TED-Ed
TED-Ed: What makes TB the world's most infectious killer? - Melvin Sanicas
Learn why tuberculosis, TB, is the world’s most infectious disease and how medical advancements are improving treatment. -- In 2008, two 9,000-year old skeletons were found with their bones infected by an all too familiar bacterium. The...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Cell vs. virus: A battle for health - Shannon Stiles
All living things are made of cells. In the human body, these highly efficient units are protected by layer upon layer of defense against icky invaders like the cold virus. Shannon Stiles takes a journey into the cell, introducing the...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How do governments create money out of thin air? | Jonathan Smith
In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic rocked economies worldwide. Millions of people lost their jobs, and many businesses struggled to survive or shut down. Governments responded with some of the largest economic relief packages in...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: What if there were 1 trillion more trees? | Jean-François Bastin
Today humanity produces more than 1,400 tons of carbon every minute. To combat climate change, we need to reduce fossil fuel emissions, and draw down excess CO2 to restore the balance of greenhouse gases. Like all plants, trees consume...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How do jetpacks work? And why don't we all have them? | Richard Browning
In 1961, Yuri Gagarin piloted a spacecraft in humanity's first manned space flight. A week later, Bell Aerosystems debuted a gas-powered rocket pack that could fly 35 meters in 13 seconds. Unfortunately, engineers knew this short flight...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Can you solve the wizard standoff riddle? - Daniel Finkel
You've been chosen as a champion to represent your wizarding house in a deadly duel against two rival magic schools. Your opponents are a powerful sorcerer who wields a wand that can turn people into fish, and a powerful enchantress who...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: The case of the vanishing honeybees - Emma Bryce
In the past decade, the US honeybee population has been decreasing at an alarming and unprecedented rate. While this is obviously bad news for honeypots everywhere, bees also help feed us in a bigger way -- by pollinating our nation's...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Eli the eel: A mysterious migration - James Prosek
They're slippery. They're slithery. And while they totally look like underwater snakes, eels are, in fact, unique fish that can breathe through their skin and even survive out of water. James Prosek tracks the life journey of Eli the...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: If you're scared of snakes, watch this | Andrew Whitworth
As of 2021, there are 368 species of viper worldwide. The name comes from the term viviparity, which means giving birth to live young. Vipers are often highly venomous, with two hollow, extra long fangs that unfold into imposing weapons...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: What does the world's largest machine do? | Henry Richardson
In 1967, Homer Loutzenheuser flipped a switch and connected the power grids of the United States, forming one interconnected machine. Today, the US power grid is the world's largest machine, containing more than 7,300...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Do you have what it takes to freelance? | TED-Ed
A 2016 survey of freelancers in six countries found that those who freelance by choice– 70% of respondents– were happier than people in traditional jobs, specifically when it came to things like independence and flexibility in terms of...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: The case of the missing fractals - Alex Rosenthal and George Zaidan
A bump on the head, a mysterious femme fatale and a strange encounter on a windswept peak all add up to a heck of a night for Manny Brot, Private Eye. Watch as he tries his hand at saving the dame and getting the cash! Shudder at the...
TED-Ed
Can you solve the fantasy election riddle? | Dennis E. Shasha
After much debate, the realm has decided dragon jousting may not be the best way to choose its leaders, and has begun transitioning to democracy. Your company was hired to survey the citizens of the land and predict which candidate will...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: What causes opioid addiction, and why is it so tough to combat?
In the 1980s and 90s, pharmaceutical companies began to market opioid painkillers aggressively, while actively downplaying their addictive potential. The number of prescriptions skyrocketed, and so did cases of addiction, beginning a...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How do cigarettes affect the body? - Krishna Sudhir
Cigarettes aren't good for us. That's hardly news -- we've known about the dangers of smoking for decades. But how exactly do cigarettes harm us, and can our bodies recover if we stop? Krishna Sudhir details what happens when we smoke --...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Jellyfish predate dinosaurs. How have they survived so long? - David Gruber
Some are longer than a blue whale. Others are barely larger than a grain of sand. One species unleashes one of the most deadly venoms on earth; another holds a secret that's behind some of the greatest breakthroughs in biology. They've...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Penguins: Popularity, peril and poop - Dyan deNapoli
Penguins are odd birds. For one, they cannot fly (but they are amazing swimmers), and, contrary to popular belief, the majority of penguin populations live in warmer regions. But these beloved birds are in danger, with populations...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Why should you read “Kafka on the Shore”? - Iseult Gillespie
Follow the entwined destinies of Kafka and Nakata in Haruki Murakami’s mind-bending novel “Kafka on the Shore.” -- Desperate to escape his tyrannical father and the family curse he feels doomed to repeat, Haruki Murakami’s teenage...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The best way to apologize (according to science) | TED-Ed
Over the years, people have come up with some truly awful apologies. From classic non-apologies, to evasive excuses, and flimsy corporate promises, it's all too easy to give a bad apology. Good apologies generally share certain elements,...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How do we determine the value of a life? | Rebecca L. Walker
To protect against a possible resurgence of smallpox, the US government is funding research to improve treatments and vaccines. And since it's unethical to expose people to a highly lethal virus, labs are using monkeys as research...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How do oysters make pearls? | Rob Ulrich
Despite their iridescent colors and smooth shapes, pearls are actually made of the exact same material as the craggy shell that surrounds them. Pearls, urchin spines, the shells of mussels, snails and clams, even coral— all these...
TED-Ed
How much land does it take to power the world? | TED-Ed
No matter how we make electricity, it takes up space. Coal requires mines, and plants to convert it into electricity. Nuclear power takes uranium mines, facilities to refine it, a reactor, and a place to store the spent fuel safely....
TED-Ed
TED-ED: How to turn protest into powerful change - Eric Liu
We live in an age of protest. On campuses, in public squares, on streets and social media, protestors around the world are challenging the status quo. But while protest is often necessary, is it sufficient? Eric Liu outlines three...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How we see color - Colm Kelleher
There are three types of color receptors in your eye: red, green and blue. But how do we see the amazing kaleidoscope of other colors that make up our world? Colm Kelleher explains how humans can see everything from auburn to aquamarine.