Yes, the title sounds like clickbait but this explainer (the first in The Atlantic’s new four-part series called “Life Up Close”) directed by Washington DC’s Elyse Kelly backs up the hype with science and intricate graphics.

Elyse Kelly: What I love about these types of projects is how much you learn about a completely new subject.

“Typically I interview my expert for 1-2 hours and really let them dig their heels into the topic, go down the rabbit hole, etc. It’s always a challenge to edit down all that great content to 2-3 minutes!

“The moment I locked in mushrooms as the subject for the first episode, I knew I had to reach out to animation director Matt Reynolds. His style was the perfect balance between mystical and terrifying.”
 

Director: Elyse Kelly
Animation director: Matt Reynolds
Editor: Dan Fipphen
Sound design/mix: Chris Mastellone