TED-Ed
TED-ED: The science of spiciness - Rose Eveleth
When you take a bite of a hot pepper, your body reacts as if your mouth is on fire -- because that's essentially what you've told your brain! Rose Eveleth details the science and history behind spicy foods, giving insights into why some...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: How to spot a counterfeit bill - Tien Nguyen
Authentic dollar bills are equipped with many security features to make them difficult to forge. But that doesn't stop counterfeiters from trying to fool people with fakes. Luckily, anyone can help catch a counterfeit; all you need are a...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: How sugar affects the brain - Nicole Avena
When you eat something loaded with sugar, your taste buds, your gut and your brain all take notice. This activation of your reward system is not unlike how bodies process addictive substances such as alcohol or nicotine -- an overload of...
Crash Course
Biomedicine: Crash Course History of Science
The history of science up until the Cold War is often overshadowed by the Manhattan Project. But, today we are going to talk about advances in biomedicine, or healthcare based on a biological understanding of human bodies and diseases.
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Will the ocean ever run out of fish? - Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Jennifer Jacquet
When most people think of fishing, we imagine relaxing in a boat and patiently reeling in the day's catch. But modern industrial fishing -- the kind that stocks our grocery shelves -- looks more like warfare. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Why do your knuckles pop? - Eleanor Nelsen
Some people love the feeling of cracking their knuckles, while others cringe at the sound. But what causes that trademark pop? And is it dangerous? Eleanor Nelsen gives the facts behind joint popping.
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Why are sharks so awesome? - Tierney Thys
Sharks have been celebrated as powerful gods by some native cultures. And today, sharks are recognized as apex predators of the world's ocean. What is it that makes these fish worthy of our ancient legends and so successful in the seas?...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The ferocious predatory dinosaurs of Cretaceous Sahara - Nizar Ibrahim
In Cretaceous times (around 100 million years ago), North Africa was home to a huge river system and a bizarre menagerie of giant prehistoric predators -- including the Spinosaurus, a dinosaur even more fearsome than the Tyrannosaurus...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Why the Arctic is climate change's canary in the coal mine - William Chapman
The Arctic may seem like a frozen and desolate environment where nothing ever changes. But the climate of this unique and remote region can be both an early indicator of the climate of the rest of the Earth and a driver for weather...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Could your brain repair itself? - Ralitsa Petrova
Imagine the brain could reboot, updating its damaged cells with new, improved units. That may sound like science fiction - but it's a potential reality scientists are investigating right now. Ralitsa Petrova details the science behind...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The benefits of a good night's sleep - Shai Marcu
It's 4am, and the big test is in 8 hours. You've been studying for days, but you still don't feel ready. Should you drink another cup of coffee and spend the next few hours cramming? Or should you go to sleep? Shai Marcu defends the...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How stress affects your body - Sharon Horesh Bergquist
Our hard-wired stress response is designed to give us the quick burst of heightened alertness and energy needed to perform our best. But stress isn't all good. When activated too long or too often, stress can damage virtually every part...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How does a jellyfish sting? - Neosha S Kashef
You're swimming in the ocean when something brushes your leg. When the tingling sets in, you realize you've been stung by a jellyfish. How do these beautiful gelatinous creatures pack such a painful punch? Neosha S Kashef details the...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Why are sloths so slow? - Kenny Coogan
Sloths spend most of their time eating, resting, or sleeping; in fact, they descend from their treetops canopies just once a week, for a bathroom break. How are these creatures so low energy? Kenny Coogan describes the physical and...
Amoeba Sisters
Prokaryotic vs. Eukaryotic Cells (Updated)
This Amoeba Sisters video starts with providing examples of prokaryotes and eukaryotes before comparing and contrasting prokaryotic cells with eukaryotic cells! Contents: 00:00 Intro 1:27 Modern Cell Theory 1:37 3 Domains (with examples...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The survival of the sea turtle - Scott Gass
Watch the miraculous journey of infant sea turtles as these tiny animals run the gauntlet of predators and harsh conditions. Then, in numbers, see how human behavior has made their tough lives even more challenging.
TED-Ed
TED-ED: How to master your sense of smell - Alexandra Horowitz
Some perfumers can distinguish individual odors in a fragrance made of hundreds of scents; tea-experts have been known to sniff out the exact location of a particular tea; and the NYC Transit Authority once had a employee responsible...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Could we actually live on Mars? - Mari Foroutan
There's a lot of talk these days about when and how we might all move to Mars. But what would it actually be like to live there? Mari Foroutan details the features of Mars that are remarkably similar to those of Earth — and those that...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: If superpowers were real: Super strength - Joy Lin
What if super strength wasn't just the stuff of epic comic book stories? Is it scientifically possible to be super strong? In this series, Joy Lin tackles six superpowers and reveals just how scientifically realistic they can be to us...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Is it bad to hold your pee? - Heba Shaheed
Humans should urinate at least four to six times a day, but occasionally, the pressures of modern life force us to clench and hold it in. How bad is this habit, and how long can our bodies withstand it? Heba Shaheed takes us inside the...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How do pain relievers work? - George Zaidan
Some people take aspirin or ibuprofen to treat everyday aches and pains, but how exactly do the different classes of pain relievers work? Learn about the basic physiology of how humans experience pain, and the mechanics of the medicines...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How a single-celled organism almost wiped out life on Earth - Anusuya Willis
There's an organism that changed the world. It caused the first mass extinction in Earth's history and also paved the way for complex life. How? Anusuya Willis explains how cyanobacteria, simple organisms that don't even have nuclei or...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Why do whales sing? - Stephanie Sardelis
Communicating underwater is challenging. Light and odors don't travel well, but sound moves about four times faster in water than in air - which means marine mammals often use sounds to communicate. The most famous of these underwater...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Inside the killer whale matriarchy - Darren Croft
Pods of killer whales inhabit the waters of every major ocean on Earth. Each family is able to survive thanks mainly to one member, its most knowledgeable hunter: the grandmother. These matriarchs can live 80 years or more and their...