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How Fireflies Glow – The Chemistry of Bioluminescence
November 10, 2021 • EPISODE 95
What makes fireflies glow? Join Roger Billings as he helps students explore the enchanting world of fireflies! Discover the amazing chemistry behind their glow and see how these tiny creatures light up the night with their bioluminescence.

About DrB
Dr. Roger Billings is a visionary innovator whose work has touched the lives of millions of students and transformed the landscape of education. Widely known as “DrB” to the countless kids who benefit from his groundbreaking Acellus learning system, Dr. Billings has dedicated his life to advancing education through technology.
As part of DrB’s lifelong commitment to supporting education, Science LIVE was launched as a way to “give back” by mentoring students in conjunction with the Roger Billings Scholarship Program.
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About the Roger Billings Scholarship Program »
I wish fireflies lived in North Idaho. I wonder why they don’t.
Fireflies are interesting
Fireflies are so interesting and cool
Such an interesting experiment.
Thank you so much that’s so cool.
Awesome video I love Fireflies
It’s neat how bioluminescence works, and it’s cool how there is bioluminescent beaches too!
Love the song it almost let me cry
I love acellus so much you have helped me so much thank you.
Incredible as always…
I loved it! It was very inspiring to learn from! cool school!
I thought it was really cool when he made light using liquids! How does that work? Can I try a similar experiment at home?
THIS IS AWESOME
Fireflies are incredible insects!
awesome!
How does bioluminescence not effect the oceans creatures
Omg this is so cool! I love Fireflies!!💜💜
Roger Billings, you are my Idol, love ya Pajet Monet, I took your class last year and it helped me a lot thank you for the inspiration!💜😇💗💫💫
fireflies are beautiful!
I love acellus
Thank you these are my favorite
That song was a very good song but I almost cried. I also really loved how Roger Billings was able to make that light like fireflies light they have.
Wow! That’s so cool. 👍😎😆🤩😁
I love fireflies
So cool
I love science
bioluminescence is so cool!
I just learned about luminous light and illuminated on science yesterday!
Fire fly are cooler then I thought.
so cool i love fire flys
Never knew how interesting the science behind how fireflies was, how exciting!!!
I loved learning about the fireflies. They are so fun in the summertime.
whenever i think of bioluminescent i think of deep sea creatures but i think its cool how fireflys can talk to one another using bioluminescents and i also really liked the experiment also, i used to catch fireflys all the time. My dog ate on once, the song at the end sounds nice
I love fireflies
Fireflies are so crazy they can fly and have bioluminescence, what a cool bug.
We call them lightning bugs.
I loved the song at the end.
I loved watching the experiment.
Wow, fireflies are so cool!
I’ve never really thought about how a firefly lights up. It’s interesting to hear about the science behind how it is able to do it.
I never knew that bioluminescence was so bright and colorful. I loved the way the fireflies bioluminescence glow at night. I hope you can show us a video about how to catch fireflies. So awsome!
I’ve never seen fireflies before but knowing how they work is amazing!
my brother and i always used to fight over who got to catch the fireflies.
Love the song I wish the fireflies would actually chase the hard times away
Bionic video please🦿🦾
I love bioluminescence, especially since I am studying marine biology and currently am studying bioluminescent species of plankton and algae, and how it all works. I really liked it and it was really fun to learn and helpful.
I like fireflies.
one time my big sister caught a fire fly and I wasn’t scared I said wow instead and this video is sooooo cool!
Pajet, can you make a song like that with butterflies?🦋
Fireflies are awesome
I’ve only seen fireflies once but they were amazing!
Fireflies are wonderful I love catching them😸.・゜゜・ ・゜゜・.
wow fireflies wow cool 🙂 🤯.
Fun ☺️
I always wondered how fireflies glow
acellus is the best program I no. and I do not know where I would be if it was not for acellus😘
Used to be scared of fireflies, But they’re very interesting.
That song almost made me cry .I love fireflies!🥹
That made me cry.😥
It is so Fascinating how they glow!!(:
I love this so much
Fireflies light up, and they are cool.
Fireflies are definitely the coolest bug. Can’t wait to see them in the summer!
This was a very cool video, I liked the part where they mixed the chemicals together to make it glow!
I loved learning about fireflies and the chemicals that they use.
Loved this video about Fireflies! So interesting and the song and video made my mom cry a little, it was so beautiful.
fireflyes are neat
the fireflies are so cool.
This changes my mind about fireflys this is so cool.
I love the pictures of the fireflies
I love the lesson very much. It was very, very cool and the song at the end was very much beautiful and I’d really like science live.
I didn’t know that fireflies glowed
What is the firefly really named for? When was the firefly named? And how do they inspire and what do they represent?
I will NEVER look at fire flies the same..lol
I like to catch fireflies, they are so cool.
Hi Dr. Roger Billings I like Acellus🦸🏻♂️🦸🏻🏇🪖🪖
Lighting is also how nitrogen gets into your soil for agriculture! That and or growing beans…
I never knew where that phrase had come from!
she is my favorte techer
Are the bioluminescence that fireflies use the same as the bioluminescence that some creatures deep in the ocean have?
I wish we had fireflies here. I miss the from where we used to live. Thank you!
Wow thats so cool how fireflies glow like that!!
Its amazing the way they produce light!
Very interesting. We hardly have them here in eastern North Carolina like we used to when I was younger.
So cool to watch fireflies. So neat to find out why they glow.
This is so cool all the chemicals that make up light in a bug or a lightbulb or anything that glows is so magical
The funny fact is that Fireflies glow is like a secret light show they can turn on and off at will! Thanks for teaching us.
This was so cool to hear about!
Where do fireflies live? It is cool how they glow, I didn’t know that.
It’s really cool how you showed the oxygen in the flask making the flame go again. The stick was just glowing and then ignited further when pushed into the oxygen filled flask!
Wow fireflies are so awesome!
I love fireflies, this was very interesting.
That’s amazing guys, thank you for teaching us all of that
Fireflies are so cool!
How fascinating that fireflies cannot glow in all colors!
love the chem hope to see it more love it.
Amazing! Yeah. some glow Blue!
Wow that was something I haven’t seen before!!
That was cool!
I love fireflys I’ve never seen them before but thare so cool
Can fireflies glow in colors other than yellow or green?
Oh wow.
God is the best scientist and his creation shines just like the fire flies.
I always wondered how it works
Bioluminescence is cool.
Wow!. This video was very interesting. I love how you explained how fireflies glow!. Also here is my question. What is the golden power on a surface when a firefly is crushed under a force?
Are there fireflies that don’t have bioluminescence
I ‘ve aways loved fireflies I have seen them in Sardinia, Italy but it was amazing to learn how they are able to make lights!
Pretty fascinating!
how are the fireflies glow are they different color me to ive never seen a fireflies
this was very interesting to watch
Wow, what a great lesson. I don’t see many fireflies where I live? I was listening to how the fireflies used oxygen to light their bodies. Will there be more fireflies in rural areas without so much politician or does that play a factor. Also, do fireflies fly around during the day and we just can’t see them or are they nocturnal insects?
Firefly’s are very pretty when it gets warm out I go out side and see how many I can catch!
i’ve always wondered how fireflies glow
Thank you for this lecture
Are there any other animals that are biolumenescent.
The first time I saw fireflies was in Tennessee, they were awesome.
Firefly video is amazing
Very interesting! I love fireflys in the summer
we have fireflies in our yard during the summer
I loved this video! It helped me learn about fireflies
Bioluminescence has always been an topic I’ve been curious about. It’s nice finally having a better understanding about it.
My mom told me stories of catching them when she was a kid and putting them in a jar
I liked this Science video on fire flies.
I liked the chemical reaction when you recreated the bioluminescence .
I didn’t know that fireflies were so i Interesting.
I love science!❤
I love fireflies but I’ve never seen one before
Were I live there’s no firefly’s cause I live in the city
That experiment was really amazing I have not seen anything like that before!
wow is that cool video or what?
About how many fireflys are on our earth?
Fireflies are amazing!!
I never knew what “in the lime light” meant. The fact that fireflies can control the oxygen is fascinating.
ur the best
;]
Do fireflies sleep during the day?
I had never learned something so amazing than what I just learned right now.Thank you for the video
This is so cool!
I wish I knew how to catch a firefly. I’m so excited to see what is next in science live!
omg shes a singer woooow shes so good
I love fireflies!
Robots having the ability to feel what they touch win old be much different, and bioluminescence is cool.
so cool
So cool the song made me cry its so sad!
what do fireflies like.
I love fireflies. I catch them every summer. It is cool knowing how they flash.
This is so cool. I didn’t know that oxygen was a part of bioluminescence.
I don’t know how to catch a firefly.
I love this. that song made me cry. I made a poem over fireflies.
through the darkness,
when life is full of sadness,
there is a light,
that glows with all it’s might,
that night,
it held on tight.
That light,
were fireflies.
No matter the lies,
or the darkness of your life,
remember you are the fireflies light.
Ok, I am going to admit that that was not a good poem, but when I write I write from the bottom of my heart.
Remember you are the light of the fire fly!!
I love to catch fire flies in the summer.
on the song that’s my math teacher Ms. Rebecca
Help I am crying from the song.
I’ve never seen a firefly in my life
very cool cant wait to see whats next
Love it so much ❤️❤️❤️😍😍😍🤩🤩🤩🤩
Love fireflys
I love thissssss. I need to see it live. And the “I don’t like to be in the limelight” is very relatable.
what this song name, cool!
This was really cool. My favorite part was learning about the phrase “I don’t like to be in the limelight.”
I think bioluminescence is so neat. Fireflies are cool to watch. It is amazing in the ocean too. I hope to see that one day.
too me it was amazing!!!!!!
that was AWSOME, to me….
That was Very COOL to me too
The song Fireflies was so beautiful, and inspiring!
Fireflies are amazing creatures, yes.
Wow! This was very cool to me.
This is so cool thank you for this
I learned about bioluminescence in sea animals last year.
2025!!
Whos watching in 2025? but I like thisone
Fireflies are really fascinating creatures, they are just so cute with those black bead like eyes and their glowing is really cool. I sometimes wish I had the ability to be Bioluminescent, especially when navigating my house at night when my eyes aren’t adjusted to the dark.
I love fireflies
Something about bio-luminescent things tickle my brain.Its so nice to look at.
30:16 secret of the firefly😂😂😂😂 so funny!
loved it
I learned that fire flies produce light through a chemical reaction!
The song video made me cry.😢
Love the video it made me laugh!😂 I love the frameable secret pajet!!😂
it made me cry the song did
Cool song Ms. Rebecca.
I love the video. I think it is so dang cool. Y’all should watch, it will be a great experience.
This is the best.
It was cool
I love the song so much but it was sad.
haha my math teacher sings the song lol😁😁
Awesome i love it so cool😱 🤯😎🤩😶😲 awesome
this is so cool🤯😱
this is so cool
cool
I learn that fire flies make light from a chimerical reaction
That was really cool where did you get the stuff for the project because I want the stuff so I can try this project
This is so cool i love learning about fire flies fun fact my favorite element on the periodic table is carbon dioxide!!!!!
This is so cool i love learning about fire flies fun fact my favorite element on the periodic table is carbon dioxide
I learn fire fly uses carbondixoide shine light
I love Dr. Pajet’s outfit and hair in this episode.
I learned a lot about fire flies!!
I will cry.
The song is so sad why is it so sad good song just sad?
The blue color was so pretty.
I like this video because it’s super pretty and I love the way it glows it’s so pretty🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
very very coooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool
I love that song!
the fact that you see the guy checkeing his bills and they or past due his son came over to come to cheer him up and he smiled ;] well he was streesd
Is there anything else that glows with bioluminescence??🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
Fireflies are super duper cool.
that look like the stuff you see in Florida’s water a night
how do fireflies glow?
Oh my goodness! This one is my favorite one so far. I wish and hope you guys will make more like this some day.
how many fireflys do yall think are in the world
so amazing I almost died.
(X-X)
If fireflies can control their lighting and the speed to attract the females then the ones that are older, not blink as fast as the younger ones possibly?
It almost made me cry and think stuff in the past 😢 🥺🥺🥺😔😌😌😌
Gosh that was so awesome
Wow what a cool video
this video was AMAZING!!!!!
I love this video and that song in end almost they end had me crying
when will u guys do Another live
Wow. I did learn a lot about how fireflies glow.
I really enjoyed this. Thank you.
how long do fire flies live
Just freaking AMAZING!! I think this has been my fav video yet!!!!!!!!!
Nice intro :0
very cool :)))
I love science it is the most coolest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life
this firefly experiment is the best one yet truly a work of art keep up the good work guys. also there is one question i have: how IN THE WORLD do you get the stuff for this experiment cause i need it. thank you
i love the firefly song
Love the song
I love the firefly song so inspiring. This is my favorite video.
loved the firefly song
really cool to learn how firefly’s light up bio luminescence. does the alge work the same way
Who discovered bioluminescent,s first also great song
It’s so cool to be able to see this kind of stuff. In the public school I went to they rarely did any labs, let alone something this cool!
Yoo I love this one!
OMG, OMG, OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is awesome, how long did your experiment glow for?
Nice Goofy voice.Ha ha!
Cool! I love Fireflies.
How was light made.
I loved this >•<!!!! the neon blue color was gorgeous!
this is amazing im glad I do acellus!
That was amazing
That will be my best song I ever hear
It’s sooooooooooooooooooo amazing
I like Dr john
It’s sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo amazing!!!
Cool
I was pleasantly surprised by the new information I received. It’s one of the reasons why I hold Dr. B in high regard. He consistently shares honest and valuable insights that may not be readily available in traditional educational settings. This is why I hold Acellus in high esteem, as it has provided me with valuable knowledge. I also would love it if Dr. B makes a class with pajet Monet.
I love fireflies they where every where when i was a kid
I loved to figure out how fireflys light up.
i love this science video. Fireflies are super cool.
love this vid! I would had love to seen it live ! so cool! !(^^)! !(^^)!
love this vid! I wish I could’ve seen it live ! so cool! !(^^)! !(^^)!
Very Interesting experiment, I learned a lot.
This was really helpful for me because I’ve always wondered how fireflies glow, so thank you dr. Billings, and miss paj’ey for doing this firefly video
Thank you very much for the video and lots of useful information .
Wow! The light is so bright! Now I know how fireflies made themself glow. This is amazing!
that was very cool with the firefly experiment it was very cool and I loved the song
It was interesting to me
Do firefly’s fly glow sometime’s in the day time?
haha pajets light went out but the alien fixed it haha
The firefly experiment really took part in representing how bio-luminescent works. I would love watching more experiments like these!
I liked the bright blue lights, they looked cool!
This live experiment soo cool!!
This experiment had my mind blown! When I was in public school they never did anything like this.
how are the sensors going to be used in the real world?
really cool video but it glowed blue
robots will never have the same touch as us humans
The last experiment was so cool! I’ve never seen anything like it!
I learned about the chemicals poured together and it glowed! It was bright! This is my first Science live.
This would have been super fun to watch live.
I’ve always been a big fan in bio-luminescent and always wanted to know how it worked. The firefly experiment helped with that, so I’m thanking Dr. Billings for that wonderful presentation. This is one of the many scientific experiments that had been added to my science knowledge. 😀😆
i find bio-luminescent things really cool and i would have loved to see it live
I find bio-luminescent things very cool and I found it very cool when it was poured into the spiral
I find Bio-luminescent stuff very cool and amazing and it was really awesome to see it going down the spiral
I Think That bio-luminescent things are really cool and i wish i could’ve seen this live
I’ve always found Bio-luminescent stuff very interesting so i thought this episode was very cool! especially when the chemicals were poured down the spiral!
this firefly experiment is the best one yet truly a work of art keep up the good work guys. also there is one question i have: how IN THE WORLD do you get the stuff for this experiment cause i need it. thank you and goodnight/day 🙂 😉 :0
cooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool i NEED to see this live
This is my FAVORITE one! I remember when I watched this live. The glowing firefly experiment is so cool!