Skip to main content
Back to Show
Untold Earth

What Makes The “Northern Lights of the Sea” So Magical?

Season 1 Episode 5

From Aristotle to Darwin, Humankind’s effort to understand bioluminescence spans thousands of years. Even though it’s one of the oldest fields of scientific study, answers remain elusive. In this episode of Untold Earth we get in the water with the bioluminescent algae of the Salish Sea, experiencing and asking: what is it about this inscrutable mystery that inspires such obsession?

Support Provided By
Truffles Are Hiding a Dirty Little Secret
7:11
How are truffles key to the survival of the forest ecosystem at large?
Why Antelope Canyon Never Looks The Same Twice
6:49
What does it mean to preserve a place that is defined by it's impermanence?
This Upside Down Cave Is a Microscopic Warzone
5:57
Microbial warfare has been raging for thousands of years deep below the Chihuahuan Desert.
This Volcano Won't Stop Erupting
9:12
What does one of Earth's harshest environments teach us about planet survival?
What NASA Is Looking For In Yellowstone National Park
6:42
At 87º Celcius, the Grand Prismatic Spring is a beacon of microbial life and discovery.
The Story Behind This Giant Rock in the Middle of a Field
6:57
At 50 million years old, the origins of Devils Tower or Bears Lodge remains a mystery.
What Are These Strange Towers Growing Out of This Lake?
8:56
Over half a million years old, the story of Mono Lake is one of survival.
You Aren’t Paying Enough Attention to Moss
5:44
At 450 million years old, moss may hold the key to surviving our rapidly warming planet.
Why Do Hundreds of Icebergs Keep Visiting This Town?
7:05
What are icebergs doing so close to land and why must we keep an eye on them?
Redwoods Shouldn't Be So Tall. Here's Why They Are
7:30
What makes the Coast Redwood, a tree as old as the dinosaurs, epically singular in nature?
Active loading indicator