The loathsome, lethal mosquito
AdultsAnimalsScienceEnvironment...Everyone hates mosquitos. Besides the annoying buzzing and biting, mosquito-borne diseases like malaria kill over a million people each year (plus horses, dogs and cats). And over the past 100 million years, they've gotten good at their job -- sucking up to three times their weight in blood, totally undetected. So shouldn't we just get rid of them? Rose Eveleth shares why scientists aren't sure.
The Most Amazing Thing About Trees
AdultsEcologyNatureScience...Trees create immense negative pressures of 10's of atmospheres by evaporating water from nanoscale pores, sucking water up 100m in a state where it should be boiling but can't because the perfect xylem tubes contain no air bubbles, just so that most of it can evaporate in the process of absorbing a couple molecules of carbon dioxide. Now I didn't mention the cohesion of water (that it sticks to itself well) but this is implicit in the description of negative pressure, strong surface tension etc.
Dead stuff: The secret ingredient in our food chain
AdultsEcologyFoodScience...When you picture the lowest levels of the food chain, you might imagine herbivores happily munching on lush, living green plants. But this idyllic image leaves out a huge (and slightly less appetizing) source of nourishment: dead stuff. John C. Moore details the "brown food chain," explaining how such unlikely delicacies as pond scum and animal poop contribute enormous amounts of energy to our ecosystems.
Spectacular Time Lapse Dam "Removal" Video
AdultsFilmNatureEnvironment...he White Salmon River in Washington state is flowing again as the nearly 100-year-old Condit Dam was disabled with explosives Wednesday. The reservoir draining took about 2 hours. Further demolition is scheduled in 2012. The event is a significant milestone for river restoration and dam removal nationwide.
How Wolves Change Rivers
AdultsAnimalsEnvironmentNature...When wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in the United States after being absent nearly 70 years, the most remarkable "trophic cascade" occurred. What is a trophic cascade and how exactly do wolves change rivers? George Monbiot explains in this movie remix.
Coke Can Getting Swallowed By Lava
AdultsEnvironmentNatureScience...This is what happens when a coke can meets some flowing lava.
300 Years of Fossil Fuels in 300 Seconds
AdultsGlobal WarmingHistoryEnvironment...Fossil fuels have powered human growth and ingenuity for centuries. Now that we're reaching the end of cheap and abundant oil and coal supplies, we're in for an exciting ride. While there's a real risk that we'll fall off a cliff, there's still time to control our transition to a post-carbon future.
How we found the giant squid
AdultsAnimalsWorldEnvironment...Humankind has been looking for the giant squid (Architeuthis) since we first started taking pictures underwater. But the elusive deep-sea predator could never be caught on film. Oceanographer and inventor Edith Widder shares the key insight that helped to capture the squid on camera for the first time.
Helicopter Harvesting Christmas Tree Like A Boss
AdultsEnvironmentTransportationTechnology...Helicopter pilot Dan Clark harvests Christmas trees with crazy speed at Noble Mountain Christmas Tree Farm in Oregon.
Sleeping hummingbird "snores" in Peru
AdultsAnimalsEnvironmentNature...A female Amethyst-throated Sunangel (Heliangelus amethysticollis) sleeps in Peru.
Hand Feeding & Playing With A Friendly Platypus
AdultsAnimalsEnvironmentNature...This beautiful platypus loved playing in the water and loved a tickle! She was so friendly and ate food right out of my hand!
Jeff Speck: The walkable city
AdultsCitiesSocietyEnvironment...How do we solve the problem of the suburbs? Urbanist Jeff Speck shows how we can free ourselves from dependence on the car -- which he calls "a gas-belching, time-wasting, life-threatening prosthetic device" -- by making our cities more walkable and more pleasant for more people.
TED - Underwater astonishments
AdultsAnimalsEnvironmentNature...David Gallo shows jaw-dropping footage of amazing sea creatures, including a color-shifting cuttlefish, a perfectly camouflaged octopus, and a Times Square's worth of neon light displays from fish who live in the blackest depths of the ocean.
Phonebloks
AdultsGadgetsStartupsTechnology...A phone only lasts a couple of years before it breaks or becomes obsolete. Although it's often just one part which killed it we throw everything away since it's almost impossible to repair or upgrade. visit www.phonebloks.com to show your support and raise your voice.
Explore the Galapagos' biodiversity with Street View
AdultsTravelWorldNature...This week marks the 178th anniversary of Darwin's first exploration of the Galapagos Islands. This volcanic archipelago is one of the most biodiverse and unique places on the planet, with species that have remarkably adapted to their environment. Through observing the animals, Darwin made key insights that informed his theory of evolution. Here's a short documentary that captures the 10-day expedition: More info
Giant Ant Hill Excavated
AdultsAnimalsEnvironmentNature...A giant ant colony is pumped full of concrete, then excavated to reveal the complexity of its inner structure.
Nature's 3D Printer: MIND BLOWING Cocoon in Rainforest
AdultsAnimalsNaturePhotography...What is your theory about why there are holes in the cocoon?
New technology for parking bicycles
AdultsCreativityTechnologyTransportation...Here you'll experience the new technology used for parking bicycles ,its stores them underground to make space to park as much of them as possible in a small area of the land, using an electronic card you can put it in and get it back .
30-Story Building Built In 15 Days (Time Lapse)
AdultsConstructionProductivityEngineering...What can you accomplish in 360 hours? The Chinese sustainable building company, Broad Group, has achieved another impossible feat - building a 30-story tall hotel in 360 hours.
FLIP marine research vessel
AdultsEnvironmentNatureTechnology...The FLIP (FLoating Instrument Platform) is a research vessel that can rotate to a vertical position. It is currently owned by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Patagonia ambassador Kimi Werner strives to find her place in the ecosystem.
AdultsAnimalsNatureEnvironment...In Variables, Patagonia ambassador Kimi Werner strives to find her place in the ecosystem. She treads the line between predator and prey - eventually discovering balance in an unlikely place.