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Nature

2,227 cards. Each one is a 40-second story with a five-minute read behind it.

1. Most of an octopus's brain is in its arms.An octopus has about 500 million neurons, and around two-thirds of them are in its eight arms, not its head. Each arm can taste, touch and make decisions on its own. An octopus do…
2. Can a hilarious animal photo change how we protect nature?Photographer Tom Sullam presents the annual Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards. Through a collection of humorous animal images, he demonstrates how laughter can bridge the gap bet…
3. What if we redesigned our entire world with women in mind?Design consultant Virginia Santy explores how modern cities and workplaces often fail women. By reimagining an office space specifically for female needs, she reveals how intentio…
4. Can a single musician recreate the entire sounds of the wild?In this performance, singer Snow Raven demonstrates the remarkable ability to mimic various animal vocalizations. Watch as one voice transforms into the distinct calls of the natu…
5. How a DIY camera captured a hidden moment between sperm whalesWitness the result of an ingenious engineering feat. This video follows Eric Stackpole’s journey of using a hand-built, suction-cup camera to document a rare, intimate interaction…
6. How a grassroots movement challenged Japan's coal expansionFollowing the Fukushima disaster, Japan saw a surge in new coal plant proposals. This video explores how climate advocate Kimiko Hirata led a civil society movement to confront th…
7. Can a global network of protected 'Hope Spots' save our oceans?Marine biologist Sylvia Earle returns to the TED stage to share the progress of her mission to protect the seas. Discover how targeted conservation efforts are yielding unexpected…
8. Can climate action actually increase your personal happiness?Behavioral scientist Jiaying Zhao explores whether the fight against climate change can be a source of joy. This video presents eight practical life hacks designed to lower your c…
9. How some sea slugs learned to harness the sunIn this 2023 TED talk, invertebrate zoologist Michael Middlebrooks explores the remarkable evolution of solar-powered sea slugs. Discover how these colorful creatures traded their…
10. Are human activities disrupting the unconventional reproductive lives of marine species?Marine biologist Marah J. Hardt explores the bizarre and complex mating rituals found beneath the waves. This video examines whether human behavior is interfering with these uniqu…
11. The discovery of a ten-meter-long Jurassic sea dragonExplore the monumental find of the Rutland ichthyosaur. Paleontologist Dean R. Lomax reveals how his team unearthed one of the most complete and massive marine reptiles ever found…
12. Why a marine biologist fell in love with a parrotfishMarine biologist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson shares an ode to the parrotfish. Discover why these remarkable creatures are essential to the survival of coral reefs and the unexpected w…
13. The non-linear evolution of feathers revealed by Chinese fossilsDiscover how remarkably preserved fossils from China's Liaoning Province are reshaping our understanding of avian origins. This video explores how these specimens prove that the t…
14. From Hollywood stereotypes to modern icons: the evolution of Asian American media representationTrace the shifting depictions of Asian Americans in the media. This video explores how the industry moved from the discriminatory typecasting of the 1960s to the era of modern ico…
15. Tracing the long genealogy of anti-Asian violence and resistanceFrom 19th-century labor strikes to modern-day hate crimes, this video explores how waves of systemic bigotry against Asian Americans have been met with community solidarity and a …
16. How personal artifacts preserve the forgotten stories of AAPI historyExplore the powerful role of physical objects in keeping history alive. This video follows Yoonj Kim and Lisa Sasaki as they examine how donated belongings and carved poems preven…
17. How to manage separation anxiety and canine behaviorAs humans return to the workplace, many pet owners face new challenges. This live session with Victoria Stilwell, host of Dogs with Extraordinary Jobs, addresses essential questio…
18. How animated fruit became a 1980s pop culture phenomenonDiscover how a series of clay-sculpted characters captivated television audiences and drove massive raisin sales. This video explores the history of the California Raisins, the gr…
19. How a Japanese giant rescued the American video game marketIn the mid-1980s, the American gaming industry was struggling with poor-quality consoles. This video explores how Nintendo’s NES introduced a new era of graphics and characters th…
20. Why the scrutiny of female hip-hop artists is rarely about the musicWhen the song 'WAP' sparked widespread condemnation in 2020, it highlighted a profound double standard. This video explores the history of sexual expression in hip-hop and why fem…
21. How the art of sampling transformed hip-hop into a global forceExplore the DJ's booth to discover how the practice of sampling and remixing became a fundamental ingredient of hip-hop, weaving together the legacies of diverse musical icons.
22. How a generic extra became a global iconBefore he was a household name, Elmo was merely an unnamed extra. This video explores the transformation of a generic 'Anything Muppet' into a beloved international superstar and …
23. How hip-hop moved from the fringes of fashion to the luxury runwayIn the early 1980s, fashion brands hesitated to embrace the raw sound of hip-hop. This video explores the movement's journey from the South Bronx to the global stage, tracing how …
24. Beyond the beat: the complex cultural roots of hip-hopIs hip-hop just music, or something much larger? This video explores the movement's evolution from the 1970s Bronx to a global phenomenon, examining how artists use innovation to …
25. The legendary pitcher who ignited a national baseball crazeBefore social media, one man's arrival in the major leagues triggered a nationwide phenomenon. This video explores the era of 'Fernandomania' and the historic artifacts that now r…
26. How an unlikely bond defies the natural instincts of predator and preyWhile dogs and guinea pigs are traditionally natural enemies, a miniature schnauzer and a bald guinea pig have formed a remarkable bond. This video captures the heartwarming conne…
27. How Thanksgiving has evolved to reflect America's changing social landscapeFar from a static tradition, Thanksgiving has been repurposed across generations to mirror the needs of a diverse nation, serving as everything from a symbol of unity to a platfor…
28. Can doulas help combat the infant mortality crisis in Mississippi?In this interview, Soledad O'Brien speaks with Kashuna Watts, a doula working on the frontlines of Mississippi's infant mortality crisis. Discover how doulas are part of a vital m…
29. Survival in the shadows of a royal forestIn Southern England's New Forest National Park, wild mares face a precarious winter. This video explores how these horses band together to endure the icy cold while awaiting the a…
30. How a college student became a soldier in the push into GermanyWitness the Allied advance through the lens of Kurt Vonnegut. This footage explores the daunting obstacles faced by depleted troops as they moved toward the German border, includi…
31. How the rise of venomous snakes triggered an evolutionary arms raceWhen elapid snakes first emerged, their spread was more than a biological shift; for many species, it was an ecological catastrophe. This video explores how these venomous predato…
32. Did the impulse to heal others precede the arrival of modern humans?Explore the deep evolutionary origins of medicine. This video examines whether the complex practices of sharing medicinal plants and performing early surgeries might be an instinc…
33. Why the search for a single cradle of humankind was misguidedFor decades, paleontologists operated under the assumption that human evolution had one specific starting point. This video explores how researchers eventually realized they were …
34. Did the first mass extinction turn Earth into a sponge world?Explore a strange era in deep history when a massive extinction event may have fundamentally reshaped our planet, potentially leaving nothing but sponges to dominate the oceans.
35. How volcanic eruptions tore a supercontinent apartThe Atlantic Ocean did not always exist. This video explores how volcanic activity along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge once acted as a powerful force, physically splitting a massive supe…
36. How the breakup of Pangea transformed India into an isolated evolutionary laboratoryExplore the geological drama of the supercontinent Pangea's fragmentation. This video examines how India's journey from an isolated island to its eventual collision with Asia fund…
37. How a changing climate transformed the elephant's anatomyDiscover how long-jawed ancestors of the elephant were replaced by the iconic, flexible-trunked species we know today. This video explores the evolutionary shift driven by a chang…
38. The strange, cosmic origin of our closest companionHow did the Moon come to be? This video explores the evidence found in lunar rocks brought back by Apollo astronauts, revealing an origin story for our Moon that is far stranger t…
39. Could you endure the era when life first claimed the land?Explore the dramatic transformation of the Devonian Period. This video examines the explosion of terrestrial plant life and the evolutionary breakthrough of vertebrates like Tikta…
40. Could you survive a world with no land vegetation?Between 541 and 530 million years ago, the oceans underwent a massive biological revolution. This video explores the Cambrian explosion, a period of unprecedented evolutionary inn…
41. Why the American East Coast is a prehistoric lost worldWe often search for famous species like Triceratops in the American West, but the East Coast holds a different story. This video explores how geology and evolution combined to cre…
42. Could you survive the first of Earth's 'Big Five' mass extinctions?The End-Ordovician Extinction was a cataclysmic event that wiped out more than 80% of all marine species. This video explores the aftermath of this ancient biological crisis and a…
43. The mysterious disappearance of the Mesozoic's diverse mammaliaformsWhile the Mesozoic is famous for dinosaurs, a 2003 discovery in China revealed a much more complex history of early mammal-like creatures. This video explores their rapid diversif…
44. Could you survive the era of giant insects and rising land vertebrates?Step into the swamps of the Late Carboniferous Period. This video explores a world teeming with massive insects and the emergence of amniotes—the ancestors of all modern reptiles,…
45. The evolutionary breakthrough that redefined animal anatomyThe development of the anus was a pivotal moment in the history of life. This video explores how this anatomical milestone shaped animal evolution and why modern science is recons…
46. Could you survive the most catastrophic mass extinction in Earth's history?During the Late Permian Period, a massive volcanic event triggered the 'Great Dying,' an extinction event so severe that a large majority of life on land vanished. This video expl…
47. How a massive geological shift reversed the Amazon's flowExplore the profound transformation of the Amazon watershed. This video investigates the immense geological forces capable of up-ending one of Earth's mightiest rivers and examine…
48. The catastrophic event that cleared the path for the age of dinosaursThe end of the Triassic Period was a time of profound biological upheaval. While some lineages vanished forever, a massive extinction event wiped out the competition, leaving behi…
49. Did reaching the top of the food chain lead to Neandertal extinction?Explore the evolutionary journey of Neandertals as they ascended to the summit of the Eurasian food chain. This video examines how their status as apex predators was both a remark…
50. Could you survive the apex predators of the Late Cretaceous?Step back into the fragmented European archipelago of the Late Cretaceous Period. This video explores the prehistoric landscape of Hateg Island, a place dominated by a terrifying …
51. Could you endure the asteroid that ended the Age of Dinosaurs?Sixty-six million years ago, a massive asteroid impact fundamentally altered Earth's trajectory. This video explores the catastrophic chain of events, from global wildfires to a f…
52. Were the dinosaurs of Lujiatun truly the Pompeii of the Cretaceous?Since the 1990s, complete dinosaur skeletons in Northeastern China have appeared frozen in perfect rest. This video examines why these 125-million-year-old fossils are often compa…
53. How mountain ranges disrupt the predictable patterns of evolutionMountains do more than just alter landscapes; they act as engines of evolutionary complexity. This video explores how rising terrain creates unique biological shifts and reveals u…
54. Why did mammals inherit the Earth after the dinosaurs vanished?The K-Pg asteroid impact ended the Age of Reptiles by wiping out non-avian dinosaurs. This video explores the pivotal transition from a world dominated by reptiles to the rise of …
55. Reflecting on the survival of our species and the human nicheIn this special mailbag episode, the hosts of PBS Eons gather to look back at the history of life. They reflect on their own survival experiences and address audience questions re…
56. Did an insatiable appetite drive the Megalodon's extinction?Explore the mystery of Livyatan melvillei, a prehistoric titan of the deep. This video examines the origins of this massive predator, how it survived, and whether its immense hung…
57. How bottom-dwelling creatures revealed the cycle of our oceansDiscover the hundred-year scientific journey of how unlikely marine organisms helped prove that ocean basins undergo a massive reincarnation process every few hundred million year…
58. The final scientific side-quest of Charles DarwinAfter revolutionizing biology with the theory of natural selection, Charles Darwin turned his attention toward a new, unexpected obsession. This video explores the final scientifi…
59. The heavy cost of being a giant dinosaurHow did sauropods manage their unprecedented gigantism? This video explores the extreme anatomy and physiological challenges faced by these massive land animals, examining how the…
60. Was Spinosaurus a shallow wader or a master of the deep?The debate over Spinosaurus's lifestyle is intensifying. This video explores how recent fossil discoveries are forcing paleontologists to reconsider whether this unusual dinosaur …

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