TL;DR

Veritasium’s latest video breaks down evolution from the smell of poop to the emergence of life, walking you through gene mutations, simulating evolution, and the nuts and bolts of natural selection. Derek Muller teams up with top biologists to demystify how heritable traits spread, why cooperation (and even selfishness) makes sense, and how kin selection underpins behaviors from penguin parenting to human social dynamics.

With clear animations, real‐world examples and a playful sense of humor, the episode brings Richard Dawkins’ Selfish Gene (and other foundational ideas) to life—showing that evolution isn’t just a theory but a powerful, ongoing simulation shaping every living thing.

Watch on YouTube