Name: The invisible life hidden beneath Antarctica's ice
Uploaded: 2020-07-14T15:12:41Z
Duration: 5 min 47 s
Description: In this tour of the microscopic world, explorer and artist Ariel Waldman introduces the charismatic creatures lurking beneath Antarctica's massive ice sheet, the largest on earth. From "cuddly" water bears to geometric algae made of glass, Waldman shows how this seemingly barren landmass is actually a polar oasis of life -- if we just know where to look.

Ariel Waldman: The invisible life hidden beneath Antarctica's ice

The invisible life hidden beneath Antarctica's ice

In this tour of the microscopic world, explorer and artist Ariel Waldman introduces the charismatic creatures lurking beneath Antarctica's massive ice sheet, the largest on earth. From "cuddly" water bears to geometric algae made of glass, Waldman shows how this seemingly barren landmass is actually a polar oasis of life -- if we just know where to look.

Earth teems with strange and vibrant life, much of it invisible and unexpected. Beneath Antarctica's ice, dazzling glass diatoms, water bears, and countless microbes thrive in extreme environments once thought barren. Some of these life-forms, like tardigrades, can survive the vacuum of space, while diatoms help produce oxygen and trap carbon in the oceans. Revealing these organisms in motion shows that our planet is far weirder and more alive than it appears at first glance.