TED-Ed

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...

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View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/on-reading-the-koran-lesley-hazletonLesley Hazleton sat down one day to read the Koran. And what she found -- as a non-Muslim, a self-identified "tourist" in the Islamic holy book -- wasn't what she expected. With serious scholarship and warm humor, Hazleton shares the grace, flexibility and mystery she found, in this myth-debunking talk. (Filmed atTEDxR...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/noreena-hertz-how-to-use-experts-and-when-not-toWe make important decisions every day -- and we often rely on experts to help us decide. But, says economist Noreena Hertz, relying too much on experts can be limiting and even dangerous. She calls for us to start democratizing expertise -- to listen not only to "surgeons and CEOs, but also to shop staff."T...

Learn the story of the WWII student resistance group, called the White Rose, fighting against Hitler in Nazi Germany. --In 1943, Allied aircraft rained tens of thousands of leaflets on Nazi Germany below. The leaflets urged readers to renounce Hitler, to fight furiously for the future— and to never give up hope. Their call to action rippled through homes and businesses— and their message even reac...

Explore what makes trees a vital part of cities, and how urban spaces throughout history have embraced the importance of trees.--By 2050, it’s estimated that over 65% of the world will be living in cities. We may think of nature as being unconnected to our urban spaces, but trees have always been an essential part of successful cities. Humanity has been uncovering these arboreal benefits since the...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-mystery-of-motion-sickness-rose-evelethAlthough one third of the population suffers from motion sickness, scientists aren't exactly sure what causes it. Like the common cold, it's a seemingly simple problem that's still without a cure. And if you think it's bad on a long family car ride, imagine being a motion sick astronaut! Rose Eveleth explains wh...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/sheena-iyengar-on-the-art-of-choosingSheena Iyengar studies how we make choices -- and how we feel about the choices we make. At TEDGlobal, she talks about both trivial choices (Coke v. Pepsi) and profound ones, and shares her groundbreaking research that has uncovered some surprising attitudes about our decisions. Sheena Iyengar studies how people choos...

Investigate the theories surrounding cosmic dust bunnies and discover how the tiny particles could hold the key to the formation of life on Earth. --Consider the spot where you’re sitting. Travel backwards in time and it might’ve been submerged at the bottom of a shallow sea, buried under miles of rock or floating through a molten landscape. But go back about 4.6 billion years, and you’d be in the...

When the son of the president of a desperately poor country starts buying mansions and sportscars on an official monthly salary of $7,000, Charmian Gooch suggests, corruption is probably somewhere in the picture. In a blistering, eye-opening talk (and through several specific examples), she details how global corruption trackers follow the money -- to some surprisingly familiar faces. Talk by Char...

Explore the history of IQ tests; how they measure a person’s intelligence and the ways they have been used to justify scientifically baseless ideologies. --In 1905, psychologists Alfred Binet and Théodore Simon designed a test for children who were struggling in school in France. Designed to determine which children required individualized attention, their method formed the basis of the modern IQ...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-build-a-fictional-world-kate-messnerWhy is J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy so compelling? How about The Matrix or Harry Potter? What makes these disparate worlds come alive are clear, consistent rules for how people, societies -- and even the laws of physics -- function in these fictional universes. Author Kate Messner offers a few tric...

Explore the wonderfully bizarre life of the sea cucumber, and discover the essential role they play in keeping ocean ecosystems healthy.--Is it a fuzzy sock? An overripe banana? A moldy tube of toothpaste? No! In fact, it’s a humble sea cucumber: a brainless, fleshy form surrounding a digestive tract, and bookended by a mouth and an anus. And while it might look odd, its daily toil paves the way f...

More and more people worldwide are living in countries not considered their own. Writer Pico Iyer -- who himself has three or four "origins" -- meditates on the meaning of home, the joy of traveling and the serenity of standing still. Talk by Pico Iyer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dive into Salman Rushdie’s masterpiece, “Midnight’s Children,” a work of magical realism that deals with India’s transition from British colonialism to independence.--It begins with a countdown. A woman goes into labor as the clock ticks towards midnight. Across India, people wait for the declaration of independence after nearly 200 years of British rule. At the stroke of midnight, an infant and t...

Check out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/tededView full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-sugar-affects-the-brain-nicole-avenaWhen you eat something loaded with sugar, your taste buds, your gut and your brain all take notice. This activation of your reward system is not unlike how bodies process addictive substances such as alcohol or nicotine -- an overload of sugar spikes dopamine...

Get to know the story of Sojourner Truth, a woman born into slavery who became known as a powerful orator and outspoken activist. --Isabella Baumfree was born into slavery in late 18th century New York. Fleeing bondage with her youngest daughter, she renamed herself Sojourner Truth and embarked on a legendary speaking tour. She became known as an electrifying orator and her speeches impacted thous...

Trace the storied history of the game of chess, from its origins in 7th century India to the computer software we use today. --The attacking infantry advances, their elephants already having broken the defensive line. The king tries to retreat, but the enemy flanks him from the rear. Escape is impossible. This isn’t a real war— nor is it just a game. Over the 1,500 years of its existence, chess ha...

There's no actual law against women driving in Saudi Arabia. But it's forbidden. Two years ago, Manal al-Sharif decided to encourage women to drive by doing so -- and filming herself for YouTube. Hear her story of what happened next. Talk by Manal al-Sharif. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-fossilize-yourself-phoebe-a-cohenYou can aspire to great things in life, but how about in death? Could you be one of the world's greatest fossils many years from now? To ensure being found by a future paleontologist, you'll need to die in a highly specific way (think within tree sap or on the bottom of the ocean floor), and nature takes care of th...

Dig into how the infamous Salem Witch Trials began and why they remain a cautionary tale of the dangers of groupthink and scapegoating.--You’ve been accused of a crime you did not commit. It’s impossible to prove your innocence. If you insist that you’re innocent anyway, you’ll likely be found guilty and executed. But if you confess, apologize, and implicate others, you’ll go free. This was the ch...

As a top spy trained in infiltration and safecracking, it’s up to you to steal the competition’s secret sauce recipe. Can you figure out where it's hidden? --One of the top chefs from Pasta Palace has been kidnapped by operatives from Burger Bazaar hoping to learn the location of their secret sauce recipe. Little do they know that a third party— Sausage Saloon— has sent you, their top spy, to take...

Dig into the science of how soap breaks down a coronavirus, and the effectiveness of hand sanitizer against a viral outbreak. --Your hands, up close, are anything but smooth. With peaks and valleys, folds and rifts, there are plenty of hiding places for a virus to stick. If you then touch your face, the virus can infect you. But there are two extraordinarily simple ways you can keep that from happ...