Long Ago
Ancient Earth
Dinosaurs, mass extinctions and the planet that came before this one.
- 01
Pelicans will swallow almost anything
Pelicans aren't just clumsy fishermen; they're opportunistic predators that will swallow pigeons, ducklings, and even other seabirds whole if they can fit them in their throat.
- 02
Some animals navigate by seeing magnetic fields
A European robin doesn't just feel North; it looks at it, using a quantum sensor in its eye to turn the Earth's magnetic field into a visual map.
- 03
Your brain makes up memories that never happened
Your memory isn't a recording—it's a storyteller that isn't afraid to lie. Discover why your brain constantly invents high-definition memories of events that never actually happene
- 04
Emperor penguin dads fast for months
When emperor penguin mothers leave to feed, their mates stay behind. For four months, these fathers starve to keep their single egg warm.
- 05
This school backpack is built like armor
Built from 200 parts and designed to survive six years of daily abuse, the Japanese randoseru is a $1,000 backpack that doubles as an earthquake helmet.
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A queen bee's absence means total chaos
Take the queen bee out of her hive, and the colony doesn't just get upset; it can self-destruct in a matter of hours. Without her, the entire social structure crumbles.
Your brain makes up memories that never happened
Your memory isn't a recording—it's a storyteller that isn't afraid to lie. Discover why your brain constantly invents high-definition memories of events that never actually happene
This school backpack is built like armor
Built from 200 parts and designed to survive six years of daily abuse, the Japanese randoseru is a $1,000 backpack that doubles as an earthquake helmet.
Pelicans will swallow almost anything
Pelicans aren't just clumsy fishermen; they're opportunistic predators that will swallow pigeons, ducklings, and even other seabirds whole if they can fit them in their throat.
Some animals navigate by seeing magnetic fields
A European robin doesn't just feel North; it looks at it, using a quantum sensor in its eye to turn the Earth's magnetic field into a visual map.
Emperor penguin dads fast for months
When emperor penguin mothers leave to feed, their mates stay behind. For four months, these fathers starve to keep their single egg warm.
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Big ancient creatures weren't always dinosaurs
Turns out, some of the biggest things to ever walk the planet weren't dinosaurs at all
Ancient honey is still edible after thousands of years
This ancient food has a secret that keeps it perfectly good to eat
Mongols broke armies with a sneaky trick
Their battle plans were so clever, enemies fought each other
Museums build monsters from ancient bones
It's a bit like a giant, ancient jigsaw puzzle. Here's how they do it
Wood that refused to rot for 60 million years
Imagine trying to eat something that doesn't break down. Some ancient bugs were stuck!
A queen bee's absence means total chaos
Take the queen bee out of her hive, and the colony doesn't just get upset; it can self-destruct in a matter of hours. Without her, the entire social structure crumbles.
Every episode in Long Ago
What caused the majority of the different mineral types found on Earth today?
Where did prehistoric Megalodons leave their young to protect them from larger predators?
What allowed Meganeura, a prehistoric ancestor of the dragonfly, to grow the size of a pigeon?
What geologic evidence explains why a massive waterfall once existed at the Strait of Gibraltar?
Explore other rabbit holes
All categories →Glass frogs, immortal jellyfish, and shrimp that punch faster than bullets.
More of Earth is underwater than mapped. The strangest life on the planet hides down there.
Black holes, dying stars, and worlds where it rains diamonds.
Your body breaks every rule it taught you in biology class.
Tardigrades, viruses and the invisible kingdoms living on you.
Quantum entanglement, time dilation and experiments that broke physics.
How machines, code, and inventions actually work.
Optical tricks, memory glitches and the colours that don't really exist.
Storms, eruptions, and creatures so deadly evolution made them glow.