In which John Green teaches you about World War II, aka The Great Patriotic War, aka The Big One. So how did this war happen? And what does it mean? We've all learned the facts about World War II many times over, thanks to repeated...

Our European history is going to start around 1500 with the Renaissance, but believe it or not, that is not the actual beginning of history in the continent. So, today, we're going to teach you the broad outlines of the so-called Middle...

Throughout history, humans have come up with some pretty weird ideas related to longevity. Like drinking neurotoxic mercury to live forever, slathering yourself in oil and eating honey to reach the ripe old age of 300, or getting an...

Predictive analytics uses math and historical data to make predictions about the future. It’s used in commerce, sports, politics, social media and tons of other places. And as it turns out, people have been using math to predict people’s...

If you've ever taken care of a baby, you might have heard that sleeping on the same bed with them, AKA co-sleeping, is a big no-no. But the research into the ins and outs of bed sharing is more complicated than you might...

Duncan Keegan doesn't consider himself a poet, but this deeply beautiful talk shows otherwise. With simple grace and quiet eloquence, he celebrates family, connection and togetherness, often most called for at the hardest of times.

With just a few lines, cartoons can say so much with so little. In a moving talk, cartoonist Navied Mahdavian shares his process for distilling huge concepts into drawings on the page — and shows how his work helped him grieve the death...

Andy Laats had the textbook fairytale family setup ... a great job, a happy marriage, three wonderful kids and everything going for them. Until one day, they didn't anymore. In this tender, wise and unexpectedly funny talk, Laats...

We can't know if or how animals understand death, but behavioral changes in some species could mean they experience something similar to human grief.

What happens when personal grief collides with your professional life? Drawing on her experience as the CEO of a crisis management firm and a hospice chaplain, Meredith Wilson Parfet breaks down the reality of grief — at work and beyond...

Sergeant-Major Morris regaled his friends with epic tales from faraway lands— until one asked about an artifact the Sergeant had alluded to. Slowly, he produced the object: a mummified monkey’s paw. He explained that a holy man had...

Life is an endless sushi conveyor belt of things that are going to test you and teach you at the same time, says writer Laurel Braitman. Exploring the relationship between bravery and fear, she shares hard-won wisdom on love, loss,...

An undulating sky melds into the landscape, two silhouettes move along a balustraded walkway, and a ghostly figure’s features extend in agony. Since Norwegian artist Edvard Munch created "The Scream" in 1893, it’s become one of the...

When Queen Jocasta of Thebes gave birth to Oedipus, a grim air seized the occasion. Her husband, King Laius, had received a prophecy from Apollo's oracle foretelling that he would die at the hands of his own son. Determined to escape...

Biomedical researcher Sonia Vallabh's life was turned upside down when she learned she had the genetic mutation for a rare and fatal illness, prion disease, that could strike at any time. Thirteen years later, her search for a cure has...

In an unflinching look at issues that widen the political divide in the US, journalist and editor Bari Weiss highlights why courage is the most important virtue in today's polarized world. She shares examples of people who have spoken up...

Xiaojun "Tom" Wang grew up in the Chinese province of Shanxi, the world's largest coal producer. Each year, more than a billion tons of coal are dug out of Shanxi's mountains, and the impacts are devastating — from massive landslides to...

Storyteller Golriz Lucina recounts how the historic sacrifice of Iranian 19th-century poet and mystic Táhirih planted the seeds for the "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests today, offering an inspiring lesson in the value of acting with...

It's that time of year where we round up all our favorite science discoveries of the year, and today, we're talking fossils. From a wild mosasaur with screwdriver teeth, to glittery gold fossils, and even a mammal-versus-reptile fight to...

Despite centuries of death records to the contrary, “dying of old age” is not medically possible; instead, it’s just a convenient catch-all.

In the future, humans will likely die of a very different suite of causes than we do now, thanks to advances in healthcare, an aging population, and changes in the environment.

When you're enjoying an intimate moment with that special someone, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich you ate for lunch is probably the last thing on your mind. But sexually transmitted allergens are a thing, and nut allergies aren't...

Pediatric nurse practitioner Deborah Fisher spent her early career working in intensive care units. The experience convinced her that more needed to be done to improve end-of-life care for children. Now specializing in palliative care at...

Our DNA holds thousands of dead genes and we’ve only just begun to unravel their stories. But one thing is already clear: we’re not just defined by the genes that we’ve gained over the course of our evolution, but also by the genes that...