Bioluminescence - with David Attenborough
Many animals, especially insects and deep sea marine species, produce light to send signals to those around them. This is called bioluminescence. In this clip from the 1973 CHRISTMAS LECTURES...
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There's a great deal we do not yet know about luminescence, about the way in which animals produce light. But we know approximately how it goes. They have in their bodies a fluid which is the equivalent of this. And then they have in glands a fluid which is the equivalent of this. And they're able to squirt in little jets, almost, the equivalent of this into the equivalent of that. And let me show you what happens when you do that. Let's have the lights down. Now then. One, two, three, squirt. Do you see that? Shall I do it again? One, two, three, squirt. You see a blue light? Now as a matter of fact, I know it's terrible thing to say but I think that is so marvellous, let's do it on a bigger scale. [LAUGHTER] [CLAPS HANDS TOGET...
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There's a great deal we do not yet know about luminescence, about the way in which animals produce light. But we know approximately how it goes. They have in their bodies a fluid which is the equivalent of this. And then they have in glands a fluid which is the equivalent of this. And they're able to squirt in little jets, almost, the equivalent of this into the equivalent of that. And let me show you what happens when you do that. Let's have the lights down. Now then. One, two, three, squirt. Do you see that? Shall I do it again? One, two, three, squirt. You see a blue light? Now as a matter of fact, I know it's terrible thing to say but I think that is so marvellous, let's do it on a bigger scale. [LAUGHTER] [CLAPS HANDS TOGET...
