Up Next
Back to Show
Reactions
Why is Carbon the Key to Life? (On Earth, Anyway)
Season 5
Episode 66
One element is the backbone of all forms of life we’ve ever discovered on Earth: carbon. Number six on the periodic table is, to the best of our knowledge, impossible to live without. In this episode of Reactions, discover what makes carbon so exceptional, its nearly infinite capabilities, and potential intergalactic implications.
Support Provided By
Season
11:57
Alex made some kidney stones at home and tested prevention methods to keep them at bay.
10:38
An email from a subscriber made us question everything we thought we knew about trees.
21:33
The 15 ways that color happens. It's all about the electrons. Well, almost.
12:07
This element powers glow in the dark exit signs, keychains, and costs $30,000 per gram.
9:53
Scientific fraud rocked the Alzheimer’s research community. Did it help point to a cure?
12:54
Alex Dainis explores whether or not your milk needs to be pasteurized. Yes, it really does.
14:04
George tests a revolutionary new way to stick stuff together.
12:02
Sometimes the difference between life-saving drug and deadly side effect is chirality.
17:23
What happens when you eat morel mushrooms.
10:31
WARNING: this video contains incredible macro footage of supercooled water droplets nucleating ice.
13:12
Let’s dive into the science behind ocean alkalinization!
16:56
Discover why curdled milk is the key to the best cocktail you’ll ever taste.