, Tangents is giving you an extra thing ...
Sight
15 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Before you listen, just take a moment to think about how sight works: Light comes out of the sun, bounces off of a tree (or whatever), goes inside of ...
Pain
08 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we investigate one of the more complicated, fraught, mysterious, and downright unpleasant ways we and lots of other living things navigate ...
SciShow Tangents Classics - Teeth
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's the day after Halloween, which means you might have a surplus of candy in your house. But before you start digging in to those sugary treat, spar...
Trick or Treat Month: Blood with Justin and Sydnee McElroy!
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tangents' annual descent into horror returns with Trick or Treat Month! And this time, we brought some fiendish friends along! Join us for a whole mon...
Trick or Treat Month: Gourds with Jackson Bird!
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tangents' annual descent into horror returns with Trick or Treat Month! And this time, we brought some fiendish friends along! Join us for a whole mon...
Trick or Treat Month: Creepy Crawlies with Lulu Miller!
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tangents annual descent into horror returns with Trick or Treat Month! And this time, we brought some fiendish friends along! Join us for a whole mont...
Trick or Treat Month: Preserved Foods with Bill Oakley!
04 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tangents annual descent into horror returns with Trick or Treat Month! And this time, we brought some fiendish friends along! Join us for a whole mont...
SciShow Tangents Classics - The Science of Scary Sounds - A SciShow Tangents Adventure
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's almost October, and SciShow Tangents is getting ready for its month-long Halloween blowout! While we make final arrangements, please enjoy this c...
Radiation
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Popular culture makes radiation seem pretty scary, and frequently it is. But we encounter way more radiation in our day-to-day life than you might thi...
Babies
13 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
From mighty lions to postal workers, presidents to pelicans, they all have one thing in common: they were once tiny little babies! And so, too, were a...
Coral Reefs
06 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Summer is just about over, but we can all cling to those warm, tropical feelings for at least one more week as we strap on our scuba gear and take a d...
A.N.A.G.R.A.M. - Unlocked Patreon Bonus Episode
30 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that you can go to Patreon.com/SciShowTangents to become a Patron of the show and get cool stuff, like bonus episodes! See what you've be...
Cities
23 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tall buildings, subways, bodegas, rats. These are just some of the things you'll find in cities. Another thing you'll find? Science! From the smelly y...
Carbon
16 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Carbon gets a pretty bad rap these days, what with global climate change and, but every living thing on Earth owes their very existence to this multit...
Skin
09 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to keeping all of your guts and blood inside, skin is second to none! Yet so often is it taken for granted. Today, we fix that by talkin...
Spaceships
02 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
10....9.... Hey gang, Kids Month is about ready to blast off into space ....8....7....6 but before it does, we have one more topic exploring the child...
Bubbles
26 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Kids Month floats on as we talk about possibly our lightest subject ever: bubbles! Pop in to learn what makes a simple soapy membrane so fascinating t...
SciShow Tangents Classics - Candy
19 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes, when you're making a podcast with 3 hosts, one of those hosts is going to get sick for two weeks and totally mess up Kids Month. So this we...
Dinosaurs
12 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Kids month continues with maybe THE most-beloved-by-children scientific topic of all time: dinosaurs! Come on a journey back in time to learn about th...
Play
05 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This month on SciShow Tangents, we're celebrating the sense of childlike wonder present in science by discussing a bunch of stuff kids like! We're cal...
Books with Vanessa Zoltan
28 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We here on SciShow Tangents may have the market cornered on science podcasting, but that doesn't mean we know everything. Put us in a lab, and we're l...
SciShow Tangents Classics - Waves
21 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Inspired by last week's episode about beaches, we decided to take the week off and catch some rays. Please enjoy this encore presentation of our episo...
Beaches
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Summer is here, which means it's time to visit everyone's favorite geological feature consisting of a strip of land covered in loose particles, existi...
Fuel
07 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Cars need it, trains need it, and guess what? People need it, too! Can you deduce the answer to my devious riddle? That's right, it's fuel! Fill up yo...
Paper
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When I was a kid, everything was on paper. Books were on paper, magazines were on paper, newspapers were on, you guessed it, paper. Nowadays, everythi...
Symbiosis
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When, in nature, two little guys are benefiting off each other one way or another, we call that symbiosis. But, if you think about it too hard, you st...
Worms
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
SciShow Tangents is on YouTube! Go to www.youtube.com/scishowtangents to check out this episode with the added bonus of seeing our faces! From big, s...
SciShow Tangents Classics - Pee
10 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We're hard at work on a cool new project, but we needed a little extra time to work on it! So this week, please enjoy a rerun of the all-time classic ...
Asteroids
03 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Last week we talked about boring old rocks on the ground. This week, we're again talking rocks, but these are rocks... from SPACE!Head to https://www....
Rocks
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic... need I say more? Welcome to SciShow Tangents or, as I like to call it, Rock Talk. Note: The podcast ad for the ...
Recycling
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Get a jump start on Earth Day by joining us as we discuss garbage's sexy, complicated little brother: recycling! Grab the NordVPN deal ➼ https://n...
Soft Things
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Spring is a soft and fluffy time of year, what with all the baby chicks and bunnies bopping around, so we here at Tangents are seizing the opportunity...
Nerves
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Someone can get on your nerves. You can have nerves of steel. Heck, they can even be frayed! But have you ever wondered what nerves actually are? If s...
SciShow Tangents Classics - Flowers
29 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's Spring Breeeaaaak baby, and we're taking the day off! Enjoy this classic episode on Flowers so you'll know all you need to know when they start b...
Homes
22 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
From shells to hives to holes in the ground, most animals have a place to call home. And today, we're paying them all a visit! So open up, cause Scien...
Green
15 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Grass... money... Ninja Turtles... some of the best things in the world are all the same color: green! This week, we're taking a deeper look at this m...
Computers
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Back in my day, a computer was a computer: It was big, tan, and was plugged into your living room wall. But now we've got computer cars, computer phon...
Venus
01 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We kick off Season 4 by getting up close and personal with Earth's other, less popular, more mysterious neighbor: Venus!Head to https://www.patreon.co...
SciShow Tangents Classics - The Internet
22 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3 has come to a close, and the Tangents crew is taking a week off. While we scour the World Wide Web for all new, mind-blowing science facts, e...
Butts
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's all led up to this! We usually relegate our butt facts to the end of episodes, but this week we're giving butts the respect they deserve. It's b...
Hands & Feet
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Season 3 finale draws ever nearer, but before we get to that big beautiful Butt episode, we need to make a detour to those nifty tools on the ends...
Heads
01 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3 of Tangents is drawing to a close, and we're celebrating by taking a long, top to bottom (literally) look at bodies! To kick us off, we'll be...
Birds of Prey
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The pointiest birds in the wild blue yonder finally get their due! Join us to learn all of these lethal birds killer secrets, and to discover their hi...
Yeast
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
These little, bubbly guys help us make such perennial favorites as 'bread' and 'beer.' If you're saying to yourself "what is yeast, Alex," I got good ...
Mirrors
11 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We're back, baby! And we're seeing double! Ring in the new-ish year with us as we reflect on mirrors!Deboki is hosting a new podcast called Tiny Matte...
SciShow Tangents Classics - Timekeeping
04 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
SciShow Tangents is off again this week, but since it's a new year and all, we thought this was the perfect opportunity to rerun our episode all about...
Stump Ceri - Unlocked Patreon Bonus Episode
28 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
SciShow Tangents is taking a couple weeks off for the holidays, but we aren't gonna leave you hanging! This week, we present an unlocked Patreon patro...
The North & South Poles
21 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Tangents crew gets lightly festive as they talk about the increasingly-less-cold tippity-top and bippity-bottom of good old planet Earth!Head to h...
Cells
14 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve talked about all sorts of living things. Bugs, for instance. And plants… elephants… the list goes on. But what we haven’t discussed is t...
Snakes
07 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Snakes get a bad rap. Sure they’re slithery, venomous, silent killers… but they have some nice qualities, too! We don’t talk about many of those...
Food
30 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Between now and the end of the year, people all over the world will be enjoying all sorts of holiday feasts, eating lots of cookies, and maybe even en...
Cosmetics
23 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Since the beginning of recorded history, people have been putting on lipstick, applying perfume, wearing fake nails, and just generally making themsel...
Ceri's Cnidarian Song - Deluxe Edition
18 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Please enjoy this version of Ceri's smash hit Cnidarian Song, with musical accompaniment by our own maestro Joseph "Tuna" Metesh!Head to https://www.p...
Cnidarians
16 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jellyfish, corals, anemones… they have a couple things in common. They’re all cnidarians, and they all seem like they don’t really have a whole ...
SciShow Tangents Classics - Flightless Birds
09 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Turns out we needed a week off to recuperate from all the Halloween festivities, so please enjoy this very old episode about Flightless Birds in the m...
Heat
02 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you might be starting to notice a chill in the air. Let's all fondly reminisce about those warm, summer days t...
Graveyard Smash - It was a Dark and Stormy Month
26 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ceri and Sam headed on down to the cemetery to dig Hank up for one more bone-chilling edition of It Was a Dark and Stormy Month! We hope you enjoy and...
The Moon with Deboki Chakravarti - It Was a Dark & Stormy Month
19 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
“It Was A Dark & Stormy Month" rises from its grave once more to deliver knowledge so good... it's scary!Hank accidentally buried himself alive ...
Cats with Deboki Chakravarti - It Was a Dark & Stormy Month
12 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks to Basepaws for sponsoring this episode. Check out Basepaws here: https://basepaws.com/?rfsn=6159575.bff641“It Was A Dark & Stormy Mont...
Storms - It Was a Dark & Stormy Month
05 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It’s October, so you know what that means: SciShow Tangents is about to get a little spooky! This year, we’re celebrating the Halloween season by ...
Mosquitos
28 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Summer's over, which is a bummer, but now's the perfect time to remember that summer isn't all perfect. It brings sunburns, too-hot car seats, and, wo...
Brains
21 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is brought to you by Gates Notes, the blog of Bill Gates. Go to gatesnotes.com to learn about the future of Alzheimer's research.I don’...
SciShow Tangents Classics - Trees
14 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The days are getting shorter, the sweaters are coming out of the closet and the leaves are starting to take on just a hint of yellow... Fall is offici...
Power Generation
07 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The power required to get this podcast into your ears was brought to you in part by wind, water, coal, gas, and a generous contribution from the old s...
Elephants
31 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we pay tribute to our big, wrinkly, grey friends with funky trunks: elephants! Head to https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangents to see som...
Water
24 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Time to take a big ol’ sip of science knowledge as we dive deep on that good, wet stuff we call water! Head to https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTange...
Listener Questions- Unlocked Patreon Bonus Episode
17 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're sharing one of our Patreon bonus episodes with all of our listeners! Join us as we answer some questions from our audience, and be su...
Volcanoes
10 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this truly explosive episode that will have you erupting with laughter, we share our lava of volcanoes! This is a hot one, folks! Head to https://...
Toilets with Deboki Chakravarti
03 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was brought to you by Gates Notes, the blog of Bill Gates. Go to https://www.gatesnotes.com to learn more about the Reinvent the Toilet C...
Surgery
27 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the Science Couch is more like the Science Operating Table. Get ready to have 33 minutes of pure, surgery-inspired science implanted direct...
Waves
20 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you're surfing, listening to the radio, getting an x-ray, or just looking at something, take a moment and thank waves for making it all possib...
SciShow Tangents Classics - Allergies
13 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It feels like this allergy season is never gonna end, so we decided to dig into the archives to learn a little more about the pollen, dander, and othe...
Teeth
06 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Get ready to take a big old bite of science (and fun)! This week, we’re sinking our teeth… into teeth! Ouch! Plus, Hank comes up with yet another...
Cyborgs with AshleyRoboto
29 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Twitch streamer and science enthusiast AshleyRoboto joins us to talk about cyborgs! Get ready to radically broaden your definition of cybor...