You probably know that losing weight is really hard. But it may not be just because of your cheat day frequency; your body actually fights back to make losing weight harder.

Paul Andersen surveys the Kingdom Fungi. He starts with a brief description of the fungi phylogeny. He describes some of the major characteristics of fungi; heterotrophy, cell walls of chitin, hyphae, sessile. He describes the...

Vegan chef (and head chef of TED Countdown Summit) Derek Sarno is on a mission to unleash the mighty power of plants, creating nutritious food from mushrooms and vegetables that's full of texture and flavor -- and good for the planet. He...

We hear about calories all the time: How many calories are in this cookie? How many are burned by doing 100 jumping jacks, or long-distance running, or fidgeting? But what is a calorie, really? And how many of them do we actually need?...

Fish-eating trees sound like they’re straight out of science fiction. But they’re a real thing—one that exists right here on Earth. And they show just how interconnected life on this planet is.

Probiotics eat our food for us and help us digest. Gross? Or amazing?? Hank explains why we need bacteria and how cool it is.

If gigantic googly eyes make you want to run away, it’s because you are responding to a supernormal stimulus. But what is it, and why our brain responds to it?

Why do humans cook? Holidays are celebrated in many ways, but chances are they involve eating, and eating a LOT. Ever wonder why we cook our food? We do it because it tastes good, of course, and because our customs and traditions are...

Hank gets to the more violent part of community ecology by describing predation and the many ways prey organisms have developed to avoid it.

Hank brings us to the next level of ecological study with ecosystem ecology, which looks at how energy, nutrients, and materials are getting shuffled around within an ecosystem (a collection of living and nonliving things interacting in...

Find out why these arachnids are among the least B of humanity's BFFs. Yeah, they're blood-sucking parasites, but that's not all of it!

Every time you breathe, air travels down the trachea, through a series of channels, and then reaches little clusters of air sacs in the lungs. These tiny sacs facilitate a crucial exchange: allowing oxygen from the air we breathe into...

Hank tells us the story of bunny and planet Wonderful, and the impacts of exotic invasive species on ecosystems while introducing us to a couple interesting individuals.

Paul Andersen describes the macromolecules that make up living organisms. He starts with a brief description of organic chemistry and the importance of functional groups. He also covers both dehydration and hydrolysis in...

Cannibalism may actually make a community healthier, but maybe don't try it at home.

February 2nd is Groundhog Day in the United States, and Jessi and Squeaks are celebrating by sharing all kinds of amazing groundhog facts with us! Learn what groundhogs eat, where they live, and how they make it through tough winters!

Rodents are known for being pretty small, but wait till you see the world's largest rodent: the capybara!

Paul Andersen explains how ecosystems interact with biotic and abiotic factors. He explains and gives examples of food chains and food webs. He shows how limiting factors eventually leads to logistic growth. Real data from Yellowstone...

See what happens when Pygmy hippos and Wolf's guenons interact in one of the world's few mixed species exhibits.

The greater bulldog bat lives in Central and South America where it uses its enormous feet to catch fish right out of the water.

The salp's seemingly simple body hides a surprisingly complex life history that involves cloning itself, changing sex, and fighting climate change through the power of poop.<br/>

Indonesians commonly eat rice at every meal with a variety of side dishes of meat, fish, and vegetables. Energy is expensive, and foods are often quick-fried or sautéed. Even with the fertility of Indonesian lands and a long growing...

It’s probably no surprise that food is a valued part of French culture. Learn more about common French dining habits and preferences for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Review detailed appropriate dining practices and table etiquette so...

The French take great pride in the kitchen arts and spend an inordinate amount of time on preparing, discussing, and eating food. Curious about French cuisine? Learn how food in France has evolved over the centuries, influenced by...