TED-Ed

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-wacky-history-of-cell-theoryScientific discovery isn't as simple as one good experiment. The weird and wonderful history of cell theory illuminates the twists and turns that came together to build the foundations of biology. Lesson by Lauren Royal-Woods, animation by Augenblick Studios. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore the 5 most common misconceptions about the Viking Age, and find out what living as a Viking was actually like.--The Viking Age. When medieval, horn-helmeted Scandinavian men ravaged Europe, scribbling mysterious runes and toasting their victories in goblets forged from enemy skulls before bidding farewell in fiery funerals. Except… that’s not quite how it went. So, what were the Vikings ac...

Travel through the history of mapmaking and discover what big mistakes cartographers made about the world’s geography.--For thousands of years, people made both functional maps and what are known as cosmographies, illustrating the earth and its position in the cosmos, often including constellations, gods, and mythic locations. These maps were meant to depict the world's geography, but weren't nece...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-key-to-media-s-hidden-codesColors, camera angles and logos in the media can all prompt immediate associations with emotions, activities and memories. Learn to decode the intricate system of symbols that are a part of everyday life -- from media messages to traffic signs. Lesson by Ben Beaton, animation by TED-Ed. Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...

Practice more problem-solving at https://brilliant.org/TedEd--After much debate, the realm has decided dragon jousting may not be the best way to choose its leaders, and has begun transitioning to democracy. Your company was hired to survey the citizens of the land and predict which candidate will win. There’s a lot riding on this: if you get it wrong, heads— well, your head— will quite literally...

Explore what causes vaginal discharge, what’s a healthy baseline, and how to identify when there are unhealthy changes in the fluids.--Our bodies are constantly producing, purging, and recycling secretions to fulfill all sorts of functions. Our reproductive organs are no exception. Vaginas are engaged in ongoing cycles of fluid discharge. But it can be hard to know what is "normal" when there’s a...

One bag of apples, one apple, one slice of apple -- which of these is one unit? Explore the basic unit of math (explained by a trip to the grocery store!) and discover the many meanings of one. Lesson by Christopher Danielson, animation by TED-Ed. View the full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/one-is-one-or-is-it Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more at https://brilliant.org/TedEd--In 1900, Greek divers stumbled upon a 2,000-year-old shipwreck whose contents would shake our understanding of the ancient world. Among the remains were fragments of mangled wood and corroded metal, which archaeologists soon realized were parts of the oldest geared device ever discovered — and humankind’s first computer. So, how did it work? Max G. Levy e...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/an-exercise-in-time-perception-matt-danzicoWhy is that some experiences feel like they last forever, while others fly by? We tend to miscalculate the time it takes to engage in novel activities due to the influence of memories. Matt Danzico explains why your childhood feels like it lasted forever and why that beach vacation seemed like two months rather...

For a full year, A.J. Jacobs followed every piece of health advice he could -- from applying sunscreen by the shot glass to wearing a bicycle helmet while shopping. Onstage at TEDMED, he shares the surprising things he learned. Talk by A. J. Jacobs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Where do squid, jellyfish and other sea creatures begin life? The story of a sea urchin reveals a stunningly beautiful saga of fertilization, development and growth in the ocean depths. Lesson by Tierney Thys, visualization by Christian Sardet (CNRS/Tara Oceans), Noé Sardet, and Sharif Mirshak (Plankton Chronicles Project, Parafilms).View the full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-life-begins-...

Dig into the science of what makes period cramps so painful, and find out what we still don’t know about this common experience.--Period pain affects hundreds of millions of people. Anywhere from 50 to 90% of people who menstruate deal with painful abdominal or pelvic cramps during their period. Individual experiences can vary, from mild discomfort, to throbbing aches, to contraction-like cramps t...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/five-fingers-of-evolutionHow can a "thumbs up" sign help us remember five processes that impact evolution? The story of the Five Fingers of Evolution gives us a clever way of understanding change in gene pools over time. Lesson by Paul Andersen, animation by Alan Foreman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dig into the surprisingly complex lives of Neanderthals, and explore theories on what happened to our evolutionary cousins.--In 1856, quarriers working in Germany’s Neander Valley discovered several mysterious fossils. The remains changed hands until being identified as the skullcap and femur bones of something ancient and human, but not quite us. It soon became clear they belonged to an extinct h...

Dig into the inaccuracies of flat maps and how different map designs can shift our point of view.--Fourteen Greenlands could fit in Africa— but you wouldn’t guess it from most maps of the world. The fact is, every world map humans have ever made is wrong. Actually, it’s impossible to make a flat map of the whole spherical world 100% right. So why do we bother with these inaccurate maps at all? Kay...

Dig into trickle-down economics, which claims that tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy stimulate the economy and improve people's lives.--In 1981, the US economy was struggling: unemployment rates were climbing and inflation had peaked at an all-time high. To combat these issues, President Reagan introduced a number of economic policies, including tax cuts for large corporations and high-inc...

"You're a fishmonger!" By taking a closer look at Shakespeare's words--specifically his insults--we see why he is known as a master playwright whose works transcend time and appeal to audiences all over the world. Lesson by April Gudenrath, narration by Juliet Blake, animation by TED-Ed. View the full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/insults-by-shakespeare Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Professional musicians share what makes for great, memorable lyrics, their writing process, and where they get inspiration from.--"Think Like A Musician" connects you with working musicians who want to help the music-curious and music-passionate hone and share the gift of music with the world. Part interview, part animated course, our second season "Think Like A Songwriter" features artists sharin...

At TEDMED, Sheila Nirenberg shows a bold way to create sight in people with certain kinds of blindness: by hooking into the optic nerve and sending signals from a camera direct to the brain. Talk by Sheila Nirenberg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Download a free audiobook version of "Devil in the White City" and support TED-Ed's nonprofit mission: https://www.audible.com/ted-ed--Satan, the beast crunching sinners’ bones. Lucifer, the fallen angel. Mephistopheles, the trickster striking deals. These three divergent devils are all based on Satan of the Old Testament. But unlike any of these literary devils, the Satan of the Bible was a relat...

Every day, we use materials from the earth without thinking, for free. But what if we had to pay for their true value: would it make us more careful about what we use and what we waste? Think of Pavan Sukhdev as nature's banker -- assessing the value of the Earth's assets. Eye-opening charts will make you think differently about the cost of air, water, trees ... Talk by Pavan Sukhdev. Learn more a...

The TED-Ed team provides an in depth look at the powerful features of the newly-launched TED-ED Beta website. You'll learn how TED-Ed videos are created, how they are arranged, about the learning materials that surround each video, and how you can create customized or "flipped" lessons based on any TED-Ed video or any video on YouTube.http://ed.ted.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap...

Explore the science of hypnosis, and dig into how the practice can affect your body and brain when hypnotic suggestions work.--In the 19th century, Scottish surgeon James Braid revolutionized the field of hypnotism, transitioning the practice towards inducing a sleep-like state. Today, hypnosis is used in psychiatry as a helpful medical tool, yet it still holds an entrancing place in popular fanta...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-color-is-tuesday-exploring-synesthesia-richard-e-cytowicHow does one experience synesthesia -- the neurological trait that combines two or more senses? Synesthetes may taste the number 9 or attach a color to each day of the week. Richard E. Cytowic explains the fascinating world of entangled senses and why we may all have just a touch of synesthesia...

From something as small and complex as a chromosome to something as seemingly simple as the weather, sex determination systems vary significantly across the animal kingdom. Biologist and teacher Aaron Reedy shows us the amazing differences between species when it comes to determination of gender. Lesson by Aaron Reedy, animation by BuzzCo (http://buzzzco.com). Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...