Science and Nature

Deep Look

See the unseen at the very edge of our visible world. Get a new perspective on our place in the universe and meet extraordinary new friends. Explore big scientific mysteries by going incredibly small.

These Baby Starfish Are Carnivorous Little Snowflakes

5m 15s

Six-rayed sea stars make great moms! Unlike most sea stars, mama six-rayed sea stars are VERY involved in their kids' lives, caressing and protecting their babies for months. When they're big enough, the youngsters venture out on their own to ruthlessly hunt down their tiny prey.

Episodes

  • These Baby Starfish Are Carnivorous Little Snowflakes: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    These Baby Starfish Are Carnivorous Little Snowflakes

    S11 E9 - 5m 15s

    Six-rayed sea stars make great moms! Unlike most sea stars, mama six-rayed sea stars are VERY involved in their kids' lives, caressing and protecting their babies for months. When they're big enough, the youngsters venture out on their own to ruthlessly hunt down their tiny prey.

  • Fly Metamorphosis is a Beautiful Nightmare: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Fly Metamorphosis is a Beautiful Nightmare

    S11 E8 - 4m 12s

    Like the beloved butterfly, a house fly goes through an incredible metamorphosis. To make its grand entry into the world, it deploys a specialized, fluid-filled balloon on its head called the ptilinum (till-EYE-num) to break open its pupal casing, freeing itself to buzz around your kitchen.

  • Stingless Bees Guard Tasty Honey With Barricades, Bouncers and Bites: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Stingless Bees Guard Tasty Honey With Barricades, Bouncers and Bites

    S11 E7 - 6m 15s

    The honeybee that sweetens your tea isn’t the only kind of bee that makes honey. More than 600 bee species across Mexico, Central and South America, and other tropical regions worldwide, also make the sweet stuff. But they don’t have stingers to defend their precious product. So, how do they keep thieves away? And what does their honey taste like?

  • Meet the Bug You Didn't Know You Were Eating: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Meet the Bug You Didn't Know You Were Eating

    S11 E6 - 5m 16s

    The cochineal is a tiny insect deeply rooted in the history of Oaxaca, Mexico. Female cochineals spend most of their lives with their heads buried in juicy cactus pads, eating and growing. After cochineals die, their legacy lives on in the brilliant red hue produced by their hemolymph. Dyes made from cochineal have been used in textiles, paintings, and even in your food!

  • Watch Ferns Get Freaky: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Watch Ferns Get Freaky

    S11 E5 - 3m 44s

    Look at the underside of a fern leaf. Those rows of orange clusters aren’t tiny insects; they’re spores waiting to be catapulted away. Once a spore lands, it grows into a tiny plant, from which fern sperm swim away, searching for an egg to fertilize. Think of *that* next time you’re hiking in the forest.

  • These Solar-Powered Carnivorous Flatworms Divide and Conquer: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    These Solar-Powered Carnivorous Flatworms Divide and Conquer

    S11 E4 - 5m 16s

    Tiny marine flatworms called acoels hunt for prey in coral reefs. They're referred to as “plant-animals'' because they've got a partnership with photosynthetic algae that live inside of them. But this acoel's real superpower is its ability to regenerate any part of its body!

  • Sharpshooter Insects are Real Wizzes at Whizzing: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Sharpshooter Insects are Real Wizzes at Whizzing

    S11 E3 - 3m 57s

    Sharpshooters survive by guzzling a lot of plant sap. But drinking all of that liquid nutrition presents a problem for these tiny insects: How do they move it all out? Easy. They've perfected a super-propulsive urination technique using a special catapult in their butt.

  • Watch Spawning Corals Synchronize With the Night Sky: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Watch Spawning Corals Synchronize With the Night Sky

    S11 E2 - 4m 36s

    When the moon, sun and ocean temperatures all align, an underwater "snowstorm" occurs. Corals put on a massive spawning spectacle by sending tiny white spheres floating up the water column all at once.

  • A Drain Fly’s Happy Place Is Down Your Pipes: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    A Drain Fly’s Happy Place Is Down Your Pipes

    S11 E1 - 3m 58s

    Ever wonder how those tiny, jumpy flies got onto your bathroom wall? Well, they came out of your sink drain after growing up down in the pipes. A goofy, long “mustache,” fuzzy wings and some aquabatics help them survive in that soggy environment.

WETA Passport

Stream tens of thousands of hours of your PBS and local favorites with WETA Passport whenever and wherever you want. Catch up on a single episode or binge-watch full seasons before they air on TV.

Similar Shows

Poster Image
NOVA: show-poster2x3

NOVA

Science and Nature

Poster Image
Eons: show-poster2x3

Eons

Science and Nature