Be Smart is created and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D.

We give you deep answers to simple questions about science and the rest of the universe.

Have ideas or questions? Find me on Twitter: @okaytobesmart or @DrJoeHanson

Can AI Help Us Talk to Whales?
23:05
Can AI Help Us Talk to Whales?
How the Heck Do you Measure an Entire UNIVERSE?
11:14
How the Heck Do you Measure an Entire UNIVERSE?
Why Solar Eclipses Are Such a Big Deal
16:01
Why Solar Eclipses Are Such a Big Deal
Space is Full of Junk. Here’s How to Clean It Up…
12:59
Space is Full of Junk. Here’s How to Clean It Up…
Why NASA Punched an Asteroid
15:16
Why NASA Punched an Asteroid
The Risk of Sending Messages to Extraterrestrials (Dark Forest Hypothesis)
11:59
The Risk of Sending Messages to Extraterrestrials (Dark Forest Hypothesis)
I Don’t Know How to Feel About 2023
9:41
I Don’t Know How to Feel About 2023
How Scientists Made the Hottest Thing Ever
15:06
How Scientists Made the Hottest Thing Ever
Can a Billion Oysters Save New York City?
13:31
Can a Billion Oysters Save New York City?
The Incredible Engineering That Helps You Survive Car Crashes
38:05
The Incredible Engineering That Helps You Survive Car Crashes
The Strange Psychology of Superfans (with @smartereveryday)
19:14
The Strange Psychology of Superfans (with @smartereveryday)
How Did X Become the Unknown (and so much else)?
11:39
How Did X Become the Unknown (and so much else)?
What Is the Most Average Thing?
18:03
What Is the Most Average Thing?
The Biggest Myth About Innovation
18:59
The Biggest Myth About Innovation
Why Some of the Rainbow is Missing
12:12
Why Some of the Rainbow is Missing
The Truth About Butterfly Metamorphosis (It's VERY WEIRD)
15:31
The Truth About Butterfly Metamorphosis (It's VERY WEIRD)
How Scorpions Became Earth’s Ultimate Survivors
14:38
How Scorpions Became Earth’s Ultimate Survivors
Lab-Grown Meat is Here… and I Taste-Tested It!
15:57
Lab-Grown Meat is Here… and I Taste-Tested It!
The Deadly Chemistry That Made Life Interesting
14:47
The Deadly Chemistry That Made Life Interesting
How the CIA Secretly Spied On Climate Change
18:44
How the CIA Secretly Spied On Climate Change
Why Y Is a Vowel According to Physics (and so is W)
15:01
Why Y Is a Vowel According to Physics (and so is W)
How To Go Faster Than Light Speed (Seriously…)
11:54
How To Go Faster Than Light Speed (Seriously…)
You'll Never Guess Where Earth's Largest Migration Happens
11:48
You'll Never Guess Where Earth's Largest Migration Happens
Why Does Every Animal Look Like This?
11:09
Why Does Every Animal Look Like This?
Can We Solve the Air Conditioning Paradox?
13:31
Can We Solve the Air Conditioning Paradox?
The Science of Iridescence
16:48
The Science of Iridescence
The Dark Origins of the Scientific Method
12:29
The Dark Origins of the Scientific Method
The Evolutionary Purpose of Fun
9:51
The Evolutionary Purpose of Fun
Why Being Embarrassed Is Good For You
13:45
Why Being Embarrassed Is Good For You
In Search of the Blackest Thing on Earth
14:25
In Search of the Blackest Thing on Earth