Waiting for a stoplight to turn green can be really annoying, especially when you’re running late. It would be awesome if you had a magic wand you could wave to get the light to change. But alas, such things don’t exist. But how do stoplights know when to switch colors? We asked Jerry Kotzenmacher with the Minnesota Department of Transportation to help us fi ... Show More
Sep 2024
Curious About Traffic Lights
<p>In episode 269, we get curious about traffic lights for Parker and Alex from Arizona. We learn about the history of traffic lights, why traffic lights are so important, and how we selected green, yellow, and red to be the traffic light colors. Noah also joins us to share fiv ... Show More
13m 37s
Jun 2020
Why does green mean go? And other color conundrums
The world is full of color, but how do our eyes see it? In this episode we’ll explain how color vision works, complete with a journey to a jazz club in the back of your eye. We’ll also look at the cultural meanings of the color red, we’ll find out about a new type of blue, and we ... Show More
38m 25s
Mar 2023
Turn, Turn, Turn: A History of Turn Signals
If you've ever been stuck in traffic, you know turn signals are a vital part of safe driving (though not everyone seems to think so). But where did these nifty little blinking lights come from? Why didn't they come along until years after the invention of the automobile? Join Ben ... Show More
31m 36s
Feb 2023
Fairy World: The Traffic Light Fairies | 112
Did you know that red, yellow and green lights are controlled by tiny fairies? First, they just have to graduate Traffic Light Fairy School! Today is Amber’s first day, and it’s not going well: She’s not as confident as the red fairies, or as exciting as the green ones. She’s yel ... Show More
18m 42s