The safety song
A musical stravaganza on the importance and execution of laboratory safety.
Sputnik news reel
Watch this news reel from Universal Studios on the launch of Sputnik in 1957, the first man-made satellite ever put into orbit.
Apollo 11 mission highlights
Watch that small step for a man, but giant leap for Mankind.
Apollo lunar landings
The 6 lunar landings of the Apollo Mission seen simultaneously from the same perspective as the astronauts.
Milky Way
Find out more about the Milky Way galaxy.
Really big stars
Want to see something really big? Well watch this. Check out how our own moon compares to the largest star we currently know about, VY Canis Majoris.
Planets and stars to Scale
Watch from the smallest planet in the Solar System to the biggest known star.
The known Universe
From the Himalayas through our atmosphere and the inky black of space to the afterglow of the Big Bang.
Sol
Find out more about the Sun and its future.
Pluto
Find out more about the dwarf planet Pluto.
Mercury
Find out more about the planet Mercury.
Venus
Find out more about the planet Venus.
Mars
Find out more about the planet Mars.
Jupiter
Find out more about the planet Jupiter.
Saturn
Find out more about the planet Saturn.
Uranus
Find out more about the planet Uranus.
Neptune
Find out more about the planet Neptune.
Earth
Find out more about the planet Earth.
Earth rise from the Moon
Recorded in April 2008 by the Kaguya (Selene) spaceprobe from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
Total lunar eclipse
Total lunar eclipse of February 20, 2008, in slow motion.
Eureka! - Volume and density
Learn how a "car crusher machine" can help your father to reduce both the volume and the density of his car.
Meet the elements
Sing and learn the properties of some chief elements.
The elements song, by Tom Lehrer
Exhaustive and exhausting, yet funny, recitation of all the know elements to the date of the recording.
Mixtures and compounds
Learn the difference!
Eureka! - Atoms
Learn how matter is made up of molecules built with very different types of smaller particles: the atoms.
Eureka! - Electrons
Learn that atoms are made up of even tinier particles and a lot of empty space.
Eureka! - Molecules in solids
Maybe you thought they weren't moving… but see their dance!
Eureka! - Molecules in liquids
These ones move even faster.
Eureka! - Evaporation and condensation
Learn how are the molecules in a gas, and what can make liquids turn into gases… and viceversa.
Eureka! - Expansion and contraction
And now learn that that was because the heat affects the movement of the molecules of the objects.
Ocean currents
Learn which are the major ocean currents and how they circulate.
Bacteria
You might not see them, but they're there.
Bacterian growth
Watch a colony of bacteria multiplying.
Microscopic world I
Beautiful movie showing algae, protozoa and small invertebrates dancing in a lake.
Small world
Much the same thing as the previous one. Protozoa and lots of algae.
Phagocytosis (I)
Amoeba gobbles algae cells.
Phagocytosis (II)
Amoeba gobbles paramecium.
Cilia and flagella
Narrated clip explaining protozoan movement.
Fungi
Fungi in all their beautiness.
Mushroom madness
Extracted from the BBC/NHK documentary Planet Earth.
Blue oyster mushrooms growing
Beautiful time-lapse movie showing the growth of the many mushrooms produced by a single fungus.
Mould on rotting apple
Another time-lapse movie showing the not-so-riveting growth of these inferior fungi.
Adaptations of plants
Learn how plants have evolved to perform efficiently the vital functions.
Adaptations of leaves
Watch how the plants' leaves can be strongly modified to help improve a plant's adaptation to an specific environment or lifestyle.
Amazing octopus camouflage
It is not a ghost, although it certainly looks like it.
Life of a monarch butterfly
From the caterpillar to the imago.
Monarch butterfly caterpillar pupating
Watch the monarch butterfly caterpillar forming the chrysalis.
Painted lady butterflies
Later life stages of several painted lady butterflies: caterpillar, pupa and imago.
Caterpillars
See how amazingly these vulnerable creatures manage to survive.
Ants
Watch the most stunning ants' nest that you could ever think of.
Sea turtles and their hatchlings
Watch how sea turtles lay their eggs in the sand and how their hatchlings must immediately make it to the water.
Galapagos tortoises
Tortoises of the Galapagos islands.
Smarter city birds
Biologists are comparing country bumpkins and city slickers... among birds!
Partnerships
Watch how patience and interspecific tolerance bring about common benefits for mammals and birds.
Eureka! - Inertia
Objects like to remain the way the are: static or moving. That laziness is called inertia. Learn about it.
Eureka! - Mass
Learn how the inertia of a body relates to its mass.
Eureka! - Forces and speed
Learn how the force needed to move an object depends on the mass of the object and how much you want to increase its speed.
Eureka! - Acceleration (I)
That was not quite true. In fact, the force depends on the mass of the object to move and how fast you want to increase its speed. Watch it.
Eureka! - Acceleration (II)
Let a locomotive driver show to you that acceleration is how much the speed of an object changes every second.
Eureka! - Gravity
The gravitational force and Newton's apple.
Eureka! - Weight
Learn that you can easily lose weight without diets - you only have to go to the Moon!
Theory of gravity tested on the Moon
Drop a hammer and a feather on the Moon, and which one will hit the surface first?
Eureka! - Buoyancy
Learn that the buoyancy of an object is the result of a balance between two forces: the weight of the object and the weight of the displaced fluid.
Eureka! - Work
Energy is the ability to do work, so it' time to learn what work is and how it relates to force.
Eureka! - Kinetic energy
Kinetic energy explained through billiard balls.
Eureka! - Potential energy
Let David and Goliath explain to you what potential energy is and how can it be transformed into kinetic energy.
Wind turbines make bat lungs explode
Researchers at the University of Calgary have found out why bats have been dying near wind turbines.
Eureka! - Temperature vs. heat
Learn the difference between "degree of hotness" and "quantity of hotness".
Eureka! - Measuring temperature
You need something better than just "too cold" or "too hot", don't you? Learn how Anders Celsius came up with the solution…
Eureka! - Heat as energy
Learn that heat is just another kind of energy, and can be transmitted.
Temperature
Can an individual atom be hot or cold? Can it even have a temperature? Find out now!
Eureka! - Conduction
Learn that heat can be transmitted by the vibration of an atom (or molecules) to its neighbours… which is what makes metals be so good heat conductors.
Eureka! - Convection
Learn that heat can also be conveyed by fluids thanks to the principle of buoyancy.
Eureka! - Radiation
And lastly, heat can also travel in the form of waves.
Eureka! - Radiation spectrum
Learn what makes tomatoes be red and black colour warmer than white.
Sound waves on fire
Pump some flammable gas into one side of a tube, attach a speaker to the other side, and watch what happens to the columns of flames that issue from small holes along the top.
Chemical party
Watch almost real chemical elements interacting live.
The hidden beauty of pollination
Pollination: it's vital to life on Earth, but largely unseen by the human eye. Filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg shows us the intricate world of pollen and pollinators with gorgeous high-speed images from his film "Wings of Life".
Methods of pollination
Learn how plants manage to be pollinated and to avoid self-pollination.
Wild orchid wasp mimic
This incredible plant dupes wasps into thinking they're mating, while loading them with pollen.
Fruit development
A fruit consists of seeds enclosed in a mature ovary of a flowering plant. The wall of the ovary in an apple hardened and the supporting stem become fleshy and grows up and around the ovary.
Corn growing
Watch seeds of corn developing roots and leaves.
Asexual reproduction in plants
Learn about the several means plants have to reproduce asexually.
Trash and recycle
A funny and silly explanation of recycling by Steve Trash.
Electronic waste recycling in India
Documentary by Greenpeace showing the harm that computer recycling in India is inflicting on workers' health. Underlines why recycling needs to be carefully regulated.
Carbohydrates
Great video that makes use of the Periodic Table to explain how a glucose molecule, the primary component of many bigger carbohydrates, is chemically constructed.
Lipids
See how a triglicerid, the most typical lipid molecule, is built from three fatty acids and one molecule of glycerine.
Proteins
Learn how a protein molecule is built up until it is fully functional.
DNA Structure
Learn how a molecule of DNA is structured.
DNA
Learn the structure, organisation and function of DNA.
DNA wrapping and replication
The first part shows the DNA coiling four consecutive times to make up the chromosomes. The second shows the process of DNA duplication before cell division.
Cells
Learn about the types of cells, their components and their functions.
Chromosomes
How many chromosomes do humans have? How about a dog? Check out this video to find out more about chromosomes.
3D human anatomy
3D visualization from actual CAT scan and MRI data of living subjects.
Male anatomy
A 360 degree view of the male anatomy.
Female anatomy
A 360 degree view of the male anatomy.
Digestive system
Short introductory video on the function of the digestive system.
Digestion
Watch the digestion process.
Respiratory system (I)
Respiration Medical Animation, with detailed information on the respiratory system.
Respiratory system (II)
Comprehend the structure and location of various respiratory organs that together make the respiratory system and explore the continuous process of breathing.
Respiratory system (III)
This video gives a detailed description of the anatomy and physiology of the lungs.
Respiratory system (IV)
The mechanism of breathing and the anatomy of the organs that carry out this activity, brought vividly to life through revealing animation and x-ray motion pictures.
Gas exchange
Learn how gas exchange is performed in the alveoli.
3D view of diaphragm
View of diaphragm during respiration.
Oxygen and carbon dyoxide
Learn about how the blood oxygenates and deoxygenates.
Circulatory system (I)
Learn about the journey of the blood throughout the body.
Circulatory system (II)
Watch the path of a red blood cell around the body.
Heart anatomy
Learn the parts of the heart and how they work.
Rotating heart
Watch the heart's valves working in a translucent rotating heart.
The work of the heart (I)
Learn about the heart's pumping action, its valves, chambers, movements and function.
The work of the heart (II)
Learn how the pumping action of the heart is triggered.
The work of the heart (III)
Learn how the heart manages to deliver nutrients to all of your body.
The work of the heart (IV)
Learn the components and inner working of the heart.
Anatomy of the aorta
Learn the parts of the aorta artery.
Urinary system
Overall view on the roles of the different organs in the urinary system.
The function of the nephron
Learn how urine is progressively made in the different parts of every nephron.
Neurones
Introductory video to the role of neurones in the human body.
Nervous system (I)
Short introductory video on the function of the nervous system.
Nervous system (II)
Explore the nervous system through a series of animated sequences that trace the structure of neurons and illuminate biochemical impulses.
Brain anatomy
This video shows the anatomy and function of the brain using color coded areas.
Backbone anatomy
Cervical spine and intervertebral disc anatomy.
Brain 101
The brain constitutes only about 2 percent of the human body, yet it is responsible for all of the body's functions. Learn about the parts of the human brain, as well as its unique defenses, like the blood brain barrier.
Skin, nails and hair
Short introductory video on the function of the skin, the nails and the hair.
Seeing
Short introductory video on the process of seeing.
Hearing and balance (I)
Short introductory video on the senses of hearing and equilibrium.
Smelling and tasting
Short introductory video on the senses of smelling and tasting.
Endocrine system
Short introductory video on the function of the endocrine system and the hormones.
Motor apparatus
Short introductory video on the function and components of the motor apparatus.
Female reproductive system
The female reproductive system with some detail.
Ovulation
This video explains in detail the part of the menstrual cycle where the ovary releases an egg to be fertilized during conception.
Human ovulation footage
Human ovulation captured on film for the first time.
The Menstrual cycle
Learn how hormones control the menstrual cycle.
Reproduction
Short introductory video to the reproductive process in humans.
Fertilization
Excellent animation showing fertilization in detail.
From conception to birth
Great speechless animation of the nine-months journey towards chilbirth.
Cell to embryo
Watch the amazing transformation of a fertilized egg into an 8-week embryo in this video made from magnetic resonance images.
From weeks 6 to 12
Animation showing the changes between the sixth and the twelfth week of gestation.
Development of the fetus (I)
Stage by stage description of the changes during human fetal development.
Development of the fetus (II)
Stage by stage depiction of the human fetal development.
Development of the fetus (III)
How a baby grows and develops from an embryo stage till the birth day.
Amniocentesis
This animation shows an amniocentesis procedure to test the amniotic fluid during pregnancy.
Childbirth (I)
Animation of a normal vaginal birth.
Childbirth (II)
Detailed explanation on how a typical childbirth takes place.
Childbirth (III)
Excellent animation showing labour and delivery.
Birth control pills
Learn about the female reproductive system, the roles of estrogen and progesterone in the menstrual cycle and the use of contraceptive pills.
Intrauterine device
Both hormonal and copper intrauterine devices are shown, and how they prevent pregnancy is explained.
Vasectomy
This video shows a traditional and non scalpel vasectomy procedure.
In Vitro fertilization
This video shows the process by which a woman's eggs are fertilized outside her body and then placed inside her body to help her get pregnant.
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
This video shows how doctors perform intrauterine insemination (IUI), which is sometimes called artificial insemination.
Childbirth the Monty Python's way
Fragment from the Monty Python's film "The meaning of Life"… with the very expensive machine that goes "ping".
Heart Attack Due to Atherosclerosis
This narrated medical animation illustrates the story of a heart attack (myocardial infarction) from a blocked coronary artery due to atherosclerosis.
Stroke
This video gives a thorough explanation of stroke, covering anatomy and physiology, different types of stroke, and treatment.
Smoking Causes Cancer, heart disease, emphysema
This animation shows the health risks of smoking tobacco.
Type 1 diabetes
This animation explains the causes, symptoms and treatment of type 1 diabetes, a condition in which your pancreas does not produce insulin.
Type 2 diabetes
This animation shows type 2 diabetes, a condition in which the level of sugar in the blood is too high.
Infection fighters
Short introductory video on the immune system and the skin as infection fighters of our body.
White blood cell chasing a bacterium
Watch a neutrophil white blood cell going after a bacterium in the blood.
HIV and AIDS
This video shows the function of white blood cells in normal immunity. It also portrays how the human HIV affects the immune system and causes AIDS.
Rocks
An overview of the rock transformation processes on our planet.
The cell membrane
Learn the structure, behaviour and biological meaning of the cell's plasma membrane.
Diffusion
Learn how the molecules of fluids move freely, and which force drives their motion.
Osmosis
Learn how the process of osmosis can even out the concentrations of two solutions to either side of a partially permeable membrane.
Passive transport
Learn how some proteins of the plasma membrane can allow a free movement of molecules in and out the cell.
Active transport (I)
Learn how some proteins of the plasma membrane can pump certain substances through the membrane against the concentration gradient with some contribution of energy.
Active transport (II)
A more detailed view of the process of active transport through the Na/K pump example.
Endocytosis and exocytosis (I)
Learn how plasma membrane sacs can help to transport materials in bulk in and out the cell.
Endocytosis and exocytosis (II)
A more detailed view on the role of the endoplasmic reticulum, the Golgi apparatus and the cell's membrane lipid bilayer in the processes of exocytosis and endocytosis.
Mitosis (I)
The mitotic process explained through an animated movie. [Some key words: thread, coil, unwind, spindle, fiber].
Mitosis (II)
The central stages of mitosis in a microscopic movie.
Mitosis (III)
Another animated movie on mitosis, this time silent.
Meiosis
The meiotic process explained through an animated movie.
Mendel's gene theory explained
A quite aged but still great and clear explanation of Mendel's works.
Genetics 101 Part 1: What are genes?
On DNA, genes and chromosomes.
Genetics 101 Part 2: What are SNPs?
On molecular-level mutations and inherited variation.
Genetics 101 Part 3: Where do your genes come from?
On chromosomes and gender inheritance.
Genetics 101 Part 4: What is phenotype?
On the phenotype and its genetic and environmental influences.
From DNA to protein
This animation shows how proteins are made in the cell from the information in the DNA code.
DNA transcription and translation
Detailed animation to show how proteins are made in the cell from the information in the DNA code.
Tryptophan Repressor
See how tryptophan controls its own synthesis by acting as a co-repressor of the genes that code for it.
Code for Life (I)
Beginning more than 3.5 billion years ago, a tiny, primitive molecule encoded instructions, that it passed to its children, who passed it to their children and so on, all the way down through time to all living things today. Watch the story of DNA.
Code for Life (II)
Second part of the series.
Code for Life (III)
Third part of the series.
Code for Life (IV)
Fourth part of the series.
Code for Life (V)
Fifth part of the series.
Code for Life (VI)
Sixth part of the series.
Genetic engineering (I)
Genetic engineering using plasmids put simple.
Genetic engineering (II)
Comprehensive video on the basic process of genetic engineering: creating recombinant DNA from different species.
18 genetically modified organisms you don't know about
From Glow in the Dark Rabbit to Anti-Cancer Purple Tomatoes, here are 18 Genetically Modified Organisms You Don't Know About.
Gene therapy
See how a virus can be recombined with human DNA to save the life of a person.
CRISPR: Gene editing and beyond
The CRISPR-Cas9 system has revolutionised gene-editing, but cutting DNA isn’t all it can do. From turning gene expression on and off to fluorescently tagging particular sequences, this animation explores some of the exciting possibilities of CRISPR.
DNA matching
DNA matching is used as a tool in a variety of applications, from paternity determinations to criminal forensics. Learn how it is done.
DNA fingerprinting
A closer look to the DNA matching technique.
High speed gene sequencing
Commercial video from a firm that has developed a high speed DNA sequencer.
Nuclear transfer (I)
Animation showing how an egg-cell is enucleated and then provided with a diploid nucleus taken from a somatic cell.
Nuclear transfer (II)
Watch how the nuclear transfer process is actually performed.
Stem cells
This animation explains what stem cells are, their types, and their potential for treating disease. It then shows how hematopoietic stem cell therapy is used to treat leukemia.
On the origin of species: first paragraphs
Listen to the starter paragraphs of the most influential book in the History of Science, Darwin's "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life".
Evolution primer: who was Charles Darwin?
Discover how Darwin's curiosity, his passion for natural history, his voyage on the Beagle, and his use of the scientific process led to the publication of his groundbreaking book.
Facts of evolution (I)
Examining the idea of common descent.
Facts of evolution (II)
Examining transitional fossils, progression in fossil sequences, vestigial organs, geographical trails, homologous organs and "bad-designed" organs.
Facts of evolution (III)
Examining extinctions, the fossil record, the concept of species, hybrids and speciation.
Facts of evolution (IV)
Examining evolution rates, embrionary development and common biochemistry.
Facts of evolution (V)
Examining genome and protein comparisons between species and transposones.
Facts of evolution (VI)
Examining pseudogenes and endogenous retroviruses.
Mechanisms of evolution (I)
Examining how genetic variety arises in biological populations.
Mechanisms of evolution (II)
Examining how natural selection acting upon biological diversity drives evolution.
Natural selection made easy
Well explained overview of the process of natural selection and how old Darwin's theory itself has had to adapt to survive under the new discoveries of Genetics.
The Theory of Evolution made easy
Learn some evidence that makes evolution an accepted fact among biologists all over the world.
Evolution primer: how do we know evolution happens?
Learn about evolution through the fossil remains of whales' land-dwelling ancestors
Evolution primer: how does evolution really work?
Travel to Ecuador to see how the process of natural selection operates in populations of rainforest hummingbirds.
Evolution primer: why does Evolution matter now?
Learn how tuberculosis is transmitted and why the evolution of multi-drug resistant strains of TB in Russia affects us all.
Gradual evolution
The odds that such a complex organ as the human eye could have showed up all at once, and just randomly, are extremely low, creationists say. But the chances for it to appear gradually, step by step, are really high, as this video explains.
Gradual evolution of a complex organ: the eye
But can something like the human eye, that seems to only have any sense once it was fully developed, really appear by gradual evolution? Richard Dawkins explains how.
Proof of evolution that you can find on your body
You can see the result of the evolutionary process in the vestigial structures in each of our bodies, like the third molars that no longer fit in our mouths; for a few other examples, check out the video.
Evolution primer: isn't Evolution just a theory?
Learn the difference between the scientific and everyday use of key vocabulary words.
Evolution primer: why is Evolution controversial anyway?
Consider different points of view, as scientists, religious leaders, and college students share their opinions about evolution, science, and religious faith.
Creation science made easy
Learn why creation science is not science, and why the creation theory is not even a theory.
The story of the Earth made easy
Learn how a geological picture can be related to geological events that happened in the past, and how all this can help us to ellucidate the story of our planet.
The age of our world made easy
Learn the basics on the dating techniques used in Paleontology.
Carbon dating
Find out how carbon is used to determine how long ago an organism had died.
Protoplanetary disk
Accretion in a protoplanetary disk.
Paleo Earth
Watch the evolution of the Eath's continents thoughout the Phanerozoic eon.
1 billion years of tectonic movement
Animation showing the movement of the tectonic plates through the last billion years in 40 seconds.
The origin of Life made easy
Learn how could living matter come from non-living sludge.
Life to Eve (I)
From the primordial organic soup to the first vertebrates.
Life to Eve (II)
From the first amphibians to the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Life to Eve (III)
From the extinction of the dinosaurs to the first modern humans.
Highway of Life (I)
Great animation showing how Life on Earth evolved, diversified and increased in complexity from the primordial organic soup to the first fish.
Highway of Life (II)
Great animation showing how Life on Earth evolved, diversified and increased in complexity from the first fish up to humans.
Evolution of vertebrates
Nice animation showing the evolutionary lineage that lead from the fish to hominids.
Dinosaur bird bones
Some hollow bones are providing solid new evidence of how birds evolved from dinosaurs.
Evolution of human ancestry 101
Wonderful animated short movie about the history of human lineage.
Evolution primer: did humans evolve?
Examine the fossil and molecular evidence that supports the evolution of humans from earlier primate ancestors.
Human evolution made easy
Learn how scientists came up with the idea of human evolution from the apes, and which are the fundamental patterns in human evolution.
Human ancestry made easy
This video traces our migration out of Africa and explains, through DNA evidence, how humans colonized the world.
Zoom into a leaf
Watch the surface and the inside of a leaf progressively magnified by an electron microscope.
Photosynthesis
Learn how photosynthesis is performed inside the chloroplasts.
Respiration
Learn if and when a plant respires, absorbing CO2 and producing O2.
Plant fertilization
Learn how male and female gametes fuse in plants and what happens afterwards.
Double fertilization in flowering plants
Detailed view of the process of fertilization in plants.
Reproduction of the pine tree
Learn the specificities of the reproduction process in the gymnosperms.
Plant hormones and growth
Learn how plant hormones control their growth towards the light.
Global Warming
Global Warming is a hot topic. This video looks at the evidence and focuses on these two questions: "is the Earth getting warmer?" and "what are the effects of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere?"
The truth about global warming
A simple and effective way to see how human activity relates to global warming.
Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis
The IPCC has produced a video on its Fifth Assessment Report (AR5). The first part on the Working Group I contribution to AR5 is now available.
Ask for a better world
Global warming: when you feel it, it's already too late.
Teens, frogs and climate change
With frogs and other amphibians already dying in large numbers, a group of teenagers is joining other amateur scientists to gather information on the problem.
Early birds and springtime
A growing body of evidence shows that birds are nesting earlier due to global warming, with potentially harmful consequences.
Coal combustion and acid rain
Watch how sulphur-rich coal is a major source of acid rain and what can be done to mitigate its damage.
Analysing acid rain
Visit this research station in the Black Forest, Germany, to watch rainwater being tested for acidity.
Kilauea
Located in Hawaii, Kīlauea is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.
Pillow lavas (I)
Pillow lavas are formed in the sea floor when the erupted rolling lava solidifies only superficially.
Pillow lavas (II)
Watch the different shapes of the pillow lavas near an oceanic hotspot.