Meet the hydra: Masters of immortality

Raymond Adkins |

TED-Ed

• October 2026

In 1740, naturalist Abraham Trembley found something shocking in pondwater. He couldn't tell if it was a plant or an animal, though its way of moving and consuming things seemed animal-like. But when he cut parts off or even split it in two, it regenerated, which was decidedly plant-like. So, what was this miraculous creature? Raymond Adkins explores the near-immortal biology of the hydra. [Directed by Sharon Colman, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Cem Misirlioglu, WORKPLAYWORK].