How Do Animals Change Color?

[@UPlayNetwork]

Some humans too can change color by tanning

[@Mini_Squatch]

except that isn't caused by our own bodily functions, but rather radiation.

[@Maxtez]

Well, when we blush we get red cheeks, and when we're angry our faces turn red. When we're sick or cold, we turn pale. We do change color in a way.

[@AstingSHIOR]

Mini_Squatch I thought it was our body's defense to Radiation (like most Africans), or is that what you were saying?

[@Rawmon94]

Mini_Squatch it is, its a "bodily function" to protect the skin

[@Crossplay]

Mini_Squatch
Actually it is. Melatonin, the same thing that gives our skin color, is also the body's natural defense against the sun's radiation. That's why people with dark skin tones are less likely to get sunburn and skin cancer.

[@lordlemmingman]

This is why I really love Sci Show. Most science videos would simply say "Hey, here are some animals that can change colors, life is crazy!" while Sci Show actually goes into a deep description of how it actually works which is infinitely more awesome.

[@TheHortoman]

"luckily our hair doesnt turn white every fall"
how is that lucky??? i'd love it

[@laurakiely1998]

Agreed.

[@RukiahTaicho]

However, since the outgrown hair is only dead keratin cells, we'd have to completely shed our hair each fall for it to change colour. Which would probably make it completely impossible to have long hair. Another theory would be that our hair follicles would stop producing melanin so that our hair would grow out white, but then we'd be stripey.
Take your pick.

[@raivynnrealalvarez1352]

Ikr? That would be cool

[@chupapi7620]

Our hair changes white when we get old

[@abbv_0]

same!

[@blahishness88]

I love Michael's voice. It's so soothing and calm.

[@WEIRNC]

It's perfect. Like not too deep or too high

[@sidezr]

Omg. Thank you Sci Show. The volume on this video is great. I was finally able to hear it without having to blast my speakers to full intensity, unlike many previous ones.

[@emmy9345]

That feeling when you've been watching SciShow for so long you already know.

[@melzymoomin888]

But you watch anyway for the enjoyment of it :)

[@emmy9345]

exactly

[@SamOliver4]

0:49 "I won't tell you what this means, though. It's a secret."
Michael: That's my secret, Hank. I'm always angry. *turns into the Hulk*

[@antivanti]

I was jokingly going to go on a small tirade about "It's octopi, damnit!" but I decided to Google it first and it turns out I was wrong. Octopuses is more correct than octopi.
That is a great thing. Being wrong that is. Realizing you were wrong means you have learned something, that you are making progress.
In fact the three most powerful words are not "I love you". Even more powerful than that is "I don't know" but the most powerful three might just be "I was wrong".
I say it proudly: I was wrong! =)

[@vinayseth1114]

Hm I think that even more important three words are "I shall learn".

[@raccoonman4691]

Vinay Seth maybe if people still said shall

[@vinayseth1114]

@@raccoonman4691 Cool. "I will learn' then.

[@PaigeDWinter]

I grew up learning that it was Octopi, but alas this is incorrect. Octopus came from Greek, not Latin, so Octopi is wrong. It just sounds so right lol. Octopuses is the most widely accepted, especially outside of professional circles who do not use Greek frequently. This is why Octopodes is often unmentioned in dictionaries, or listed last to denote unpopularity. Me? I use Octopi. It's a comfort and habit thing. But I know I'm messing up when I use it.

[@adiemus7155]

Fuck u valen. I se you say yeah to every fucking comments you sick attention seeker

[@RokuRG]

***** Yeah.

[@aurorahoward7592]

paige thank you so much

[@urmorph]

Octopus came from Greek into Latin, then into English as a direct borrowing. "Octopi" is correct Latin. If you want to be (anglicized) Greek, call them "octpods". And say "hippopotamoi" instead of "hippopotami", though it will ruin a perfectly good song by Flanders & Swann.

[@cam00133]

i too can change color. If I go out side I mysteriously turn red.

[@raeperonneau4941]

😂

[@OfficialQuantumNova]

why cant school be like this...this easy to understand

[@littlelowlife]

simplicity is against it's religion

[@ALX-oi8cm]

Ikr

[@silkthyme]

6:07 "These changes started as quickly as 2 minutes into the...'festivities.'" lol

[@Dojan5]

I love the way his voice changes every time he ends a sentence.
It gets all airy and the frequency dips.

[@Fgarfio01]

youre all wrong the plural is octasquad

[@Olytash]

I think they need to do a QQ on pluralizing octopus!

[@yesmissjane]

You didn't mention any spiders... I once saw a spider in my back yard in the process of changing colour rapidly and dramatically. (Red to white.) Quite something to behold.

[@TheWisherable]

VaLen tine
who are you? and why are you spamming with your yeahs

[@terracannon876]

The cool part with octopuses/octopi (I'm staying out of that discussion) is that they can change textures as well. There are definitely videos of it online, but it's quite a site to watch a smooth octopus go poof into a rocky-looking octopus.
I never knew beetles could change colors as well. Also had no idea the cells changed color / expanded / contracted based off nerves and muscles. For some reason I thought it was based off ... reflection of light ... or something... I don't know. Magic.
I do know sailfish, among other fish, change color to signal mood and also to coordinate hunts.
Cool video! Thanks :)

[@fuckthisshiat]

This is one of the best, most organised, and well-spoken episodes of scishow i've seen to date. Good job guys!

[@icepenguin1239]

Your voice is so relaxing, could listen to you all day :)

[@guydht1]

YOUR HAIR IS AWSOME.

[@ninjapineapplez]

VaLen tine lol

[@paperitgel98]

0:50 that's Shrek is love,shrek is life face :D

[@user-me8ix9lc3u]

Michael's such a great teacher, I'm glad we get more videos and Hank gets more time to handle other channels. Either way SciShow rocks!

[@iwanabana]

how about humans that blush / flush when aroused or embarrassed? Slight yellowing when sick? We subconsciously pick these slight variances in coloration to determine the health and emotions of a person.

[@mstone1567]

Home Run! Seriously, SciScow crew, you knocked that one out of the park!

[@JessMeetsW0rld1983]

I really enjoyed the tone and subtle humour of this episode.

[@TRBLarsen]

Who else got the techni-colored dream coat reference?

[@CCRob720]

WoW, that was executed and edited wonderfully, I'm a tad envious of how well the information and internal tie-ins were conveyed. Great Job!!! Does Sci Show have a video on Why do some animals live in tight communities while others are more disperse, solitary?... I'd love to get ya'll point of view. Keep up the Awesome and amazing job!!!

[@mrexists5400]

the color green describing a person can have several meanings, envious feelings, being an extreme novice, sick, or being in a good mood. my guess is the host was in a good mood

[@binky2819]

2:25 "members of the mollusk family"
Mollusks are an entire phylum of life, and cephalopods are a class! Neither are a family!

[@BezBog]

That golden beetle is just pure awesome! I wanna have it as a pet!

[@marthak1618]

Housecats also change color seasonally. I had a grey tabby that noticeably transitioned to brown in in autumn and back to grey in spring.

[@alicg7759]

The little golden beatles were amazing but I do have to say I wish we had seen footage of squid changing colour because they really are quite stunning to watch. The colour and patterns seem to pulse through their body they are like a wee underwater disco ;D
Squiddy on the dance floor.

[@Palachrist]

"Chameleon" Circuit :D

[@angelcollina]

"... as quickly as two minutes into the... festivities." lol XD But joking aside, that was a really fascinating episode.

[@nickwoo2]

Really great episode

[@lukestinem3610]

A "three horned chameleon" is called a Jackson's chameleon.

[@crobatron6802]

you should talk about the science of two time dimensions

[@sammysalter]

I know you've done a video on this recently, but humans do have a way of rapidly changing colour to communicate mood, it's called blushing.

[@75ur15]

I was given to understand chameleons dont use pigments to change colors, but special Crystal's that ger closer or further apart to reflect different wavelengths of light

[@virglibrsaglove]

I've seen insects that change color. I used to rise greater anglewing katydids. Usually they were entirely bright green. But if they were scared their legs turned red. (I only saw their legs red once. Mine had a pampered life and were rarely scared.)

[@KittXenn]

'Octopusses'

[@KittXenn]

***** Well okay then.

[@sadisticeggsaladchan2819]

SSC *octopussies

[@onesi376]

in 2015 scientists found out chameleons are NOT changing color by expanding "color sacks". its crystals.

[@WlKl0W]

Hank's voice is more interesting to me, and doesn't this guy have his own science channel?

[@Ardithel]

I'm both very amused and slightly depressed at the number of comments "correcting" Michael about the pluralization of _octopus_.

[@Lea150791]

A friend of mine had a Yemen Chameleon and most of the time he had a light green color with yellow and blue on it. But everytime he went on holiday, he left it at a pet shop that took care of him. The Chameleon didn't like it there and immediately turned brown/dark green and turned back when he was safely at home again :)

[@kealantate6034]

I love this show

[@sion8]

"Technicolor dream coats" awesome band name... I wonder what kind of music these guys would play? I would like to say techno.

[@commentguy330]

when he said octopuses was anybody else like "its octopi!!"

[@sophisticatedsarah1]

Same here. I cringed every time

[@aurorahoward7592]

ACTUALLY YOU ARE VERY WRONG! IT IS OCTOPUSES!

[@aurorahoward7592]

littlebitwonky ok, you pass

[@andrewkozintsev6823]

perfect picture for this

[@andyharris3084]

Humans show this seasonal change too (or at least everyone from my family anyway). Every winter, all the hair on my body turns very dark (including the hair on my head) whereas in the summer it goes much lighter especially the hair on my legs and arms as they go almost white. My head hair is less dramatic as it changes to a dirty blond/light ginger colour.

[@DanielC01000100]

Wow!!! amazing!! So many colors

[@RustyTube]

Fascinating. Thanks.

[@PinkChucky15]

That is one of the coolest things animals can do.

[@callumpittpitt]

humans can change colour, however i wouldn't say tanning/sunburn counts as not all humans can, i would say more along paling or blushing when putting more or less blood to an area of the body, although usually the face. also it isn't rare for human hair to be lighter in summer, and darker in winter, mine does it.

[@TheGoldenDunsparce]

This would have been great if you could have provided some footage of the animals changing color rapidly. The info about the beetle was interesting and would have been really cool to see change color...

[@stiimuli]

wow...tons of info in this episode

[@Brittnaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy]

The caption under the picture of the Chameleon was " Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? " 😂😂

[@jacobu4862]

i love this guy

[@theMasterMind345]

This is great infotainment ❤

[@Trampflick]

Fookin great video man. Very informative.

[@mynamesnotsteve]

0:26 Octopuses?! Raaaawwrrrrggg!!!

[@ionlymadethistoleavecoment1723]

In some chameleons, turning green is a show of happiness or being relaxed

[@ahc1230]

Michael Jackson could change colors

[@ogunbalogun3933]

MrHungry
Nah.

[@meetaverma8372]

Racist 👀👀

[@guydht1]

5:53 respect bro.

[@IANF126]

9 hours? that sounds... fun...

[@wiilyum]

That's crazy that they induce these color changes willingly I thought it was more of some involuntary function but, just imagine if you could think about changing color and it happens :o

[@TheY2T]

that beetle's going super saiyan!!!

[@MJGTGAB]

I'm slightly sad that the broad club cuttlefish didn't get a specific shout-out- check them out, they're awesome!

[@giannahayes6721]

Oh my gawd the flapneck chameleon is so cute 😃😃😃

[@dischordia23]

Next topic:
EmDrive studies summery?
Thanks!

[@Sovspot]

That green meant a color filter on video manipulation program.

[@marcoglara2012]

You people are heros !

[@LockedInNOW]

Interesting and Informative ❤️ !

[@osmia]

Interesting about that beetle. I didn't know there were any insects that could change colour.

[@MilesUmbrae]

0:50 "RARG! Hulk angry! Hulk smash!"

[@antivanti]

Humans change color with the seasons. I'm horribly pale during winter and slightly less so during summer. This is caused by UV radiation triggering production of melanin in the skin cells.
Humans also do this unique thing where they blush which is a color change, caused by vasodilation in certain areas of the skin, that may or may not have evolved as a social cue.

[@scottfabricant7140]

Hey SciShow, great episode but you're not quite on the ball about colour changing insects. The trait is, while not especially common within groups, very widespread among the insect kingdom. There is a surprising variety of mechanisms used to achieve this end. Its not correct that only tortoise beetles have rapid controlled change; some damselflies are also known to change colour while mating, and while not insects, plenty of orb weaver spiders and fiddler crabs have rapid controlled reversible colour change too. "Uncontrolled" temperature or background colouration cued physiological colour change are both fairly common, found in damselflies, grasshoppers, stick insects, beetles, caterpillars, midges, spiders, isopods...
Source: I co-authored a published review paper on the topic in Biological Reviews. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/brv.12079/abstract

[@anythingyoucando1546]

Which uses more electricity. A single nightlight such as one you would plug into an outlet or a single light blub from the ceiling?

[@BrianMontesQ]

Do an episode on the pineal gland and its wonders

[@jellyacc]

*gasps!* that bug is just the most beautiful gem ive ever seen. my new favorite bug

[@extremosaur]

PEOPLE!!! Octopi and octopuses are both correct plural forms of the noun octopus! dictionary.reference.com/browse/Octopus?s=t

[@KmarkecGamer]

As we all know, when a human is exposed to sunlight, he/she turns darker. What happens exactly? Does the body start producing a lot of melanin when it "feels" the sunlight? And how does the melanin protect the body from the sunlight? Does it have something to do with its color? If it does, wouldn't it be more useful for the body to be light-colored when under the bright sun because that way it reflects and doesn't suck up all the sunlight? If it doesn't, why does the melanin make us darker in the first place? Is there any use of it?

[@calebblair1084]

@stevennguyen either works, octopi or octopusus

[@darkhellspartan975]

You know......when he said tortoise beetle I felt like i was hearing bout an animal in the last air bender XD

[@valentijnraw]

information overload

[@ohaimochi]

I keep hearing "cuddle fish". lol This needs to be a t-shirt or something.

[@Mini_Squatch]

octopi are my favourite aquatic animals. SOOOOOOO COOOOOOOOOL :D

[@nooplizzz]

I'm guessing the sci show editors are either using a program which doesn't allow multiple video files (video in video) or they haven't figured out how to add videos in frames when they edit, as this was one of the videos where I felt adding videos of ex. chameleons changing color. Would've made the explanations way clearer and easier to follow. Nonetheless, it was a cool video teaching me new thing about these animals! ;]

[@BlakieTT]

That female chameleon looked like it had a heart shape on their side :> ♥

[@bencamp18]

You couldn't include short videos of the actual color changes rather than just showing still pictures? I was really looking forward to seeing demonstrations! :(

[@hlotty7084]

Hi, I was wondering if you could do a special on algae blooms. I'm near the Toledo area and we are currently experiencing an insanely terrible and large scale water crisis because of algae blooms. I would love to know more as to why this happen or just about water purification or algae anything for that matter. Thank you for giving me countless hours of random and useful information!

[@dearhorse085]

2014 baby, yeah!

[@MrJ1S]

Octopuses? I thought it was octopi?

[@SuperPlatypus123]

Technically both are correct, but octopuses is better since "octopus" comes from Greek rather than Latin.

[@MrJ1S]

SuperPlatypus123 why is it coming from greek more favorable than it coming from latin?

[@Nerales_]

Mr.J1S Ending the plural form of words with "i" is latin.

[@JWQweqOPDH]

Mr.J1S Because greek and latin have different techniques for making words plural.

[@Olytash]

Mr.J1S If octopus were a Latin second declension noun the plural would be octopi (in Latin, not in English). The Greek would be something different (I believe its octopodes but I'm not sure). So it is more correct for English speakers to pluralize the noun as if it were an English word (octopuses). I know a lot of ocean scientists and I don't know anyone who uses octopi as the plural of octopus.

[@chillsahoy2640]

From what I understand, octopodes, octopuses and octopi are all accepted plurals of octopus although octopi is the least correct. Interestingly enough, Google chrome's dictionary seems to only included "octopuses". Since the word is Greek in origin, forming the plural using the Greek pluralization is correct. The word is being used in English, so English pluralization rules can also be applied (no different from saying prospectuses, for instance). While the word is not based on Latin, it does resemble a Latin word which is why a lot of people try to form the plural using Latin pluralization rules (octopi), but if it *were* Latin, the plural would actually be octopedes, as the plural of foot is pedes.
So yes, all three words are correct, through octopodes or octopuses are the preferred plurals.

[@Brian-cw9pp]

Everytime I click on a new SciShow and discover that it's Michael Aranda hosting, I die a little on the inside.

[@Skolirodeloi]

What's your problem with Michael? Just because he's not Hank doesn't mean he can't host SciShow.

[@FadeAwayIntoDarkness]

I found that beetle when I was a kid. My class went to the river to get an insect to study for a few weeks. I was the only one with a beetle that turned gold.

[@BiologyIsHot]

Turns out this is wrong for chameleons. The reality is much more complicated.

[@sentientarugula2884]

Yeah the Veritasiim video explained how crystals make it more complicated. A problem from these oversimplified edutainment videos

[@Semtexxxxx]

Color change? Looks like we have a great example of haircolor change here folks.

[@Tizianodepauw]

He goes so fast in his speaking... as a non-English tongue i have to work really hard to process it all :D

[@KinleighClanton]

I like your hair

[@alexandramuses]

***** : Please make sure that your final mix is at a consistent level as Hank's videos. It would make playlists more pleasant. :)