Skip to main content
Back to Show
Deep Look

Silkworms Spin Cocoons That Spell Their Own Doom

Season 9 Episode 7

Those precious silk garments in your closet were made by the caterpillars of a fuzzy white moth – thousands of them. Silkworms spin a cocoon with a single strand of silk up to 10 city blocks long. Humans have bred these insects into weaving machines that can no longer survive in the wild.

Support Provided By
Season
Banana Slug Mating is Slimy (and Dangerous)
4:05
Banana slug mating is slow—but far from boring: slime, biting, and wild slug sex explained.
Release The Brood! Roly Poly Birthing Is Intense
3:52
They curl into a ball, carry their babies in a pouch, and aren’t even insects. Meet the roly poly.
Spotted Lanternflies are The Ultimate Party Crashers
4:48
They’re colorful, invasive and spreading fast. Meet the spotted lanternfly.
Why Do Animals Glow? The Science of Bioluminescence
7:26
From ocean depths to forests, some animals glow — and it’s key to their survival.
Here’s Why Humans Can’t Lay Eggs
9:51
Eggs helped animals conquer land—but most mammals stopped laying them. Why is that?
I Simulated Insect Vision and It Got WEIRD
10:17
Here’s what compound eyes really do — and why flies see you in slow motion.
Hide! 4 Tiny Animals That Go Undercover In Style
15:28
Whether it’s seaweed cloaks or see-through wings, these animals know how to hide. Meet four masters
Build, Borrow, or Steal: 4 of Nature’s Weirdest Homeowners
16:18
Meet four creatures who’ve mastered the art of making shelter.
This Stick Insect Has a Peppermint-Scented Secret Weapon
4:46
Peppermint stick insect packs a peppermint-scented blast powerful enough to fend off hungry predator
These 5 Creatures Make a Living Off of Death: A Halloween Compilation
18:20
Death might seem like the end, but for these five creatures, it’s just part of the job.
Save The Grapes! Enter The Mealybug Destroyer!
3:57
If there ever was a bug that we should all raise a glass of wine for, it's the mealybug destroyer.
Pick Your Player: Dragonfly vs Damselfly
4:30
Dragonflies and damselflies may look alike, but these expert hunters have distinct strategies.
Active loading indicator