TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Why people fall for misinformation | Joseph Isaac
In 1901, David Hänig published research that led to what we know today as the taste map: an illustration that divides the tongue into four separate areas. It has since been published in textbooks and newspapers. There is just one...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: No one can figure out how eels have sex | Lucy Cooke
From Ancient Greece to the 20th century, Aristotle, Freud, and numerous other scholars were all looking for the same thing: eel testicles. Freshwater eels could be found in rivers across Europe, but no one had ever seen them mate and no...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Michelle Brown: What is a butt tuba and why is it in medieval art?
A rabbit attempts to play a church organ, while a knight fights a giant snail and a naked man blows a trumpet with his rear end. These bizarre images, painted with squirrel-hair brushes on vellum or parchment by monks, nuns and urban...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: How cosmic rays help us understand the universe - Veronica Bindi
We only know 4% of what the universe is made up of. Can we also know what lies beyond our galaxy ... and if there are undiscovered forms of matter? Luckily, we have space messengers - cosmic rays - that bring us physical data from parts...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Ideasthesia: How do ideas feel? - Danko Nikoli_
The traditional model of our mental function is that first our senses provide data to our brain, which then translates those senses into the appropriate mental phenomena: light into visual images, air vibrations into auditory...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The most colorful gemstones on Earth | Jeff Dekofsky
In November 1986, Australian miners climbed Lunatic Hill and bored 20 meters into the Earth. They were rewarded with a fist-sized, record breaking gemstone, which they named the Hailey's Comet opal. Thanks to a characteristic called...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The Egyptian myth of the death of Osiris | Alex Gendler
Long jealous of his older brother Osiris, the god who ruled all of Egypt, the warrior god Set plotted to overthrow him. Hosting an extravagant party as a ruse, Set announced a game— whoever could fit perfectly in a wooden chest could...
TED-Ed
The world's largest organism | Alex Rosenthal
The largest animal in the world is the blue whale, which weighs a massive 150 metric tons. Even so, it's not remotely close to being the largest organism by weight. That title goes to an organism so huge that it's estimated to weigh the...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Why should you read Sylvia Plath? - Iseult Gillespie
Explore the haunting and intimate works of poet Sylvia Plath, who digs into issues of mental health, trauma and sexuality in works like “The Bell Jar.” -- Under her shrewd eye and pen, Sylvia Plath turned everyday objects into haunting...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How big is the ocean? - Scott Gass
While the Earth's oceans are known as five separate entities, there is really only one ocean. So, how big is it? As of 2013, it takes up 71% of the Earth, houses 99% of the biosphere, and contains some of Earth's grandest geological...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How does an atom-smashing particle accelerator work? - Don Lincoln
An atom smasher, or particle accelerator, collides atomic nuclei together at extremely high energies, using engineering that exploits incredibly cold temperatures, very low air pressure, and hyperbolically fast speeds. Don Lincoln...
TED-Ed
How much electricity does it take to power the world? | TED-Ed
All around the world, millions of people are flipping a switch, plugging in, and pressing an 'on' button every second. So how much electricity does humanity use? And how much will we need in the future? Discover how much energy it takes...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How turtle shells evolved... twice - Judy Cebra Thomas
Check out the fascinating science behind the evolution of the turtle shell, over 260 million years in the making. -- Modern turtle shells are almost as diverse as the turtles themselves. Sea turtles have flatter, lighter shells for...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Poison vs. venom: What's the difference? - Rose Eveleth
Would you rather be bitten by a venomous rattlesnake or touch a poisonous dart frog? While both of these animals are capable of doing some serious damage to the human body, they deliver their dangerous toxins in different ways. Rose...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: What in the world is topological quantum matter?
David Thouless, Duncan Haldane, and Michael Kosterlitz won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2016 for discovering that even microscopic matter at the smallest scale can exhibit macroscopic properties and phases that are topological. But -...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: The history of museums - J. V. Maranto
Museums have been a part of human history for over 2,000 years -- but they weren't always like the ones we visit today. J.V. Maranto uncovers the evolution of museums, from the first museum in 530 BC (curated by a princess) to PT...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Is telekinesis real? - Emma Bryce
Telekinesis, the ability to manipulate matter with the mind alone, is a trait exhibited by some of the most iconic fictional characters, including Neo, Yoda, and, of course, Carrie. But is this mind control actually possible in real...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Could comets be the source of life on Earth? - Justin Dowd
While comets were historically thought to be ill omens of war and famine, recent science has revealed that these celestial wonders actually contain amino acids, the building blocks of life on Earth. Justin Dowd explores the implications...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The Boltzmann brain paradox | Fabio Pacucci
How do you know you're a person who has lived your life, rather than a just-formed brain full of artificial memories, momentarily hallucinating a reality that doesn't actually exist? That may sound absurd, but it's kept several...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The myth of the moon goddess | Cynthia Fay Davis
The sun god was in love with the moon goddess, Ix Chel. But the goddess' grandfather was very possessive, and would not let the sun god anywhere near his beloved granddaughter. Desperate to be together, they escaped and were ready to...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Yes, scientists are actually building an elevator to space | Fabio Pacucci
Sending rockets into space requires sacrificing expensive equipment, burning massive amounts of fuel, and risking potential catastrophe. So in the space race of the 21st century, some engineers are abandoning rockets for something more...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How do blood transfusions work? | Bill Schutt
In 1881, doctor William Halsted rushed to help his sister Minnie, who was hemorrhaging after childbirth. He quickly inserted a needle into his arm, withdrew his own blood, and transferred it to her. After a few uncertain minutes, she...
TED-Ed
How long should your naps be? | Sara C. Mednick
Your eyes get heavy and gradually close... But wait! It's only lunch time and you still have so much to do. Would taking a nap help? Or would it derail your day? Well, that depends on a few things— especially what stages of sleep the nap...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Mysteries of vernacular: Zero - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel
Though the first written number system can be dated back to 2500 years ago in Mesopotamia, a zero-like symbol did not appear until 7th century CE India. Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel track the evolution of zero from a dot to the symbol...