PBS
Nematocyst Animation: Fighting Tentacles
Most species defend their territories, but few use the methods of sea anemones. View a slow motion battle between two enemy anemones fighting for their place on a rock. Scholars apply their knowledge of evolution to consider the intense...
PBS
Cnidarian Animation: Polyp and Medusa
A pencil turned upside down is still a pencil, but a sea anemone turned upside down transforms into a jellyfish. Viewers observe the evolutionary transformation of these cnidarians as they diverged into two distinct body shapes, the...
PBS
Cnidarians: Anemone Catches Goby
Anemones contain harpoon-like structures in their tentacles to attack prey. A video shares an up-close look at an anemone eating a goby. It highlights the attack, capture, and demise of the prey through a system evolved over the course...
PBS
Sponges: Time-lapse of Sponge Cells Recombining
When broken down to a cellular level, sponges reassemble themselves. As the only known plant or animal with this behavior, scientists enjoy watching the process. Scholars view the rebuilding to gain a better understanding of sponges in...
PBS
Sponges: Filter Feeding Made Visible
Sponges must eat to live, yet they don't have mouths. A video series shares how sponges survive using filter feeding rather than traditional eating. It demonstrates how sponges filter water through their entire bodies to extract...
PBS
Molluscs: Octopus Camouflage
A large brain helps the octopus change both color and texture as a form of defense. A video series details the unique features of the mollusks as quick-change artists. It describes the cellular changes and chemical reactions controlling...
PBS
Flatworms: The First Hunter
Flatworms evolved and developed the first bilateral body plan. These hermaphroditic animals with no circulatory system star in an informative video. Scholars learn about flatworms' place in the evolutionary tree, how they hunted, and...
PBS
Cnidarians: Anemones Fight
Sea anemones grow to up to six feet in diameter. Viewers observe an intense battle between two of these predatory species. With battles lasting hours, or even days, the slow motion aggression surprises many viewers.
PBS
Black Hole Apocalypse | Modeling Galaxies
Once, scientists believed black holes to be rare, but modern technology is proving otherwise. Using data from the Hubble telescope, scientists create computer models of distant galaxies. They discover super massive black holes in the...
PBS
Molluscs: Nautilus Regulates Its Buoyancy
Scientists discovered the key to nautilus buoyancy when they X-rayed the shell of living mollusks. An educational video shares these X-rays and explains how the process works. It connects evolutionary changes, a unique circulatory...
PBS
Cnidarians: Anemone Swims Away from Sea Star
While most sea anemones move slowly along rocks, Stomphia swim to escape predators. Viewers see a sea star sneak up on an anemone ready to attack. The unsuspecting anemone retaliates quickly and swims away awkwardly as part of a larger...
Deep Look
Praying Mantis Love is Waaay Weirder Than You Think
Some praying mantises find themselves decapitated and yet still find a way to actively mate. Learn more about these savage insects and why they behave this way. Viewers observe high detail, graphic videos of various mating scenarios...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Lightning-Strike Cabal Acts like a Taser
Observe how the toxin snails release acts in the nervous system of fish. After the explanation, pupils better understand the consequences for both the fish and the snail thanks to the predatory adaptation.
PBS
Seasonal Science: Ragweed Allergies
What's the difference between seasonal allergies and seasonal colds? Learn about one of the most common seasonal allergies, ragweed, through a brief yet informative video as part of the Seasonal Science series. Understand why ragweed is...
Deep Look
A Baby Dragonfly's Mouth Will Give You Nightmares
Dragonflies have existed for more than 320 million years and used to have a wingspan of more than two feet. An informative video helps viewers understand the adaptations of this insect to survive longer than the dinosaurs, and their...
Deep Look
It’s a Goopy Mess When Pines and Beetles Duke it Out
A few tiny western pine beetles bring down giant ponderosa pine trees every year. Learn about the battle between the pines and beetles and how each attempts to control the other. A 4-D video of the process comprises part of a larger...
Deep Look
These Whispering, Walking Bats Are Onto Something
Over millions of years, bats developed flight and echolocation, so why are some bats now walking to look for food? An interesting video explains the changes in predator and prey relationships due to adaptation. Which adaptation is the...
Deep Look
There's Something Very Fishy About These Trees ...
Around 80 percent of the nitrogen in plants living in coastal forests comes from decaying fish. Viewers learn how salmon encourage the growth of forests with a scientific video that highlights interdependence, ecosystems, and the...
PBS
Seasonal Science: Venus Flytrap
Over 600 species of carnivorous plants exist. A Seasonal Science video discusses one of the most recognizable, the Venus flytrap, Viewers learn how the plant determines which bugs to eat, which to allow to pollinate, and much more.
PBS
Seasonal Science: Hibernation
Without access to water, humans survive only a few days yet animals that hibernate seem to survive without water for months. Learn how animals survive hibernation in a video that is part of the Seasonal Science series. It addresses many...
PBS
Seasonal Science: Asian Tiger Mosquito
Most people find mosquitoes merely annoying, but can they also be deadly? The Seasonal Science series introduces the Asian Tiger Mosquito, one of the most troublesome mosquitoes in the world. The narrator details the viruses the pests...
TED-Ed
Why Is It so Hard to Cure ALS?
Although discovered over 150 years ago, scientists still struggle to find a cure or treatment for ALS. Viewers of a short video learn about the challenges facing scientists in their attempts to help those who suffer from ALS.
PBS
Seasonal Science: Raptor Migration
45 percent of all raptors migrate, but they don't follow the paths of other migrating birds. An extensive Seasonal Science series introduces the unique migration process of raptors. The narrator explains the extremely small migration...
PBS
Seasonal Science: Hurricane
Winter, spring, summer, fall, and hurricanes? With the help of a video that is part of a larger Seasonal Science series, learn why hurricanes have a season all their own. Viewers integrate knowledge of the causes of hurricanes, factors...