The things that I'm thankful for at Thanksgiving usually change from year to year — but science is pretty much a constant. This year, I'm sharing some of my favorite (recent) science videos.

What's nice about these is that they can be both a source of discussion and distraction. It doesn't matter if you're spending the holiday alone, with your family (that you may or may not like), or with your friends — you should always feel good about adding a bit of science to your holiday.

Dance, spider; dance for your life

Dancing spiders aren't new at The Verge, but that doesn't mean they don't deserve additional recognition. Here you'll become acquainted with the peacock spider — a creature that happens to be a mighty fine dancer.

Making condoms from 1844

This is both gross and incredibly informative — which means it's everything a science video should be! I won't give too much away, but you should know that these condoms are definitely not suitable for sex.

The Slow Mo Guys revisit the giant water balloon

The Slow Mo Guys have a knack for revealing the beauty in banal events, like the popping of a water balloon. This year they took an old classic, the giant water balloon, and added an internal human component. As always, it's an amazing piece of slow motion footage — that also happens to reveal how fluids move through space.

This is how you stain a fish

The Brain Scoop is a fun series that shows how science is conducted at the Field Museum in Chicago. Here, host Emily Graslie explores how scientists stain fish, and what kind of information can be gathered from this process.

The ultimate showdown?

There's something quite charming about seeing the kung fu mantis take on a jumping spider. I suggest you place some bets about who wins before you click on the video below.