TED Talks
TED: How to grow a forest in your backyard | Shubhendu Sharma
Forests don't have to be far-flung nature reserves, isolated from human life. Instead, we can grow them right where we are -- even in cities. eco-entrepreneur and TED Fellow Shubhendu Sharma grows ultra-dense, biodiverse mini-forests of...
TED Talks
Nathan Wolfe: The jungle search for viruses
Virus hunter Nathan Wolfe is outwitting the next pandemic by staying two steps ahead: discovering deadly new viruses where they first emerge -- passing from animals to humans among poor subsistence hunters in Africa -- before they claim...
Curated Video
How did we discover the first virus?
Have you ever wondered who discovered the first virus? And how was it discovered? The topic 'viruses' has been a popular one in the past 2 years. And not for a good reason! This video will not talk about the Voldemort of all viruses,...
Curated Video
Agar
An extract of certain species of red seaweed that's used as a gelling agent in microbiology and food preparation. A Twig Science Glossary Film. Key scientific terms defined in just 60 seconds using stunning images and concise textual...
Curated Video
Algae: Simple Photosynthetic Organisms
Very simple organisms that can photosynthesise like plants, but do not have complex features such as roots, stems, or leaves. A Twig Science Glossary Film. Key scientific terms defined in just 60 seconds using stunning images and concise...
Science Buddies
What Sugar And Tea Does a Kombucha Biofilm Prefer?
See how changing the tea or sugar used by a SCOBY biofilm impacts fermentation by measuring the biochemistry of the kombucha solution over time.
Wonderscape
Bacteria's Eco-Friendly Functions
Explore the invaluable contributions of bacteria to our world. Discover how decomposers break down organic matter, enabling soil enrichment for plant growth. Learn how bacteria assist in environmental cleanup, particularly during oil...
Wonderscape
The Fascinating World of Bacteria
This video explores bacteria, detailing their characteristics, classification, and history. It explains how bacteria, as prokaryotes, are present in diverse environments, from extreme heat to extreme cold. The video also discusses...
Journey to the Microcosmos
Can Bacteria Eat Plastic?
Our world today, the one that we have constructed, feels as if it runs on plastic. It is a building block in our bags, our bottles, clothing, toys, the list could go on and on. Plastic has become so prevalent that it’s almost impossible...
Journey to the Microcosmos
How Electricity Brings Order To Chaos
Science is built on questions. So let’s start today with one: what do you think happens when you set off an electrical spark in the microcosmos?
Journey to the Microcosmos
Tardigrades: The Surprisingly Sexy Ambassadors Of The Microcosmos | Compilation
If we had to nominate an ambassador to represent the microcosmos, we would have to go with the tardigrade. They’re weird, adorable, and hardy, – a combination of traits that has made them many people’s first entry point into the...
Journey to the Microcosmos
Your Mouth Is A Cave For Microbes
You may not want to think about it this way, but your mouth is really just one giant, wet cave for microbes. From the perspective of bacteria, your mouth is not a tool. It is a home. It is a place that provides shelter and food, but it...
Journey to the Microcosmos
How Your Blood Keeps You Alive
Blood is a useful substance, not just for our life, but for our way of thinking. It signifies life, but also accompanies death. It unites those who share it, but in doing so it divides others. It runs hot, it runs cold. Whatever it is we...
Journey to the Microcosmos
How Do Microbes Make Decisions?
Microbes are not just blobs. They are very well-evolved biological machinery, the product of eons of evolution that have exposed their ancestors and them to different homes and food and threats.
Journey to the Microcosmos
Why Do Microbes Explode Under UV Light?
Why Do Microbes Explode Under UV Light?
Journey to the Microcosmos
These Microbes Wear Chain Mail Made From DNA
The microcosmos is not always a graceful space. Sometimes an organism just needs to get around the way it gets around, even if that means looking like a swimming elephant head with a truncated snout at one end and a rat tail at the other.
Journey to the Microcosmos
The Microcosmos Is A Very Stressful Place
Do microbes ever feel fear? Or concern? Or trepidation? While they can’t exactly tell us, they probably don’t– at least not in ways that we could understand. But we can tell that they definitely experience stress.
Journey to the Microcosmos
Lichen: The Mysterious Love Child of Fungi and Algae
A useful principle in the story of life is that you should never underestimate algae or cyanobacteria. They’ll just always manage to surprise you, and more importantly, to remind you that everything you have comes down, eventually, to them.
Journey to the Microcosmos
How Does Yeast Make Bread?
As you’re wandering through the aisles of the grocery store, you might find your attention caught on any number of things. Frozen pizza. Cupcakes. Wine. And as delicious as all of those are, we doubt that any of them undergoes as...
Journey to the Microcosmos
The Indecisive Evolution of Gastrotrichs
The Gastrotrich has long been a personal favorite microbe of several members of the Journey to the Microcosmos crew. But while we were able to see a lot with the microscopes we had at the time, James—our master of microscopes—has made...
Journey to the Microcosmos
Microscopic Space Travelers
This might not look like much. But every day, tiny little things like this are raining down on our planet. Each one is small, about a millimeter across. But over the course of a year, each individual piece that makes its way to Earth’s...
Journey to the Microcosmos
These Mites Are Probably On Your Face Right Now
You might wonder why we would care if a demodex has a butthole or not. Well, we care because they live on our face.