TED-Ed
TED-ED: What "Orwellian" really means - Noah Tavlin
If you've watched the news or followed politics, chances are you've heard the term Orwellian thrown around in one context or another. But have you ever stopped to think about what it really means, or why it's used so often? Noah Tavlin...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Can you solve the pirate riddle? - Alex Gendler
It's a good day to be a pirate. Amaro and his four mateys _ Bart, Charlotte, Daniel, and Eliza have struck gold _ a chest with 100 coins. But now, they must divvy up the booty according to the pirate code - and pirate code is notoriously...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: How to manage your time more effectively (according to machines) - Brian Christian
Human beings and computers alike share the challenge of how to get as much done as possible in a limited time. Over the last fifty or so years, computer scientists have learned a lot of good strategies for managing time effectively - and...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Who was Confucius? - Bryan W. Van Norden
Most people recognize his name and know that he is famous for having said something, but considering the long-lasting impact his teachings have had on the world, very few people know who Confucius really was, what he really said and why....
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Calculating the odds of intelligent alien life - Jill Tarter
Could there be intelligent life on other planets? This question has piqued imagination and curiosity for decades. Explore the answer with the Drake Equation -- a mathematical formula that calculates the possibility of undiscovered life.
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The high-stakes race to make quantum computers work - Chiara Decaroli
Get to know the unique properties of quantum computers and the obstacles that have prevented this theoretical technology from becoming a reality. -- Quantum computers could eventually outstrip the computational limits of classical...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How did clouds get their names? - Richard Hamblyn
The study of clouds has always been a daydreamer’s science, aptly founded by a thoughtful young man whose favorite activity was staring out of the window at the sky. Richard Hamblyn tells the history of Luke Howard, the man who...
TED Talks
TED: How marijuana reform could repair, reclaim and restore communities | Khadijah Tribble
Khadijah Tribble eloquently describes how marijuana reform is necessary to end the destructive war on drugs. Differential enforcement of marijuana drug laws have led to ongoing, systemic social and economic inequity. Tribble suggests...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: What makes something "Kafkaesque"? - Noah Tavlin
The term Kafkaesque has entered the vernacular to describe unnecessarily complicated and frustrating experiences, especially with bureaucracy. But does standing in a long line to fill out confusing paperwork really capture the richness...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Is there a reproducibility crisis in science? - Matt Anticole
Published scientific studies can motivate research, inspire products, and inform policy. However, recent studies that examined dozens of published pharmaceutical papers managed to replicate the results of less than 25% of them - and...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: The paradox of value - Akshita Agarwal
Imagine you're on a game show and you can choose between two prizes: a diamond - or a bottle of water. It's an easy choice _ the diamonds are more valuable. But if given the same choice when you were dehydrated in the desert, after...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Can you solve the river crossing riddle? - Lisa Winer
As a wildfire rages through the grasslands, three lions and three wildebeest flee for their lives. To escape the inferno, they must cross over to the left bank of a crocodile-infested river. Can you help them figure out how to get across...
TED Talks
TED: The search for microscopic aliens | Sarah Rugheimer
Astrophysicist and TED Fellow Sarah Rugheimer searches for aliens -- but not the cartoony green kind. She's looking for extraterrestrial microbes by studying how these single-celled organisms emit gases, which could reveal evidence of...
TED Talks
TED: How dirt bikes and STEM ignite ingenuity in Baltimore | Brittany Young
Dirt biking is more than just a pastime -- it's an opportunity to disrupt the cycle of poverty and provide enriching STEM education, says TED Fellow Brittany Young. In this perspective-shifting talk, she shares how her team is working...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Can you solve the virus riddle? - Lisa Winer
Your research team has found a prehistoric virus preserved in the permafrost and isolated it for study. After a late night working, you're just closing up the lab when a sudden earthquake hits and breaks all the sample vials. Will you be...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: What's the fastest way to alphabetize your bookshelf? - Chand John
You work at the college library. You're in the middle of a quiet afternoon when suddenly, a shipment of 1,280 books arrives. The books are in a straight line, but they're all out of order, and the automatic sorting system is broken. How...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How high can you count on your fingers? (Spoiler: much higher than 10) - James Tanton
How high can you count on your fingers? It seems like a question with an obvious answer. After all, most of us have ten fingers -- or to be more precise, eight fingers and two thumbs. This gives us a total of ten digits on our two hands,...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Can you solve the dragon jousting riddle? - Alex Gendler
After years of war, the world’s kingdoms have come to an agreement. Every five years, teams representing the elves, goblins, and treefolk will compete in a grand tournament of dragon jousting. You have the important job of recording the...
TED Talks
TED: The real-life superheroes helping Syrian refugees | Feras Fayyad
Society has a set of stories it tells itself about who refugees are and what they look like, says documentarian and TED Fellow Feras Fayyad. With his films, he's on a mission to separate the facts about refugees from fiction, as a form...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Can you solve the counterfeit coin riddle? - Jennifer Lu
You're the realm's greatest mathematician, but ever since you criticized the Emperor's tax laws, you've been locked in the dungeon. Luckily for you, one of the Emperor's governors has been convicted of paying his taxes with a counterfeit...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Can you solve the rebel supplies riddle? - Alex Gendler
You're overseeing the delivery of supplies to a rebel base in the heart of enemy territory. To get past customs, all packages must follow this rule: if a box is marked with an even number on the bottom, it must be sealed with a red top....
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Should we get rid of standardized testing? - Arlo Kempf
Although standardized testing is a particularly hot topic in education right now, this approach to measurement has been in use for two millennia. And while the results of standardized testing can help us understand some things, they can...
TED Talks
TED: Electronic pills that could transform how we treat disease | Khalil Ramadi
Could a small jolt of electricity to your gut help treat chronic diseases? Medical hacker and TED Fellow Khalil Ramadi is developing a new, noninvasive therapy that could treat diseases like diabetes, obesity, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's...
TED Talks
TED: The case for co-ops, the invisible giant of the economy | Anu Puusa
Think capitalism is broken? Try cooperativism, says co-op enthusiast and researcher Anu Puusa. She lays out how cooperatives -- businesses owned, operated and controlled by their members -- can both make money and have a positive impact...