Alex Gendler: How tsunamis work
The immense swell of a tsunami can grow up to 100 feet, hitting speeds over 500 mph -- a treacherous combination for anyone or anything in its path. Alex Gendler details the causes of these towering terrors and explains how scientists are seeking to reduce their destruction in the future. [Directed by Augenblick Studios, narrated by Michelle Sno...
Alex Gendler: Can you solve the three gods riddle?
You and your team have crash-landed on an ancient planet. Can you appease the three alien overlords who rule it and get your team safely home? Created by logician Raymond Smullyan, and popularized by his colleague George Boolos, this riddle has been called the hardest logic puzzle ever. Alex Gendler shows how to solve it. [Directed by Artrake St...
Alex Gendler: Can you solve the prisoner hat riddle?
You and nine other individuals have been captured by super-intelligent alien overlords. The aliens think humans look quite tasty, but their civilization forbids eating highly logical and cooperative beings. Unfortunately, they're not sure whether you qualify, so they decide to give you all a test. Can you solve this hat riddle? Alex Gendler show...
Alex Gendler: Can you solve the famously difficult green-eyed logic puzzle?
One hundred green-eyed logicians have been imprisoned on an island by a mad dictator. Their only hope for freedom lies in the answer to one famously difficult logic puzzle. Can you solve it? Alex Gendler walks us through this green-eyed riddle. [Directed by Artrake Studio, narrated by Addison Anderson].
Alex Gendler: Myths and misconceptions about evolution
How does evolution really work? Actually, not how some of our common evolutionary metaphors would have us believe. For instance, it's species, not individual organisms, that adapt to produce evolution, and genes don't "want" to be passed on -- a gene can't want anything at all! Alex Gendler sets the record straight on the finer points of evoluti...
Alex Gendler: Why do we cry? The three types of tears
Whether we cry during a sad movie, while chopping onions, or completely involuntarily, our eyes are constantly producing tears. Alex Gendler tracks a particularly watery day in the life of Iris (the iris) as she cycles through basal, reflex and emotional tears. [Directed by The Moving Company Animation Studio, narrated by Addison Anderson].
Alex Gendler: Which voting system is the best?
Imagine we want to build a new space port at one of four recently settled Martian bases, and are holding a vote to choose its location. Of the 100 colonists on Mars, 42 live on West Base, 26 on North Base, 15 on South Base, and 17 on East Base. Assuming that everyone wants the port to be closest to their home base, what is the fairest way to con...
Alex Gendler: How does impeachment work?
For most jobs, it's understood that you can be fired – whether for crime, incompetence, or just poor performance. But what if your job happens to be the most powerful position in the country – or the world? That's where impeachment comes in. But how does it work? Alex Gendler details the process of impeachment. [Directed by Mark Phillips, narrat...
Alex Gendler: Can you solve the bridge riddle?
Taking that internship in a remote mountain lab might not have been the best idea. Pulling that lever with the skull symbol just to see what it did probably wasn't so smart either. But now is not the time for regrets because you need to get away from these mutant zombies...fast. Can you use math to get you and your friends over the bridge before...
Alex Gendler: The myth of Loki and the master builder
Asgard, a realm of wonders, was where the Norse Gods made their home. There Odin's great hall of Valhalla towered above the mountains and Bifrost, the rainbow bridge, anchored itself. Though their domain was magnificent, it stood undefended from the giants and trolls who sought to destroy them. But a stranger appeared and made the gods an offer....
Alex Gendler: History vs. Christopher Columbus
Many people in the United States and Latin America have grown up celebrating the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's voyage. But was he an intrepid explorer who brought two worlds together or a ruthless exploiter who brought colonialism and slavery? And did he even discover America at all? Alex Gendler puts Columbus on the stand in History vs....
Alex Gendler: Building the world's largest (and most controversial) power plant
In 2018, a single power plant produced more energy than the world's largest coal-powered and gas-powered plants combined. China's Three Gorges Dam relies on running water, and is capable of producing more energy than any other power plant on Earth. So what allows Three Gorges to generate all this power? And how do hydroelectric plants work in th...
Alex Gendler: Can you solve the pirate riddle?
It's a good day to be a pirate. Amaro and his four mateys – Bart, Charlotte, Daniel, and Eliza have struck gold – a chest with 100 coins. But now, they must divvy up the booty according to the pirate code — and pirate code is notoriously complicated. Can you help come up with the distribution that Amaro should propose to make sure he lives to te...
Alex Gendler: Can you solve the death race riddle?
The night before the Death Race across the Wastelands is set to begin, your uncle, the great inventor Slate Kanoli, got kidnapped by the ruthless No-Side gang. The only way to get him back is to race his Coil Runner against the gang yourself. Win and they'll give back your uncle. Lose and you'll forfeit the Coil Runner and all his other creation...
Alex Gendler: Can you outsmart this logical fallacy?
Meet Lucy. She was a math major in college, and aced all her courses in probability and statistics. Which do you think is more likely: that Lucy is a portrait artist, or that Lucy is a portrait artist who also plays poker? How do we know which statement is more likely to be true? Alex Gendler explores our tendency to look for shortcuts and the p...
Alex Gendler: Can you solve the multiplying rabbits riddle?
After years of experiments, you've finally created the pets of the future – nano-rabbits! They're tiny, they're fuzzy ... and they multiply faster than the eye can see. But a rival lab has sabotaged you, threatening the survival of your new friends. Can you figure out how to avert this hare-raising catastrophe? Alex Gendler shows how. [Directed ...
Alex Gendler: Can you solve the rebel supplies riddle?
You're overseeing the delivery of supplies to a rebel base in the heart of enemy territory. To get past customs, all packages must follow this rule: if a box is marked with an even number on the bottom, it must be sealed with a red top. One of the four boxes was sealed incorrectly, but they lost track of which one. Can you figure out which box i...
Alex Gendler: Can you solve the Alice in Wonderland riddle?
After many adventures in Wonderland, Alice has once again found herself in the court of the temperamental Queen of Hearts. She's about to pass through the garden undetected, when she overhears the king and queen arguing that 64 is the same as 65. Can Alice prove the queen wrong and escape unscathed? Alex Gendler shows how. [Directed by Artrake S...
Alex Gendler: How one design flaw almost toppled a skyscraper
In 1978, Diane Hartley was writing her undergraduate architecture thesis when she made a shocking discovery. After weeks of poring over the Citicorp Center's building plans, she'd stumbled on an oversight that threatened to topple the 59-story tower into one of New York City's most densely populated districts. Alex Gendler digs into the skyscrap...
Alex Gendler: Demolition, disease, and death: Building the Panama Canal
In the 19th century, the California gold rush brought thousands of settlers to America's west coast. But finding gold may have been easier than transporting it back east. The only hope for avoiding a grueling six month wagon journey was to travel the narrowest portion of the continent — the 48-kilometer Isthmus of Panama. Alex Gendler details th...
Alex Gendler: Building the impossible: Golden Gate Bridge
Stretching 227 meters tall, two towers were assembled to support California's Golden Gate Bridge. They were just one of the challenges facing engineers Charles Ellis and Joseph Strauss. Even before construction began, many thought the project impossible: the strait was home to powerful winds, constant fog, and earthquakes. So how was this iconic...
Alex Gendler: Why are airplanes slower than they used to be?
In 1996, a British Airways plane flew from New York to London in a record-breaking two hours and fifty-three minutes. Today, however, passengers flying the same route can expect to spend no less than six hours in the air — twice as long. So why, in a world where everything seems to be getting faster, have commercial flights lagged behind? Alex G...
Alex Gendler: The Egyptian myth of Isis and the seven scorpions
A woman in rags emerged from a swamp flanked by seven giant scorpions and approached a magnificent mansion to beg for food. But the mistress of the house took one look at her grimy clothes and unusual companions and slammed the door in her face. Little did the mistress know the woman was no ordinary beggar, but the most powerful goddess in Egypt...
Alex Gendler: A day in the life of a Cossack warrior
The year is 1676, and a treaty has officially ended hostilities between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire. Despite a serene sunset on the Dnipro river, the mood is tense for the Zaporozhian Cossacks. Renowned as one of Europe's most formidable military forces, they are in the midst of a power struggle. Alex Gendler outlin...
Alex Gendler: Why doesn't the Leaning Tower of Pisa fall over?
In 1990, the Italian government enlisted top engineers to stabilize Pisa's famous Leaning Tower. There'd been many attempts during its 800 year history, but computer models revealed the urgency of their situation. The tower would topple if it reached an angle of 5.44 degrees— and it was currently leaning at 5.5. What gives the tower its infamous...
Alex Gendler: Can you solve the giant iron riddle?
The family of giants you work for is throwing a fancy dinner party, but there's a problem — the elder giant's favorite shirt is wrinkled! To fix it, you'll need to power up the giant iron. It needs two batteries to work, but the baby giant mixed the working battery pile with the dead pile. Can you test the batteries so that you get a working pai...
Alex Gendler: The Turing test: Can a computer pass for a human?
What is consciousness? Can an artificial machine really think? For many, these have been vital considerations for the future of artificial intelligence. But British computer scientist Alan Turing decided to disregard all these questions in favor of a much simpler one: Can a computer talk like a human? Alex Gendler describes the Turing test and d...
Alex Gendler: How the world's longest underwater tunnel was built
Flanked by two powerful nations, the English Channel has long been one of the world's most important maritime passages. Yet for most of its history, crossing was a dangerous prospect. Engineers proposed numerous plans for spanning the gap, including a design for an underwater passage more than twice the length of any existing tunnel. Alex Gendle...
Alex Gendler: The original ring of power
More than 2,000 years ago, the Greek philosopher Plato recounted the legend of the Ring of Gyges in "Republic." The story of the ring surfaces as the philosopher, Socrates, and his student discuss why people act justly: is it because it's what's right? Or because it's a convention that's enforced through punishment and reward? Alex Gendler share...
Alex Gendler: What is a gift economy?
What if, this holiday season, instead of saying "thank you" to your aunt for her gift of a knitted sweater, the polite response expected from you was to show up at her house in a week with a better gift? Or to vote for her in the town election? Or let her adopt your firstborn child? Alex Gendler explains how all of these things might not sound s...