The epidemics that almost happened – George Zaidan

From TED Ed. What makes for an effective outbreak response? Explore successful systems from around the world that prevented epidemics. — In 2013, an Ebola outbreak began in Guinea. The country had no formal response system and the outbreak became the largest Ebola epidemic in recorded history. Guinea then completely overhauled their response system, and…

Is it normal to talk to yourself?

From TED Ed. Dig into the psychological benefits of positive self-talk, and find out when it can become problematic. — Being caught talking to yourself can feel embarrassing, and some people even stigmatize this behavior as a sign of mental instability. But decades of research show that talking to yourself is completely normal; most if…

The year without summer – David Biello

From TED Ed. Dig into geoengineering, which uses technology to manipulate Earth’s environments to counteract climate change. — In 1815, Mount Tambora erupted and its emissions spread across the globe, blotting out the sun for almost an entire year. This wreaked havoc on agriculture, leading to famines all across the Northern hemisphere. It was the…

What’s missing in medical research? – Greg Foot

From TED Ed. Dig into why ethnic diversity is so important to medical research when creating new treatments and medicines for diseases. — While all humans share 99.9% of our DNA, differences in the remaining 0.1% hold important clues about the causes of diseases—and their potential treatments. The problem is, the genetics that researchers are…

Trust the process #shorts

From TED Ed. Take a look behind the scenes of our video, “The Opposites Game”, animated by Anna Samo and Lisa LaBracio! Here’s the creative process behind the final animation’s scenes. #shorts #animation #behindthescenes

Can zoos actually save species from extinction? – Nigel Rothfels

From TED Ed. Dig into the breeding program that saved Takhi horses from extinction, and explore the role of zoos in animal conservation. — For thousands of years, native Takhi horses roamed the steppes of Central Asia. But by the late 1960s, their extinction seemed inevitable. To prevent this, scientists and zoos started a breeding…

Can zoos save species from extinction? – Nigel Rothfels

From TED Ed. Dig into the breeding program that saved Takhi horses from extinction, and explore the role of zoos in animal conservation. — For thousands of years, native Takhi horses roamed the steppes of Central Asia. But by the late 1960s, their extinction seemed inevitable. To prevent this, scientists and zoos started a breeding…

Why do we eat popcorn at the movies? – Andrew Smith

From TED Ed. Trace the history of popcorn, from its origins in the Americas to its explosion of popularity in the 20th century. — Soft percussion and a toasty scent mark the violent transformation of tough seeds into cloud-like puffs. This is the almost magical process of popcorn-making. Dozens of kinds of popcorn are now…

Are we all just players in the game of life? #shorts

From TED Ed. An excerpt of our animated interpretation of William Shakespeare’s poem “All the World’s a Stage” directed by Jérémie Balais and Jeff Le Bars. This animation is part of our series, "There’s a Poem for That," which features animated interpretations of poems both old and new that give language to some of life’s…

The most important century in human history

From TED Ed. Is the 21st century the most pivotal time in human history? Explore how the decisions we make now may impact humanity’s future. — Is it possible that this century is the most important one in human history? The 21st century has already proven to be a period of rapid growth. We’re on…

The man who lost his sense of touch – Antonio Cataldo

From TED Ed. Explore the science behind how your body and brain process different sensations like touch, pain, temperature, and spatial awareness. — We don’t often think of touch as being a vital part of movement, but touch is one part of a network that oversees all the sensations arising from the surface and interior…