TED-Ed
TED-ED: The science behind the myth: Homer's "Odyssey" - Matt Kaplan
Homer's "Odyssey" recounts the adventures of the Greek hero Odysseus during his journey home from the Trojan War. Though some parts may be based on real events, the encounters with monsters, giants and magicians are considered to be...
SciShow Kids
Life as a Tree!
Did you know you can read the story of a tree's life? By looking at a tree's rings, you can figure out way more than just how old it is! Jessi and Squeaks are here to show you what to look for next time you're on a hike and find a tree...
PBS
The Age of Reptiles in Three Acts
Reptiles emerged from the Paleozoic as humble creatures, but in time, they grew to become some of the largest forms of life ever to stomp, swim, and soar across the planet. This Age of Reptiles was a spectacular prehistoric epic, and it...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: The battle of the Greek tragedies - Melanie Sirof
The world of modern theater owes its roots to the tragedians of Ancient Greece. As far back as the 5th Century BCE, actors and playwrights were entertaining the masses with intriguing stories. Melanie Sirof unveils the ancient theatrical...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: First person vs. Second person vs. Third person | Rebekah Bergman
Who is telling a story, and from what perspective, are some of the most important choices an author makes. Told from a different point of view, a story can transform completely. Third person, first person, and second person perspectives...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Why should you read Charles Dickens? - Iseult Gillespie
The starving orphan seeking a second helping of gruel. The spinster wasting away in her tattered wedding dress. The stone-hearted miser plagued by the ghost of Christmas past. More than a century after his death, these remain...
Curated Video
Islam, the Quran, and the Five Pillars All Without a Flamewar: Crash Course World History
In which John Green teaches you the history of Islam, including the revelation of the Qu'ran to Muhammad, the five pillars of Islam, how the Islamic empire got its start, the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and more. Learn about hadiths, Abu...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How simple ideas lead to scientific discoveries - Adam Savage
Adam Savage walks through two spectacular examples of profound scientific discoveries that came from simple, creative methods anyone could have followed -- Eratosthenes' calculation of the Earth's circumference around 200 BC and...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Euclid's puzzling parallel postulate - Jeff Dekofsky
Euclid, known as the "Father of Geometry," developed several of modern geometry's most enduring theorems--but what can we make of his mysterious fifth postulate, the parallel postulate? Jeff Dekofsky shows us how mathematical minds have...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The rise and fall of history's first empire | Soraya Field Fiorio
History's first empire rose out of a hot, dry landscape, without rainfall to nourish crops, without trees or stones for building. In spite of all this, its inhabitants built the world's first cities, with monumental architecture and...
TED Talks
JR: My wish: Use art to turn the world inside out
French street artist JR uses his camera to show the world its true face, by pasting photos of the human face across massive canvases. At TED2011, he makes his audacious TED Prize wish: to use art to turn the world inside out.
PBS
Author Elizabeth Acevedo On Writing A Coming-Of-Age Novel
Our November pick for the NewsHour-New York Times book club, "Now Read This," is "The Poet X" by Elizabeth Acevedo. She spoke to Jeffrey Brown about finding her voice through poetry and why she wrote a novel in verse.
SciShow
Invasive Species The Story of Bunny
Hank tells us the story of bunny and planet Wonderful, and the impacts of exotic invasive species on ecosystems while introducing us to a couple interesting individuals.
TED Talks
Using your voice is a political choice | Amanda Gorman
For anyone who believes poetry is stuffy or elitist, Amanda Gorman -- the youngest inaugural poet in US history -- has some characteristically well-chosen words. Poetry is for everyone, she says, and at its core it's all about connection...
PBS
Looking Back In History To Help Inform And Improve Future Race Relations
Daily reports of disturbing racial incidents and what appear to be
deepening racial divisions within the country leave many looking for
answers. Special correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault recently spoke with
Dr. Ronald Crutcher, a...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Everything you need to know to read Homer's "Odyssey" - Jill Dash
An encounter with a man-eating giant. A sorceress who turns men into pigs. A long-lost king taking back his throne. On their own, any of these make great stories. But each is just one episode in the "Odyssey," a 12,000-line poem spanning...
Curated Video
Decolonization and Nationalism Triumphant: Crash Course World History
In which John Green teaches you about the post-World War II breakup of most of the European empires. As you'll remember from previous installments of Crash Course, Europeans spent several centuries sailing around the world creating...
TED Talks
Douglas Thomas: How a typeface helped launch Apollo
When humanity first landed on the moon in 1969, the typeface Futura was right there with them. In this fascinating history of typography, designer Douglas Thomas shares Futura's role in launching the Apollo 11 spacecraft -- and how it...
TED Talks
TED: The real danger lurking in the water | Romulus Whitaker
The gharial and king cobra are two of India's most iconic reptiles, and they're endangered because of polluted waterways. Conservationist Romulus Whitaker shows rare footage of these magnificent animals and urges us to save the rivers...
Crash Course
What is Geography Crash Course Geography
So, what is geography? In our first episode of Crash Course Geography, we will endeavor to answer this seemingly simple question with the help of a similarly simple factoid: that the US imports more than 3 billion pounds of bananas from...
SciShow
What Science Has Taught Us About Stonehenge
Over the years, lots of explanations have been proposed as the origin of Stonehenge, including lost technologies, outright magic, and — of course — aliens. What do we actually know about this prehistoric mystery?
Crash Course
2,000 Years of Chinese History! The Mandate of Heaven and Confucius World History
In which John introduces you to quite a lot of Chinese history by discussing the complicated relationship between the Confucian scholars who wrote Chinese history and the emperors (and empress) who made it. Included is a brief...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How taking a bath led to Archimedes' principle - Mark Salata
Stories of discovery and invention often begin with a problem that needs solving. Summoned by the king to investigate a suspicious goldsmith, the early Greek mathematician Archimedes stumbles on the principle that would make him famous.
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: What’s the point(e) of ballet?
A baby cursed at birth. A fierce battle of good and evil. A true love awoken with a kiss. Since premiering in 1890, “The Sleeping Beauty” has become one of the most frequently staged ballets in history. So what makes this piece so...