Your smartphone, computer and electric car all depend on one thing — critical minerals buried deep underground. But there’s a catch: the mining industry has gotten dramatically worse at discovering new deposits just when we need them...

Humans have been transforming seawater into potable freshwater for millennia. Today, billions of people can’t access clean drinking water, and 87 different countries are projected to be “water-scarce” by 2050. So, how can we use seawater...

An estimated 20 million people are thought to earn their livelihoods in the global waste industry by collecting, disposing, repairing or repurposing a wide range of materials and products. However, the cost and consequences of handling...

Occultations may sound spooky, but in actuality they can inform us of some of the most unknown parts of the universe.

How do you track turtles that spend most of their time in muddy water and also look like rocks? It turns out, scientists have found a way to track such hidden animals using eDNA.

I think of legacy as the weaving together of our stories passed on as a whole, says Haida storyteller Cohen Bradley. Highlighting the significance of potlatch ceremonies (or gift-giving feasts) and other Indigenous traditions of the...

Collectively, Americans owe nearly a trillion dollars of medical debt, and Congress is trying to figure out a policy response. But in the meantime, economics correspondent Paul Solman reports on an unusual non-profit’s effort to relieve...

Roger McNamee was an early investor in Facebook and still holds a stake in the social media giant--but he’s also become a vocal critic of its practices, especially around how it handles user data. McNamee offers his humble opinion on why...

Archaeologist and curator Chip Colwell collects artifacts for his museum, but he also returns them to where they came from. In a thought-provoking talk, he shares how some museums are confronting their legacies of stealing spiritual...

Imagine a distant future when humans reach beyond Earth, forge cities on planets thousands of light-years away, and maintain a galactic web of trade and transport. What would it take to make that leap? And where would we get enough...

Using video mapping and projection, artist Gabriel Barcia-Colombo captures and shares his memories and friendships. At TED Fellow Talks, he shows his charming, thoughtful work -- which appears to preserve the people in his life in jars,...

Today we’re talking about how we actually DO sociology. Nicole explains the research method: form a question and a hypothesis, collect data, and analyze that data to contribute to our theories about society.

Museums have been a part of human history for over 2,000 years -- but they weren't always like the ones we visit today. J.V. Maranto uncovers the evolution of museums, from the first museum in 530 BC (curated by a princess) to PT...

Hank explains the enormity of the Giant Magellan Telescope, possibly the biggest telescope ever built, as well as updates about NASA's new mission to the moon, and an unusual discovery about the habits of deep-sea squid.

This week on the SciShow Talk Show Haley Hanson joins us from Ecology Project International to talk about how they bring high school students into the field to help with research and learn about ecology and conservation. Then Jessi from...

In January 1953, a tidal surge shook the North Sea. The titanic waves flooded the Dutch coastline, killing almost 2,000 people. 54 years later, a similar storm threatened the region. But this time, they were ready. This was thanks to a...

How do you track turtles that spend most of their time in muddy water and also look like rocks? It turns out, scientists have found a way to track such hidden animals using eDNA.

Observing the effects of microbes using satellites can give us all sorts of useful information about life on Earth ... and other planets too.

So how do astronauts manage to pee and poop in microgravity? And what happens to all of their waste? Do you really want to know? If you do, the answers are inside!

What gives the ocean its distinct, sometimes pungent smell? It turns out the answer is more than just dead fish or salt: it’s the scent of tons of phytoplankton being munched on!

When you picture a rocket, you might imagine a giant ship carrying lots of fuel, people and supplies. But what if the next wave of spacecraft were small enough to fit into our pockets? Dhonam Pemba details the future of microspacecraft,...

In this video Paul Andersen describes the science practice of data collection. He begins with a brief description of science and the scientific method. He details concepts related to data collection in each of the four big ideas. He...

At the Harbour School in Hong Kong, TED Senior Fellow Cesar Harada teaches citizen science and invention to the next generation of environmentalists. He's moved his classroom into an industrial mega-space where imaginative kids work with...

Sometimes, in order to learn something, you've got to punch a giant asteroid.