Plants

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This Plant Lives Without Sunlight

This ghostly white plant doesn’t need sunlight to survive! Known as the Ghost pipe, this plant connects to a hidden underground network of fungi and tree roots, pulling nutrients from the forest’s shared resources.
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Two Plants Changed My Life — Here’s How

Why do Goldenrod and Asters look so beautiful side by side? For Robin Wall Kimmerer, that question sparked a lifelong journey into botany, despite being told that science has no place for beauty.
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55:20

Robin Wall Kimmerer on What Nature Teaches Us About Giving Back

What if healing the planet starts with changing the way we see it? In this episode of The Big Question, Robin Wall Kimmerer, botanist, author, professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, joins Eva Cornman from the Museum of Science to...
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DIY Terrarium: Make a Mini Ecosystem

Learn how to build your own self-sustaining terrarium! This short "how to" guide Maynard Okereke demonstrates the water cycle and photosynthesis within a sealed container, ideal for beginners.
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Fungus That Inspired The Last of Us

What if a fungus could turn you into a zombie? Meet Cordyceps — the real-life "zombie fungus" that inspired the terrifying concept behind The Last of Us and a microorganism that can hijack the bodies of insects.
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Corn’s Wild Origins: From Grass to Feast

How did corn transform from the ancestral teosinte, which has small hard cornels, into the popular and juicy staple we know today? Alex Dainis explains how around 10,000 years ago, humans began picking seeds from the tastiest teosinte plants to grow...
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Why Does Popcorn Pop? Discover the Science!

Why does popcorn pop? In this video, Alex Dainis explains the science behind a tasty snack.
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Are Pumpkins Genetic Frankensteins?

What makes pumpkins genetic Frankensteins? In this video, Alex Dainis explains how modern pumpkins are one of two species: Cucurbita maximus and Cucurbita moschata.
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Can Invasive Species Help Fight Climate Change?

How can an invasive species help combat climate change? In this video, Alex Dainis explains how native seagrass is beneficial to local ecosystems because it serves as a nursery for young fish, and because it can take carbon from the atmosphere and lock it...
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DIY Biodegradable Seed Pots

How can household waste become sustainable pots for growing seedlings? In this video, Maynard Okereke shows how biodegradable household waste can be repurposed as eco-friendly nursery planters.
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World's Largest Genome in a Tiny Fern

What species has the biggest genome? In this video, Alex Dainis explains that the tiny fork fern holds the record at over 160 billion base pairs of DNA.
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Regrow Veggies From Kitchen Scraps

Did you know that you can regrow certain vegetables in your own kitchen? In this video, Maynard Okereke shows us how three different veggies can all be regrown from food scraps!
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Flowers Change Color with This Science Experiment

Did you know that science can turn your plain white flowers into a colorful bouquet? In this video, Alex Dainis demonstrates how capillary action can help us create multicolored flowers.
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How To Build a Pollinator Garden

Did you know you can help support local ecosystems from your own backyard? In this video, Maynard Okereke explains how to create your own pollinator garden using native plants.
Exhibit

Yawkey Gallery on the Charles River

Looking out over the Charles River, observe and explore the connections between natural habitats and engineered designs.