Did Thomas Edison invent the lightbulb? I mean... kind of... but also... no. Every great, world-changing invention is the culmination of efforts by dozens or hundreds of people, spanning decades or centuries.

Future advances in engineering may come from chemistry. From molecular motors to salt-shaker-drug-deliverers, the future looks small.

Sending rockets into space requires sacrificing expensive equipment, burning massive amounts of fuel, and risking potential catastrophe. So in the space race of the 21st century, some engineers are abandoning rockets for something more...

As a medical clown, TED Resident Matthew A. Wilson takes the old adage that laughter is the best medicine very seriously. In this heartwarming talk, he shares glimpses of how clowning around can help patients (and medical staff) navigate...

Future advances in engineering may come from chemistry. From molecular motors to salt-shaker-drug-deliverers, the future looks small.

We live in a world run by algorithms, computer programs that make decisions or solve problems for us. In this riveting, funny talk, Kevin Slavin shows how modern algorithms determine stock prices, espionage tactics, even the movies you...

You might be surprised to hear that measles is 10 times more contagious than Ebola or the plague. How do epidemiologists quantify a disease's catchiness?

Physicists are used to the idea that subatomic particles behave according to the bizarre rules of quantum mechanics, completely different to human-scale objects. In a breakthrough experiment, Aaron O'Connell has blurred that distinction...

How do the world's best leaders and visionaries earn trust? They don't just present data -- they also tell great stories. Leadership consultant Karen Eber demystifies what makes for effective storytelling and explains how anyone can...

What happens when you jump in a moving elevator? Do you weigh more when you're going up and less when you're going down? Carol Hedden explores the relationship between gravity, weight, and relative motion, using a moving elevator to...

Would a mile-high skyscraper ever be possible? Explore the physics behind some of the tallest buildings and megastructures in the world. -- In 1956, architect Frank Lloyd Wright proposed a mile-high skyscraper, a building five times...

What if your basic at-the-office elevator ride takes a sudden turn for the dark side of gravity, could you survive it?

There's a creeping sameness in many of our newest urban buildings and streetscapes, says architect Vishaan Chakrabarti. And this physical homogeneity -- the result of regulations, mass production, safety issues and cost considerations,...

Like a scene from a horror film, you are in a elevator, you push the close button ,Hurry! The murderer is coming at you! However, again you push the close button, the door won't close! Psych! The button is fake. But why is that most of...

Hank talks about space elevators, and why we shouldn't expect to see one any time soon.

Howcast - Learn how to hit better high notes from vocal coach Cari Cole in this Howcast singing tutorial.

Howcast - Check out part 6 and beat Episode 4: "The Survivors" of Jurassic Park: The Game with this online demo of the third-person adventure .

Howcast - Learn how to stop worrying so much from life coach Stephanie Florman in this Howcast video.

Howcast - Run around the bridge in Konami's new immortal undead shooter, NeverDead.

Howcast - Check out part 35 of this walkthrough for this action RPG Deus Ex: Human Revolution and beat Proof M1 with this online demo.

Howcast - Check out part 36 of this walkthrough for this action RPG Deus Ex: Human Revolution and beat Proof M1 with this online demo.

Howcast - Check out part 46 and shoot up Brazil in this walkthrough of Rockstar Games' new drug fueled shooter, Max Payne 3.

Howcast - Return to the Citadel in this walkthrough of Bioware's new release, Mass Effect 3.

Howcast - Learn how to do the Robot (lower body) from professional dancer Charlene "Chi-Chi" Smith in this Howcast dance video.