Journey to the Microcosmos - Season 5

1. The Dark History of Sea Monkeys

Aired: 8/30/2021

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

Aired: 9/6/2021

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

3. Why Do Microbes Explode Under UV Light?

Aired: 9/13/2021

4. The Purple Bacteria That Are Afraid of Oxygen

Aired: 9/20/2021

“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...

5. Slime Tubes in Search of Sunlight

Aired: 10/11/2021

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.

6. Journey Through the Body of a Rotifer

Aired: 10/19/2021

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.

7. The Fish Sucking Lice That Aren’t Lice

Aired: 10/25/2021

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.

8. Tumbling Down Invisible Highways

Aired: 11/2/2021

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.

9. The Arachnid Whose Poop Is Making You Sneeze

Aired: 11/8/2021

10. Dileptus: The Toxic Micro Elephant With an Insatiable Appetite

Aired: 11/15/2021

11. Copepods: The Diatom-Devouring King of Plankton

Aired: 11/22/2021

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

12. Microbes in Slow Motion

Aired: 11/30/2021

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.

13. The Tiny Crustacean With the Oldest Penis

Aired: 12/7/2021

14. Looking for Answers in the Skull of a Zebrafish

Aired: 12/13/2021

15. Creepy Crawly Close-Ups

Aired: 12/27/2021

16. Adventures in Being Eaten

Aired: 1/3/2022

17. The Complicated Relationships of the Microcosmos

Aired: 1/11/2022

18. The Double Life of a Fake Jellyfish

Aired: 1/17/2022

19. The Tiny Worlds Inside of Single-Celled Organisms

Aired: 1/25/2022

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

20. Microbe Hunting in Antarctica

Aired: 1/31/2022

21. Nematodes: The Worm That Sculpted The World

Aired: 2/14/2022

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.

22. Aeolosoma: Polka-Dotted Vacuum Worms

Aired: 2/21/2022

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.

23. What Even Is A Species?

Aired: 2/28/2022

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.

24. Spathidiids Come In Many Shapes and Sizes

Aired: 3/7/2022

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.