TED Talks
The powerful promise of Earth’s harshest places | Lei Zhang
New ReviewClean energy visionary Lei Zhang loves the Gobi Desert — the most Mars-like place on Earth. Why? Because of the promise it holds to provide the free, abundant solar and wind energy to fuel humanity’s next leap forward. Sharing the story...
TED Talks
Will climate change make your home uninsurable? | Amy Barnes
New ReviewInsurance is the hidden engine that keeps the economy churning, but climate change is making home insurance unaffordable for many people, says climate risk advisor Amy Barnes. She reveals why soaring premiums aren't just bad news for...
PBS
Dark Forest: Should We Not Contact Aliens?
New ReviewIn 1974 we sent the Arecibo radio message towards Messier 13, a globular cluster near the edge of the Milky Way, made up of a few hundred thousand stars. The message was mostly symbolic; we weren’t really expecting a reply. Yet surely...
TED Talks
A fresh approach to international development | Faisal Saeed Al Mutar
Money for international development rarely makes it to the people it intends to help, says Faisal Saeed Al Mutar, the founder of Ideas Beyond Borders. Highlighting the inefficiencies of the current system, he proposes a new model for aid...
TED Talks
AI won't plateau — if we give it time to think | Noam Brown
To get smarter, traditional AI models rely on exponential increases in the scale of data and computing power. Noam Brown, a leading research scientist at OpenAI, presents a potentially transformative shift in this paradigm. He reveals...
TED Talks
The high-wire act of unlocking clean energy | Jason Huang
Why are we using tech from 100 years ago to deliver the world's electricity? Materials scientist Jason Huang shows how we could massively upgrade the global power grid by replacing the wires in existing transmission lines with new,...
PBS
How Trump’s funding freeze is affecting American farmers
Since taking office in January, the Trump administration has moved to cancel or freeze trillions in federal funding. That includes billions in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. William Brangham reports on how the funding...
PBS
Community colleges gear up to train workers for America’s proposed manufacturing future
In the next decade, millions of manufacturing jobs will open up in the U.S. as workers retire. Meanwhile, the sector is also supposed to add more jobs with help from federal subsidies. But by some current estimates, only half of those...
PBS
Why the red state of Utah is going green and embracing electric vehicles
This past week, President Trump suspended a program to expand the country’s network of electric vehicle chargers. It’s the latest in his series of efforts to undo Biden-era policies encouraging EV adoption. But in some parts of the...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Is safety worth the loss of privacy? | Sarah Stroud and Michael Vazquez
Your government has introduced a plan to address record-breaking rates of traffic tickets and deadly hovercar accidents. They propose assigning “driver credit scores” to every citizen, but would need to install cameras and microphones in...
TED Talks
TED: 12 predictions for the future of technology | Vinod Khosla
Techno-optimist Vinod Khosla believes in the world-changing power of "foolish ideas." He offers 12 bold predictions for the future of technology — from preventative medicine to car-free cities to planes that get us from New York to...
TED Talks
TED: Why US politics is broken — and how to fix it | Andrew Yang
The electoral system in the United States needs a redesign, says political reformer Andrew Yang. Exposing the flaws of a system built on poor incentives, he proposes a cost-effective overhaul inspired by primary elections already working...
TED Talks
TED: 3 rules for better work-life balance | Ashley Whillans
Have you answered a work email during an important family event? Or taken a call from your boss while on vacation? According to behavioral scientist and Harvard Business School professor Ashley Whillans, "always-on" work culture is not...
TED Talks
TED: How to live with economic doomsaying | Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak
Economic crises can and do happen. But for every true crisis, there are many false alarms, says economist Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak. He explains how to live with the media's pervasive economic doomsaying, why we should stop treating...
SciShow
Are Your New Memories Replacing Your Old Ones?
Research suggests there's a reason you can't remember much from your childhood: new memories are replacing the old ones.
TED Talks
TED: This country runs on 98 percent renewable energy | Ramón Méndez Galain
Fifteen years ago, Uruguay was experiencing an energy crisis brought on by its reliance on fossil fuels; today, the nation produces 98 percent of its electricity from renewable sources (and even exports extra energy to neighboring...
TED Talks
TED: The climate crisis is expensive -- here's who should pay for it | Avinash Persaud
The developing world is most affected by climate change but has contributed the least to the problem. Meanwhile, rich countries historically exacerbated the environmental crisis and grew wealthy as a result -- but aren't helping...
TED Talks
TED: The molecular love story that could help power the world | Olivia Breese
The key to revolutionizing the world's energy landscape may lie in an unlikely love story, says energy innovator Olivia Breese. She details the fateful marriage of a green electron and a water molecule -- a powerful source of...
SciShow
Even Locusts Hate Plagues of Locusts
Plagues of locusts have been documented since ancient times, and they affect the food supply of one in ten people today. How can we stop them? Well, computer models of locusts swarms tell us every locust is scared to death of its neighbors.
PBS
Innovative Clinic Helps Doctors Avoid Burnout And Makes Healthcare More Affordable
The U.S. faces a growing shortage of physicians, especially those in primary care fields like internal medicine, mental health and pediatrics. The shortfall is driven by population and demographic trends and burnout. Fred de Sam Lazaro...
SciShow
Interview with EPA Administrator McCarthy
Hank interviews Administrator Gina McCarthy of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. They discuss getting people to care about climate change, the EPA's goals going into the United Nations Climate Change Conference, and the...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Why do we eat popcorn at the movies? | Andrew Smith
Soft percussion and a toasty scent mark the violent transformation of tough seeds into cloud-like puffs. This is the almost magical process of popcorn-making. Dozens of kinds of popcorn are now grown in the US, with different strains...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Are solar panels worth it? | Shannon Odell
Today in many countries solar is the cheapest form of energy to produce. Millions of homes are equipped with rooftop solar, with most units paying for themselves in their first seven to 12 years and then generating further savings. So,...
PBS
After pandemic pet boom, owners struggle with rising costs of veterinary care
Millions of Americans became pet owners during the pandemic. Today, around 70 percent of U.S. households now have pets, but many owners struggle to cover the costs of veterinary care. Special correspondent Cat Wise reports from Tennessee.