Before you watch the video (or read the explanation underneath), try answering the question: What causes the seasons on Earth?. You'll be surprised that even the brightest minds – many of whom have been educated at one of the world's leading universities – can have the same misconceptions as everyone else.


Many believe that the Earth's orbit is an exaggerated ellipse, as pointed out by the narrator. Although the Earth’s orbit is elliptical, it is so close to round that Earth’s distance from the Sun does not vary enough to affect the seasons. In fact, its orbit is only 1.7 percentage points from being perfectly round.

Indeed, Earth is closest to the Sun each year on January 4, when it is winter and cold in the Northern Hemisphere. The seasons ...