Learning Through Entertainment

Cynthia He, Miscellaneous

You have your crash course, you have your textbooks. While I, personally, may find these means of learning to be very interesting, many may not.

Over the years I have come across many interesting ways biology is implemented into entertainment media. For those of you who would like to enjoy a good read/watch while also learning a bit of science at the same time, I recommend check out a few of the entertainment forms listed below:

Cells at Work (and all other versions) is a manga (with an anime) describing the daily life of cells in the body. The original was written by Akane Shimizu, though the author/artist changes depending on the version you read. The original follows a red blood cell and their encounters with other cells when delivering oxygen. While it does not cover every cell and every aspect of the human physiology, it is a fun way to learn about human cells. Keep in mind, it is not completely accurate, and it is meant to make learning a bit more enjoyable.

Heaven’s Animal Design Team, written by Tsuta Suzuki and Hebizou, is a manga featuring a team of creators that design the animals on Earth. While the process of creating the living creatures may not be accurate, the animals described in each chapter have encyclopedia entries along with a myriad of fun facts. Though you may not learn everything about every single animal, this is a fun start.

As I do not have a lot of time to watch every anime or read every manga that includes interesting science tidbits, this list is still incomplete. However, you can check out websites like Crunchyroll or Honeysanime (click on the link to see animes like Cells at work) that compile more science related anime for you to enjoy!

Now with the rise of Youtube, there are several channels that feature interesting ways to present science. Of course, most people know about Crash Course, but here are some others that you might not have heard of.

Acapellascience:

A youtube channel that changes dry textbook material to fun memorable tunes. The music they choose typically comes from the latest hits in pop, so the melody is easy to catch on. This helps me remember information that is strictly memorization, but I also find it useful to relearn topics covered in class.

SciShow:

Get your up-to-date science news through SciShow, created by Hank Green (yes the same one from Crash Course) and hosted by a handful of others. I usually get my news related to science from this channel. Other than news, it covers questions that might not be answer in a textbook, which I find to be very helpful.

Vsauce:

My friends enjoy watching the funny hosts Michael Stevens, Kevin Lieber, and jake Roper explore science, math, and physcology in their videos. They are very engaging, and constantly make them laugh.

Kurzgesagt- In a Nut Shell

Is a beautifully animated youtube channel exploring what-if scenarios and issues like GMOs. The voice overs are very soothing, not to mention very informative. Other than science, they also cover things like philosophy and society, which are just as interesting.

I hope this list sparked some interest in science beyond the textbook. However, keep in mind, these are not just for educational purposes. Many of these are made to entertainment as well. If you want to study for an upcoming test, well, I have bad news for you- you might need to take a look at that textbook after all.