Why trees look like rivers and also blood vessels and also lightning…

Why do the same, self-repeating patterns appear in trees, rivers, lightning, and even our bodies? Is there some essential, hidden rule of nature that makes these intricate designs appear all over the place? Let’s talk about fractals.

Season 12 Episode 9 Length 10:00 Premiere: 07/18/24

Recent Episodes

The Intelligence Test Where Ants Beat Humans

S13 E17 Length 14:52 Premiere Date 02/05/26

Everything I Thought I Knew About Flavor Was Wrong

S13 E16 Length 19:50 Premiere Date 01/15/26

The Scientific Lie That Damaged Generations of Men

S13 E15 Length 20:05 Premiere Date 12/18/25

Inside the Vault Where They Keep the Dinosaur Apocalypse

S13 E14 Length 22:36 Premiere Date 12/04/25

Mars Used to Be Blue... Then Something Happened

S13 E12 Length 11:08 Premiere Date 10/23/25

Be Smart about Autism

S13 E11 Length 36:47 Premiere Date 10/02/25

Specials

The Mystery of Earth's Disappearing Giants

Length 21:29 Premiere Date 09/16/21

Dung Beetles: The Poop-Rolling Stargazers of the Serenget

Length 17:08 Premiere Date 09/01/21

These Butt-Tickling Ants Are Endangered Butterfly Bodyguards

Length 20:59 Premiere Date 08/18/21

These Death-Eating Scavengers Are Real Life-Savers

Length 29:33 Premiere Date 08/04/21

Elephant Moms Carry the Wisdom of Generations

Length 25:36 Premiere Date 07/21/21

Are Some Species More Important Than Others?

Length 25:47 Premiere Date 07/08/21

The Surprising Species That Everything Else Depends On

Length 25:47 Premiere Date 07/08/21

The Superb Owl!

Length 04:11 Premiere Date 02/02/17

The 12 Days of Evolution - Complete Series!

Length 17:43 Premiere Date 01/26/17

The Surprising Origin of Thanksgiving Foods

Length 05:09 Premiere Date 11/13/16

Do Animals Mourn Their Dead?

Length 04:17 Premiere Date 10/23/16

Season 12 Episodes

Show Episodes

Show Clips & Previews

What Synesthesia Feels Like

S12 E18 Length 12:28 Premiere Date 12/30/24

Why Useless Knowledge Can Be So Useful

S12 E17 Length 14:35 Premiere Date 12/19/24

How Scientists Cracked the Secret To Making Diamonds

S12 E16 Length 12:15 Premiere Date 11/21/24

Camouflage Isn't What It Appears To Be

S12 E15 Length 11:20 Premiere Date 10/31/24

Why Don’t Humans Hibernate?

S12 E14 Length 11:17 Premiere Date 10/17/24

The Paradox of Voting

S12 E13 Length 12:40 Premiere Date 09/26/24

Why Do We Hate Certain Sounds

S12 E12 Length 16:27 Premiere Date 08/29/24

The Sun is NOT the Center of the Solar System

S12 E11 Length 11:43 Premiere Date 08/11/24

Why You See Faces in Things

S12 E10 Length 10:23 Premiere Date 08/01/24