Instructional Video6:05
Be Smart

Why Do We Itch?

6th - 12th Standards
Our skin is the first line of defense against insects, parasites, and other irritants. How do we defend it? Step inside the science of scratching with a video from an informative playlist. Topics include how itching evolved, what happens...
Instructional Video2:59
Deep Look

What Gall! The Crazy Cribs of Parasitic Wasps

6th - 12th Standards
It turns out some wasps have a lot of gall! An engaging video lesson presents parasitism at its finest. Certain species of wasps trick oak trees into creating and maintaining homes for their larva. These homes have the appropriate name...
Instructional Video3:33
Deep Look

These Termites Turn Your House into a Palace of Poop

6th - 12th Standards
Everyone knows that termites are bad news for the wooden parts of a home. How do they do it, and how can we stop them? Go inside a termite (literally) to discover the scores of bacteria and protists that help make wood taste good. The...
Instructional Video4:20
Deep Look

These Fighting Fruit Flies Are Superheroes of Brain Science

6th - 12th Standards
What can fighting fruit flies tell us about our own brains? Junior geneticists explore the common genes of fruit flies and humans and learn how scientists are using the tiny insects to help study depression, anger, and Alzheimer's...
Instructional Video4:04
Deep Look

A Real Alien Invasion Is Coming to a Palm Tree Near You

6th - 12th Standards
What happens when you plant large numbers of non-native trees in an area? Well, sometimes it attracts the wrong kind of attention! Meet the South American palm weevil, an insect that spends its entire life cycle destroying palm...
Audio
Science Friday Initiative

Science Friday: Stink Bug Invasion

9th - 10th
They're tiny, they're stinky, and they're probably coming soon to your neighborhood.
Audio
Science Friday Initiative

Science Friday: Water Striders Don"t Stride, They Row

9th - 10th
Mechanical engineer David Hu filmed water striders gliding on food coloring and built his own robostrider.