Thanks to Wix for supporting PBS Digital Studios. To learn more: Wix.com/go/OKAY Help us out and complete the 2018 PBS Digital Studios survey! to.pbs.org/2018YTSurvey ↓↓↓ More info and sources below ↓↓↓ I noticed something weird about Disney Princesses lately. Naturally, I had to examine it through the lens of science. The answer led me to new knowledge about human development, the domestication and taming of animals, and why we find things cute in the first place. You’ll never look at cartoons the same way again Siberian silver fox footage courtesy of Lee Alan Dugatkin and Lyudmila Trut. Check out their book “How to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog)” to learn more, it’s great! press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/H/bo25568406.html Skull reproductions courtesy of Boneclones: boneclones.com/ REFERENCES: Gould, Stephen Jay “Biological Homage to Mickey Mouse” faculty.uca.edu/benw/biol4415/papers/Mickey.pdf Bogin, B. (1990). The evolution of human childhood. Bioscience, 40(1), 16-25. PDF: bit.ly/2vDb3Vy Somel, M., Franz, H., Yan, Z., Lorenc, A., Guo, S., Giger, T., ... & Webster, M. J. (2009). Transcriptional neoteny in the human brain. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(14), 5743-5748. ----------- FOLLOW US: Twitter: @DrJoeHanson @okaytobesmart Instagram: @DrJoeHanson Merch: store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook: www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart SEND US STUFF: It’s Okay To Be Smart PO Box 303356 Austin, TX 78703 USA BOOKS WE’VE FEATURED: smart-books.tumblr.com/ ----------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Director: Andrew Matthews Writer: Andrew Matthews Creative Director: David Schulte Editor/animator: Derek Borsheim Producers: Stephanie Noone and Amanda Fox Produced by PBS Digital Studios Music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock www.shutterstock.com

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