TED-Ed

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-operating-system-of-life-george-zaidan-and-charles-mortonHumans, octopi and pine trees alike are all made up of cells, tiny but sophisticated systems that keep life going. Cells are almost like tiny factories run by robots, with the nucleus, DNA, proteins, lipids, and vitamins and minerals all playing critical roles. George Zaidan and Charles Morton...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-is-yawning-contagious-claudia-aguirre*Yaaawwwwwn* Did just reading the word make you feel like yawning yourself? Known as contagious yawning, the reasons behind this phenomenon have been attributed to both the physiological and psychological. It's been observed in children as young as four and even in dogs! Claudia Aguirre visits the many intriguing...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-do-honeybees-love-hexagons-zack-patterson-and-andy-petersonHoneybees are some of nature's finest mathematicians. Not only can they calculate angles and comprehend the roundness of the earth, these smart insects build and live in one of the most mathematically efficient architectural designs around: the beehive. Zack Patterson and Andy Peterson delve...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/ian-goldin-navigating-our-global-futureAs globalization and technological advances bring us hurtling towards a new integrated future, Ian Goldin warns that not all people may benefit equally. But, he says, if we can recognize this danger, we might yet realize the possibility of improved life for everyone. Ian Goldin is director of the 21st Century School...

Investigate the science behind how doctors use radioactive drugs and PET scans to detect and diagnose diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer.--Is there a way to detect diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s before they advance too far? Doctors are using injected radioactive drugs that circulate through the body and act as a beacon for PET scanners. These diagnostic tools can detect the spread of disea...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/marcus-du-sautoy-symmetry-reality-s-riddleThe world turns on symmetry -- from the spin of subatomic particles to the dizzying beauty of an arabesque. But there's more to it than meets the eye. Here, Oxford mathematician Marcus du Sautoy offers a glimpse of the invisible numbers that marry all symmetrical objects. Oxford's newest science ambassador Marcus...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/james-balog-time-lapse-proof-of-extreme-ice-lossPhotographer James Balog shares new image sequences from the Extreme Ice Survey, a network of time-lapse cameras recording glaciers receding at an alarming rate, some of the most vivid evidence yet of climate change. Talk by James Balog. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-colossal-consequences-of-supervolcanoes-alex-gendlerIn 1816, Europe and North America were plagued by heavy rains, odd-colored snow, famines, strange fogs and very cold weather well into June. Though many people believed it to be the apocalypse, this "year without a summer" was actually the result of a supervolcano eruption that happened one year ear...

Dive into the Norse myth of how Loki tricked a stranger into building the great wall of Asgard to keep the realm safe from giants. --Asgard, a realm of wonders, was where the Norse Gods made their home. There Odin’s great hall of Valhalla towered above the mountains and Bifrost, the rainbow bridge, anchored itself. Though their domain was magnificent, it stood undefended from the giants and trolls...

Explore the science of why mixing drugs and drug interactions with other substances can lead to dangerous health complications.--Which of the following is risky behavior: a person taking cholesterol medicine with grapefruit juice? Or a person taking Acetaminophen before going out for drinks? Or a person on blood thinners who takes an aspirin? Turns out, all of them are risky. Each has inadvertentl...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/madeleine-albright-on-being-a-woman-and-a-diplomatIn a frank and funny Q&A with Pat Mitchell from the Paley Center, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright talks bluntly about politics and diplomacy, making the case that women's issues deserve a place at the center of foreign policy. Far from being a "soft" issue, she says, women's issues are o...

What is killing the Tasmanian devil? A virulent cancer is infecting them by the thousands -- and unlike most cancers, it's contagious. Researcher Elizabeth Murchison tells us how she's fighting to save the Taz, and what she's learning about all cancers from this unusual strain. Contains disturbing images of facial cancer. Talk by Elizabeth Murchison. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho...

English novelist Jane Austen’s beloved works, like “Pride and Prejudice,” explored the dependence of women on marriage in British high society.--Whether she’s describing bickering families, quiet declarations of love, or juicy gossip, Jane Austen’s writing often feels as though it was written just for you. Her dry wit and cheeky playfulness informs her heroines, whose conversational tone welcomes...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-fight-for-the-right-to-vote-in-the-united-states-nicki-beaman-griffinIn the United States today, if you are over eighteen, a citizen, and the resident of a state, you can vote (with some exceptions). So, how have voting rights changed since the first election in 1789? Nicki Beaman Griffin outlines the history of the long fight for a more inclusive el...

How do we choose which news to consume? Get the scoop on how opinions and facts affect the news and how to tell them apart.--With the advent of the Internet and social media, news is distributed at an incredible rate by an unprecedented number of different media outlets. How do we choose which news to consume? Damon Brown gives the inside scoop on how the opinions and facts (and sometimes non-fact...

Some kids learn by listening; others learn by doing. Geoff Mulgan gives a short introduction to the Studio School, a new kind of school in the UK where small teams of kids learn by working on projects that are, as Mulgan puts it, "for real." Talk by Geoff Mulgan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Follow Jason as he attempts to steal the Golden Fleece from King Aeetes and enlists the help of the king's daughter, Medea. (Part Two of the myth of Jason and the Argonauts)--In Colchis, the hide of a mystical flying ram hangs from the tallest oak, guarded by a dragon who never sleeps. The only way Jason can pry it from King Aeetes’ clutches and win back his promised throne is by facing three peri...

Download a free audiobook version of "The Art of War" and support TED-Ed's nonprofit mission: https://www.audible.com/ted-edCheck out our full book recommendation: https://shop.ed.ted.com/products/the-art-of-war--From Shakespeare’s plays to modern TV dramas, the unscrupulous schemer for whom the ends always justify the means has become a familiar character type we love to hate. For centuries, we’v...

Despite multibillion-dollar investments in cybersecurity, one of its root problems has been largely ignored: who are the people who write malicious code? Underworld investigator Misha Glenny profiles several convicted coders from around the world and reaches a startling conclusion. Talk by Misha Glenny. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s the best way to handle a crisis in business? Dig into how different strategies can work when faced with an ethical dilemma.--You founded a company that manufactures meatless burgers that are sold in stores worldwide. But you’ve recently received awful news: three people in one city died after eating your burgers. A criminal has injected poison into your product! The deaths are headline news...

Modern medicine is in danger of losing a powerful, old-fashioned tool: human touch. Physician and writer Abraham Verghese describes our strange new world where patients are merely data points, and calls for a return to the traditional one-on-one physical exam. Talk by Abraham Verghese. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-silk-road-history-s-first-world-wide-web-shannon-harris-casteloWith modern technology, a global exchange of goods and ideas can happen at the click of a button. But what about 2,000 years ago? Shannon Harris Castelo unfolds the history of the 5,000-mile Silk Road, a network of multiple routes that used the common language of commerce to connect the w...

The adventure continues! Episode 3: Ethic and Hedge must sabotage the furnace-bots to get to the first artifact. Can they find a way out? --This is episode 3 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 solve their way thr...

Explore the eye-opening science of LASIK: corrective laser eye surgery that focuses on reshaping the cornea to fix blurry vision.--In 1948, Spanish ophthalmologist Jose Ignacio Barraquer Moner was fed up with glasses. He wanted a solution for blurry vision that fixed the eye itself, without relying on external aids. The surgery he eventually devised was called “keratomileusis,” and his technique f...

Trace the history of how wolves, one of humanity’s oldest rivals, evolved into the domesticated dogs we call “man’s best friend.”--Since their emergence over 200,000 years ago, modern humans have established communities all over the planet. But they didn’t do it alone. Whatever corner of the globe you find humans in today, you’re likely to find another species as well: dogs. So how did one of our...