Kahoot! Extreme Weather

In How Earth's Extreme Environments Are Helping Scientists Search for Habitable Worlds, astrobiologist Louisa Preston explores how life in extreme environments on Earth can provide clues for finding life on Mars. Scientists believe that if life can survive in Earth’s harshest conditions, similar life could exist on Mars. This exploration not only advances our search for life on Mars but also helps us better understand the origins of life on Earth and may lead to future innovations in space exploration.

In Traversing Extreme Winters in Antarctica, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how two animals, the Weddell seal and the emperor penguin, live in the extreme environment of Antarctica. Watch the aurora borealis in the northern and southern hemispheres. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.

In How Plants Thrive in Extreme Conditions, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes plants that thrive in some of the harshest places on Earth. The dragon’s blood tree in Socotra uses its unique shape to catch the morning mist and water its roots, while the desert rose stores water in its thick trunk and grows right out of bare rock. Meanwhile, the red mangrove tree survives salty water by filtering out most of the salt through pores, showing how nature helps plants adapt to tough environments! This video is excerpted from BBC’s Life, a show that explores the remarkable strategies animals and plants use to ensure their survival.

In Thriving in the Harsh Environment of the Villa Luz Cave, narrator Sir David Attenborough takes us on an expedition into Villa Luz Cave, a place filled with dangerous gases and sulfuric acid. Despite these hazardous conditions, fish, bacteria, and other creatures manage to thrive. Learn about the role of extremophiles, strange formations called snottites, and how bacteria form the basis of the food chain in this toxic environment. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.

In The Desperate Search for Water in the Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough details the race for survival in one of the harshest environments on Earth. A mother elephant and her calf, separated from their herd by a dust storm, press on toward a life-giving river delta. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.