You’ll feel smarter just thinking about watching these!
From TED Ed. Uncover the oil industry’s decades-long campaign to discredit climate change science regarding the danger of fossil fuels. — Throughout the 1980s, oil industry reps discussed the dangers of burning fossil fuels, acknowledging the risk their product posed to the future of humanity. However, instead of warning the public or pivoting towards renewable…
From TED Ed. Explore the complex anatomy of the elbow, and find out why hitting your funny bone causes such an odd and painful sensation. — It’s something we’ve all experienced: the back of your elbow smacks against a hard surface and the impact sends a sensation so distinctly disquieting shooting down your arm that…
From TED Ed. Explore the unique characteristics that make fungi so resilient, and find out why they may be the key to future space travel. — Astronauts aboard the space station Mir made a frightening discovery: several species of Earth-derived fungi were found growing throughout the shuttle, blanketing air conditioners and corroding control panels, putting…
From TED Ed. Explore the incredible variety of tongues in the animal kingdom, and find out how different species utilize the appendage to survive. — An alligator snapping turtle lures its prey using a blood-engorged tongue that resembles a wriggling worm. And it’s far from the only animal doing tongue trickery. Tongues in the animal…
From TED Ed. Get to know the Greek myth of Cadmus, who unknowingly killed Ares’ serpent and faced the wrath and retribution of the gods. — When Cadmus walked the Earth, just a few generations separated him from his divine ancestors. From atop Mount Olympus, they scrutinized and meddled with mortals like himself. Cadmus was…
From TED Ed. Explore how fish use their gills to breathe, and how these processes make them some of the most efficient breathers on Earth. — Recent studies found that elite runners can take in twice as much oxygen as non-runners. And it’s likely that this superhuman ability played a role in breaking the two-hour…
From TED Ed. Explore what happens in the body during miscarriage, and learn about three common treatment options for pregnancy loss. — Globally, around 23 million pregnancies end in miscarriage each year. Despite how common it is, miscarriage can still feel isolating, and for some, emotionally traumatizing. And myths about miscarriage add to the stigma,…
From TED Ed. Explore the possibility of nuclear fusion technology to create limitless, on-demand energy with almost no emissions. — Stars have cores hot and dense enough to force atomic nuclei together, forming larger, heavier nuclei in a process known as fusion. In this process, the mass of the end products is slightly less than…
From TED Ed. Explore the three variables that inform a cancer’s stage number, and how different types of cancer can impact the staging. — Each year, approximately 20 million people receive a cancer diagnosis. At that time, a patient usually learns their cancer’s stage, which is typically a number ranging from one to four. While…
From TED Ed. Trace the history of Chinese characters, and find out how this writing system has changed and evolved over thousands of years. — According to legend, in the 27th century BCE, the Yellow Emperor of China charged his historian, Cangjie, to develop a system of writing. Sitting alongside a riverbank, Cangjie noted the…
From TED Ed. Dig into the tragic tale of Oedipus, who unknowingly fulfills a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. — When Queen Jocasta of Thebes gave birth to Oedipus, a grim air seized the occasion. Her husband, King Laius, had received a prophecy from Apollo’s oracle foretelling that he…
From TED Ed. Practice more problem-solving at https://brilliant.org/TedEd — You’ve spent months creating a basketball-playing robot, the Dunk-O-Matic, and you’re excited to demonstrate its capabilities. Until you read an advertisement: “See the Dunk-O-Matic face human players and automatically adjust its skill to create a fair game for every opponent!” That’s not what you were told…
From TED Ed. Explore the extraordinary auditory adaptations in the animal kingdom, and find out which creature has the best hearing. — The world is always abuzz with sounds, many of which human ears simply can’t hear. However, other species have extraordinary adaptations that grant them access to realms of sonic extremes. And some of…
From TED Ed. Explore the life and works of Rumi, who became one of the world’s most celebrated poets and mystical philosophers. — According to legend, the renowned scholar Jalaluddin Muhammad Rumi was giving a lecture when a disheveled man approached and asked him the meaning of his academic books. Rumi didn’t know it yet,…
From TED Ed. Explore the life and works of Rumi, who became one of the world’s most celebrated poets and mystical philosophers. — According to legend, the renowned scholar Jalaluddin Muhammad Rumi was giving a lecture when a disheveled man approached and asked him the meaning of his academic books. Rumi didn’t know it yet,…
From TED Ed. Follow a neurosurgeon’s attempts to perform a head transplant, and dig into the ethical and biological questions the procedure raises. — In 1970, neurosurgeon Robert White and his team carted two monkeys into an operating room to conduct an ambitious experiment. The objective was to connect the head of Monkey A to…
From TED Ed. Trace the history of ice cream, from the first accounts of cold desserts in the 1st century to the cream-based treat we know today. — Ice cream has a unique role in our world’s history, culture, and cravings. The first accounts of cold desserts date back to the first century, in civilizations…
From TED Ed. Dig into the science of how heat pumps both heat and cool a home, and find out the benefits and drawbacks of this technology. — Typically, with any piece of technology, you pump one unit of energy in and you get about one out. That’s just the first law of thermodynamics: energy…
From TED Ed. Explore the evolution of English spelling conventions throughout history, and find out why it’s such an inconsistent language. — Spelling reformers have been advocating for changes to make English spelling more intuitive and less irregular. One example of its messiness: take the “g-h” sound from “enough,” the “o” sound from “women” and…
From TED Ed. Explore one of the main issues of AI-based predictive models and how it affects user decision-making and accountability. — A couple has been considering getting engaged, but they’re worried about divorce statistics. An AI-based model was just released that can predict your likelihood of divorce with 95% accuracy. The only catch is…
From TED Ed. Examine the myth of the benevolent dictator, which is a leader who holds absolute power yet only uses it for the common good. — Under certain conditions, the idea of a dictator can sound appealing, like when a democracy isn’t functioning as it should due to corruption or political polarization. People may…
From TED Ed. Explore the depths of Lake Cadagno, a meromictic lake that is considered a model for Earth before the Great Oxidation Event. — In the millions of years since oxygen began saturating Earth’s oceans and atmosphere, most organisms have evolved to rely on this gas. However, there are some places where oxygen-averse microorganisms…
From TED Ed. Explore the philosophy of Hannah Arendt, and get to know her strategies to combat the threat of totalitarianism and oppression. — Philosopher Hannah Arendt was a German Jew who dedicated herself to understanding how the Nazi regime came to power, and more specifically, how it inspired so many atrocities. She believed the…
From TED Ed. Trace the life cycle of mayflies, and explore why these swarming insects are a sign of healthy aquatic ecosystems. — For most of the world’s 4,000 mayfly species, adulthood lasts roughly one day. And for some species, it’s only a matter of minutes. This isn’t because they’re all eaten up by predators.…
From TED Ed. Dig into the benefits of practicing gratitude in your everyday life, and discover how being thankful can impact your happiness. — Many people would say the connection between happiness and gratefulness is very simple: when you are happy, you are grateful. But think again. Is it really the happy people that are…
From TED Ed. Explore the science behind how gas masks work, and how the technology protects us from airborne threats and pollutants. — You might think of gas masks as clunky military-looking devices. But in the near future, we may need to rely on these filters as part of our everyday lives. In addition to…
From TED Ed. Trace the rise and fall of the Maya city Chichen Itza, and how Yucatán’s unpredictable environment contributed to its demise. — During the 8th century CE, warfare and failing agriculture forced Maya people to move north, to hotter, drier Yucatán. Because of its freshwater access, Chichen Itza became the most powerful Maya…
From TED Ed. Practice more problem-solving at https://brilliant.org/teded — A mathematician with a knife and ball begins slicing and distributing the ball into an infinite number of boxes. She then recombines the parts into five precise sections. Moving and rotating these sections around, she recombines them to form two identical, flawless, and complete copies of…