The Hidden Wonders of the Natural World

You’re never alone. All around you are hidden wonders of nature. Award-winning filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg brings them to life in his new 3D film Mysteries of the Unseen World. 

Watch his recent TED Talk below to understand why we are giants, oblivious to all the living beings among us. The mites on our eyelashes, crawling on our skin at night are just one example. The spider nestled in the corner of a room, comfortable living among dust balls, may have mites crawling on him that he’s not aware of. It is from some of these tiny creatures that we can gain ideas for major innovations. 

The dragonflies touring our gardens can reveal new ideas for flight technology. What animal can fly better than the dragonfly? They can fly upside, backwards, their four wings moving in different directions; studying how these little creatures fly can lead to major advancements. Schwartzberg offers up one idea: dragonfly-like robots that can explore remote areas, taking pictures for scientists. Of course, espionage and Google Street View also come to mind! 

The world becomes a small, beautiful wonder in the incredible footage that Schwartzberg shares in his TED Talk. This powerful natural beauty inspires thoughts of the immense potential of nanotechnology, which Schwartzberg also pays tribute to. “Tiny chemical machines of the future can one day perhaps repair DNA,” he says. “We are on the threshold of extraordinary advances born of our drive to reveal the mysteries of life.” 

       Image credit: Bonnie Taylor Barry/Shutterstock