The Research Behind the Documentaries
One evolutionary misconception is, “because evolution is slow, humans cannot influence it.” In Episode 1 of Blue Planet II Season 1, David Attenborough states that over the past 30 years, the amount of ice in the Arctic Ocean over the summer has reduced by 40%. This drastic decrease in ice is due to sudden warming... Continue Reading →
In Life Season 1, Episode 10, Brazilian brown-tufted capuchin monkeys are depicted using tools to obtain food. Specifically, they use large stones that can be nearly half their body weight to crack open palm nuts. While tool use is often viewed as a purely human trait, there is evidence of nonhuman tool use across the... Continue Reading →
Fish can fly, or so it appears in Season 1, Episode 1 of Life. In the documentary, Attenborough describes how flyingfish can glide forward for over 200 meters, just above the surface of the water, in order to avoid predators. There are approximately 50 species of flyingfish in the family Exocoetidae [1]. These fish do... Continue Reading →
The Evolution of Planet Earth 