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Archive for the tag “MinuteEarth”

The Odyssey of the Yellow Ants

Earth creatures have mingled for millenia, but not until humans came on the scene did their migration across the globe power into fast forward. When these critters began harming us or part of the environment we like, we took notice, spending lots of money eradicating the invasive pests. But many species, we noted, brazenly found their own destructive path, wreaking havoc over our fragile ecosystems. In this edition of MinuteEarth, Henry Reich profiles the yellow crazy ant, among the most aggressive of the invasive marauders.

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The Social Life of Plants

Amazingly, botanists have discovered that plants have a secret social life. You read that correctly. Plants can actually communicate with each other, and have been able to for centuries. MinuteEarth’s Henry Reich tells us that plants can warn each other of dangerous fungi, but can use what they’ve learned about their neighbors for nefarious reasons. Check out this episode as Reich explains.

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Beware of Ocean Confetti

There’s no doubting that plastic has revolutionized our planet. It’s cheap, durable and expendable. But although we reap the benefits of plastic, it’s long-term effect on our future is dismal. In this edition of MinuteEarth, Henry Reich says that once plastic is dumped in our oceans, it doesn’t go away. “Which is why we’ve found micro-plastics pretty much everywhere in the oceans, from the Arctic to the Antarctic and from the sea floor to the surface.”

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Earth Looking Youthful

If you’ve ever looked up at the moon, what you see is a pocked-marked satellite that is obviously old and worn. By contrast, Planet Earth looks refreshingly youthful. “Earth owes its youthful appearance to the fact that its outermost layer is constantly renewing itself, hiding its age,” says Henry Reich of MinuteEarth. In this episode, Reich discusses Earth’s age and how scientists go about dating a planet.

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From Dust to Water World

Everything we know about Earth’s surface says we should be bone dry, yet our planet is 70 percent water. So where did all the moisture come from. Henry Reich reveals the unusual source that made us wet and wild in this version of MinuteEarth.

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Third Rock From the Sun

About 45 million years ago, this rock that we live on coalesced from the dust and debris left over from the formation of our sun. And the rest, according to MinuteEarth, is a brief but entertaining history of our planet.

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Left Vs. Right

Why do motorists in some countries drive on the left-hand side of the road, while motorists in other countries drive on the right? H/T MinuteEarth

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Our Atmosphere Is Escaping!

Gravity holds most of our atmosphere in place, but lighter elements, such as helium and hydrogen, are able to escape, dodging into space en route to the stars. H/T MinuteEarth

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What Is Freezer Burn?

Why do ice cubes shrink, ice cream get frosty, and vegetables dry out in the freezer? H/T MinuteEarth

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Story of Frozen Food

How inventor Clarence Birdseye revolutionized food preservation by bringing the North Pole into kitchens.  H/T MinuteEarth

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