Drugs that treat heart failure are also prescribed for anxiety? What's up with that?

Hank briefs us on the current status of the Mars Science Laboratory, and gives us a taste of what we can hope to see coming from it in the next few months, and during the rest of its two year mission.

Climate doom-ism, or a pessimistic outlook on the future of the planet, rivals climate denialism in holding up the fight against climate change, says activist Zahra Biabani. Illuminating how hope combats inaction, she takes us inside the...

As we continue explore free will, today Hank considers a middle ground between hard determinism and libertarian free will: compatibilism. This view seeks to find ways that our internally motivated actions can be understood as free in a...

Hank continues our series on the four fundamental forces of physics with a description of gravitation -the interaction by which physical bodies attract with a force proportional to that of their masses, and which is responsible for...

History has shown us that in moments of crisis, society can truly transform, says environmental educator Severn Cullis-Suzuki. Nearly 30 years ago, at just 12 years old, she spoke at the UN's Earth Summit in hopes of reversing the...

Weathering breaks down rocks and creates sediments which become the raw materials for other rocks and the formation of our soils. And we call the process of moving that sediment erosion. In today's episode, we're just going to focus on...

Reinforcement learning is particularly useful in situations where we want to train AIs to have certain skills we don’t fully understand ourselves. Unlike some of the techniques we’ve discussed so far, reinforcement learning generally...

Hugh evans started a movement that mobilizes "global citizens," people who self-identify first and foremost not as members of a state, nation or tribe but as members of the human race. In this uplifting and personal talk, learn more...

Today, FINALLY, Craig is going to talk about Free Speech! Now, free speech is so important because it not only allows you to critique the government, but it also protects you from the government. But it's essential to remember that not...

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are an effective way to kill a myriad of potentially harmful microbes. But is there a risk of germs becoming resistant to this ubiquitous liquid?

What do you and a sack of batteries have in common? Today, Hank explains.


r/>
--

/>Table of Contents:

Ion Channels Regulate Electrochemistry t
o Create Action Po
tential 4:51
Re
sting State...

We all want to use our talents to create something meaningful with our lives. But how to get started? (And ... what if you're shy?) Writer Kare Anderson shares her own story of chronic shyness, and how she opened up her world by helping...

Nobel Peace laureate Jody Williams brings tough love to the dream of world peace, with her razor-sharp take on what "peace" really means, and a set of profound stories that zero in on the creative struggle -- and sacrifice -- of those...

If we really want to address climate change, we need to make gender equity a reality, says writer and environmentalist Katharine Wilkinson. As part of Project Drawdown, Wilkinson has helped scour humanity's wisdom for solutions to draw...

What if you could search the surface of the Earth the same way you search the internet? Will Marshall and his team at Planet use the world's largest fleet of satellites to image the entire Earth every day. Now they're moving on to a new...

The average person experiences dozens of individual itches each day. We've all experienced the annoyance of an inconvenient itch - but have you ever pondered why we itch in the first place? Is there actually an evolutionary purpose to...

Nuclear weapons are some of the most powerful tools of destruction on Earth, and the full scope of a nuclear detonation is almost unimaginable. However, there is a scientifically supported plan of action that could save thousands of...

This week we explore final ethical theory in this unit: Aristotle’s virtue theory. Hank explains the Golden Mean, and how it exists as the midpoint between vices of excess and deficiency. We’ll also discuss moral exemplars, and introduce...

When it comes to tackling climate change, the size of a country doesn't matter -- it's their ambition that counts, says First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon. In a rousing talk, she shares examples of small nations -- from Bhutan...

Having the ability to dim your lights seems like a pretty simple thing, but modern dimmer switches work in a surprisingly cool way!

Neuroscientist Greg Gage takes sophisticated equipment used to study the brain out of graduate-level labs and brings them to middle- and high-school classrooms (and, sometimes, to the TED stage.) Prepare to be amazed as he hooks up the...

A technology to ignore birds on radar ended up being useful to study and conserve them.

For you, going outside might mean a sunburn if you're out there too long without enough sunscreen, but for some people, any sun exposure can lead to hives and rashes within minutes!