Back to Show
It's Okay to Be Smart
The Real (Weird) Way We See Numbers
Season 12
Episode 8
Would it surprise you to learn that fish and birds count in pretty much the same way that we do? And that infants can do math? Our animal brains deal with quantities in very specific ways, from quick counts of a few dots to how we perceive larger numbers. This "number sense" impacts our psychology, history, and behavior in the most fascinating ways.
Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Provided By

10:16
Eating turkey this holiday season? You’re eating a dinosaur!

6:08
The edge of everything might not even exist…

7:41
The 1918 Flu outbreak killed 5% of the world's population--could it happen again?

5:30
Scientists have discovered the largest river on Earth, and it’s in the sky above.

6:40
Teeth are made from some biological nanotechnology that will blow your mind.

5:24
Raindrops are shaped like teardrops, right? Wrong! Let's discover rain's true shape.

6:07
Turns out the inheritance of height is a lot more complicated than we thought.

6:33
Ever wondered why restaurants warn you about raw or undercooked seafood on their menus?

5:48
Got a bad habit you can’t break? That’s because it’s literally wired into your brain.

6:05
The answer led me to new knowledge about human development.

8:03
From anatomy to genes, here are some stories of how you got to be the way you are.

4:20
Why do we cry? It’s weird.