TED Talks
Laura Carstensen: Older people are happier
In the 20th century we added an unprecedented number of years to our lifespans, but is the quality of life as good? Surprisingly, yes! Psychologist Laura Carstensen shows research that demonstrates that as people get older they become...
TED Talks
TED: How CRISPR lets us edit our DNA | Jennifer Doudna
Geneticist Jennifer Doudna co-invented a groundbreaking new technology for editing genes, called CRISPR-Cas9. The tool allows scientists to make precise edits to DNA strands, which could lead to treatments for genetic diseases ... but...
TED Talks
Mitchell Besser: Mothers helping mothers fight HIV
In sub-Saharan Africa, HIV infections are more prevalent and doctors scarcer than anywhere else in the world. With a lack of medical professionals, Mitchell Besser enlisted the help of his patients to create mothers2mothers -- an...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The surprising cause of stomach ulcers - Rusha Modi
It's a common misconception that stomach ulcers are caused by emotional upset, psychological distress, or spicy food. Yet no convincing study has ever demonstrated that these factors directly cause ulcer disease. So what does cause...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Why doesn't anything stick to Teflon? - Ashwini Bharathula
Teflon was in the spacesuits the Apollo crew wore for the moon landing, in pipes and valves used in the Manhattan project, and it may be in your kitchen, as the nonstick coating on frying pans and cookie sheets. So what is this slippery...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Can steroids save your life? | Anees Bahji
Steroids: they're infamous for their use in sports. But they're also found in inhalers, creams to treat poison ivy and eczema, and shots to ease inflammation. The steroids in these medicines aren't the same as those used to build muscle....
SciShow
Does Radiation Make Air Travel Dangerous?
Radiation is all around us, and when you travel by plane, you're exposed to cosmic radiation. So what does this mean for our health? Does air travel expose us to unsafe radiation levels? Check out this episode to see how flying among...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Why do animals have such different lifespans? - Joao Pedro de Magalhaes
For the microscopic lab worm C. elegans, life equates to just a few short weeks on Earth. The bowhead whale, on the other hand, can live over two hundred years. Why are these lifespans so different? And what does it really mean to 'age'...
TED Talks
Manu Prakash: A 50-cent microscope that folds like origami
Perhaps you’ve punched out a paper doll or folded an origami swan? TED Fellow Manu Prakash and his team have created a microscope made of paper that's just as easy to fold and use. A sparkling demo that shows how this invention could...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Rosalind Franklin: DNA's unsung hero - Claudio L. Guerra
The discovery of the structure of DNA was one of the most important scientific achievements in human history. The now-famous double helix is almost synonymous with Watson and Crick, two of the scientists who won the Nobel prize for...
TED Talks
Kelly McGonigal: How to make stress your friend
Stress. It makes your heart pound, your breathing quicken and your forehead sweat. But while stress has been made into a public health enemy, new research suggests that stress may only be bad for you if you believe that to be the case....
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Who's at risk for colon cancer? - Amit H. Sachdev and Frank G. Gress
Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer and cancer death in the world. It is also one of the most preventable types of cancer, as it often takes about ten years for a small polyp to grow and develop into a cancerous one. So...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How do vitamins work? - Ginnie Trinh Nguyen
Vitamins are the building blocks that keep our bodies running; they help build muscle and bone, capture energy, heal wounds and more. But if our body doesn't create vitamins, how do they get into our system? Ginnie Trinh Nguyen describes...
TED Talks
TED: The brain science of obesity | Mads Tang-Christensen
Your belly and your brain speak to each other, says obesity researcher Mads Tang-Christensen. Offering scientific proof that obesity is a disease influenced by genetics and the environment, he introduces a molecule discovered in both the...
TED Talks
Ananya Grover: A campaign for period positivity
Having your period is exhausting -- and for many people across the world, menstruation is even more challenging because of stigmas and difficulty getting basic hygiene supplies, says social activist Ananya Grover. In this uplifting,...
TED Talks
BJ Miller: What really matters at the end of life
At the end of our lives, what do we most wish for? For many, it's simply comfort, respect, love. BJ Miller is a hospice and palliative medicine physician who thinks deeply about how to create a dignified, graceful end of life for his...
TED Talks
TED: New nanotech to detect cancer early | Joshua Smith
What if every home had an early-warning cancer detection system? Researcher Joshua Smith is developing a nanobiotechnology "cancer alarm" that scans for traces of disease in the form of special biomarkers called exosomes. In this...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: A curable condition that causes blindness - Andrew Bastawrous
An estimated 20 million cases of blindness worldwide are caused by cataracts, a curable condition affecting the lens that focuses images onto the eye's retina. But how are cataracts formed, and how can we prevent them? Andrew Bastawrous...
SciShow
Why Is It So Hard to Remember Things Right Now?
If you feel like you’ve been more forgetful than normal recently, you’re definitely not alone. Your memory can have a lot to do with what's happening around you.
TED Talks
Latif Nasser: The amazing story of the man who gave us modern pain relief
For the longest time, doctors basically ignored the most basic and frustrating part of being sick -- pain. In this lyrical, informative talk, Latif Nasser tells the extraordinary story of wrestler and doctor John J. Bonica, who persuaded...
SciShow
How Being Obsessed with Health Can Make You Unhealthy
Dieting and exercise can be good for you, but just because something’s healthy, that doesn't mean more is even healthier.
TED Talks
Mathias Basner: Why noise is bad for your health -- and what you can do about it
Silence is a rare commodity these days. There's traffic, construction, air-conditioning, your neighbor's lawnmower ... and all this unwanted sound can have a surprising impact on your health, says noise researcher Mathias Basner....
TED Talks
Kristie Ebi: How climate change could make our food less nutritious
Rising carbon levels in the atmosphere can make plants grow faster, but there's another hidden consequence: they rob plants of the nutrients and vitamins we need to survive. In a talk about global food security, epidemiologist Kristie...
SciShow
What If We Killed All the Wasps?
Unlike their friendly, flower-pollinating cousin, the bee, wasps are best known for stinging people, ruining picnics, and generally being jerks... so should we just totally get rid of them?