TED-Ed

Dig into what we know about Komodo dragons, and find out what you should do if you encounter these giant lizards in the wild.--Clambering through the bush on one of Indonesia’s Lesser Sunda Islands, suddenly you spy a Komodo dragon in the clearing ahead. Forked tongue flickering; sharp, saw-like teeth glimmering; and strong, scaly body stretching up to 3 meters, Komodo dragons are formidable. So,...

View full lesson here: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-hidden-meanings-of-yin-and-yang-john-bellaimeyThe ubiquitous yin-yang symbol holds its roots in Taoism/Daoism, a Chinese religion and philosophy. The yin, the dark swirl, is associated with shadows, femininity, and the trough of a wave; the yang, the light swirl, represents brightness, passion and growth. John Bellaimey explains why we all conta...

Puzzle through an ethical dilemma and decide: what responsibility do we have to honor the wishes of the dead?--For decades, Yvonne and Zaina have been happily married and co-leading a non-profit. One day the couple is involved in a car accident, and on her deathbed, Yvonne asks Zaina to promise her two things. First, to continue financially supporting their non-profit. And second, to never remarry...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-does-work-work-peter-bohacekThe concepts of work and power help us unlock and understand many of the physical laws that govern our universe. In this Lesson, Peter Bohacek explores the interplay of each concept when applied to two common objects---a lightbulb and a grandfather clock. Lesson by Peter Bohacek, animation by Luke Cahill. Learn more about...

Teaching is both a science and an art, and many teachers around the world spend endless hours perfecting their professional practice. At TEDActive 2013, a few teachers from the United States offer some tricks of the trade they've learned (and continue to hone) along the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore the possibility of transitioning to a green economy, and if the trillion-dollar up-front cost is worth the investment.--Global warming is very, very expensive: extreme weather, rising sea levels, crop failures, health issues, and industry disruptions all cost money. So, what’s the best way forward? Is the estimated trillion-dollar price tag that comes with transitioning the world to clean...

Explore how greenhouse gas emissions impact global warming and why it’s necessary to get emissions down to net zero. --Since 1850, global average temperatures have risen by 1 degree Celsius. That may not sound like a lot, but it is. Why? 1 degree is an average. Many places have already gotten much warmer and if average temperatures increase one more degree, the coldest nights in the Arctic might g...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/dance-vs-powerpoint-a-modest-proposal-john-bohannonUse dancers instead of PowerPoint. That's science writer John Bohannon's "modest proposal." In this spellbinding choreographed talk he makes his case by example, aided by dancers from Black Label Movement. Talk by John Bohannon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dig into how your age can affect your decision making, and explore the psychology of how we weigh risks against rewards.--Welcome to Risky Business, the game where we find out how far people will go to win a prize! Today’s contestants are a 21 year-old, a 16 year-old, and a 12 year-old. They'll compete in a series of three challenges: eating ghost pepper cookies, swimming in honey, and crossing a...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-did-english-evolve-kate-gardoquiWhat is the difference between "a hearty welcome" and "a cordial reception"? In a brief, action-packed history of the English language, Kate Gardoqui explains why these semantically equal phrases evoke such different images. Lesson by Kate Gardoqui, animation by Ben Tobitt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap...

Get to know the story of Queen Liliʻuokalani, the last queen of Hawaii, and how she fought the US annexation of the islands. --On January 16th, 1895, two men arrived at Liliʻuokalani’s door, arrested her, and imprisoned her. The Missionary Party had recently seized power and now confiscated her diaries, ransacked her house, and claimed her lands. Liliʻuokalani was Hawaii’s queen and she ruled thro...

Co-creator of the philanthropic FEED bags, Ellen Gustafson says hunger and obesity are two sides of the same coin. In her talk, she launches The 30 Project -- a way to change how we farm and eat in the next 30 years, and solve the global food inequalities behind both epidemics. (Filmed at TEDxEast.)Talk by Ellen Gustafson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover the origins of dragon legends, and find out how geological events could have inspired these stories in ancient civilizations.--From the Chinese Loong to the Filipino Bakunawa, the Scottish Beithir and the Greek Hydra, dragons have inflamed imaginations for millennia. Their ubiquity across world mythology has led many scholars to ponder their possible origins. Could it be that tales of dra...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/dna-the-book-of-you-joe-hansonYour body is made of cells -- but how does a single cell know to become part of your nose, instead of your toes? The answer is in your body's instruction book: DNA. Joe Hanson compares DNA to a detailed manual for building a person out of cells -- with 46 chapters (chromosomes) and hundreds of thousands of pages covering eve...

Dig into the science of how psychedelic drugs affect your brain, and how they could be used for psychiatric treatment.--In 1943, chemist Albert Hofmann accidentally exposed himself to a drug he derived from ergot fungus and recorded its unexpected, mind-altering effects. The drug, lysergic acid diethylamide— or LSD— was soon heralded for its psychiatric potential. But how do LSD and other psychede...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/kevin-slavin-how-algorithms-shape-our-worldKevin Slavin argues that we're living in a world designed for -- and increasingly controlled by -- algorithms. In this riveting talk from TEDGlobal, he shows how these complex computer programs determine espionage tactics, stock prices, movie scripts, and architecture. Slavin also warns that we are writing code...

Why do we fill pauses in speech with words like “um,” “uh,” and “like”? Dig into the hesitation phenomenon to find out their linguistic significance.--For as long as we’ve had language, some people have tried to control it. And some of the most frequent targets of this communication regulation are the ums, ers, and likes that pepper our conversations. These linguistic fillers occur roughly 2 to 3...

Teaching is both a science and an art, and many teachers around the world spend endless hours perfecting their professional practice. At TEDActive 2013, a few teachers from the United States offer some tricks of the trade they've learned (and continue to hone) along the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore 4 common misconceptions about Ancient Rome, and find out what living in this time period was actually like.--Minerva, the esteemed Roman goddess of reason, wisdom, handicrafts, and war, is judging a contest: duo vera et mendacium. Three brave contestants will put their knowledge about ancient Rome to the test. How much of what they know about the time period is actually true? And which con...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/margaret-wertheim-the-beautiful-math-of-coralScience writer Margaret Wertheim re-creates the creatures of the coral reefs using a technique invented by a mathematician -- simultaneously celebrating the amazements of the reef and deep-diving into the hyperbolic underpinnings of coral creation. Talk by Margaret Wertheim. Learn more about your ad choices. V...

Explore the construction of California’s Golden Gate Bridge, and dig into the engineering innovations that made the structure possible.--Stretching 227 meters tall, two towers were assembled to support California’s Golden Gate Bridge. They were just one of the challenges facing engineers Charles Ellis and Joseph Strauss. Even before construction began, many thought the project impossible: the stra...

How do you deal with a bully without becoming a thug? In this wise and soulful talk, peace activist Scilla Elworthy maps out the skills we need -- as nations and individuals -- to fight extreme force without using force in return. To answer the question of why and how non-violence works, she evokes historical heroes -- Aung San Suu Kyi, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela -- and the personal philosophi...

Bored in school, failing classes, at odds with peers: This child might be an entrepreneur, says Cameron Herold. In his talk, he makes the case for parenting and education that helps would-be entrepreneurs flourish -- as kids and as adults. (Filmed at TEDxEdmonton.)Talk by Cameron Herold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trace the history of bloodletting, a medical practice dating back to ancient Greece and its continued use into the 19th century.--Bloodletting was a pervasive medical practice that dates as far back as ancient Greece and continued well into the 19th century. Physicians like Hippocrates believed bad health could be attributed to a fluid imbalance, and recommended bloodletting to help reset the body...

Trace the strange history of Graham crackers, invented by minister Sylvester Graham in order to curb the vices of Americans.--In the 1800s, minister Sylvester Graham believed Americans had a big problem— not just with their bodies, but their souls. He argued that overindulgence was fueling their baser desires, making them immoral and oversexed. To curb this corruption, puritanical reformers advoca...