Sloths have survived for millions of years. Now they’re a TED talk subject.

These days, it seems like everything’s coming up sloths. The tree-dwelling mammals are fodder for all sorts of loving memes and online jokes. And don’t be surprised if a visit to your favorite retailer includes tempting merchandise of sloths being, well, sloths: sleepy, slow-moving and cute.

But meme makers aren’t the only people intrigued by sloths. They’re beloved by scientists, too. Zoologist Lucy Cooke makes a case for the animals in a viral TED Talk. The mammals are her “animal muse,” and she thinks they’re too often misunderstood.