What we learned on ‘Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey’ last night

If you aren’t watching ‘Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey’ every Sunday on Fox (of all places,) then you need to start. Here’s a cheat-sheet to catch up on episode 6, which aired last night.

We traveled with a dewdrop, learned about history with more fun graphics, and then, well, you’ll see.

What ‘Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey’ taught us about atoms

There are as many atoms in a single molecule of your DNA as there are stars in a typical galaxy. No big deal. NO BIG DEAL.

An atom is mostly empty space. It has a nucleus…and that nucleus is super small.

Material objects never really touch on an atomic level. This means that humans can never really touch. We have the sensation of touch, but that’s only our force fields overlapping as electron clouds push each other away.

The only place where atoms do touch each other….is the Sun. Fancy.

What ‘Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey’ taught us about molecules

When you inhale you breathe in more molecules than stars in the solar system. You are breathing the same air as out ancestors

The microscopic world is as much a part of our Cosmos as the biggest galaxy. Which means you need to be nicer to bugs.

When water molecules are heated by the sun to move fast enough to leave, that’s evaporation.

What ‘Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey’ us about tardigrades

Tardigrades (it’s a real word) have been on the planet for 500 million years – a billion for every human.

Tardigrades have survived all five mass extinctions on this planets.

Tardigrades are allegedly harmless, but the animation of them LOOKED TERRIFYING.

“A visitor from another world would be forgiven for thinking this was the planet of the tardigrades.”  Humans are nothing compared to them. We need to get some life lessons from these little tardi’s.

What ‘Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey’ taught us about orchids

Orchids were one of the first flowering species to appear on earth. And this kinda explains why they look so alien, right?

Darwin was fascinated by orchids and he  postulated the existence of a moth with long proboscis to feed Madagascar orchid. He was eventually proven to be correct. But we are not sure if he said, “neener, neener, neener.”

What ‘Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey’ taught us about scent

Every smell is a cloud of molecules that stimulate specific receptors in your nose, sending signals to the brain. It can trigger powerful memories.

“Connecting smells to memory is a survival mechanism that’s held out through evolution.”

Our olafactory nerve is very close to our amygdala, which is why smells prompt such strong memories

What ‘Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey’ taught us in general

Sunshine is 10 million year old light on your face. (Seriously. Just take a moment. I’ll wait.)

We are breathing the same air as every single person on the planet, including our distant ancestors. Atomic reincarnation from brething in the molecules? It is a link to our ancestors, for sure.

If we can create artificial photosynthesis on a large scale, it can reduce the effects of Global Warming significantly. We would have a clean source of energy.