Art & Plankton with Jiabao Li & Manu Prakash

In Episode 4 of Art &, we meet Manu Prakash—a Stanford bioengineer whose lab invents frugal, open-source tools that make global science accessible—and artist/designer Jiabao Li, whose work spans technology, biology, ecology, and planetary futures. Their collaboration centers on The Long Fall, an expansive performance and installation that transforms microscopic plankton into a planetary-scale story about climate change and connection.What started as Jiabao’s sabbatical project in Manu’s lab grew out of a shared inquiry: How can art and science work together to reveal the invisible systems shaping life on Earth? Drawing from Manu’s career of ocean expeditions, the two collaborated on a piece that moves across scales, charting the descent of plankton through the deep ocean, to the global forces of oceanic warming and shifting ecosystems. Together, they shaped a narrative that is part planetary meditation, part scientific revelation, and part emotional encounter with the unseen.Manu, Jiabao, and Ellen explore how interdisciplinary collaboration can reshape how we perceive the planet—how art can resist despair, open space for hope, and invite everyday people to feel the urgency of climate change not through raw research, but through wonder and beauty.Featured Guests: Manu Prakash & Jiabao LiFollow Stanford Arts on Instagram and YouTube for more stories and updates.CreditsHost: Ellen OhCreator / Producer / Editor: Taylor JonesProduction Support: Edi DaiSound Designer & Mix Engineer: Chase EverettTheme Song & Music: Juana IzuzquizaExecutive Producers: Ellen Oh and Anne ShulockArtwork: Connie Ko

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