From Crash Course. For centuries, “official” art spaces have shaped whose work gets taken seriously. But there are no required qualifications for making art! In this episode of Crash Course Art History, we’ll explore amateurs and outsiders. We’ll learn how the line separating who’s in and who’s out has shifted over time — and how…

From Crash Course. How can the color “red” be a global commodity? How can the way a statue stands be a sign of cultural exchange? In this episode of Crash Course Art History, we’ll explore how trade networks have moved both materials and ideas — and how art reflects a multi-directional flow of influences. Introduction:…

From Crash Course. In this episode, Katie Mack and John Green discuss the wonder keeping the stars apart… dark energy. Head to https://policygenius.com/crashcourse to get your free life insurance quotes and see how much you could save. This show is a production of Complexly. If you want to help keep Crash Course free for everyone,…

From Crash Course. Biology connects all of life—all of YOUR life. In the final episode of Crash Course Biology, Dr. Sammy is taking your questions. No matter how big, small, or personal, biology is in them all! He’ll show us how biology can help us solve problems and understand everyday life. Introduction: Biology and You…

From Crash Course. In this episode of Crash Course Art History, we’ll hold a mirror to our bodies…in art, anyway. We’ll learn what portraits and self-portraits can tell us about the people they represent and about artists who’ve used bodies to critique their societies. Introduction: We All Have Bodies 00:00 Portraits & Self-Portraits 00:56 European…

From Crash Course. Why do animals do what they do? It’s a huge question, and in this episode, we’ll learn how scientists break it down. We’ll talk about the proximate and ultimate studies they use to understand animal behavior, and some of what they’ve learned along the way — including how much decision-making other animals…

From Crash Course. "How do we know that dark matter is there?" In this episode, Dr. Katie Mack and John Green unpack the full story of dark matter. Head to https://policygenius.com/crashcourse to get your free life insurance quotes and see how much you could save.This show is a production of Complexly. If you want to…

From Crash Course. Art is often understood as a solitary act of personal expression. But art is also the basis for community from Alaska to Mali — and from gay rights advocates to Frida Kahlo appreciators. In this episode we’ll learn how community is created through art. Note: While Yayoi Kusama is an incredibly influential…

From Crash Course. We tend to think life fits in two tidy categories: male or female, XX or XY. But it’s so much more diverse and complicated! In this episode of Crash Course Biology, we’ll discover sex and sexuality as a continuum across life. We’ll learn why humans are the only species with gender, and…

From Crash Course. From sunsets to double rainbows, nature’s full of beautiful things. So it’s not surprising that artists have found inspiration in Mother Nature for millennia. What is surprising is the wide variety of human concerns that nature art has been used to convey. In this episode of Crash Course Art History, we’ll learn…

From Crash Course. "The Big Sink" In this episode, John and Katie take a break from talking through the universe’s timeline to focus on a mystery of our cosmos: black holes. Head to https://policygenius.com/crashcourse to get your free life insurance quotes and see how much you could save. *** Support us for $5/month on Patreon…

From Crash Course. When it comes to animal reproduction, there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy. Some animals need a mate, others don’t, and for some, it depends! In this episode, we’ll learn about sexual and asexual reproduction, internal and external fertilization, and all the ways that life, uh… finds a way. Introduction: Reproduction 00:00 Asexual reproduction 01:33…

From Crash Course. From the Egyptian Book of the Dead to Tibetan Buddhist sand mandalas, humans have always reached for art to express religious ideas and impulses. In this episode, we’ll explore how concepts of the divine and spirituality intersect with the history of art. Introduction: James Hampton 00:00 The Book of the Dead 01:07…

From Crash Course. If cells and organs never talked to each other, an animal would fall apart faster than a boy band after the popular one goes solo. Thankfully, that’s where the nervous and endocrine systems come in! In this episode of Crash Course Biology, we’ll learn how they use neurons, hormones, and more to…

From Crash Course. From cave paintings to public murals, humans have told stories with art for thousands of years. In this episode of Crash Course Art History, we discover that visual storytelling is elementally human — and so is competing over whose story is told. Introduction: Narrative Art 00:00 History as Story 00:55 Contradictory Stories…

From Crash Course. "Is free will still in the equation?" In this episode, the universe begins to become visible to itself. Dr. Katie Mack teaches John Green about the moment the stars turned on, while John seeks to answer one question… do humans matter to the universe? Head to https://policygenius.com/crashcourse to get your free life…

From Crash Course. The world is full of microbes and viruses that can get us sick, but we’ve got an Avengers-style defense system ready to take them on. In this episode of Crash Course Biology, we’ll learn about an animal’s immune system, from their skin to inflammatory responses, to the adaptive immune system and all…

From Crash Course. What makes some art valuable enough to hang in museums? In this episode of Crash Course Art History, we’ll look at different ways we can figure out the value of art beyond the number on the price tag, and we’ll examine how culture, society, history, and storytelling influence how we evaluate artwork.…

From Crash Course. In this episode of Crash Course Art History, we’ll keep digging into the myth of the Great Artist, with whether we can—or should—separate artists’ personal actions and beliefs from the art they create. Art historians are exploring new ways to think about artists’ relationship to their work and how to talk about…

From Crash Course. Head to https://policygenius.com/crashcourse to get your free life insurance quotes and see how much you could save. In this episode, the universe as we know it starts to come into focus. Dr. Katie Mack teaches John Green about the cosmic dark ages, the possibility of a multiverse, and the connection between the…

From Crash Course. When you think about the body’s infrastructure, you probably think of bones. But what about the heart, the blood vessels, and the lymphatic system? In this episode of Crash Course Biology, we’ll tour the cardiovascular, lymphatic, and musculoskeletal systems, learning how all of them keep a vertebrate’s inner workings connected, powered up,…

From Crash Course. Yep, this is the poop episode. Getting resources and getting rid of waste is so important, we have three whole systems dedicated to it! In this episode, we’ll learn how the respiratory system, digestive system, and urinary system work, and visit some other animals that process their resources in completely different (and…

From Crash Course. Michelangelo. Vincent Van Gogh. Pablo Picasso. The story of art history is told through the biographies of individual celebrity artists. In this episode of Crash Course Art History, we’ll learn about where the myth of the Great Artist comes from — and why it might be time for a new perspective. Introduction:…

From Crash Course. Head to https://policygenius.com/crashcourse to get your free life insurance quotes and see how much you could save. In Episode 2 of their journey through the history of the universe, Dr. Katie Mack and John Green discuss the fundamental forces of nature, the tiny ovens we know as particle colliders, and how we…

From Crash Course. Plants may not seem like they’re doing much, but if you look closer, you’ll find a whole world just lurking beyond the surface. We’re talking chemical defenses, highways, and even ways to change the weather. In this episode, we’ll learn how plants get resources, get rid of waste, stay defended, govern themselves,…

From Crash Course. In this episode of Crash Course Art History, we’ll learn why museums are so much more than just collections of interesting and pretty objects. Their legacy includes everything from violence to theft, to, oddly enough, mermaid hands. Introduction: What Counts as a Museum? 00:00 Ancient Versions of Museums 0:59 Cabinets of Curiosities…

From Crash Course. There are countless types of plants and animals on Earth, but how do they work? In this episode of Crash Course Biology, we’ll take a bird’s eye view of how multicellular life functions, including how it’s organized, how it regulates itself to maintain homeostasis, and the big question: Why are these living…