Dr. Thomas Werner is a tenured faculty member at Michigan Technological University, specializing in the genetics of coloration in fruit flies. A few years ago, he felt his interest in his molecular work start to wane, and his set his eyes on a new goal: to document all of the fruit fly species in the Drosophilidae family in North America. His quest draws him out on a road trip with his family and collaborators to collect and image flies in the wild to make a comprehensive resource for other scientists. ALL THE LITTLE THINGS follows Thomas for 10 days as he collects flies for his Northwest encyclopedia, aided by a group of junior scientists led by Dr. Bernard Kim from Dmitri Petrov’s lab at Stanford. By observing Thomas at work, the film not only showcases the systems and skills he has developed to complete his ambitious project, but explores the passion, attention to detail, and finesse required in scientific endeavors. It also touches upon the type of science that is reward ed in modern academia and makes a case of a broader interpretation of what productive science can look like.