Explaining the world one sketch at a time

Sketchplanations makes complex ideas simple with clear, insightful sketches. Explore topics from science, creativity, psychology, and beyond explained in pictures.

New sketches by email

Learn something new in a sketch each Sunday

Recent sketches

Draw a chain

I figured this out while trying to draw one. The epiphany was noticing that the s-line in the centre is uninterrupted but part of two chain links. Neat.…

19 Jan 2013

Shut one eye to keep your night vision

Shut one eye to keep your night vision. Apparently, this is a well-known thing in the military, but no one told me until we learned about it in the film Beneath Hill 60. It's also a potential reason why pirates are known to wear eye patches—from popping up and down between decks—though it's rather hard to be sure. But I think the primary use case is going for a pee in the night.…

18 Jan 2013

Bright light will free your sneeze

If you feel the need to sneeze, some people find that looking at a bright light can help release the urge. Apparently, it’s called the photic sneeze. I asked BBC Science Focus magazine in the UK what was happening here. They shared that it's called the photic sneeze but also that Science doesn’t really know why. We need to find out. It happens without fail for our eldest son. Anytime we pause to take a family selfie facing towards the sun, there's a guaranteed sneeze. It used to be a common occurrence that leaving the bedroom in the morning and entering the light would also trigger a sneeze. My niece is also a reliable photic sneezer.…If you feel the need to sneeze, some people find that looking at a bright light can help release the urge. Apparently, it’s called the photic sneeze. I asked BBC Science Focus magazine in the UK what was happening here. They shared that it's called the photic sneeze but also that Science doesn’t really know why. We need to find out. It happens without fail for our eldest son. Anytime we pause to take a family selfie facing towards the sun, there's a guaranteed sneeze. It used to be a common occurrence that leaving the bedroom in the morning and entering the light would also trigger a sneeze. My niece is also a reliable photic sneezer.

17 Jan 2013

Dry your hands with only one towel

Learned from Joe Smith’s short entertaining TED talk: How to use a paper towel.…

16 Jan 2013

Build a mindmap

I have found mindmaps useful to me since I first learned them and gave them a shot. Here’s some of what I’ve learned since from practice. Great for getting your thoughts down before a project.…

11 Jan 2013

Twice as much thought and half as much content

A pretty good rule for most of what we produce.…

10 Jan 2013

Search·Categories·Archive·List