← Journey to the Microcosmos

Season 5

24 episodes · 2021

  1. 1The Dark History of Sea Monkeys

    30 Aug 2021 · 11 min

  2. 2What Is Mold and Why Does It Love Bread?

    06 Sep 2021 · 9 min

    It's time to dive into our collection of spores, molds, and fungus!

  3. 4The Purple Bacteria That Are Afraid of Oxygen

    20 Sep 2021 · 10 min

    “But wait!” you might be saying to yourself. “How can an organism be photosynthetic and so afraid of oxygen? Doesn’t photosynthesis create oxygen?” And yes, you would be correct—most of the time...

  4. 5Slime Tubes in Search of Sunlight

    11 Oct 2021 · 10 min

    There are only a few groups of bacteria that do this kind of gliding, but they’re found across a plethora of environments, including ponds, soil, and, surprise, in our own mouths.

  5. 6Journey Through the Body of a Rotifer

    19 Oct 2021 · 11 min

    Rotifers don’t really get a lot of love when it comes to microscopic animals. At least as far as the public imagination goes, the rotifer is overshadowed by its fellow metazoan of the microcosmos: the tardigrade. And we might be part of the problem.

  6. 7The Fish Sucking Lice That Aren’t Lice

    25 Oct 2021 · 8 min

    Arugulus sure know how to get under a fish's skin, literally. Fish will actually throw themselves out of the water to get an Aruglus off of their side.

  7. 8Tumbling Down Invisible Highways

    02 Nov 2021 · 10 min

    When we look at bacteria under a microscope, they appear to be tumbling around chaotically, but over the centuries we realized that their pathways have a purpose.

  8. 11Copepods: The Diatom-Devouring King of Plankton

    22 Nov 2021 · 10 min

    Scientists have observed some copepods eating over 300,000 diatoms in a single day!

  9. 12Microbes in Slow Motion

    30 Nov 2021 · 10 min

    While our journeys are often enjoyed at a slow pace, when we go just a little bit slower and look a little bit deeper there’s always something new to find.

  10. 15Creepy Crawly Close-Ups

    27 Dec 2021 · 10 min

  11. 16Adventures in Being Eaten

    03 Jan 2022 · 10 min

  12. 19The Tiny Worlds Inside of Single-Celled Organisms

    25 Jan 2022 · 10 min

    We often focus on the organisms, but what about the even smaller world inside of them?

  13. 20Microbe Hunting in Antarctica

    31 Jan 2022 · 10 min

  14. 21Nematodes: The Worm That Sculpted The World

    14 Feb 2022 · 10 min

    When it comes to the muses of the animal kingdom, the nematode seems like an unlikely well of inspiration, but over the past century, they’ve become one nonetheless.

  15. 22Aeolosoma: Polka-Dotted Vacuum Worms

    21 Feb 2022 · 10 min

    Worms, despite their seemingly simple bodies, are a diverse bunch. Which is why we thought that for today, it might be fun to visit with a less famous worm, and like one of those relatives you don’t know very much about, but every time you see them, there’s a new, strange story to unpack.

  16. 23What Even Is A Species?

    28 Feb 2022 · 10 min

    If you know about the species Lacrymaria olor, then you know what you’re getting when you see it under a microscope. It has a distinct shape, a distinct way of life—the combination of its own genetics and its surrounding environment.

  17. 24The Spatula-Shaped Ciliate Familyfinale

    07 Mar 2022 · 10 min

    The family Spathidiidae is made up of around 20 genera, which encompass around 250 known species. And there’s a lot of variety in the Spathidiid family to sort through.