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Be Smart

How Did X Become the Unknown (and so much else)?

Season 11 Episode 17 | 10m 57s

Despite being one of the rarest letters in English, the letter X is everywhere. We sign letters with it, we rate movies with it, we name all sorts of things after it. We’re kind of obsessed with it. And that’s probably all thanks to math, where x stands for the unknown. But how x took on this role is a bit of an unknown itself, and the theories that are out there are truly bizarre.

Aired: 09/20/23
Extras
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Episode: S13 E8 | 16:20
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How Feathered Dinosaurs Accidentally Invented Flight
How did dinosaurs become birds—and what good is half a wing?
Episode: S13 E7 | 16:18
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What Could We See with a Planet-Sized Telescope?
Just how big would a telescope need to be to actually see an alien world in detail?
Episode: S13 E6 | 16:00
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The Argument for De-Extinction: Explained
Dire wolves are back—sort of.
Episode: S13 E5 | 26:19
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Will Earth Run Out of Oxygen
The key enzyme behind photosynthesis isn’t actually all that great at its job.
Episode: S13 E4 | 16:53
Watch • 16:40
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What’s Inside the Oldest Rocks in the World?
The oldest rocks on Earth are more than just ancient—they’re time machines!
Episode: S13 E3 | 16:40
Watch • 17:11
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Why Your Grandma Is an Evolutionary Mystery
This is one of the weirdest mysteries of human evolution: Why do we have grandmas?
Episode: S13 E2 | 17:11
Watch • 11:06
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The Weird Science That Lets Insects Fly in the RainThe Weird Science That Lets Insects Fly in the Rain
Insects and birds have an awesome superpower that repels water and keeps them airborne in the rain.
Episode: E1 | 11:06
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Watch • 14:51
Be Smart
Why Seedless Fruit Is a Disaster Waiting To Happen
Seedless fruits are delicious, convenient… and completely unnatural.
Episode: S13 E10 | 14:51
Watch • 21:13
Be Smart
The Randomness Crisis Threatening the Internet
What does randomness really mean? And why your digital life depend on it?
Episode: S13 E9 | 21:13
Watch • 16:20
Be Smart
Blood Types Are Weirder Than You Think
Why do we have different blood types? And why do we have blood at all?
Episode: S13 E8 | 16:20
Watch • 16:18
Be Smart
How Feathered Dinosaurs Accidentally Invented Flight
How did dinosaurs become birds—and what good is half a wing?
Episode: S13 E7 | 16:18
Watch • 16:00
Be Smart
What Could We See with a Planet-Sized Telescope?
Just how big would a telescope need to be to actually see an alien world in detail?
Episode: S13 E6 | 16:00
Watch • 26:19
Be Smart
The Argument for De-Extinction: Explained
Dire wolves are back—sort of.
Episode: S13 E5 | 26:19
Watch • 16:53
Be Smart
Will Earth Run Out of Oxygen
The key enzyme behind photosynthesis isn’t actually all that great at its job.
Episode: S13 E4 | 16:53
Watch • 16:40
Be Smart
What’s Inside the Oldest Rocks in the World?
The oldest rocks on Earth are more than just ancient—they’re time machines!
Episode: S13 E3 | 16:40
Watch • 17:11
Be Smart
Why Your Grandma Is an Evolutionary Mystery
This is one of the weirdest mysteries of human evolution: Why do we have grandmas?
Episode: S13 E2 | 17:11
Watch • 11:06
Be Smart
The Weird Science That Lets Insects Fly in the RainThe Weird Science That Lets Insects Fly in the Rain
Insects and birds have an awesome superpower that repels water and keeps them airborne in the rain.
Episode: E1 | 11:06