From TED Ed. Learn more at https://brilliant.org/TedEd — A fleet of rebel spaceships is greeted by a frenzy of laser blasts – illuminating the sector with brilliant bursts of light. Science fiction has shown us scenes like this for decades, but the lasers in our daily lives seem far less dazzling and destructive. So, could…

From TED Ed. Follow Alice Sutton, a servant in Edwardian England, as she prepares the estate for a visitor and fights for women’s suffrage. — It’s just before dawn in 1906 at Wroxton Abbey, and 16-year-old Alice Sutton’s mind is already spinning. The underhousemaid has a full day ahead of her as the estate prepares…

From TED Ed. Dig into Edo, Japan’s circular economy, and how it helped transform the city into a thriving ecological and cultural center. — 400 years ago, Edo was on the verge of ecological collapse. Years of intense logging had led to massive deforestation and the city faced timber shortages, severe erosion, and frequent flooding.…

From TED Ed. Professional musicians share how they chose their instruments, and what you should consider when choosing what to play. — "Think Like A Musician" connects you with working musicians who want to help the music-curious and music-passionate hone and share the gift of music with the world. Part interview, part animated course, our…

From TED Ed. Alexander the Great transformed the world during his reign — but was he an embattled leader, or a ruthless conqueror? — Alexander the Great fundamentally transformed the world during his 13-year reign. He conquered Persia when it was one of the world’s largest empires, and he was considered a living demi-god by…

From TED Ed. Explore what we know about seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and find out the best way to treat these behavioral changes. — As winter approaches, shorter days spark a cascade of changes within the brains of animals. As a result, groundhogs retreat to their burrows for hibernation, weasels’ coats turn from brown to…

From TED Ed. Is there a best sleep position? Dig into how sleeping on your side, back, or stomach can impact your body and health. — Sleep positions go by countless creative names— the zombie, mountain climber, free faller, soldier, and more. Yet sleep experts typically simplify them into the basic types: side, stomach, or…

From TED Ed. Learn more at https://brilliant.org/TedEd — In 1980, philosopher John Searle developed a thought experiment in response to AI advancement at the time. His aim was to interrogate whether a programmed computer has cognitive states, and asked: if a computer looks like it understands something, does that mean it actually understands the way…

From TED Ed. Professional musicians share the key components of being a great performer and what it means to have stage presence. — "Think Like A Musician" connects you with working musicians who want to help the music-curious and music-passionate hone and share the gift of music with the world. Part interview, part animated course,…

From TED Ed. Dig into the history of comic books and graphic novels in education, and explore their potential for helping kids learn. — In the 1940s, comic books became a mass medium, with millions of copies selling every month. Teachers even began experimenting by bringing comics into their classrooms. So, can comic books and…

From TED Ed. Dig into the bitter history of kola nuts, a sacred ingredient in West African culture and part of Coca-Cola’s original recipe. — The kola nut is the seed of the kola tree, a small evergreen native to the forests of West Africa, where it’s long been integral to the cultural fabric of…

From TED Ed. Dig into what causes the tip of the tongue phenomenon, where your brain struggles to recall a word or term from memory. — You’re sure you know your 3rd grade teacher’s name— it’s like you’re hovering over it in your mind, but it just won’t materialize. Researchers call this tantalizing torment a…

From TED Ed. Dig into how sleep deprivation affects the teenage body and brain, and what can be done to help adolescents get enough sleep. — Sleep deprivation among American teenagers is an epidemic. Only about 1 in 10 teens gets the 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night recommended by sleep scientists and…

From TED Ed. Explore the ways that lead exposure can harm the human body, and why this toxic element can be found in so many products. — Lead is a metallic element that’s distributed across Earth’s crust. When it enters the human body, it can disrupt many critical processes that span various systems, producing a…

From TED Ed. Explore how our bodies change and age over time, and the three common markers scientists use to measure aging. — If you want to learn a tree’s age, you can count their rings. When it comes to humans, scientists have yet to find any visible traits that mark our age with the…