‘SciShow’ YouTube Channel Explores the Unexpected, Tackles Most Asked Questions

Science enthusiasts who want to have a daily dose of fun yet useful information can tune in to the YouTube channel called 'SciShow.' The crowd-funded program answers some of the questions that people are curious about but may be afraid to ask, and it provides a wealth of interesting facts.

On Saturday, June 25, for instance, it tackled the question, "Why Does Garlic Ruin Dates?" The video discusses in less than three minutes why, after one eats garlic-flavored food, they begin to reek of the odor.

"When you chop, crush, or otherwise mangle a clove for your favorite recipe, you end up releasing alliinase enzymes, which quickly get to work breaking down odorless alliin compounds in the garlic into allicin (the stinky stuff)," says one of the regular hosts, Michael Aranda.

He explains that allicin further breaks down into other compounds, most of which contain sulfur, which cause "garlic breath." One particular compound that lingers is called Allyl Methyl Sulfide (AMS) because it is first absorbed by the intestines, then it enters the bloodstream, and eventually goes to organs including the kidneys, skin and lungs. This is then excreted through breathe, sweat and urine. Aranda also provides some tips on how to at least lessen one's death breath.

On Sunday, June 25, the show discussed 'Five of the Worst Computer Viruses;' on Monday, it showed that 'Octopuses are Ridiculously Smart'; on Tuesday, it answered the question 'Why Do We Stretch in the Morning?'; on Wednesday, it tackled the reliability of science; and on Thursday, it featured the air conditioner -- the 'Coolest Idea Ever.'

Some of its most watched episodes are: '7 Things We Don't Know About the Ocean,' 'Why Avocados Shouldn't Exist,' and 'Why Do We Have Butt Hair?'

'SciShow' is one the members in the SciShow family of science channels on YouTube, which also include 'SciShow Space' and 'SciShow Kids.' It is crowd-funded on Patreon, and requires a budget of $23,144 per month.

"SciShow is expensive," reads that post on Patreon. "It's easy to make the world seem interesting because the world is interesting. But it's hard to really drill down deep into the really weird, peculiar, surprising bits that (usually) only professional scientists are talking about. For us, that's where the real juice is, and that takes time, especially if you want to get it right."