TED-Ed

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...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/animation-basics-the-art-of-timing-and-spacing-ted-edExpert timing and spacing is what separates a slide show from a truly amazing animation. TED-Ed demonstrates, by manipulating various bouncing balls, how the smallest adjustments from frame to frame can make all the difference. Lesson and animation by TED-Ed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg...

Follow the entwined destinies of Kafka and Nakata in Haruki Murakami’s mind-bending novel “Kafka on the Shore.”--Desperate to escape his tyrannical father and the family curse he feels doomed to repeat, Haruki Murakami’s teenage protagonist renames himself “Kafka” after his favorite author and runs away from home. So begins “Kafka on the Shore”— an epic literary puzzle filled with time travel, hid...

Prompted by the Encyclopaedia Britannica ending its print publication, performance poet Rives resurrects a game from his childhood. Speaking at the TEDxSummit in Doha, Rives takes us on a charming tour through random (and less random) bits of human knowledge: from Chimborazo, the farthest point from the center of the Earth, to Ham the Astrochimp, the first chimpanzee in outer space. Talk by Rives....

What causes the sensation of déjà vu? Dive into the theories and psychology that could explain why you’re having that feeling… again. --You might have felt it -- the feeling that you've experienced something before, but, in reality, the experience is brand new. There are over 40 theories that attempt to explain the phenomenon of déjà vu. Michael Molina explains how neuroimaging and cognitive psych...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-fast-are-you-moving-right-now-tucker-hiatt"How fast are you moving?" seems like an easy question, but it's actually quite complicated -- and perhaps best answered by another question: "Relative to what?" Even when you think you're standing still, the Earth is moving relative to the Sun, which is moving relative to the Milky Way, which is...you get th...

Join the Cossack soldier Stepan as he tries to keep order in the battalion and help his people regain their independence. --The year is 1676, and a treaty has officially ended hostilities between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire. Despite a serene sunset on the Dnipro river, the mood is tense for the Zaporozhian Cossacks. Renowned as one of Europe’s most formidable military...

Follow alcohol on its journey through the body to find out how it causes drunkenness and why it affects people differently. -- Ethanol: this molecule, made of little more than a few carbon atoms, is responsible for drunkenness. Often simply referred to as alcohol, ethanol is the active ingredient in alcoholic beverages. So how exactly does it cause drunkenness, and why does it have dramatically di...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/biodiesel-the-afterlife-of-oil-natascia-radiceHow could you dispose of your cooking oil when you're done cooking? The easiest thing to do might be to pour it down your drain -- but if you save it up and send it to a processing plant, it can gain useful new life as biodiesel, a biodegradable energy source which can run in diesel engines instead of refined...

Meet Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, and follow his journey to the Realm of the Dead and his fierce battle to escape the underworld.--The Monkey King, a legendary troublemaker hatched from stone and schooled in divine magic, had stolen the Dragon Lord’s most treasured weapon: a magical staff. Returning to his kingdom to show off his treasure to his tribe of warrior monkeys, he finds himself caught in...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-higgs-field-explained-don-lincolnOne of the most significant scientific discoveries of the early 21st century is surely the Higgs boson, but the boson and the Higgs Field that allows for that magic particle are extremely difficult to grasp. Don Lincoln outlines an analogy that all of us can appreciate, starring a large dinner party, a raucous group o...

Where on Earth did life begin? Explore the hydrothermal vents in Earth’s crust as simple compounds gave way to complex life. --Billions of years ago, simple organic compounds assembled into more complex coalitions that could grow and reproduce. At the time, Earth had widespread volcanic activity and a hostile atmosphere that made it almost devoid of a suitable environment for living things. So whe...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/gravity-and-the-human-body-jay-buckeyOur bodies function necessarily under the presence of gravity; how blood pumps, a sense of balance and bone growth are all due to life in a world where gravity is an inescapable reality. Armed with experiments from neuroscientists David Hubel and Torsten Wiesel, astronaut Jay Buckey presents a thought experiment: how...

Learn about the life of civil rights activist Rosa Parks— her work with the NAACP, bus boycotts, and her lifelong fight against racial inequality.--Throughout her life, Rosa Parks repeatedly challenged racial violence and the prejudiced systems protecting its perpetrators. Her refusal to move to the back of a segregated bus ignited a boycott that lasted 381 days and helped transform civil rights a...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/history-vs-andrew-jackson-james-festerAndrew Jackson was both beloved and loathed during his presidency. In this imaginary courtroom, you get to be the jury, considering and weighing Jackson's part in the spoils system, economic depression, and the Indian Removal Act, as well as his patriotism and the pressures of the presidency. James Fester explores ho...

Download a free audiobook version of "Ingredients" and support TED-Ed's nonprofit mission: https://www.audible.com/ted-ed--Aphids can reproduce incredibly fast: they can make 20 new generations within a single season. And that means lots of poop. Some aphid populations can produce hundreds of kilograms of poop per acre— making them some of the most prolific poopers on the planet. We know this poop...

Download a free audiobook version of "Circe" and support TED-Ed's nonprofit mission: https://www.audible.com/ted-edCheck out our full book recommendation: https://shop.ed.ted.com/collections/ted-ed-book-recommendations/products/circe--Hercules, the strongest man alive with a mighty heart to match. Orpheus, charmer of nature and master of music. Castor and Pollux, the twin tricksters. The Boreads,...

How does ballet convey narrative, emotion, and character? Dive into “The Sleeping Beauty” to see how a ballet creates its essential elements. --A baby cursed at birth. A fierce battle of good and evil. A true love awoken with a kiss. Since premiering in 1890, “The Sleeping Beauty” has become one of the most frequently staged ballets in history. So what makes this piece so beloved? And what exactly...

Sign up for our newsletter and never miss an animation: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterView full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-infinite-hotel-paradox-jeff-dekofskyWant more? Try to solve the buried treasure riddle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCeklW2e6_EThe Infinite Hotel, a thought experiment created by German mathematician David Hilbert, is a hotel with an infinite number of rooms. Eas...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-3-a-s-of-awesome-neil-pasrichaNeil Pasricha's blog 1000 Awesome Things savors life's simple pleasures, from free refills to clean sheets. In this heartfelt talk, he reveals the 3 secrets (all starting with A) to leading a life that's truly awesome. (Filmed at TEDxToronto.) Talk by Neil Pasricha. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/ad...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/john-wooden-on-true-successWith profound simplicity, Coach John Wooden redefines success and urges us all to pursue the best in ourselves. In this inspiring talk he shares the advice he gave his players at UCLA, quotes poetry and remembers his father's wisdom. Talk by John Wooden. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trace the rise and fall of the Mongol Empire which, under the leadership of Genghis Khan, became the largest contiguous land empire in history.--It was the largest contiguous land empire in history— stretching from Korea to Ukraine, and from Siberia to southern China. And was forged on the open plains. In the 12th century, the East Asian steppe was home to scattered groups of nomads who, by 1206,...

The adventure continues! Episode 8: Ethic and Hedge find themselves at a gauntlet of forking paths. Can they find the right one before they’re captured? --This is episode 8 of our animated series “Think Like A Coder.” This 10-episode narrative follows a girl, Ethic, and her robot companion, Hedge, as they attempt to save the world. The two embark on a quest to collect three artifacts and must solv...

Dive into the anatomy of a sneaker to better understand your clothing’s carbon footprint, and how to be a more responsible consumer. --Australians call them “runners." The British know them as “trainers.” Americans refer to them as “sneakers.” Whatever you call them, these casual shoes are worn by billions of people around the world. Today, roughly 23 billion shoes are produced each year. So, how...