MinuteEarth
Why Are Leaves Green? Part 2
Examine the role of chlorophyll in the process of photosynthesis. An interesting video lesson helps learners understand the efficiency of green chlorophyll as it creates energy for a plant. Although 99.9 percent of plants use green...
MinuteEarth
The Secret Social Life of Plants
Who knew plants can communicate? An interesting video shows how plants communicate with insects and other plants. The instructor gives many examples including mimicry, parasitism, and self-defense.
MinuteEarth
The Real Reason Leaves Change Color in the Fall
Discover the chemistry behind the color change in leaves. The lesson narrator describes how trees must recycle nutrients in the leaves before they fall off for the winter. The video breaks down the process and highlights the chemistry of...
MinuteEarth
Why It Sucks to Be a Male Hyena
Male hyenas are not laughing! The species probably doesn't find it funny that they always hold the lowest status in their packs. An intriguing video lesson explains how this comes about and the negative impact on these animals.
MinuteEarth
Why Don't Sled Dogs Ever Get Tired?
What is the sled dog's secret to running for days on end without tiring? Turns out the answer is in their metabolism. Explore the metabolic processes of these amazing sled dogs. The science shows they are able to burn their proteins and...
MinuteEarth
Why Is a Group of Crows Called a “Murder”?
Fifteenth-century hunters used a unique vocabulary to describe the groups of animals they hunted. The video lesson shows many of these informal names. It turns out the names may not be official, but many people use them, including...
MinuteEarth
Ambergris: Why Perfume Makers Love Constipated Whales
Does perfume really contain whale excrement? Only the most expensive varieties! An intriguing video lesson explains the origin of the ambergris ingredient through a tour through the sperm whale's digestive system. Scientists only...
MinuteEarth
Why Did T Rex Have Such Tiny Arms?
Explore explanations for the shockingly small size of the T-rex arms. A video lesson considers reasons why a T-rex has small arms through a process of elimination. Maybe the arms provide an advantage to the animal or maybe larger arms...
MinuteEarth
Who Are Flowers Trying to Seduce?
Learn the tricks plants use to attract insects and animals in their quest for pollination. A thorough video lesson describes plant adaptations that meet their reproductive needs. From bees to rodents to bats, the narrator describes how...
MinuteEarth
How To (Literally) Save Earth
Soil naturally erodes and produces new soil at the same rate when left to nature, yet farming erodes the soil 50 times faster than it forms. The video discusses soil, the ways humans damage it through their actions, and encourages many...
MinuteEarth
Why Do Rivers Have Deltas?
What determines the shape of the shoreline where a river meets an ocean? The video explains many causes for delta formation, including human activities and climate change. Also included are examples from around the world and throughout...
MinuteEarth
What Happened To This Car?
On June 7, 1692, at 11:43 am, the Jamaican city of Port Royal sank into the harbor, killing more than 2,000 people. The video explains this disaster and others that were caused by liquefaction, describes the conditions required, and...
MinuteEarth
How Tall Can Mountains Be?
Currently, the tallest mountain on Earth is Mount Everest at 8,848 meters above sea level. The video discusses how tall a mountain might reach based on gravity, rock density, and other factors such as plate tectonics and erosion.
MinuteEarth
The Hottest Place on Earth
Where is the hottest place on Earth, and how can scientists prove it? The video discusses multiple methods for measuring the temperatures across the planet. Then it discusses the hottest places measured by each method and their accuracy....
MinuteEarth
Which Bear Is Best?
Is it survival of the fittest, or just luck? The video focuses on two examples, bears and ferrets, living in North America and Asia. It explains which animals are thriving and which are in danger of going extinct and the reasons.
MinuteEarth
Epigenetics: Why Inheritance Is Weirder Than We Thought
Can learned traits be passed down to future generations? The video explains epigenetics, which is the change in organisms caused by a modification of genes and not the genetic code. Using the example of lab rats passing on a sensitivity...
MinuteEarth
The Great North American Locust Plague
The largest locust swarm recorded in North America measured 110 miles wide and 1,800 miles long, making it roughly twice the size of Colorado. A video begins with what locusts are and where they came from then explains the damage they...
MinuteEarth
How Different Are Different Types of Dogs?
The American Kennel Club currently recognizes 167 dog breeds while the Federation Cynologique Internationale recognizes 340. The video explains the three main categories of dogs and how closely those dogs are related. It offers...
MinuteEarth
Birds that Hibernate in Lakes?!
Birds seem to disappear at various times of the year, and many early theories about this phenomenon turned out to be wrong. The video introduces two of these theories as well as how scientists learned the truth. It explains a few...
MinuteEarth
Five Crazy Bridges for Animals
How did the chicken cross the road? The video addresses the multiple solutions we created to help animal populations cross roads, power lines, and dams. It explains the reason human-made obstacles hurt animal populations and why it...
MinuteEarth
Why do Bats Transmit so many Diseases like Ebola?
In many different areas of the world, bats spread diseases that kill humans. Understanding how this happens may be the key to our survival. The video explains the diseases carried by bats, how they spread to other species, and the reason...
MinuteEarth
Why Don't Scavengers Get Sick?
Scavengers eat diseased animals, yet don't get sick. The video explores this topic through examples of vultures and beetles. One method sprays the decaying meat prior to eating. The other method relies on strong stomach acid to break...
MinuteEarth
How Many Mass Extinctions Have There Been?
Everyone knows about the extinction of the dinosaurs, but what other mass extinctions have happened? The video explains how scientists define mass extinctions. It offers insight into the debate about the number of mass extinctions as well.
MinuteEarth
This Is Not a Pine Tree
Many people refer to all coniferous trees as pine trees and the video addresses that misconception. It details the differences in pines, spruces, firs, and other related trees. Then it shares the family of trees and their branches.