Why Don't Woodpeckers Develop Concussions? - Be Smart.

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Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Don’t be hard-headed. You should SUBSCRIBE! http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Tweet this video ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSbang Share on FB ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSbangFB ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Translate this video: LINK TKTK Want to wear your love for science? We’ve got merch: http://dftba.com/besmart -We’d like to thank these folks- Special thanks to Dr. Lorna Gibson of MIT for her woodpecker biomechanics expertise Three-dimensional reconstructions based on CT data courtesy of DigiMorph.org Pileated woodpecker slo-mo footage courtesy of Dr. Robert Shadwick/University of British Columbia -References/Learn More- Daneshvar, Daniel H., et al. "The epidemiology of sport-related concussion." Clinics in sports medicine 30.1 (2011): 1-17. Gibson, L. J. "Woodpecker pecking: how woodpeckers avoid brain injury." Journal of Zoology 270.3 (2006): 462-465. Haldane, John BS. "On being the right size." Harper’s Magazine 152 (1926): 424-427. Maroon, Joseph C., et al. "Chronic traumatic encephalopathy in contact sports: a systematic review of all reported pathological cases." PloS one 10.2 (2015): e0117338. May, Philip RA, et al. "Woodpecker drilling behavior: an endorsement of the rotational theory of impact brain injury." Archives of Neurology 36.6 (1979): 370-373. Schwab, Ivan R. "Cure for a headache." British Journal of Ophthalmology86.8 (2002): 843-843. Wang, Lizhen, et al. "Why do woodpeckers resist head impact injury: a biomechanical investigation." PloS one 6.10 (2011): e26490. ---------------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below! Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter: @okaytobesmart @DrJoeHanson Instagram: @okaytobesmart @DrJoeHanson Produced by PBS Digital Studios Music via APM Stock images from SciencePhoto http://www.sciencephoto.com/ and Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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How long is this episode of Be Smart.?

This episode is 7 minutes long.

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This episode was published on June 28, 2026.

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Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate Don’t be hard-headed. You should SUBSCRIBE! http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Tweet this video ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSbang Share on FB...

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