TED Talks
TED: A street librarian's quest to bring books to everyone | Storybook Maze
As a self-proclaimed radical street librarian, Storybook Maze makes books appear where they're scarce. Through initiatives like free, public book vending machines and street corner story times, she eliminates book deserts — or areas with...
TED Talks
TED: Life's an obstacle course — here's how to navigate it | Maryam Banikarim
Instead of seeing life's challenges as obstacles, I see them as an obstacle course — a fascinating array of tests that I'm curious to see if I can pass, says community builder Maryam Banikarim. Telling the story of her experience...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: What caused the Rwandan Genocide? | Susanne Buckley-Zistel
For one hundred days in 1994, the African country of Rwanda suffered a horrific campaign of mass murder. Neighbor turned against neighbor as violence engulfed the region, resulting in the deaths of over one-tenth of the country's...
PBS
Going home after Harvey and realizing you've lost everything
Thousands of storm victims are making their way back home as the skies in
Houston clear and the water recedes. Assessing the damage will be the start
of a long road toward recovery. William Brangham takes us into the homes of
families...
Bozeman Science
Thinking in Causation - Level 7 - Scale Mechanisms in Complex Systems
In this video Paul Andersen shows conceptual thinking in a mini-lesson on scale mechanisms within complex systems. TERMS: Cause and effect relationships - one event that gives rise to another event Complex systems - a system composed of...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The big-beaked, rock-munching fish that protect coral reefs | Mike Gil
As the sun rises over a quiet coral reef, one animal breaks the morning silence. Named for its vibrant scales and beak-like teeth, the parrotfish devours a particularly crunchy breakfast: rocks. Why would any creature take bites out of...
TED Talks
TED: Robots that fly ... and cooperate | Vijay Kumar
In his lab at Penn, Vijay Kumar and his team build flying quadrotors, small, agile robots that swarm, sense each other, and form ad hoc teams -- for construction, surveying disasters and far more.
TED Talks
TED: How we can make energy more affordable for low-income families | DeAndrea Salvador
Every month, millions of Americans face an impossible choice: pay for energy to power their homes, or pay for basic needs like food and medicine. TED Fellow DeAndrea Salvador is working to reduce energy costs so that no one has to make...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: A day in the life of an ancient Celtic Druid | Philip Freeman
As the sun rises in 55 BCE, Camma lays two pigeons on the altar at the center of her village. She wrings the birds' necks and cuts them open to examine their entrails for divine messages. Camma is a druid. She conducts religious rites,...
SciShow
6 Animals That Have Evolved to Steal
Animals have evolved a variety of ways to survive—including outright theft. Chapters SNEAKY SPIDERS 1:03 LYING BIRDS 2:43 3 CUCKOO BEES 5:18 MOUTH-PLUNDERING SNAILS 5:39 PLANT-ROBBING FLIES 7:12 MONKEY ROBBERS 8:40
SciShow
Can You Really Tell if Someone is Lying to You?
The internet is full of tips, tricks, and strategies to tell when somebody is lying, but the reality of lie detection isn't quite as clean and definitive as it is on TV.
TED Talks
Candy Chang: Before I die I want to ...
In her New Orleans neighborhood, artist and TED Fellow Candy Chang turned an abandoned house into a giant chalkboard asking a fill-in-the-blank question: "Before I die I want to ___." Her neighbors' answers -- surprising, poignant, funny...
TED Talks
Nate Silver: Does racism affect how you vote?
Nate Silver has data that answers big questions about race in politics. For instance, in the 2008 presidential race, did Obama's skin color actually keep him from getting votes in some parts of the country? Stats and myths collide in...
SciShow
The Coming Robot Swarms
We might soon be following the logic of animal swarms to help us solve problems like traffic and constructing buildings in dangerous places, like Mars!
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Can you solve the honeybee riddle? | Dan Finkel
You're a biologist on a mission to keep the rare honeybee Apis Trifecta from going extinct. The last 60 bees of the species are in your terrarium. You've already constructed wire frames of the appropriate size and shape. Now you need to...
TED Talks
TED: The trans story includes you | Nicole Maines
As actress Nicole Maines points out, we all unwittingly play supporting roles in each others' life stories -- for better or worse. With charm and aplomb, she shares her experience growing up as a trans youth, emphasizing the big and...
SciShow
Why Do These Trees Refuse to Touch?
There are a few forests out there where the trees seem to be especially... polite. Can scientists explain why these species give each other space?
SciShow
Cymatics: Turning Sound into Art
Sound waves vibrate more than just our eardrums, they can also make visual art!
TED Talks
Mathias Basner: Why noise is bad for your health -- and what you can do about it
Silence is a rare commodity these days. There's traffic, construction, air-conditioning, your neighbor's lawnmower ... and all this unwanted sound can have a surprising impact on your health, says noise researcher Mathias Basner....
TED Talks
TED: A creative approach to community climate action | Xavier Cortada
When he learned of the threat that rising sea levels posed to his coastal hometown of Miami, Florida, eco-artist Xavier Cortada founded a movement around beautifully designed elevation markers highlighting the risk of flood damage. The...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: History vs. Napoleon Bonaparte - Alex Gendler
After the French Revolution erupted in 1789, Europe was thrown into chaos. Neighboring countries' monarchs feared they would share the fate of Louis XVI and attacked the new Republic, while at home, extremism and mistrust between...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Why do animals form swarms? - Maria R. D'Orsogna
When many individual organisms come together and move as one entity, that's a swarm. From a handful of birds to billions of insects, swarms can be almost any size. They have no leader, and members interact only with their neighbors or...
SciShow
Where Should I Put My Wi-Fi Router
If you want to improve your wireless internet signal, we've got a few things to keep in mind.