It’s hard to replace jet fuel because the alternatives aren’t energetic enough, are too dangerous, or aren’t yet being made at scale.

Did humans evolve from monkeys or from fish? In this enlightening talk, ichthyologist and TED Fellow Prosanta Chakrabarty dispels some hardwired myths about evolution, encouraging us to remember that we're a small part of a complex,...

Plastic is quickly becoming a problem and we're eager to point fingers, but honestly, the reason there's so much plastic everywhere isn't just because of human negligence.

Our ability to mine great amounts of energy from uranium nuclei has led some to bill nuclear power as a plentiful, utopian source of electricity. But rather than dominate the global electricity market, nuclear power has declined from a...

In the past 3,000 years, many populations have evolved genetic adaptations to their local environments. People in Siberia and the high arctic are uniquely adapted to survive extreme cold. The Bajau people can dive 70 meters and stay...

In 2020, many cities started monitoring wastewater for viruses, and there are a lot of non-virus reasons to keep doing it.

Slime can be great, but when it's the wrong kind of slime (you know, the kind that can kill you?), it gets added to the list of things Hank wishes he didn't have to worry about. Scientists call it biofilm, and it's a type of bacterial...

When it comes to our blood-producing stem cells, biologists have learned that bigger is not better. And a study has taken a look at the accomplishments and obstacles of an in-progress attempt to restore a large belt of degraded land...

There’s no doubt that fish is a great source of protein in one’s diet. But the debate about whether fish farming or commercial fishing is worse for the environment continues and, as you might suspect, there isn’t a straightforward answer.

Bamboo is the world’s fastest growing plant thanks to the cell elongation process it shares with all grasses and its unique cell wall layering adaptation, allowing it to shoot up to 100 ft (30m) in just 8 weeks.

Do you ever order clothes online in different sizes and colors, just to try them on and then send back what doesn't work? Aparna Mehta used to do this all time, until she one day asked herself: Where do all these returned clothes go? In...

Paul Andersen explains how genotypes can be expressed or not based on changes in the environment. He starts with a brief description of the Himalayan rabbit and how melanin production can be disrupted by high temperature. He explains...

In this collection of classic MinuteEarth videos, we take a look at some of the most extreme weather on Earth and its consequences.

In this video Paul Andersen explains how variation is created in a population over time. Variation in offspring is caused by genetic recombination, mutations and environmental effects. Parental DNA is recombined using the process of...

Your closet is likely full of all kinds of materials -- leather, cotton, nylon and polyester, to name a few -- that contribute to fashion's sustainability crisis. Biomaterials investigator Dan Widmaier explains how we could look to...

Every day, tens of thousands of cargo ships, filled to the brim with goods, release heavy pollution into the air as they make their way across the ocean. In this eye-opening talk, reporter Maria Gallucci introduces a planet-friendly...

Although coal is such an amazing energy source that we've kept using it despite the harm it causes, today we may be better poised to stop using it than at any previous time in history.

Paul Andersen describes mechanisms that increase the genetic variation within a population. He begins by discussing how horizontal transfer can move genetic material between bacteria. Transformation, transduction, and conjugation in...

Conventional meat production causes harm to our environment and presents risks to global health, but people aren't going to eat less meat unless we give them alternatives that cost the same (or less) and that taste the same (or better)....

Research suggests that more diverse ecosystems are better for the bottom line.

We've all experienced thunder, but what ARE all those claps, booms, and rumbles?

Lighting up the TED stage, Nobel laureate Al Gore takes stock of the current state of climate progress and calls attention to institutions that have failed to honor their promises by continuing to pour money into polluting sectors. He...

Augmented reality isn’t just science fiction anymore! In this episode, Michael becomes a hologram and Hank explains how one set of new technologies made it happen.

A lot of work goes into managing our impact on the environment and its impact on us. That work is the work of environmental engineers. In this episode we’ll explore water quality, air quality, noise pollution, waste management, and more.