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YouTube 2019 - 2024 7 seasons 236 eps Ended

Journey to the Microcosmos

2019 - 2024 7 seasons 236 eps

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12 min

S7 · E1 · May 29, 2023

The Complicated Sex Lives of Hydra Episode 1

If we were to write a fable to get this moral across, it would have to star the freshwater cnidarian called the hydra. Because in the hydra, the question of butts connects to the ambiguities of immortality, which in turn relates to the befuddling matter of sexual reproduction.

10 min

S7 · E2 · Jun 5, 2023

When Is A Fungus Not A Fungus? Episode 2

Oomycetes are one of the more unusual-looking microbes we’ve seen in the microcosmos. It looks more like a coral reef painted by an artist inspired by Gustav Klimt and a pile of trash. And if you saw that painting hanging in the museum, you might pass it by without thinking much of its subject.

10 min

S7 · E3 · Jun 12, 2023

The Cryptic Origins of Yogurt Episode 3

The microcosmos is home to many unusual partnerships. Life is, after all, just relationships, each of which build upon one another like strokes of paint in an epic tableau of ecology, epidemics, and yogurt?

10 min

S7 · E4 · Jun 19, 2023

Why Beggiatoa Are Stuffed Full Of Sulfur Episode 4

There’s a few things that give Beggiatoa away. The first is the simple serpentine shape of their bodies, and the second are those little dots inside of them. They look like bubbles, but they’re actually sulfur granules.

10 min

S7 · E5 · Jul 10, 2023

We Don't Know Why Moth Wings Glow Episode 5

A little while ago, James found himself with a bit of a problem. He was keeping some wheat grains at home to use as food for the microbes that he cultures and films for our enjoyment. But before he could feed the grains to his microbes, they became infested with the larvae.. of moths.

11 min

S7 · E6 · Jul 17, 2023

Avoid These Tiny Bits of Killer Fluff (If You Can) Episode 6

When you hear the phrase “brain-eating amoebas,” is there a particular image that comes to mind? Whatever you envision, it's probably not what the notorious brain-eating amoeba that strikes fear in our hearts actually looks like.

11 min

S7 · E7 · Jul 24, 2023

This Neon World Is Inside Your Fruit Episode 7

Usually we’re looking into pond water or whatever other fascinating bit of nature that James, our master of microscopes, usually looks at. But right now, our sights are coming to us directly from the kitchen and from a different master of microscopes.

9 min

S7 · E8 · Jul 31, 2023

Up Close With The World's Deadliest Animal Episode 8

Under the microscope, mosquitos undergo a metamorphosis sculpted in gold. The buzzing body takes on a life of its own, its usual role as menace lying far beyond the margins of the screen.

12 min

S7 · E9 · Aug 7, 2023

Falling In Love With Microscopy Episode 9

This video is all about James, who many of you know as our master of microscopes. He is the scientist, and the artist, behind just about everything we are able to see in our collective journey through the microcosmos.

7 min

S7 · E10 · Aug 14, 2023

The Tiny Worlds Inside of Puddles Episode 10

When was the last time you saw a puddle? Was it recent—perhaps some time in the past week, fresh from a downpour? Or has it been a long time since you’ve seen rain, and so an even longer time since your path has crossed a puddle?

9 min

S7 · E11 · Aug 21, 2023

Why Are Some Birds Blue? Episode 11

One of the spectacular details of animals in our world is just how varied their colors can be. When you look at birds, for example, you’ll see everything from mundane grays to iridescent blues. So why don’t we shine with the same iridescence of birds?

8 min

S7 · E12 · Aug 28, 2023

The Electric Relationship Between Plants And Bees Episode 12

When you think of bees, you probably don’t think of single-celled eukaryotes. What could an insect have in common with, say, a ciliate?

10 min

S7 · E13 · Sep 4, 2023

Floating Cities of Scum Episode 13

When you think of bees, you probably don’t think of single-celled eukaryotes. What could an insect have in common with, say, a ciliate?

8 min

S7 · E14 · Sep 11, 2023

Liverworts Use The Rain To Make Their Clones Episode 14

An ambiguously long time ago, there was this theory of medicine. An idea that if you came across a plant that looked like a body part, that meant it was meant to treat ailments that targeted said part. And this put a lot of pressure on liverwort, simply because it resembled the liver.

9 min

S7 · E15 · Sep 18, 2023

Bacteria That Survive In Gelatinous Colonies Episode 15

In the 1820s, a man named Dr. R. Brandes walked through a meadow on a quest to try and answer a centuries-old question about a mysterious gelatinous substance on the ground known as “star jelly.”

11 min

S7 · E16 · Sep 25, 2023

Is It Possible To Photosynthesize In The Dark? Episode 16

Our master of microscopes is always looking for rare ciliates that live in areas low in oxygen. But when he puts those samples under a growth light, his tubes quickly turn the color of the green sulfur bacteria that thrive in those anaerobic conditions.

10 min

S7 · E17 · Oct 2, 2023

This Predator Is A Shape-Shifter Episode 17

In the middle of the 19th century, a scientist stared into the microscope and found, staring back at him, a vampire.

10 min

S7 · E18 · Oct 9, 2023

Blood-Sucking Escape Artists Episode 18

Of all the animals that we’ve examined in the microcosmos, leeches are probably one of the few that can be used as a verb, to leech off someone—to take and take from them, like a worm consuming someone’s blood.

10 min

S7 · E19 · Oct 16, 2023

This Microscopic Killer Wears Its Victims Episode 19

If you have been following Journey to the Microcosmos for some time, this might sound like a familiar story.| Consider this a proper slasher movie sequel.

9 min

S7 · E20 · Oct 23, 2023

These Dancing Worms Are Surprisingly Useful Episode 20

Do you know what’s in your water? Do you know what’s buried deep in those depths?

11 min

S7 · E21 · Oct 30, 2023

Some Ciliates Are Hiding a Secret Weapon Episode 21

The Microcosmos is a minefield. We can't see the dangers, but we keep looking, because we want to know, we have to know, what's causing these microbes to freeze.

12 min

S7 · E22 · Nov 6, 2023

Can Microbes Just Appear Out Of Nowhere? Episode 22

Can life be created spontaneously? Well, a year and a half ago, our master of microscopes, James, was inspired by the idea of spontaneous generation and set up his own little experiment.

9 min

S7 · E23 · Nov 13, 2023

Trying To Solve Some Micro Mysteries Episode 23

We Found Some Things We Can't Explain Today's episode has one particular theme: a bunch of funny things going on in the microcosmos.

9 min

S7 · E24 · Nov 20, 2023

What Do These Algae Do With Four Genomes? Episode 24

If, for some reason, you ever find yourself reading a bunch of papers about cryptomonads, you might come across this strange fact: they have four genomes. That sounds like a lot of genomes. But what does that even mean? And what does the cryptomonas do with all those genomes?

9 min

S7 · E25 · Dec 11, 2023

The History of Red Algae Episode 25

Imagine that you aren’t watching the microcosmos right now. Instead you’re living in the world as it existed around one billion years ago, and you are the ancestor of this red algae.

11 min

S7 · E26 · Dec 18, 2023

These Mites Give Cheese Its Flavor Episode 26

In May 2013, a shipment of around 1.5 tons of seemingly normal cheese was refused entry into the United States. And while looks wise there was nothing suspicious, according to the Food and Drug Administration, this shipment of cheese had a problem: mites.

9 min

S7 · E27 · Jan 9, 2024

Why Picocyanobacteria Might Just Outlast All Of Us Episode 27

In the northeast Atlantic Ocean, plankton populations aren’t looking like they used to. And at the center of it all are tiny, photosynthetic bacteria called picocyanobacteria who may just outlast us all.

10 min

S7 · E28 · Jan 15, 2024

We Built A Tardigrade Trap, And It Worked Episode 28

We don’t know if there are many rites of passage institutionalized among amateur microscopists. But we have to imagine that, as people find themselves navigating the microcosmos for the first time, they’re often on the lookout for tardigrades.

10 min

S7 · E29 · Jan 22, 2024

The Microbial Universe That Makes Kombucha Episode 29

When you think of kombucha, you might think of a nice, refreshing, healthy drink, one that’s exceptionall good for your microbiome. What we here at Journey to the Microcosmos think of is a terrarium…a place where a whole ecosystem exists, trapped in glass.

10 min

S7 · E30 · Jan 29, 2024

This Microbe Hasn't Been Seen Since The 1930s Episode 30

After an absence of almost 90 years, we’ve found a rare ciliate last written about about in 1933.

11 min

S7 · E31 · Feb 12, 2024

What Makes A Microbe Rare? Episode 31

In the microcosmos—where the organisms vastly outnumber us, where what we find in a single pool of water can change from day to day—it makes us as what it mean for a microbe to be rare?

10 min

S7 · E32 · Feb 19, 2024

These Tiny Crustaceans Hate Change Episode 32

One of the fascinating aspects of microscopy is the way you can look so deeply into something that it becomes unrecognizable. What could look like a stained glass window could actually turn out to be... a hopping shrimp?

10 min

S7 · E33 · Feb 28, 2024

This special diatom is having a very bad day Episode 33

It’s hard to count how many times we’ve encountered diatoms on Journey to the Microcosmos. However, we've always talked about the more colorful variety of diatom, and not the ones that are colorless.

8 min

S7 · E34 · Mar 4, 2024

We Fed Our Microbes Blood So You Don't Have To Episode 34

If you’ve clicked on this video, we assume it’s because you read the title, “We fed our microbes blood so you don’t have to,” and immediately asked the question everyone asks when a youtuber says they did something so you don’t have to: but why?

13 min

S7 · E35 · Mar 11, 2024

These Slugs Led Us to the Last Good Place on the Internet Episode 35

If you were asked to describe what a sea slug is, you might be tempted to go with the straightforward response: it’s a slug that lives in the sea. And you know, you wouldn’t be wrong.

13 min

S7 · E36 · Mar 25, 2024

How Do We Find Cancer? Episode 36

Usually on Journey to the Microcosmos, we spend our time delving into the microscopic world and the surprising things that microbes have to teach us. But today, we would like to talk about Hank Green, and what was his cancer.

9 min

S7 · E37 · Apr 15, 2024

Watch a Stentor Fix Itself Episode 37

Today James, our master of microscopes, is using a microscopy slide as a cutting board, chopping away at the slide to end up with a bunch of individual stentors.

9 min

S7 · E38 · Apr 22, 2024

This Amoeba Made Armor From Its Dead Enemies Episode 38

This amoeba has a shell around it, which seems like a pretty good idea. The world at large is full of predators, and shells seem like a straightforward strategy to ward those predators off. But what if this amoeba’s shell wasn’t just a form of protection? What if it was actually dangerous?

10 min

S7 · E39 · Apr 29, 2024

We Found Something Strange in Portugal Episode 39

Sometimes, the microcosmos can take a little while to surprise. You have to be patient, enjoying the familiar sights as you wait for something new.

9 min

S7 · E40 · May 6, 2024

We've Been Looking For This Purple Amoeba for 6 Years! Episode 40

We know that it’s bad form to return to the same word over and over again here on Journey to the Microcosmos. But whenever we write about amoeba, we will probably say the word “blob” a lot.

10 min

S7 · E41 · May 13, 2024

You Have Something in Common With This Horrifying Tube Worm Episode 41

When James, our master of microscopes, was looking through samples he’d received from Spain, he didn’t expect to see this—a creature straight out of a horror movie, with dark reddish brown eyes and tentacles streaming out of its mouth.

10 min

S7 · E42 · May 28, 2024

Tiny Mysteries from the Black Sea Episode 42

When you think of mussels and clams and other bivalve animals, you might think of something as shelled and static, perhaps sitting on your plate at a fancy restaurant. But before the mussel got to your plate, it led a life—and all things considered, a surprisingly active one.

8 min

S7 · E43 · Jun 10, 2024

We Found a Very, Very Tiny Kraken Episode 43

Our Master of Microscopes James was fascinated by something he found in some samples he had been given from Portugal. Something that would lead us to a kraken in the microcosmos…but how?

12 min

S7 · E44 · Jun 24, 2024

How Does The Microcosmos Change With the Seasons? Episode 44

We Spent a Year Looking at Microbes in a Polish Pond Have you ever wondered what seasons look like to a microbe? How they navigate the highs, the lows, and all the muddy, slushy in-betweens?

12 min

S7 · E45 · Jul 9, 2024

Why Are Ciliates So Hairy? Episode 45

For James, our master of microscopes, the immense breadth has made ciliates a bit of an obsession. Whether he’s hunting down a rare species, or documenting the behavior of something more familiar, there’s always something spectacular in this group.

9 min

S7 · E46 · Jul 22, 2024

What These Microbes Teach Us About Free Will Episode 46

We’re focusing today on a Journey to the Microcosmos favorite: the ciliates, the single-celled eukaryotes covered in hair-like structures called cilia. We want to be more self-centered and explore what ciliates have taught us about ourselves.

9 min

S7 · E47 · Aug 5, 2024

Microscopic Beauty from a Nuclear Test Site Episode 47

James, our master of microscopes, seems like a tough person to get a gift for. What do you get the person who has the entirety of the microcosmos available to him with just a glimpse through a lens?

8 min

S7 · E48 · Aug 19, 2024

Why Do Planarians Have Those Triangles on their Heads? Episode 48

Flatworms are kind of adorable. And they have keep scientists up at night for a few reasons.

8 min

S7 · E49 · Sep 3, 2024

A Collection of Tiny Universes Episode 49

Whenever we get to watch things through the microscope together, it’s like we’re transported to another world—or maybe another universe, or dimension. Time and space feel off somehow, with sights that are slower and faster and nearer and farther all at once.

10 min

S7 · E50 · Sep 16, 2024

Some Microbes Also Take Naps Episode 50

One thing we’ve heard from many of you is that this show is your sleep show, that soothing bit of media you put on when you need to slow down your brain and drift off. We take that as a huge compliment. It’s nice to know we can be a part of your relaxation journey.

13 min

S7 · E51 · Sep 30, 2024

We Answer Your Questions! Episode 51

While our journey through the microcosmos together is soon coming to a close, we know that some of you still have questions…questions that we wanted to take this last opportunity to explore.

11 min

S7 · E52 · Oct 14, 2024

We Spilled Ink On Our Slides to See What Would Happen Episode 52

Science is about more than just finding immutable laws of nature. It’s about having the imagination to try things and ask questions that might not necessarily lead anywhere, but that just… feel right.

11 min

S7 · E53 · Oct 28, 2024

The Future of Microscopy (and end of our Journey) Episode 53

People have been staring through the microscope for centuries, peering into the microcosmos and uncovering its beauty as they pursue deeper questions about the world around us. This is our series finale, and we want to thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for coming on this journey with us. It has been such a privilege to be a part of such a wonderful community, and we can't wait to join you all on your journeys ahead.

53 episodes in Season 7

Some details come from TheTVDB.

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