TED Talks
Joanne Chory: How supercharged plants could slow climate change
Plants are amazing machines -- for millions of years, they've taken carbon dioxide out of the air and stored it underground, keeping a crucial check on the global climate. Plant geneticist Joanne Chory is working to amplify this special...
TED Talks
Ron Finley: A guerrilla gardener in South Central LA
Ron Finley plants vegetable gardens in South Central LA -- in abandoned lots, traffic medians, along the curbs. Why? For fun, for defiance, for beauty and to offer some alternative to fast food in a community where "the drive-thrus are...
TED Talks
TED: 5 promising factors propelling climate action | Gabriel Kra
Given the scale of the challenge, the conversation around climate change is often tinged with doom and gloom. But climate tech investor Gabriel Kra thinks we need to reframe the crisis as a source of tremendous opportunity. He offers...
Crash Course
Environmental Econ: Crash Course Economics
So, if economics is about choices and how we use our resources, econ probably has a lot to say about the environment, right? Right! In simple terms, pollution is just a market failure. The market is producing more pollution than society...
TED Talks
Donald Sadoway: The missing link to renewable energy
What's the key to using alternative energy, like solar and wind? Storage -- so we can have power on tap even when the sun's not out and the wind's not blowing. In this accessible, inspiring talk, Donald Sadoway takes to the blackboard to...
SciShow
Has Stephen Hawking Solved a Black Hole Paradox?
Stephen Hawking recently announced that he'd come up with an answer to one of the biggest questions in physics. But it'll probably be a while before we know exactly what it is.
TED Talks
Andy Yen: Think your email's private? Think again
Sending an email message is like sending a postcard, says scientist Andy Yen in this thought-provoking talk: Anyone can read it. Yet encryption, the technology that protects the privacy of email communication, does exist. It's just that...
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...
SciShow Kids
Jessi and Squeaks Build a Better Back-Scratcher!
When we last left Jessi and Squeaks, Jessi had a big problem: her back was really itchy! Today we'll share our designs for back scratchers and build something to help her out!
PBS
Can Video Games Become the Next Spectator Sport?
As our South Korean friends can confirm, video games can most definitely be a spectator sport. But will they ever catch on in a huge way in the good ol' U.S. of A?
SciShow
Game Theory: The Science of Decision-Making
With up to ten years in prison at stake, will Wanda rat Fred out? Game theory is looking at human interactions through the lens of mathematics.
Crash Course Kids
What's an Engineer?
You've heard of Engineers, I'm sure. But, what are Engineers? Well, it turns out that they're all kinds of people doing all kinds of neat work! Want to be one? Well, join Sabrina in this episode of Crash Course Kids where she talks about...
Crash Course Kids
A Case of 'What-Ifs'
Variables: What are they? In the case of engineering, variables are a condition or value that can change. Sometimes we control a variable, sometimes we don't. In this episode of Crash Course Kids, Sabrina chats to us about how variables...
TED Talks
TED: 4 steps to ending extreme poverty | Shameran Abed
At least 400 million people worldwide live in ultra-poverty: a state of severe financial and social vulnerability that robs many of hope and dignity. At BRAC, an international development organization focused on fighting poverty,...
TED Talks
Suzana Herculano-Houzel: What is so special about the human brain?
The human brain is puzzling -- it is curiously large given the size of our bodies, uses a tremendous amount of energy for its weight and has a bizarrely dense cerebral cortex. But: why? Neuroscientist Suzana Herculano-Houzel puts on her...
SciShow
Horseshoe Crabs Saved My Life
Horseshoe crabs aren't really crabs, but they are super old, super cool, and they deserve your respect. Because they may have already saved your life. SciShow explains!
PBS
Will Starshot's Insterstellar Journey Succeed?
Yuri Milner's Breakthrough Starshot is an interstellar travel expedition unlike any other before it. It's many years in the making and is contingent on a series of incredible advancements in nanotechnology, materials science and laser...
TED Talks
Sinan Aral: How we can protect truth in the age of misinformation
Fake news can sway elections, tank economies and sow discord in everyday life. Data scientist Sinan Aral demystifies how and why it spreads so quickly -- citing one of the largest studies on misinformation -- and identifies five...
TED Talks
Jaime Lerner: A song of the city
Jaime Lerner reinvented urban space in his native Curitiba, Brazil. Along the way, he changed the way city planners worldwide see what's possible in the metropolitan landscape.
Crash Course Kids
The Engineering Process
So, how do we go about being engineers? In this episode of Crash Course Kids, Sabrina talks to us about the Engineering Process and why we should do things in order, as well as many of the questions we should ask along the way. This...
SciShow
The Surprising Secrets of Destroyed Exoplanets - SciShow News
Scientists are learning new things by looking at the remains of exoplanets, NASA has unveiled a new spacesuit design, and engineers fixed a problem from one hundred million kilometers away.
TED Talks
Eldra Jackson: How I unlearned dangerous lessons about masculinity
In a powerful talk, educator Eldra Jackson III shares how he unlearned dangerous lessons about masculinity through Inside Circle, an organization that leads group therapy for incarcerated men. Now he's helping others heal by creating a...
TED Talks
George Whitesides: A lab the size of a postage stamp
Traditional lab tests for disease diagnosis can be too expensive and cumbersome for the regions most in need. George Whitesides' ingenious answer is a foolproof tool that can be manufactured at virtually zero cost.
TED Talks
Joshua Silver: Adjustable liquid-filled eyeglasses
Josh Silver delivers his brilliantly simple solution for correcting vision at the lowest cost possible -- adjustable, liquid-filled lenses. At TEDGlobal 2009, he demos his affordable eyeglasses and reveals his global plan to distribute...