TED Talks
Lisa Margonelli: The political chemistry of oil
Speaking one month after the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Lisa Margonelli shows how drilling moratoriums and executive ousters make for good theater, but distract us from the issue at heart: our unrestrained oil consumption. She...
TED Talks
David Rothkopf: How fear drives American politics
Does it seem like Washington has no new ideas? Instead of looking to build the future, it sometimes feels like the US political establishment happily retreats into fear and willful ignorance. Journalist David Rothkopf lays out a few of...
TED Talks
Zeynep Tufekci: Online social change: easy to organize, hard to win
Today, a single email can launch a worldwide movement. But as sociologist Zeynep Tufekci suggests, even though online activism is easy to grow, it often doesn't last. Why? She compares modern movements -- Gezi, Ukraine, Hong Kong -- to...
Crash Course
The Cold War Crash Course US History
In which John Green teaches you about the Cold War, which was the decades long conflict between the USA and the USSR. The Cold War was called cold because of the lack of actual fighting, but this is inaccurate. There was plenty of...
TED Talks
Farida Nabourema: Is your country at risk of becoming a dictatorship? Here's how to know
Farida Nabourema has dedicated her life to fighting the military regime in Togo, Africa's oldest autocracy. She's learned two truths along the way: no country is destined to be oppressed -- and no country is immune to dictatorship. But...
TED Talks
TED: A conservative's plea: Let's work together | Arthur Brooks
Conservatives and liberals both believe that they alone are motivated by love while their opponents are motivated by hate. How can we solve problems with so much polarization? In this talk, social scientist Arthur Brooks shares ideas for...
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...
TED Talks
TED: How do daily habits lead to political violence? | Christiane-Marie Abu Sarah
What drives someone to commit politically motivated violence? The unsettling answer lies in daily habits. Behavioral historian Christiane-Marie Abu Sarah shares startling insights into how seemingly mundane choices can breed polarization...
Crash Course
Due Process of Law: Crash Course Government and Politics
This week Craig is going to continue our discussion of due process. Technically, we started last week with the 4th amendment and search and seizure, but this week we’re going to look at the 5th and 6th amendments and how they ensure a...
TED Talks
The music of a war child - Emmanuel Jal
* Viewer discretion advised. This video includes discussion of mature topics and may be inappropriate for some audiences. For five years, young Emmanuel Jal fought as a child soldier in the Sudan. Rescued by an aid worker, he's become an...
TED Talks
TED: It's time for women to run for office | Halla Tomasdottir
With warmth and wit, Halla Tomasdottir shares how she overcame media bias, changed the tone of the political debate and surprised her entire nation when she ran for president of Iceland -- inspiring the next generation of leaders along...
TED Talks
TED: 3 ways we can redesign cities for equity and inclusion | Vishaan Chakrabarti
Cities are engines of culture, commerce, knowledge and community, but they're also centers of inequality and poverty. As the world rebuilds from the coronavirus pandemic, can we transform cities into bastions of equity and...
TED Talks
Halla Tómasdóttir: A feminine response to Iceland's financial crash
Halla Tómasdóttir managed to take her company Audur Capital through the eye of the financial storm in Iceland by applying 5 traditionally "feminine" values to financial services. At TEDWomen, she talks about these values and the...
TED Talks
Wadah Khanfar: A historic moment in the Arab world
As a democratic revolution led by tech-empowered young people sweeps the Arab world, Wadah Khanfar, the head of Al Jazeera, shares a profoundly optimistic view of what's happening in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and beyond -- at this powerful...
TED Talks
TED: How shocking events can spark positive change | Naomi Klein
Things are pretty shocking out there right now -- record-breaking storms, deadly terror attacks, thousands of migrants disappearing beneath the waves and openly supremacist movements rising. Are we responding with the urgency that these...
TED Talks
TED: How whistle-blowers shape history | Kelly Richmond Pope
Fraud researcher and documentary filmmaker Kelly Richmond Pope shares lessons from some of the most high-profile whistle-blowers of the past, explaining how they've shared information that has shaped society -- and why they need our...
Crash Course
Media Institution: Crash Course Government and Politics
So today we're going to look at the rather thorny issue of the media and its role in politics. Wether you're talking about older forms of media like newspapers and radio or newer forms like television and the Internet, all media serves...
TED Talks
Paul Collier: The "bottom billion"
Around the world right now, one billion people are trapped in poor or failing countries. How can we help them? Economist Paul Collier lays out a bold, compassionate plan for closing the gap between rich and poor.
TED Talks
Sally Kohn: Let’s try emotional correctness
It's time for liberals and conservatives to transcend their political differences and really listen to each other, says political pundit Sally Kohn. In this optimistic talk, Kohn shares what she learned as a progressive lesbian talking...
TED Talks
TED: Art that lets you talk back to NSA spies | Mathias Jud
In 2013, the world learned that the NSA and its uK equivalent, GCHQ, routinely spied on the German government. Amid the outrage, artists Mathias Jud and Christoph Wachter thought: Well, if they're listening ... let's talk to them. With...
TED Talks
TED: How we can face the future without fear, together | Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
It's a fateful moment in history. We've seen divisive elections, divided societies and the growth of extremism -- all fueled by anxiety and uncertainty. "Is there something we can do, each of us, to be able to face the future without...
TED Talks
TED: Who would the rest of the world vote for in your country's election? | Simon Anholt
Wish you could vote in another country's election? Simon Anholt unveils the Global Vote, an online platform that lets anybody, anywhere in the world, "vote" in the election of any country on earth (with surprising results).
TED Talks
TED: This is what democracy looks like | Anthony D. Romero
In a quest to make sense of the political environment in the united States in 2017, lawyer and ACLu executive director Anthony D. Romero turned to a surprising place -- a 14th-century fresco by Italian Renaissance master Ambrogio...
Crash Course
World War II Part 2 - The Homefront Crash Course US History
In which John Green teaches you about World War 2, as it was lived on the home front. You'll learn about how the war changed the country as a whole, and changed how Americans thought about their country. John talks about the government...