TL;DR

Derek Muller’s video “The Surprising Truth About 4 Billion Years of Evolution” takes you on a whirlwind tour from the stinky chemistry behind poop to the very origins of life. Along the way you’ll learn how random gene mutations fuel evolution, see natural selection in action (and even try your hand at simulating it), and get why we owe a lot of our behavior to kin selection and the infamous “selfish gene.”

Packed with expert insights (shout-outs to Szostak, Sutherland, Masel, Joyce and more), eye-catching animations, penguin cameos, and a dash of humor, the video shows how evolution isn’t just a history lesson but a real-time simulation that shapes everything from microbes to us.

Watch on YouTube