TED-Ed

Imagine you're a shipwrecked sailor adrift in the enormous Pacific. You can choose one of three directions and save yourself and your shipmates -- but each choice comes with a fearful consequence too. How do you choose? In telling the story of the whaleship Essex, novelist Karen Thompson Walker shows how fear propels imagination, as it forces us to imagine the possible futures and how to cope with...

Explore the different types of capitalism, how they operate, and how they impact issues like climate change and rising inequality.--People have become increasingly worried that the threats we face today, like climate change and rising inequality, can’t be solved by a capitalist economic system. So, is that true? And if it is, can we fix capitalism or do we need to tear the system down and build a...

Explore the history of the European plague doctor, and find out where their iconic outfit of a beaked mask and robe came from.--The year is 1656. Your body is wracked by violent chills. Your head pounds and you're too weak to sit up. In your feverish state, you see a strange-looking man wearing a beak-like mask, his body covered from head to toe. Without seeing his face, you know: you have the pla...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/your-brain-can-solve-algorithms-david-j-malanAn algorithm is a mathematical method of solving problems both big and small. Though computers run algorithms constantly, humans can also solve problems with algorithms. David J. Malan explains how algorithms can be used in seemingly simple situations and also complex ones. Lesson by David J. Malan, animation...

Find out what’s happening in the brain when you have a migraine and what we still don’t know about this complex disorder.--A throbbing, pounding headache. Bright zigzagging lines across your field of vision. Sensitivity to light, lingering fatigue, disrupted sleep. While an incapacitating headache is one of the most common symptoms, a migraine can include any of these experiences. So what exactly...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/pros-and-cons-of-public-opinion-polls-jason-robert-jaffeHow do public opinion polls work? And, more importantly, are they accurate? Jason Robert Jaffe reveals the complexities and biases of polls and provides tips on how to think about polls as we make everyday decisions. Lesson by Jason Robert Jaffe, animation by Flaming Medusa Studios. Learn more about...

Explore how scientists are developing a flu vaccine that would protect you against every strain— even ones that don’t exist yet.--There’s a vaccine being developed now that would protect you against every strain of the flu— even ones that don’t exist yet. But influenza is constantly mutating, so is a universal vaccine even possible? And how do you design a vaccine that will be effective against fu...

James Glattfelder studies complexity: how an interconnected system -- say, a swarm of birds -- is more than the sum of its parts. And complexity theory, it turns out, can reveal a lot about how the economy works. Glattfelder shares a groundbreaking study of how control flows through the global economy, and how concentration of power in the hands of a shockingly small number leaves us all vulnerabl...

Explore the model known as doughnut economics, which aims to meet the needs of people without overshooting Earth's ecological limits.--Can we call any economy “healthy” in the face of dwindling resources and growing inequality? What if we cut off our addiction to endless growth, and used a new compass for modern prosperity? One such compass is known as “doughnut economics,” which aims to meet the...

Travel into the brain to see what happens when you fall in love and explore how the brain responds to heartbreak.--Love is often described as heartwarming, heart-wrenching, or even heartbreaking— and your brain is responsible for all these feelings. The journey from first spark to the last tear is guided by a symphony of neurochemicals and brain systems. Shannon Odell explores what happens in your...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/a-universal-translator-for-surgeons-steven-schwaitzbergLaparoscopic surgery uses minimally invasive incisions -- which means less pain and shorter recovery times for patients. But Steven Schwaitzberg has run into two problems teaching these techniques to surgeons around the world -- language and distance. He shares how a new technology, which combines vi...

Puzzle through a classic ethical dilemma and decide: how do we determine the value of a life, whether human or non-human?--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 subjects. But is it right to harm these animal...

Filmed at TED 2012.View on TED-Ed blog: http://blog.ed.ted.com/2013/05/16/ladies-and-gentlemen-the-hobart-shakespereans/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-brilliance-of-bioluminescence-leslie-kennaSome lucky animals are naturally endowed with bioluminescence, or the ability to create light. The firefly, the anglerfish, and a few more surprising creatures use this ability in many ways, including survival, hunting, and mating. Leslie Kenna investigates this magical glow - and our quest to replicate it. L...

Dig into the construction of the Taj Mahal, a mausoleum that Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan had built for his wife Mumtaz Mahal.--It’s 1631. Mumtaz Mahal, beloved wife of Emperor Shah Jahan, is giving birth to their 14th child. A healthy girl is born, but Mumtaz dies soon after. Sobbing uncontrollably, the emperor decides to build a tomb worthy of his queen: a replica of paradise to embody their love a...

Get to know the story of Palmares, an autonomous settlement founded by people escaping slavery in Brazil in the 1600s.--In the 1600s, an expansive autonomous settlement called Palmares reached its height in Brazil. It was founded and led by people escaping from slavery, also called maroons. It was one of the world’s largest maroon communities, its population reaching beyond 10,000— and its citizen...

David Logan talks about the five kinds of tribes that humans naturally form -- in schools, workplaces, even the driver's license bureau. By understanding our shared tribal tendencies, we can help lead each other to become better individuals. (Filmed at TEDxUSC.)Talk by David Logan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/animation-basics-homemade-special-effects-ted-edAnimation is used everywhere to communicate big ideas--in movies, television, and media. Do you ever stop and wonder about the magic of it all? And have you ever wanted to create your own special effects? TED-Ed animators show just how easy (and fun) homemade special effects can be. Lesson and animation by...

Sign up for our newsletter and never miss an animation: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterHow did the young, wealthy women of Ancient Rome spend their days? Meet Domitia and her sister Domitia and her sister Domitia and her sister Domitia. Ray Laurence sketches the domestic life of leisure that these young girls lived, despite little recorded information on women from this otherwise well-documented era...

Explore what to do— and not to do— in order to deliver an authentic apology and make amends in a variety of situations.--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, and considering these factors can help yo...

Explore the current limitations of artificial intelligence and the possibility of creating human-compatible technology.--In the coming years, artificial intelligence is probably going to change your life— and likely the entire world. But people have a hard time agreeing on exactly how AI will affect our society. Can we build AI systems that help us fix the world? Or are we doomed to a robotic take...

Kakenya Ntaiya made a deal with her father: She would undergo the traditional Maasai rite of passage of female circumcision if he would let her go to high school. Ntaiya tells the fearless story of continuing on to college and of working with her village elders to build a school for girls in her community. It's the educational journey of one that altered the destiny of 125 young women. (Filmed at...

Explore what we know— and still don’t know— about puberty and its effects on the body and brain.--While we often talk about puberty’s effect on the body, what gets overlooked are the fascinating changes that happen in the brain. Puberty, in fact, begins in the brain, and lasts as long as five years. And during this extended process, the brain undergoes its own transformation, thanks to estrogen an...

Discover the phenomenon known as asymmetrical sleep, where parts of an animal's brain are asleep while other areas remain active.--Many animals need sleep. But all of the threats and demands animals face don’t just go away when it’s time to doze. That’s why a range of birds, mammals, and even humans experience some degree of asymmetrical sleep, where parts of the brain are asleep and other areas a...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/biofuels-and-bioprospecting-for-beginners-craig-a-kohnBiofuels can provide energy without the reliance on environmentally harmful fossils fuels -- but scientists are still searching for a plentiful source. Craig A. Kohn demonstrates how cellulose, the naturally abundant tough walls of plant cells, might be the solution. Lesson by Craig A. Kohn, animation...