Science Episodes

What exactly is coronavirus, and what's the best way to protect yourself? We checked in with Dr. Amesh Adalja to ask if surgical masks really keep you healthy, and what you should do instead.

This week's viewer question comes from Kal Mbye in Gambia.

The U.S. has become dependent on drones to monitor and target perceived threats. They may keep military officials out of the line of fire, but these unmanned aircrafts aren’t as autonomous as they seem. How much do you really know about how a dron...

Fears of subliminal messages have been present in pop culture for decades, but does it actually work? And where did it start?

The Star Wars opening crawl is arguably as iconic as light sabers and Darth Vader himself. hen A New Hope hit theaters in 1977 audiences rose to their feet during this intro crawl, cheering in unfiltered excitement. Over the past 42 years each of ...

Fasting is a practice that dates back centuries and still plays a role in many cultures and religions.

Fasting is a practice that dates back centuries and still plays a role in many cultures and religions.

Li-Fi, short for "Light Fidelity" is a wireless technology that uses LED light to share data. It is faster and safer than regular WiFi. And it could soon be put into practice.

It isn't only physicists who are fascinated by light. Poets too have been entranced by its powers. Photons have mysterious properties. Perhaps this is why we like to light candles when we're feeling contemplative.

MIndAffect is researching ways to let users control devices with just their minds.

Africa's first climate monitoring station is located on Mount Mugogo in Rwanda. Scientists there monitor levels of various greenhouse gases. They hope their data will help strengthen Africa's position at international climate negotiations.

Mark Zuckerberg and his wife recently announced they want to cure the world of all disease.

Blanketing the Antarctic ice sheet in artificial snow might sound outlandish. But could geoengineering help to counteract runaway climate change? One thing is clear: many of the ideas could be very risky.

In the Gorongosa National Park, young female scientists are cataloguing flora and fauna for a global genetic database. It will enhance our understanding of the diversity of life on earth and the roles different species play.

This week's viewer question comes from Osman Maiga in Uganda.

Cholesterol and heart attacks across the country are both down since 2013 due to improved medical advice.

Whether hard drives or electric motors, rare earth elements play a key role in a range of technologies. The metals mostly come from China. To ease dependence, researchers at the RWTH Aachen University are working on recycling the precious elements.

Travelling up and down the river, Alexander von Humboldt was ravished by the beauty and variety of the landscapes, flora and fauna. Today nature conservationists are battling to preserve the region's many threatened species.

If sap could be manipulated to make a plant more attractive to various pollinators, it would help secure harvests. A common plant pest is helping researchers in the process.

With TB as the leading infectious cause of death around the world, researchers have found a new vaccine that could save millions.

Botswana to set up boreholes to save elephants during the drought caused by climate change. At least 120 elephants have died in the Chobe area, last week.

Prof Jennifer Doudna, one the pioneers of Crispr-Cas9 gene editing, explains how this revolutionary discovery enables precise changes to our DNA.

Memory does not work like a video tape – it is not stored like a file just waiting to be retrieved. Instead, memories are formed in networks across the brain and every time they are recalled they can be subtly changed.

The first of a series of films called 'Five minute masterminds' starts with Prof Martin Rees, the astronomer royal.

Though not a new phenomenon, flat Earth theory has enjoyed a huge resurgence recently.

A Harvard study found that eating a handful of nuts frequently helps keep off excess weight gain.

Sound is a vital element of any film. But what about sounds you can't hear? In this video, Cheddar Explains how sub-bass sounds, and infrasounds can be used to mess with the human body - from discomfort, to straight-up anxiety.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlights long-term and unresolvable burnout not as a symptom, but a major health concern.

Have you ever walked down a city street in the winter and almost been blown off your feet by freezing wind? Well, it's the result of man-made street canyons. Towering buildings lining city avenues cause conditions like elevated temperatures, wind ...

The fashion industry is a fossil-fuel-guzzling operation as many of our clothes are made from petroleum-based textiles such as polyester.

Since its inception the art of typography was very much that: an art form. New fonts were designed to suit a mood, match a message, or to better catch your eye. But today, it’s becoming a science. Recently, an educational therapist and typographer...

A low-carb diet is by far the best way to lose belly fat, according to health experts.

A new study revealed a hidden perk of being tall.

New York City has always been described as filthy and smelly with trash everywhere. But, how did New York develop these characteristics? It began with the original urban planning back in the 1800's.

Drone technology is increasingly being used to provide remote care, supplement emergency responses, and generally decrease the time it takes for people to get the medical attention that they need. Cheddar explores the technology and some of the pl...

Are left-handed people different, or is that a myth?

The saying, "Choose to be optimistic, it feels better," has been backed up by science.

The Humboldt Current along the coast of Peru is bursting with life. With its nutrient-rich water from the depths, the ocean current discovered by Humboldt is vital for a huge ecosystem. But climate change is now disrupting it.

German scientist Alexander von Humboldt was intrigued by the way of life of indigenous peoples in South America. In that spirit we visit members of the Achuar people, who live in relative isolation deep in the Amazon forest.

Imagine a tower of the dead, looming over your downtown. Creepy? Or a good reminder that life is fleeting? Cheddar Explains why vertical cemeteries are on the rise.

Dr. Mona Sarfaty, the director of the Medical Society's consortium on climate and health, details how the changing climate requires a change in the way future doctors are taught about public health.

When Alexander von Humboldt traveled to Ecuador, he found dozens of volcanoes. The discovery prompted him to dub the area the "Avenue of the Volcanoes," and to this day, 17 of them remain active. DW went to see them.

The new Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+. Key new features include Air actions - which allow users to phone some parts of the phone by making gestures in the air with the included S Pen stylus. Also includes AR Doodle feature which allows user...

Credit: David Gruber, City University of New York Glowing bright green may not seem like the most effective disguise, but some sharks take on the colour to make sure only their own kind can identify them. And while a green hue may be a sign of i...

The new Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ makes it debut . Key features include Air actions - which allow users to phone some parts of the phone by making gestures in the air with the included S Pen stylus, and supercharging. Other features i...

Worried about how to protect your seaside chips from pesky seagulls? Scientists believe the answer lies in an old-fashioned stare down. The would-be feathered thieves are more likely to strike when they can swoop in under the radar, avoiding the ...

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has successfully launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on Tuesday evening.The 70 meter rocket contained the AMOS-17 satellite which will provide internet, phone and secure communications to the Middle East, Africa, and E...

Glaring at seagulls makes them less likely to steal your food, according to a new study. University of Exeter researchers found on average the gulls took 21 seconds longer to approach the food if they were stared at. The would-be feathered thieve...