THE VIDEO SHELF · plant biophysics
How Trees Bend the Laws of Physics
Veritasium explains how trees lift water from roots to the top of tall trunks, using transpiration pull and the negative pressure that liquid water can sustain. It explains why trees do not need pumps or valves.
Why HN readers recommended it
HN commenters recommend it as one of Veritasium's best videos and one that has aged well.
This is a summary from the source dataset, not an endorsement by Hacker News or the video creator.
Video & recommendation details
- Creator / channel
- Veritasium
- Topic
- plant biophysics
- Format
- explainer
- Level
- general
- HN recommenders in dataset
- 4
- HN mentions in dataset
- 5
- Recommendation years in dataset
- 2013–2026
These counts and years describe the included Hacker News records; they are not YouTube views or the video’s publication date.
From the original HN conversations
Excerpts from the recorded comments. Follow each source for the full comment and surrounding discussion.
Just recently watched a Veritasium video on how trees get water from the roots to the top of the tree, and it's pretty awesome: [VIDEO]
linsomniac on Hacker News · 2019-07
In Water transport system inspired by trees[VIDEO] It's an old video, more than ten years ago, but it aged well IMHO. I re-watched it and re-learned things I have forgotten.
_nalply on Hacker News · 2023-11
In In a surprising finding, light can make water evaporate without heat> all it should take is a system of valves, That would work, but it's not how to works apparently. According to this veritasium video, it's because of "negative pressure" aka tension. [VIDEO] I recommend watching, I think it's one of the best veritasium Dereck …
bnegreve on Hacker News · 2026-07
In Giant trees have no trouble pumping water to top branches
Summaries, classifications and recommendation records are from the HackerTube source dataset. Read about this library and its limitations.