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TED-Ed

Why do animals have such different lifespans? - Joao Pedro de Magalhaes

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8,503 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

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For the microscopic lab worm C. elegans, life equates to just a few short weeks on Earth. The bowhead whale, on the other hand, can live over two hundred years. Why are these lifespans so different? And what does it really mean to ‘age' anyway? Joao Pedro de Magalhaes explains why the pace of aging varies greatly across animals.

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Meet The Creators

Educator
Joao Pedro de Magalhaes
Director
Sharon Colman Graham
Script Editor
Emma Bryce
Composer
Peter Gosling
Associate Producer
Jessica Ruby
Content Producer
Gerta Xhelo
Editorial Producer
Alex Rosenthal
Narrator
Addison Anderson

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