Skip to main content

Up Next

Why You See Faces in Things

Why You See Faces in Things

Season 12 Episode 10
10:23
Why Do We Hate Certain Sounds

Why Do We Hate Certain Sounds

Season 12 Episode 12
16:27
The Paradox of Voting

The Paradox of Voting

Season 12 Episode 13
12:40
Why Don’t Humans Hibernate?

Why Don’t Humans Hibernate?

Season 12 Episode 14
11:17
Camouflage Isn't What It Appears To Be

Camouflage Isn't What It Appears To Be

Season 12 Episode 15
11:20
Why Useless Knowledge Can Be So Useful

Why Useless Knowledge Can Be So Useful

Season 12 Episode 17
14:35
What Synesthesia Feels Like

What Synesthesia Feels Like

Season 12 Episode 18
12:28
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
Season
Why trees look like rivers and also blood vessels and also lightning…
10:00
Why do the same, self-repeating patterns appear in trees, rivers, lightning, and even our bodies?
Computers Can Predict When You're Going to Die… Here's How
12:54
Can new technologies make death prediction even more accurate?
Can AI Help Us Talk to Whales?
21:33
AI may help us talk to whales soon. But should we?!
Measuring the Universe With a 14-Billion Light-Year Ruler
10:40
The cosmic distance ladder is the world’s longest ruler, built to measure the universe.
Why the 2024 Solar Eclipse is Such a Big Deal
15:17
On April 8, North America is getting a total solar eclipse. Here’s what you need to know.
Space is Full of Junk. Here’s How to Clean It Up…
12:09
Learn about the space junk problem and the giant space claw named ClearSpace-1 that might
Why NASA Punched an Asteroid
14:28
These tiny pieces of an ancient asteroid could hold the secret to the origin of life.
Maybe We've Already Made First Contact…
10:28
What do scientists think are the best ways of reaching out to aliens?
I Don’t Know How to Feel About 2023
9:40
How bad is climate change in 2023? Can we do anything about it?
How Scientists Made the Hottest Thing Ever
13:38
A cosmic soup hadn’t existed in 13.8 billion years. Now, scientists cook it up in a lab.
Can a Billion Oysters Save New York City?
12:56
After a century of industrial pollution and superstorms, New York's waterways needs help!
Crash Test Science! (Hacking Physics To Save Lives)
37:33
Crashing a car is usually a terrible accident. But sometimes, it’s a way to save lives.
Active loading indicator