This phenomenal little clip is from Kalahari, the first episode of BBC’s Africa series, narrated by Sir David Attenborough. A golden wheel spider evades the attack of a pompilid wasp… I will leave you to watch how in the clip, but I will say this: up to 44 turns per second.

All six episodes are available in HD on Amazon Instant Video.

Entomologist Dr. Jürgen Otto films the Peacock Spiders of Australia, and they are super fun to watch. Though they are not well documented, there are 20 known species of these small jumping spiders. They have huge eyes, grow to about 5mm, and the males have colorful iridescent flaps that they use to attract females.  

GrrlScientist has written more about Dr. Otto and these unique little creatures, and you can see more photos (and an interview) on 1000 Natural Wonders.

via Bug Girl’s Blog.

And now it’s time for 3+ minutes of jazz and tiny hailstones. From Aatish Bhatia at Empirical Zeal, “The Universal laws behind growth patterns, or what Tetris can teach us about coffee stains.”

As I watched this miniature world self-assemble on my windshield like an alien landscape, I wondered about the physics behind these patterns. I learned later that these patterns of ice are related to a rich and very active current area of research in math and physics known as universality. The key mathematical principles that belie these intricate patterns lead us to some unexpected places…

Observe this quiet, growing collection of ice particles on its own, or read on for a much deeper discussion of universality that includes diagrams, videos, and animated gifs.

Related quiet particle observation: Dust particles dance to a Radiohead cover. 

Watch this BBC clip of fish and frogs living out of water, featuring the lung fish, a burrowing desert frog, and the thorny devil lizard.

Two South African filmmakers and ecologists travel to South Georgia Island and Antarctica to film the animals that live on the seventh continent. In this episode from EarthTouch.tv, meet the trusting seals and penguins they find in this beautiful place that has no major land predators. 

You can watch Earth Touch’s entire Antarctica series here. There’s also more Antarctica in the archives.

via Climate Adaptation.