--- --- # Here's What a Jellyfish Sting Looks Like in Slow-Motion  by [Jack Linshi](https://time.com/author/jack-linshi/)  ## Jack Linshi Aug 18, 2014 4:56 PM UTC  by [Jack Linshi](https://time.com/author/jack-linshi/)  ## Jack Linshi Aug 18, 2014 4:56 PM UTC If you’re afraid of getting [stung by a jellyfish,](http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2012178,00.html) just wait until you know what’s actually happening. Going viral now is a video by the [YouTube channel SmarterEveryDay](http://youtu.be/7WJCnC5ebf4) that shows scientists at James Cook University in Australia using a high-speed camera to capture microscopic footage of the stinging process — in which small barbs on the jellyfishes’ tentacles called nematocysts thrust out as the victim brushes by. In other words, when you get stung by a jellyfish, you’re basically getting stabbed by hundreds of venom-filled, hypodermic needles. Even better? It all happens within 11 milliseconds. **MORE:** [Can We Learn to Love The Jellyfish?](http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2012178,00.html) Video: Jellyfish Sting in Slow Motion Under High Speed Microscope ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3136474/jellyfish-sting-slow-motion-microscope-video/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3136474/jellyfish-sting-slow-motion-microscope-video/"},"headline":"Here's What a Jellyfish Sting Looks Like in Slow-Motion","datePublished":"2014-08-18T16:56:52.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:12:32.509Z","description":"Microscope shows a close-up of the tiny, venom-filled barbs penetrating your skin","url":"https://time.com/3136474/jellyfish-sting-slow-motion-microscope-video/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Science topic"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jack Linshi","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/jack-linshi/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3136474/jellyfish-sting-slow-motion-microscope-video/","name":"Here's What a Jellyfish Sting Looks Like in Slow-Motion"}}]}] ```