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Native to central and southern Europe, the amphibious alpine newt breeds in shallow water, where its larvae are born, hatch and feed on plankton, before sprouting legs and moving to land. This timelapse video from the Dutch director Jan van IJken tracks the development of a single-celled zygote into the hatched larva of an alpine newt. Captured in stunning detail at microscopic scales, Becoming is a remarkable look at the process of cell division and differentiation, whence all animals – from newts to humans – come. For more awe-inspiring biology from van IJken, watch The Art of Flying.
Filmmaker, producer and editor: Jan van IJken
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Metaphysics
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Ageing and death
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The environment
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Technology and the self
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Ecology and environmental sciences
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Stories and literature
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Ecology and environmental sciences
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Music
Before the Beatles dropped acid, a BBC workshop was creating far-out sounds
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Philosophy of language
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