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How Many Heartbeats Are We Given? episode artwork

EPISODE · Oct 21, 2026 · 5 MIN

How Many Heartbeats Are We Given?

from Be Smart. · host Joe Hanson

Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Science really gets my heart going… Subscribe: http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Twitter: @okaytobesmart ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Ever wonder how the heart symbol came to stand for the actual heart? And why do we speak of the heart as the seat of love, when love really happens in our brains? Is it true that animals only get a billion heartbeats? This week, we give you enough cool cardiac science to make your heart skip a beat Origin of the heart symbol: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2006/02/the_shape_of_my_heart.html History of silphium trade: http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/4256173?sid=21105598276993&uid=3739256&uid=3739920&uid=4&uid=2 What causes the pain of heartbreak? http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-causes-chest-pains/ The heartbeat hypothesis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartbeat_hypothesis The quarter power scaling principle: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12877984 http://hep.ucsb.edu/courses/ph6b_99/0111299sci-scaling.html http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/longevity.htm Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment below! ----------------- It's Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.DFollow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoe Email me: itsokaytobesmart AT gmail DOT com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart For more awesome science, check out: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Produced for PBS Digital Studios Joe Hanson - Creator/Host/Writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics Katie Graham - Director of Photography John Knudsen - Gaffer Dalton Allen - Post-Production Intern Theme music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Other music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock ----------------- Last week's video: What is Déjà Vu? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut8mYGi0YRs More videos: Why Are Some People Left-Handed? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPvMUpcxPSA Why Did We Blow on NES Games? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gf9mtXnJfM The Science of Game of Thrones - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Utu-LpJn3Is There Was No First Human - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdWLhXi24Mo How The Elements Got Their Names - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtg9p6A6xnY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Oct 21, 2026

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How Many Heartbeats Are We Given?

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