Science and Nature

Untold Earth

From PBS NATURE and Atlas Obscura, Untold Earth is a documentary series dedicated to unpacking the stories behind North America’s strangest, most unique natural wonders.

What Makes The “Northern Lights of the Sea” So Magical?

8m 26s

From Aristotle to Darwin, Humankind’s effort to understand bioluminescence spans thousands of years. Even though it’s one of the oldest fields of scientific study, answers remain elusive. In this episode of Untold Earth we get in the water with the bioluminescent algae of the Salish Sea, experiencing and asking: what is it about this inscrutable mystery that inspires such obsession?

Episodes

  • What Makes The “Northern Lights of the Sea” So Magical?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    What Makes The “Northern Lights of the Sea” So Magical?

    S1 E5 - 8m 26s

    From Aristotle to Darwin, Humankind’s effort to understand bioluminescence spans thousands of years. Even though it’s one of the oldest fields of scientific study, answers remain elusive. In this episode of Untold Earth we get in the water with the bioluminescent algae of the Salish Sea, experiencing and asking: what is it about this inscrutable mystery that inspires such obsession?

  • What Are These Strange Towers Growing Out of This Lake?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    What Are These Strange Towers Growing Out of This Lake?

    S1 E4 - 8m 56s

    Many of the big saline lakes of the Americas are on the brink of collapse due to climate change and water diversions. Mono lake’s survival is due to the scientists, activists, and locals who have fought for decades to preserve it. Home to a unique ecosystem of brine shrimp, alkali flies, and migratory birds, Mono Lake’s desiccation would be detrimental to the wildlife and humans who call it home.

  • You Aren’t Paying Enough Attention to Moss: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    You Aren’t Paying Enough Attention to Moss

    S1 E3 - 5m 44s

    Mosses were among the first land plants to evolve out of the ocean roughly 450 million years ago. They grow everywhere, from the world’s harshest landscapes to cracks in the sidewalk. This episode of Untold Earth gets up close and personal with the mosses of the Hoh Rainforest to understand their vital role in this ecosystem and potential to offer a glimpse into our planet’s future.

  • Why Do Hundreds of Icebergs Keep Visiting This Town?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Why Do Hundreds of Icebergs Keep Visiting This Town?

    S1 E2 - 7m 5s

    Icebergs are often found in the world’s most remote, coldest and dangerous seas. But each spring, a unique geological phenomenon brings hundreds of Icebergs into the communities along Newfoundland’s Northeast coast, where they have become a staple of everyday life. What are these icebergs doing here? And why is it imperative that we keep our eyes on them?

  • Redwoods Shouldn't Be So Tall. Here's Why They Are: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Redwoods Shouldn't Be So Tall. Here's Why They Are

    S1 E1 - 7m 30s

    Beyond its iconic height, the Redwood Forest is sacred to the Yurok Tribe and a scientific frontier for the study of vast biodiversity that exists nowhere else on Earth. This episode of Untold Earth explores the varied relationship between The Redwoods, their forest ecosystems, and the humans who live and work among them. Asking, at every turn, what makes these trees epically singular in nature?

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