TED-Ed

Human cannibalism is a lot more common than you might think. Dive into its complex history and see its uses in medicine, cultural rituals and in times of survival. --15th century Europeans believed they had hit upon a miracle cure: a remedy for epilepsy, hemorrhage, bruising, nausea and virtually any other medical ailment. It was a brown powder known as “mumia,” and was made by grinding up mummifi...

Timothy Prestero thought he'd designed the perfect incubator for newborns in the developing world -- but his team learned a hard lesson when it failed to go into production. A manifesto on the importance of designing for real-world use, rather than accolades. (Filmed at TEDxBoston.) Talk by Timothy Prestero. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/eli-the-eel-a-mysterious-migration-james-prosekThey'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 Anguilla eel as she (yes, she) travels her mysterious "backward" migration...

Discover what we know— and don’t know— about the symptoms, causes, and treatments of schizophrenia. --Schizophrenia was first identified more than a century ago, but we still don’t know its exact causes. It remains one of the most misunderstood and stigmatized illnesses today. So what do we actually know about its symptoms, causes, and treatments? Anees Bahji investigates. Lesson by Anees Bahji, d...

Dig into the incredible engineering of the Netherlands’ Delta Works— the most sophisticated flood prevention system in the world. --In January 1953, a tidal surge shook the North Sea. The titanic waves flooded the Dutch coastline, killing almost 2,000 people. 54 years later, a similar storm threatened the region. But this time, they were ready. This was thanks to a massive, interlocking system kno...

Check out the fascinating science behind the evolution of the turtle shell, over 260 million years in the making. --Modern turtle shells are almost as diverse as the turtles themselves. Sea turtles have flatter, lighter shells for gliding through the water. Land-dwelling tortoises have domed shells that can slip free of predators’ jaws. Leatherback turtles have shells without the ring of bone arou...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-one-teenager-unearthed-baseball-s-untold-history-cam-perronTeenager Cam Perron loved baseball, so he began writing letters to the veteran players on his baseball cards. He only wanted autographs, but eventually acquired something even richer: the often unsung history of the Negro leagues. After hearing the stories, Cam took it upon himself to help fo...

Dive into the life of one of Ancient Rome’s most powerful figures, Hypatia of Alexandria, a renowned scholar and political advisor to the city's leaders.--In the city of Alexandria in 415 CE, the bishop and the governor were in a fight. It started with a disagreement over the behavior of a militia of monks, and ended with an accusation of witchcraft leveled against one of the most powerful figures...

After a natural disaster strikes, there's only a tiny window of opportunity to rally effective recovery efforts before the world turns their attention elsewhere. Who should be in charge? When a freak tornado hit their hometown, sisters Caitria and Morgan O'Neill -- just 20 and 24 at the time -- took the reins and are now teaching others how to do the same. (Filmed at TEDxBoston.) Talk by Caitria a...

A whirlwind of energy and ideas, Stephen Ritz is a teacher in New York's tough South Bronx, where he and his kids grow lush gardens for food, greenery -- and jobs. Just try to keep up with this New York treasure as he spins through the many, many ways there are to grow hope in a neighborhood many have written off, or in your own. (Filmed at TEDxManhattan.)Talk by Stephen Ritz. Learn more about you...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-is-glass-transparent-mark-miodownikIf you look through your glasses, binoculars or a window, you see the world on the other side. How is it that something so solid can be so invisible? Mark Miodownik melts the scientific secret behind amorphous solids. Lesson by Mark Miodownik, animation by Provincia Studio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit me...

Learn about the life of World War II spy Noor Inayat Khan and how she worked with the French Resistance to build the network that defeated the Nazis.--In May 1940, with the German army ready to occupy Paris, Noor Inayat Khan was faced with a difficult choice: stand on the sidelines or join the Allied forces fighting the Nazis. After witnessing the devastation across Europe, she travelled to Englan...

Discover how the English Channel Tunnel was built and the engineering challenges of building a 200 kilometer long tunnel underwater.--Flanked by two powerful nations, the English Channel has long been one of the world’s most important maritime passages. Yet for most of its history, crossing was a dangerous prospect. Engineers proposed numerous plans for spanning the gap, including a design for an...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-pangaea-pop-up-michael-molina/The supercontinent Pangaea, with its connected South America and Africa, broke apart 200 million years ago. But the continents haven't stopped shifting -- the tectonic plates beneath our feet (in Earth's two top layers, the lithosphere and the asthenosphere) are still traveling at about the rate your fingernails grow. Mi...

Autonomous cars are coming -- and they're going to drive better than you. Chris Gerdes reveals how he and his team are developing robotic race cars that can drive at 150 mph while avoiding every possible accident. And yet, in studying the brainwaves of professional racing drivers, Gerdes says he has gained a new appreciation for the instincts of professional drivers. (Filmed at TEDxStanford.)Talk...

Discover the science of how viruses can jump from one species to another and the deadly epidemics that can result from these pathogens.--At a Maryland country fair in 2017, farmers reported feverish hogs with inflamed eyes and running snouts. While farmers worried about the pigs, the department of health was concerned about a group of sick fairgoers. Soon, 40 of these attendees would be diagnosed...

http://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-percentage-of-your-brain-do-you-use-richard-e-cytowicTwo thirds of the population believes a myth that has been propagated for over a century: that we use only 10% of our brains. Hardly! Our neuron-dense brains have evolved to use the least amount of energy while carrying the most information possible -- a feat that requires the entire brain. Richard E. Cytowic debun...

Download a free audiobook version of "Why We Sleep" and support TED-Ed's nonprofit mission: https://www.audible.com/ted-ed Check out our full book recommendation: https://shop.ed.ted.com/collections/ted-ed-book-recommendations/products/why-we-sleep--Working in Vienna at the turn of the 20th century, he began his career as a neurologist before pioneering the discipline of psychoanalysis, and his in...

Practice more problem-solving at https://brilliant.org/TedEd/ --According to legend, once every thousand years a host of sea monsters emerges from the depths to demand tribute from the floating city of Atlantartica. As the ruler of the city, you’d always dismissed the stories… until today, when they rose out of the roiling waters, surrounded your city and demanded a ransom of pearls. Can you figur...

Get to know the unique properties of quantum computers and the obstacles that have prevented this theoretical technology from becoming a reality. --Quantum computers could eventually outstrip the computational limits of classical computers. They rely on the behavior of atomic and subatomic particles, whose quantum states are incredibly fragile and easily destroyed— which is why this technology rem...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/want-to-be-an-activist-start-with-your-toys-mckenna-popeMcKenna Pope's younger brother loved to cook, but he worried about using an Easy-Bake Oven -- because it was a toy for girls. So at age 13, Pope started an online petition for the American toy company Hasbro to change the pink-and-purple color scheme on the classic toy and incorporate boys into its...

You might have a 5-year plan, but what about a 200-year plan? Artist Raghava KK has set his eyes on an ultra-long-term horizon; at TEDxSummit, he shows how it helps guide today's choices and tomorrow's goals -- and encourages you to make your own 200-year plan too. Talk by Raghava KK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-earth-s-age-in-measurements-you-can-understand-joshua-m-sneidemanThe Earth is 4.6 billion years old -- but how can humans relate to a number so colossal, and where do we fit on the geologic timeline? Comparing the Earth's lifetime to one calendar year, events like the extinction of dinosaurs and Columbus setting sail took place relatively recently. J...

A bug in the superconductor system has trapped your team in 11 separate dimensions. Can you get them back home safely? --It was a normal Tuesday at the superconductor, until a bug in the system caused your team to be trapped in 11 separate dimensions. Fortunately, there’s a half-finished experimental teleportation robot that may be able to get you all home... if you can figure out how to work it....

Discover how the notorious art forger Han van Meegeren tricked the world— and the Nazis— with his counterfeit Vermeer paintings.--It was one of the strangest trials in Dutch history. The defendant in a 1947 case was an art forger who had counterfeited millions of dollars worth of paintings. But he wasn’t arguing his innocence— in fact, his life depended on proving that he had committed fraud. Who...