TED-Ed

Explore why earwax forms, its purpose in our health, and whether or not we should be trying to get rid of it.--Grooming paraphernalia has been found in numerous archeological sites, many of which have included earwax removal tools. And earwax evacuation remains a popular hygienic habit today. But what is earwax? And are the efforts to eliminate it actually good for us? Henry C. Ou explores the imp...

Massimo Banzi helped invent the Arduino, a tiny, easy-to-use open-source microcontroller that's inspired thousands of people around the world to make the coolest things they can imagine -- from toys to satellite gear. Because, as he says, "You don't need anyone's permission to make something great." Talk by Massimo Banzi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Margaret Gould Stewart, YouTube's head of user experience, talks about how the ubiquitous video site works with copyright holders and creators to foster (at the best of times) a creative ecosystem where everybody wins. Talk by Margaret Gould Stewart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore Edvard Munch’s masterpiece “The Scream,” and find out why this artwork became one of the world’s most famous paintings.--An undulating sky melds into the landscape, two silhouettes move along a balustraded walkway, and a ghostly figure’s features extend in agony. Since Norwegian artist Edvard Munch created "The Scream" in 1893, it’s become one of the world’s most famous artworks. But why h...

Explore the phenomenon and uses of chlorophyll fluorescence, a small amount of light emitted by plants during photosynthesis.--In 2009, a satellite circled Earth, scanning and sorting the wavelengths reflecting off the planet’s surface. Researchers noticed something baffling: an unexpected wavelength of unknown origin. They tried looking at Earth with only this wavelength, and saw the planet cover...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/mysteries-of-vernacular-quarantine-jessica-oreck-and-rachael-teelStemming from the days of bubonic plague in Medieval Europe, quarantines were originally used to prevent potentially plague-infested ships from disembarking at a port city. Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel explain how the length of the wait, often 40 days, came to be associated with the word...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-pattern-behind-self-deception-michael-shermerMichael Shermer says the human tendency to believe strange things -- from alien abductions to dowsing rods -- boils down to two of the brain's most basic, hard-wired survival skills. He explains what they are and how they get us into trouble. Talk by Michael Shermer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Dig into one of Japan’s most infamous stories about the 47 samurai who take revenge for the loss of their leader.--Asano Naganori, lord of Akō domain, fixed his gaze on Kira Yoshinaka, a senior master of ceremony. Asano extended his short sword, charged through the castle, and struck Kira. While the wound wasn’t fatal, its consequences would be. What brought about this violent quarrel? And what wo...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-architecture-helped-music-evolve-david-byrneAs his career grew, David Byrne went from playing CBGB to Carnegie Hall. He asks: Does the venue make the music? From outdoor drumming to Wagnerian operas to arena rock, he explores how context has pushed musical innovation. Talk by David Byrne. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore common types of corruption and find out what we can do to combat it and promote transparency in our institutions.--Corruption is often defined as misuse of a position of power for personal gain. And while corruption in politics is nothing new, it isn’t limited to the political sphere; it can happen in schools, sports, businesses, or religious institutions. So, what exactly is corruption, a...

Download a free audiobook version of “The Vanishing Half“ and support TED-Ed's nonprofit mission: https://www.audible.com/ted-ed--While searching for a kidney donor, Karen Keegan stumbled upon a mystery. After undergoing genetic testing, it turned out that some of her cells had a completely different set of genes from the others. And this second set of genes belonged to her twin sister— who had ne...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/hiv-and-flu-the-vaccine-strategy-seth-berkleySeth Berkley explains how smart advances in vaccine design, production and distribution are bringing us closer than ever to eliminating a host of global threats -- from AIDS to malaria to flu pandemics. Talk by Seth Berkley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dig into Operation Paperclip, a secret intelligence program which brought scientists from Nazi Germany to the US after WWII.--In May of 1945 the Third Reich was in chaos. Adolf Hitler was dead and German surrender was imminent. But while World War II was almost over, a new war was brewing. And the US was eager to recruit the smartest minds in Germany before the Soviets got the chance— regardless o...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-difference-between-classical-and-operant-conditioning-peggy-andoverWhy is it that humans react to stimuli with certain behaviors? Can behaviors change in response to consequences? Peggy Andover explains how the brain can associate unrelated stimuli and responses, proved by Ivan Pavlov's famous 1890 experiments, and how reinforcement and punishment ca...

Dig into political philosopher John Rawls’ classic thought experiment about what principles we need to design a fair society.--A group of strangers have gathered to design a just society. To ensure none of them rig the system, they’ve been placed under a veil of ignorance. Under this veil, they’re blind to information about age, sex, profession, wealth, religion, and so on. Can they build a fair s...

Scott Fraser studies how humans remember crimes -- and bear witness to them. In this powerful talk, which focuses on a deadly shooting at sunset, he suggests that even close-up eyewitnesses to a crime can create "memories" they could not have seen. Why? Because the brain abhors a vacuum. Editor's note: In the original version of this talk, Scott Fraser misspoke about available footage of Two World...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-importance-of-focus-richard-st-johnHow might focus help you succeed? Using examples of famous people from disparate fields, such as James Cameron, Quincy Jones, and Larry Page, Richard St. John suggests why focus is one of eight traits common in successful people. Lesson by Richard St. John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi...

Practice more problem-solving at https://brilliant.org/teded--A mathematician with a knife and ball begins slicing and distributing the ball into an infinite number of boxes. She then recombines the parts into five precise sections. Moving and rotating these sections around, she recombines them to form two identical, flawless, and complete copies of the original ball. How is this possible? Jacquel...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/visualizing-hidden-worlds-inside-your-body-dee-bregerHow do we see things too small to be detected by the human eye? What about things inside our own bodies? At TEDYouth 2012, Dee Breger uses a scanning electron microscope to give us a glimpse of images including blood clots, thyroid glands, and lungs with pneumonia. Talk by Dee Breger. Learn more about...

Trace the rise and fall of the Maya city Chichen Itza, and how Yucatán’s unpredictable environment contributed to its demise.--During the 8th century CE, warfare and failing agriculture forced Maya people to move north, to hotter, drier Yucatán. Because of its freshwater access, Chichen Itza became the most powerful Maya city, with nearly 50,000 citizens at its height. But the region presented its...

When faced with a parent suffering from Alzheimer's, most of us respond with denial ("It won't happen to me") or extreme efforts at prevention. But global health expert and TED Fellow Alanna Shaikh sees it differently. She's taking three concrete steps to prepare for the moment -- should it arrive -- when she herself gets Alzheimer's disease. Talk by Alanna Shaikh Learn more about your ad choices....

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/patricia-burchat-sheds-light-on-dark-matterPhysicist Patricia Burchat sheds light on two basic ingredients of our universe: dark matter and dark energy. Comprising 96% of the universe between them, they can't be directly measured, but their influence is immense. Talk by Patricia Burchat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/clay-shirky-how-social-media-can-make-historyWhile news from Iran streams to the world, Clay Shirky shows how Facebook, Twitter, and TXTs help citizens in repressive regimes report on real news, bypassing censors (however briefly). The end of top-down control of news is changing the nature of politics. Talk by Clay Shirky. Learn more about your ad choice...