TED Talks
TED: 5 ways leaders can adapt to shifting geopolitics | Nikolaus S. Lang
What will the world look like in 2030? International business consultant Nikolaus S. Lang predicts the evolution of a multipolar world, with multiple emerging coalitions of countries acting in new ways to achieve their economic,...
TED Talks
TED: Democracy works — we just need better leaders | Lindiwe Mazibuko
South Africa transitioned to democracy in the 1990s with a visionary constitution, but the promises of that constitution are largely unfulfilled to this day. Public leader Lindiwe Mazibuko explores how poor leadership failed to deliver a...
PBS
Inside the African American studies class praised by some and fiercely opposed by others
The school year is coming to a close and with it, the first year of Advanced Placement African American studies, an interdisciplinary class by the College Board that has attracted praise from professors and also fierce opposition from...
PBS
Arthur Brooks on why we hate our political enemies -- and how to stop
Arthur Brooks is the former president of the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative Washington, D.C., think tank. Troubled by the level of animosity in the current U.S. political landscape, he's analyzed why we increasingly hate...
PBS
Remembering Dr. Hamilton Holmes
Charlayne Hunter-Gault remembers her friend Dr. Hamilton Holmes, who died in 1995 at age 54. In 1961, the two made history as the first African Americans to attend the University of Georgia.
PBS
George Kennan Interview (April 18, 1996)
David Gergen talks with George Kennan about his book At A Century's Ending: Reflections 1982-1995.
PBS
Author Jia Tolentino On American Culture Through The Prism Of The Internet
The January pick for our “Now Read This” book club was a book of essays
exploring many aspects of American culture through the prism of the
internet and social media. At age 32, author Jia Tolentino has gained
acclaim as one of its most...
Crash Course
The Rise of the West and Historical Methodology: Crash Course World History
In which John Green talks about the methods of writing history by looking at some of the ways that history has been written about the rise of the West. But first he has to tell you what the West is. And then he has to explain the Rise of...
Crash Course
What is Human Geography? Crash Course Geography
For the next half of this series, we will be discussing Human Geography — so we’ll still be looking at the Earth, but specifically, how human activity affects and is influenced by the Earth. Naturally, we thought the best place to start...
TED Talks
My wish: Let my photographs bear witness - James Nachtwey
* Viewer discretion advised. This video includes discussion of mature topics and may be inappropriate for some audiences. Accepting his 2007 TED Prize, war photographer James Nachtwey shows his life's work and asks TED to help him...
TED Talks
TED: Playful, wondrous public spaces built for community and possibility | Matthew Mazzotta
Introducing a new type of public space, custom-fit for communities in need of a shot of hope and wonder. Artist and TED Fellow Matthew Mazzotta takes us across the US, sharing delightful projects that refresh space and place, spark...
TED Talks
Yasheng Huang: Does democracy stifle economic growth?
Economist Yasheng Huang compares China to India, and asks how China's authoritarian rule contributed to its astonishing economic growth -- leading to a big question: Is democracy actually holding India back? Huang's answer may surprise you.
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The rise and fall of the medieval Islamic Empire | Petra Sijpesteijn and Birte Kristiansen
In the 7th century CE, the prophet Muhammad united the people of the Arabian Peninsula through the formation of Islam. Over the next 30 years, caliphs conquered vast areas beyond Arabia, including their mighty neighbors the Persians and...
TED Talks
George Monbiot: The new political story that could change everything
To get out of the mess we're in, we need a new story that explains the present and guides the future, says author George Monbiot. Drawing on findings from psychology, neuroscience and evolutionary biology, he offers a new vision for...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Why should you read Dante's "Divine Comedy"? | Sheila Marie Orfano
Abandon all hope, ye who enter here... Inscribed above the Gate of Hell, this prophecy sets into motion an epic journey for salvation. Written over 10 years, Dante Alighieri's three-part narrative poem "Divine Comedy" is both an...
TED Talks
Dambisa Moyo: Is China the new idol for emerging economies?
The developed world holds up the ideals of capitalism, democracy and political rights for all. Those in emerging markets often don't have that luxury. In this powerful talk, economist Dambisa Moyo makes the case that the west can't...
Crash Course
Roman Engineering: Crash Course History of Science
The Romans developed a lot of infrastructure like roads and aqueducts to both help their cities flourish and to... you know... be better at war. But the interesting thing about Roman Engineering is how it was almost all focused on Techne...
TED Talks
Hubertus Knabe: The dark secrets of a surveillance state
Tour the deep dark world of the East German state security agency known as Stasi. Uniquely powerful at spying on its citizens, until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 the Stasi masterminded a system of surveillance and psychological...
PBS
Will Space Travel Save Us All?
Space, also known as The Final Frontier, has been in our collective dreams and fantasies for decades. Who WOULDN'T want to blast into space, experience zero gravity, or walk on the moon?! But with limited funding to NASA, the day that...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Why should you read Tolstoy's "War and Peace"? - Brendan Pelsue
"War and Peace." A tome. A slog. The sort of book you shouldn't read in bed because if you fall asleep it could give you a concussion. Right? Only partly. "War and Peace" is a long book, sure, but it's also a thrilling examination of...
TED Talks
TED: Capitalism will eat democracy -- unless we speak up | Yanis Varoufakis
Have you wondered why politicians aren't what they used to be, why governments seem unable to solve real problems? economist Yanis Varoufakis, the former Minister of Finance for Greece, says that it's because you can be in politics today...
TED Talks
Chrystia Freeland: The rise of the new global super-rich
Technology is advancing in leaps and bounds -- and so is economic inequality, says writer Chrystia Freeland. In an impassioned talk, she charts the rise of a new class of plutocrats (those who are extremely powerful because they are...
TED Talks
Daniel Libeskind: 17 words of architectural inspiration
Daniel Libeskind builds on very big ideas. Here, he shares 17 words that underlie his vision for architecture -- raw, risky, emotional, radical -- and that offer inspiration for any bold creative pursuit.
Crash Course
Islam and Politics: Crash Course World History 216
In which John Green teaches you about how Islam has interacted with politics during it's history, and how it continues to do so today. Islamist movements are in the news a lot lately, but how did that happen. John will point out that...