TED Talks
The grassroots movement transforming public safety | Aqeela Sherrills
New ReviewIn 1992, something unprecedented happened in Los Angeles: rival gang members negotiated a historic peace treaty, significantly reducing violence across the city. Aqeela Sherrills, one of the key negotiators of that treaty, continues to...
TED Talks
The multidimensional magic of modern maps | Peter Wilczynski
New ReviewMaps have long helped us understand the world — now, they can help us shape it. Digital cartographer Peter Wilczynski introduces the Living Globe: a real-time, data-rich digital twin of Earth that fuses satellite imagery, sensor data and...
TED Talks
The fire-breathing dragon-horse sparking wonder in a city near you | Frédette Lampre
New ReviewHow does a city change when its art doesn’t hang on museum walls but instead roams the streets? Artist Frédette Lampre of the production company La Machine shares how their towering, handcrafted mechanical creations transform urban...
SciShow
6 Weapons That Changed Human History Forever
Sometimes, humans invent a technology that changes the game. From ancient hand axes to gunpowder, here are 6 weapons that changed the course of human history. Hosted by: Reid Reimers (he/him)
Crash Course
Chemical Reactions in Biology: Crash Course Biology #26
Cells need energy to power the chemical reactions that keep their microscopic cities running, and most of that energy comes from a chemical called ATP. In this episode of Crash Course Biology, we’ll learn how our cells use energy, what...
TED Talks
How light and code can transform a city | Leo Villareal
Leo Villareal is an artist, but his tools aren't paint and canvas; he manipulates light, color and computer code to create monumental works of public art. In a dazzling talk, he takes us inside his efforts to light up some of the world's...
TED Talks
How to see the future coming — and prepare for it | Jane McGonigal
As a futurist who helps people prepare for all different kinds of possibilities, Jane McGonigal thinks we overuse words like "unthinkable" and "unimaginable." She introduces three hypothetical scenarios, showing how you can foster the...
TED-Ed
Do you really need to take 10,000 steps a day? | Shannon Odell
For years, Jean Béliveau walked from country to country, with the goal of circumnavigating the globe on foot. While few people have the time or desire to walk such extreme lengths, research shows that adding even a modest amount of...
TED-Ed
The history of the world according to rats | Max G. Levy
Today, rats are often regarded as the most successful invasive species in the world. The most common species of rat scurried onto the scene roughly 1 to 3 million years ago in Asia. There, they craftily survived Earth’s most recent ice...
PBS
Development near Phoenix tests whether car-free living is sustainable in sprawling cities
The sprawling metropolis of Phoenix seems an unlikely place to build an apartment complex without parking for residents. Car dependency is just part of life for most people there. But a new development in the suburb of Tempe is providing...
TED Talks
Art, Conservation, and Resilience: Transforming Challenges into Change
Amir Nizar Zuabi and Kristine McDivitt Tompkins discuss the power of art and conservation in addressing global challenges. Zuabi reflects on his projects, including the moving puppet Amal and "The Herds," which use beauty and...
TED Talks
TED: Democracy is being tested. Citizen assemblies can help | Ketakandriana Rafitoson
How can everyday people help foster and protect democracy? Detailing her work fighting for people power as an activist in Madagascar, Ketakandriana Rafitoson discusses how citizen assemblies — meetings where ordinary citizens get...
TED Talks
TED: The hidden danger of lead in soil | Yvette Cabrera
There's an invisible health threat right under our feet, says investigative journalist Yvette Cabrera. She digs into the pervasive problem of lead contamination in soil — a particular risk for children in cities — and shares her action...
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: How fantasy worlds can spark real change | Annalee Newitz
When the world's problems have you weary, journalist and science fiction writer Annalee Newitz suggests a good dose of escapist fiction to refresh your perspective. Step into the whimsical world of science fiction, cosplay and...
MinuteEarth
Why do Some Species Thrive in Cities?
Urban development can be tough on wildlife. But some plants and animals are adapting to our cities in surprising ways.
TED Talks
TED: Lessons from the past on adapting to climate change | Laprisha Berry Daniels
Laprisha Berry Daniels' grandparents left the Southern United States and migrated north to Detroit in the 1950s — a move that could be considered a big "climate change." Now, as a public health social worker, Berry Daniels mines the...
TED Talks
TED: The vital data you flush down the toilet | Newsha Ghaeli
Everybody pees and poops — and we know that urine and stool contain a rich source of information on our health, says data detective Newsha Ghaeli. Exploring the growing field of wastewater epidemiology, she shows how studying sewage can...
TED Talks
TED: Why you should ditch deadly fossil-fuel appliances | Donnel Baird
In the US, people spend the overwhelming majority of their time inside buildings that burn fossil fuels, which are bad for both the environment and human health. (Think: breathing in air pollution from gas stoves, furnaces and water...
TED Talks
TED: Detroit's climate crisis -- and how to build a resilient future everywhere | Anika Goss
How can cities become resilient to the shocks of climate change? As a leading force behind Detroit's ongoing revitalization, Anika Goss spends a lot of time thinking about this question. Connecting the city's industrial past to its...
TED Talks
TED: How to make sure materials get reused -- again and again | Garry Cooper
What if we could harness the power and value of all that we discard? Circular economy builder Garry Cooper presents a compelling vision for transforming cities into sustainable, circular economies, citing real-world examples of how...
SciShow
The Future Of Trees Is Liquid
We love trees, but the main problem is that they aren't exactly travel-sized. However, new technology wants to bring the fresh-air benefits of trees to places that the real deal just can't thrive, like dense urban areas!
SciShow
Laser Archaeology: Revealing the Amazon's Urban Jungle
Hard-to-reach places, like the Amazon rainforest, can hide traces of past civilizations. But scientists are finding ways to explore these areas from above and discover the effects these ancient peoples had on their environment.