Happy New Year! I’m excited to share a fascinating journey into the microscopic world with you. A few years ago, I teamed up with my friend James, who captures amazing footage for the YouTube channel, Journey to the Microcosmos. In this adventure, you’ll meet Jake the Tardigrade, a tiny creature that’s become quite popular. I’ve even turned Jake into a print, which is pretty cool!
Speaking of cool things, I’m offering some exclusive perks on my Patreon. If you join the $9 tier before January 22, you’ll receive one of two awesome stickers. One of them shows the actual brain size of a raccoon! These stickers were designed by my friend Henny from Sweden. Additionally, I’ve created a card that looks like a microscope slide, with a fun message that reads “Hey there” backward.
If you join the $25 tier or higher, you’ll get a holographic Brain Scoop sticker and a limited-edition print. These are great ways to support the Brain Scoop and enjoy some unique collectibles.
We’ve also launched a Discord community, which is like a modern-day forum where over 500 people are already chatting about their interests, museums, taxidermy, and more. It’s a fun place to connect with fellow enthusiasts!
Now, let’s dive into the world of James Weiss. You might know him from Journey to the Microcosmos. James collects water samples from various places, from mosses to lakes, and even from his backyard. He has an impressive collection of 500 different samples!
James is passionate about exploring microorganisms, especially a group called protists. He’ll take us on a tour of this tiny universe, where we’ll discover fascinating creatures.
Before we explore further, let’s talk about microscopes. It’s hard to imagine a time without them, but the first compound microscope was invented about 430 years ago. However, it took centuries for the technology to become widespread.
In 1665, English scientist Robert Hooke amazed people with his detailed drawings of organisms like fleas and snowflakes. Around the same time, Antony van Leeuwenhoek, a self-taught scientist, improved lens-making and created a microscope with higher magnification. This allowed him to see things even Hooke couldn’t. Despite his lack of formal training, Leeuwenhoek’s discoveries were groundbreaking.
By the 1860s, chemist Louis Pasteur showed that diseases could be caused by microorganisms, not just bad air. This discovery made microscopes more popular and affordable, opening up new worlds for scientists and curious minds alike.
In Victorian Britain, people were amazed by the microscopic world, often comparing it to fairylands. They discovered countless tiny creatures in pond scum, sparking debates and inspiring fairy-tale authors.
While some lamented the loss of magic in favor of scientific explanations, others found wonder in the reality of these tiny worlds. James shares this excitement, describing his microscope sessions as safaris into a different planet.
One of the most intriguing creatures James studies is the tardigrade, also known as the water bear. These chubby, eight-legged creatures can survive extreme conditions, from geysers to the vacuum of space. They thrive in mosses, dirt, and wet environments.
James keeps his tardigrades in humidity chambers, which are simple containers with wet tissue. He even names them, like Alfred the water bear. Tardigrades are found worldwide and have unique characteristics that make them fascinating to study.
James also explores protists, a diverse group of organisms. For example, diatoms are well-known for producing more oxygen than rainforests each year. They are found in aquatic environments and are important indicators of ecosystem health.
In 2018, an exhibit showcased indigenous artists inspired by microscope slides. James’s videos and photographs pay tribute to this vast and intricate world.
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We also appreciate our patrons for supporting Art Lab. If you’d like to join our community, visit us on Patreon. We have a fantastic group of Art Lab enthusiasts!
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Imagine you’re an artist inspired by the microscopic world. Use your creativity to draw or paint a microscopic creature, like a tardigrade or a protist. Share your artwork with the class and explain what makes your chosen organism unique.
Get hands-on experience with a microscope. Collect water samples from different environments, such as a pond or a garden. Observe the samples under the microscope and document the microorganisms you find. Compare your findings with your classmates.
Create a timeline that highlights key developments in the history of microscopes. Include important figures like Robert Hooke and Antony van Leeuwenhoek. Present your timeline to the class and discuss how these advancements have impacted scientific discovery.
Explore the online Discord community mentioned in the article. Engage in discussions about microorganisms, share your findings, and learn from other enthusiasts. Reflect on how being part of a community can enhance your understanding of science.
Research the ideal living conditions for tardigrades and design a habitat that could support them. Consider factors like humidity and temperature. Present your habitat design to the class and explain how it mimics the tardigrade’s natural environment.
Here’s a sanitized version of the YouTube transcript:
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Happy New Year!
I made this video a few years ago with my friend James, who provides the incredible footage for the YouTube channel, Journey to the Microcosmos. In that video, you will get to meet my friend, Jake the Tardigrade. The reason I’m mentioning this is that since making Jake the Tardigrade, I have also turned him into a print—how neat is that?
Speaking of prints, I am offering some limited edition, exclusive perks for the first time on my Patreon. If you join the $9 tier between now and January 22, you get one of these two cool stickers. One is the actual brain size of a raccoon. Both stickers were designed by my friend Henny in Sweden, so thanks, Henny. The card I designed looks like a microscope slide, and it says, “Hey there,” which is backwards in case you were looking from the other side.
If you join the $25 and up perk level, you’ll get a really cool holographic Brain Scoop sticker and a limited-edition print. So, one of these or another one that’s around 4×6 inches. We’ll just see what happens. Those are some cool bonus points that you can use to support the Brain Scoop in the new year.
Also, we launched a Discord, and we already have over 500 people in our great community. If you don’t know what Discord is, it’s basically like an Internet forum, but in 2024. We have all different kinds of channels where we talk about our nerd interests, museums, taxidermy, and all kinds of fun things. So, check us out on Discord.
I just got really excited. More new content soon. I love you, thank you, goodbye. Enjoy the video!
Hi, James. It’s so good to see you.
This is James Weiss. You may know him from the channel, Journey to the Microcosmos. He collects samples of water from habitats large and small, near and far, from mosses to lakes and from his backyard to other countries.
At some point, I had 500 different samples in my house. He’s on a quest to learn more about the unknown. I search for a group of microorganisms called protists. James is about to take us on a tour of his minuscule world.
Before we get there, I want to focus on his focus. Microscopes are everywhere today, but it feels impossible to imagine a time when they weren’t. The first compound microscope dates back to around 430 years ago, but the technology wouldn’t take hold for centuries. In 1665, English scientist Robert Hooke captivated members of the Royal Society in London with vivid illustrations of the organisms he saw on his slides, including fleas, flies, snowflakes, and more.
Around that same time, Antony van Leeuwenhoek, a self-taught scientist, refined the craft of lens making and created a new type of microscope that could produce a clearer image at a higher magnification. This went beyond what even Robert Hooke could see. But it was expensive and time-consuming, and you have to wonder if without a formal science background, maybe Leeuwenhoek’s descriptions of the miraculous creatures he observed made him seem a bit peculiar to certain members of the Royal Society.
Leeuwenhoek died in 1723, and it would be almost a century and a half later, in the 1860s, that chemist Louis Pasteur demonstrated that diseases could be caused by microorganisms and not just by miasma, or smelly air. With that, microscopes took off throughout the mid- to late-1800s as they became more powerful and affordable.
In Victorian era Great Britain, users marveled at these new windows into otherwise invisible worlds. James talks about this too. It’s just mind-blowing. Every time I sit in front of my microscope, it’s like going on a safari—it’s a whole different planet, and it’s fascinating.
Many Victorians, without the scientific language to describe what they were seeing, concluded they were looking directly into fairylands. Within every scrape of pond scum, they found seemingly infinite numbers of bewildering creatures. Scholars had serious debates about this, and fairy-tale authors were using microscopic discoveries to bring more credibility to their fantasies.
But they also didn’t want to use folklore or superstitions to explain natural phenomena. This created tension by questioning the role that human imagination and wonder play in scientific observation. Author Sabine Baring-Gould lamented the replacement of beliefs in magic lands with the reality of bacterial worlds, stating that while scientifically we have gained much, imaginatively we have lost a great deal.
Well, I beg to differ because what James is about to show me is an animal that for a long time I thought was just made up.
This is a tardigrade, or a water bear. Tardigrades are fascinating creatures with chubby bodies, eight legs, and little claws. They can endure extreme conditions and habitats like geysers and even exposure to the vacuum of space. But mostly, they love mosses, dirt, and wet environments like lakes.
James keeps his tardigrades alive in humidity chambers, which are just Tupperware with a bit of wet tissue on the bottom. He names his water bears, and this one is named Alfred. Tardigrades can be found all over the world, and they have some unique characteristics.
James also searches for protists, which are a whole weird group of organisms that don’t really fall into any other category. For example, diatoms are quite famous and generate more oxygen than rainforests every year. They are found in most aquatic environments and are valuable indicators of ecosystem health.
In 2018, a touring exhibit showcased the work of indigenous artists inspired by microscope slides. James’s videos and photographs are just another homage to this vast world of ours.
Thank you to our production partners over at the Described and Captioned Media Program for creating high-quality accessible media for teachers and students with disabilities. If you want to know more, check out their website.
Thanks to our patrons for supporting Art Lab. If you would like to support us, check us out on Patreon. We have a great community over there—Art Lab nerds.
Thank you for watching! Like and subscribe, and tell your friends!
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This version removes any informal language, exclamations, or potentially inappropriate comments while maintaining the core content and context of the original transcript.
Microcosmos – A small, representative system having analogies to a larger system; often used to describe a miniature world or universe. – The pond water is a microcosmos, teeming with life that mirrors larger ecosystems.
Microorganisms – Tiny living organisms, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi, that can only be seen with a microscope. – Scientists study microorganisms to understand their role in the environment and human health.
Protists – A diverse group of mostly unicellular organisms that are not plants, animals, or fungi, often found in aquatic environments. – Protists like algae play a crucial role in aquatic food chains by producing oxygen through photosynthesis.
Microscope – An instrument used to see objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. – Using a microscope, students observed the intricate details of a leaf cell.
Tardigrade – A microscopic, water-dwelling animal known for its resilience to extreme conditions. – Tardigrades, also known as water bears, can survive in the vacuum of space.
Diatoms – Single-celled algae with a silica cell wall, found in oceans and freshwater, important for photosynthesis. – Diatoms contribute significantly to the oxygen supply in Earth’s atmosphere.
Ecosystems – Communities of living organisms interacting with their physical environment. – Forest ecosystems are vital for maintaining biodiversity and regulating the climate.
Samples – Small parts or quantities intended to show what the whole is like, often used for scientific analysis. – The biologist collected water samples from the river to test for pollution levels.
Organisms – Individual living entities that can react to stimuli, reproduce, grow, and maintain homeostasis. – All organisms, from the smallest bacteria to the largest whales, play a role in the Earth’s ecosystems.
Adventure – An unusual and exciting experience, often involving exploration and discovery. – Exploring the rainforest was an adventure that revealed many new species of plants and animals.
