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Be Smart

Something Strange Happens When You Flatten the Earth…

Season 14 Episode 3 | 24m 25s

Imprisoned for heresy, Gerardus Mercator later created a map that transformed navigation forever. We explore why his projection distorts the world, how it solved a deadly problem for sailors, and the astonishing mystery of how he used math that hadn’t even been invented yet to do it all.

Aired: 04/20/26
Extras
Watch • 21:23
Be Smart
The New Kind of Heat Humans Can’t Handle
I pushed my body in a climate & sports research lab to discover what extreme heat really does to us.
Episode: S14 E7 | 21:23
Watch • 16:47
Be Smart
Scientists Finally Figured Out What Love Is For
What exactly is the evolutionary purpose of love?
Episode: S14 E6 | 16:47
Watch • 16:47
Be Smart
We've never seen an atom. But we know what they look like.
If everything around us is made of atoms, why can’t we actually see them?
Episode: S14 E5 | 16:47
Watch • 10:51
Be Smart
Infinity isn’t a number. It's something much weirder.
This video explores the bizarre mathematics that show how infinity is far stranger than a number.
Episode: S14 E4 | 10:51
Watch • 22:37
Be Smart
You've Been Lied to About DNA Evidence
DNA solves crimes, but what happens when it sends innocent people to prison?
Episode: S14 E2 | 22:37
Watch • 17:13
Be Smart
Traffic Lights Are So Much Weirder Than You Realize
Why are stop lights red? The real story is more complicated than you think.
Episode: S14 E1 | 17:13
Watch • 14:52
Be Smart
The Intelligence Test Where Ants Beat Humans
How thousands of tiny brains, obeying simple rules, solve problems no individual can understand.
Episode: S13 E17 | 14:52
Watch • 19:50
Be Smart
Everything I Thought I Knew About Flavor Was Wrong
Joe visits a flavor lab to uncover how our senses shape our taste.
Episode: S13 E16 | 19:50
Watch • 20:05
Be Smart
The Scientific Lie That Damaged Generations of Men
Here is the REAL science about "alpha males."
Episode: S13 E15 | 20:05
Watch • 22:36
Be Smart
Inside the Vault Where They Keep the Dinosaur Apocalypse
How did the mass extinction of the dinosaurs play out, moment by moment?
Episode: S13 E14 | 22:36
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Watch • 21:23
Be Smart
The New Kind of Heat Humans Can’t Handle
I pushed my body in a climate & sports research lab to discover what extreme heat really does to us.
Episode: S14 E7 | 21:23
Watch • 16:47
Be Smart
Scientists Finally Figured Out What Love Is For
What exactly is the evolutionary purpose of love?
Episode: S14 E6 | 16:47
Watch • 16:47
Be Smart
We've never seen an atom. But we know what they look like.
If everything around us is made of atoms, why can’t we actually see them?
Episode: S14 E5 | 16:47
Watch • 10:51
Be Smart
Infinity isn’t a number. It's something much weirder.
This video explores the bizarre mathematics that show how infinity is far stranger than a number.
Episode: S14 E4 | 10:51
Watch • 22:37
Be Smart
You've Been Lied to About DNA Evidence
DNA solves crimes, but what happens when it sends innocent people to prison?
Episode: S14 E2 | 22:37
Watch • 17:13
Be Smart
Traffic Lights Are So Much Weirder Than You Realize
Why are stop lights red? The real story is more complicated than you think.
Episode: S14 E1 | 17:13
Watch • 14:52
Be Smart
The Intelligence Test Where Ants Beat Humans
How thousands of tiny brains, obeying simple rules, solve problems no individual can understand.
Episode: S13 E17 | 14:52
Watch • 19:50
Be Smart
Everything I Thought I Knew About Flavor Was Wrong
Joe visits a flavor lab to uncover how our senses shape our taste.
Episode: S13 E16 | 19:50
Watch • 20:05
Be Smart
The Scientific Lie That Damaged Generations of Men
Here is the REAL science about "alpha males."
Episode: S13 E15 | 20:05
Watch • 22:36
Be Smart
Inside the Vault Where They Keep the Dinosaur Apocalypse
How did the mass extinction of the dinosaurs play out, moment by moment?
Episode: S13 E14 | 22:36