Get curated editors’ picks, peeks behind the scenes, film recommendations and more.
If you’ve ever peered into the eyes of a cat or a goat, you’ll have noticed that pupils can come in quite a few shapes and sizes. And those are just two among a great many animals – including geckos, toads, stingrays and cuttlefish – that demonstrate the diversity of pupil shapes in nature. With stylish and clever animation, this video from TED-Ed takes a brief dive into animal vision, detailing the wide range of pupil types in the eyes of the animal kingdom, as well as the fascinating ways they can shape perception and indicate a creature’s place in their ecosystem.
video
Biography and memoir
As her world unravels, Pilar wonders at the ‘sacred geometry’ that gives it structure
20 minutes
video
Meaning and the good life
Why strive? Stephen Fry reads Nick Cave’s letter on the threat of computed creativity
5 minutes
video
Physics
Find the building blocks of nature within a single, humble snowflake
4 minutes
video
Physics
Why the golden age of total solar eclipses is already behind us
5 minutes
video
Film and visual culture
An augmented-reality filter reveals the hidden movements all around us
7 minutes
video
Film and visual culture
Stop-motion origami unfurls in a playful exploration of how senses overlap
3 minutes
video
Ecology and environmental sciences
The ancient Hawaiian myth that sparked a modern ecological breakthrough
10 minutes
video
Computing and artificial intelligence
A scientist’s poor eyesight helped fuel a revolution in computer ‘vision’
9 minutes
video
Ageing and death
Demystifying death – a palliative care specialist’s practical guide to life’s end
4 minutes