We’re all about leading a healthy and fit lifestyle here at Genetic Direction and one of the biggest aspects of staying healthy is balance. So while we love when you hit the gym or eat a heaping serving of fruits and veggies, we also love when you take some time to kick up your feet and just relax. That’s right, we want you to Netflix & Chill.
We all know that Netflix rules the world. We’ve already binge watched the newest season of Orange Is The New Black and don’t even want to think about how many months it will be before the next season of Good Girls is ready to stream. But Netflix isn’t all about the comedy and the drama, it’s also has some pretty awesome content for those nights when you actually want to learn something new. So here are some of our top picks of Netflix’s science-themed programming that will leave you feeling smarter (even after sitting on the couch for a few hours).
1). Cosmos
Let’s face it. You’d have to be a soulless being to not like Cosmos. An homage to Carl Sagan’s popular 1980s series, Cosmos takes you on a journey through the universe and the history of mankind. Hosted by none other than renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Cosmos teaches scientific concepts in a way that ignites a wonder for space, history and our existence as a species.
2). Brain Games
This show is a tricky one. Brain games uses interactive games designed to mess with your mind and reveal the incredible way our brain works. From perception to language to stress, Brain Games reminds you how complex the human brain really is, plus you get a little bit of cognitive exercise while watching it, which is always a bonus.
3). Cooked
We have to admit that it can be difficult to watch a food show without something to eat, so be prepared with snacks galore before sitting down to watch Cooked. This series focuses on our primal connection with cooking and centers around a different element and how it’s used in cooking in each episode. Cooking is truly a science, and this series will inspire you to get back into the kitchen.
4). Chasing Ice & Chasing Coral
These two documentaries should be on the top of your list if you’re concerned at all about the future wellbeing of our planet. Chasing Ice addresses the planet’s rapidly disappearing glaciers while Chasing Coral dives deep into our oceans and examines how warming oceans affect life underwater and ultimately, life on land.
5). Planet Earth
How could we make a list about science films to watch without including something narrated by the legend himself, Sir David Attenborough. Even if you’ve seen this docu-series before, the imagery is so stunning that it’s always worth watching again. Strap in for hours of breathtaking footage of our planet and all of the wildlife that inhabits it.
6). Fed Up
A more controversial documentary, Fed Up investigates the American food industry and how what we eat may be making us sicker than we actually think. We firmly believe that everyone should have an understanding of where their food comes from, and this documentary is a great way to spark that interest.
7). Rotten
Another series about the food industry, Rotten draws you in by focusing on six specific topics and go in depth into the trouble surrounding them. We found this series highly engaging as well as original. You’ll learn the controversies behind popular foods that you eat regularly and may have never heard of before. Rotten is simply a must watch if you’re curious about where your food comes from as well as the human factor involved in the food you consume.
8). Particle Fever
Most of us aren’t physicists, but Particle Fever breaks down one of the biggest events in the history of Physics. Following six scientists and their role in re-creating big bang conditions using the Hadron Collider in Switzerland, Particle Fever shows you a world of science that flies over most of our heads.
9). Explained
This is a great show if you’re not feeling like sitting through a lengthy documentary. Averaging 15-20 minutes in length, Explained is a series of episodes addressing a wide range of topics from cryptocurrency to K Pop to genetics. It’s wildly informative but also short and sweet and to the point, which also makes it super easy to binge…
So sit back, relax and open up Netflix. You don’t have to feel guilty about sitting around staring at a screen for several hours when you’re actually learning at the same time!
