Accepting his 2007 TED Prize, biologist E.O. Wilson made a wish. He envisioned an ambitious resource describing each of the Earth’s 1.8 million species—a real-time view of our planet’s beautiful, fragile diversity. The Encyclopaedia of Life makes good on his wish, inviting experts and amateurs alike to contribute to an online catalogue of all life on the planet, accessible to anyone, anywhere. It’s collaborative, personal, and unprecedented. And it’s just in time: New species are constantly being discovered; many more face extinction. This video—viewed more than 190,000 times on YouTube—relays the project’s urgency. It shows how the Web can best reflect life in all its abundance, complexity, and change. And it’s a vital reminder of what’s at stake right now.