Smarter Every Day - In Order
By popular demand: This playlist includes all Smarter Every Day videos created to date in order from newest to oldest.
Deep Dive Series #1
Helicopter Physics
When I finished my Masters Degree in Aerospace Engineering I felt like I had a good handle on Rockets and Airplanes (my focus was on solid rocket propulsion). Helicopters, however were a serious gap in my knowledge. The fact that I didn’t know what made a helicopter go up and down (I thought it was rotor speed) embarrassed me quite a bit, so I set out on a quest to learn everything I could about helicopters. I learned ALOT.
Take 30 minutes to watch this and become a helicopter genius. I personally still enjoy watching this list because I can see my ignorance falling away with every video. Keep in mind though, watching this list will not make you a good pilot! That comes with training!
Deep Dive Series #2
Bird Flight
Mankind has always been fascinated by flight. I decided to take a look HANDS ON look at the mechanics of bird flight. I travelled to the rain forest and videoed Macaws flying off of a clay lick... I borrowed homing pigeons from a friend, spoke to people who raise ducks, etc. The more I learned about birds, the more I was fascinated with how they operate.
Deep Dive Series #3
Butterflies
I went to a friend's wedding one day and struck up a conversation with the guy across the table. He casually mentioned that he was a butterfly farmer. I laughed in his face (which he thought was very odd). After apologizing for being so rude, I explained to him that I had just returned from the Amazon Rainforest, where I discovered many things about butterflies that I did not understand. He was the perfect man to help me learn. I visited John the butterfly farmer, and my journey took off from there. This Deep Dive takes us from the jungles to the Peru to the halls of Biological Imaging Centers and Aerospace Engineering Departments. I hope you find butterflies half as fascinating as I do!
Deep Dive Series #4
Great Barrier Reef
I was asked to visit several Universities for National Science week in Australia. My only condition was that I wanted to visit James Cook University and do research with Dr. Jamie Seymour. It happened. I learned things on the bottom of the ocean (on the Great Barrier Reef), as well as in the Toxins lab. Not being a biologist myself, I learned a ton!
Deep Dive Series #5
The Amazing Amazon
It all started with a response to a YouTube comment. "What would you do if you could go to the Amazon Rainforest" said Jeff from Rainforest Expeditions in Peru. I answered the comment and went for it. I took a high speed camera down to Peru and spent days and days walking around the rainforest with several people. Long story short, we discovered a new species of spider, a new method of sawfly larvae locomotion, and filmed more things than you could imagine in slow motion.