TED-Ed

Dig into the body's biological process that heals a broken bone, and find out how different kinds of fractures are mended.--The human body’s 206 bones come in many shapes and sizes: short bones, long bones, flat bones, irregular bones. Roughly 50% of people will break a bone at some point in their lives. But whether the cause is as mundane as a slip on the ice or as dramatic as a tightrope-walking...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/your-body-language-shapes-who-you-are-amy-cuddyBody language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how "power posing" -- standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don't feel confident -- can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on...

New videography techniques have opened up the oceans' microscopic ecosystem, revealing it to be both mesmerizingly beautiful and astoundingly complex. Marine biologist Tierney Thys has used footage from a pioneering project to create a film designed to ignite wonder and curiosity about this hidden world that underpins our own food chain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic...

Dig into what biological factors influence hair growth, how it can change as you age, and how to take control of your scalp.--At age 44, Xie Qiuping cut her hair for the first time in over three decades. Her impressive locks extended over 5 meters — earning the Guinness World Record for the world’s longest hair. But even with this record-setting feat, her hair might not have reached its maximum po...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/james-watson-on-how-he-discovered-dnaNobel laureate James Watson opens TED2005 with the frank and funny story of how he and his research partner, Francis Crick, discovered the structure of DNA. Talk by James Watson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

View full lesson on TED-Ed BETA: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-real-origin-of-the-franchiseOne of the most successful business models is the franchise, but it didn't originate with McDonald's. Sir Harold Evans, the author of They Made America, describes the remarkable story of a beauty salon that allowed hundreds of women to own their own businesses. Lesson by Sir Harold Evans. Animation by Sunni...

Explore how the microplastics in your body can affect your health, and how we can regulate the amount of plastic in our world.--Plastic is everywhere. It’s in our clothes, our food, the air we breathe. And plastic is now also in our bodies. Micro and nanoplastics generally enter our bodies in one of three ways: the air, our skin, and what we eat and drink. But how exactly do these microscopic part...

Explore why zero-carbon technologies are vulnerable to the valley of death in product development and how we can change it.--All new products must pass through the "valley of death" before they reach the market. Many never make it out, and sometimes that’s ok— if they don’t work, don’t fill a need, or for any number of reasons. One of the fields where this problem is most pressing is zero-carbon t...

Dig into the science of how heart transplants happen, how donors are matched and find out how this complex surgery saves lives.--Your heart beats more than 100,000 times a day. In just a minute, it pumps over five liters of blood throughout your body. But unlike skin and bones, the heart has a limited ability to repair itself. So if this organ is severely damaged, there’s often only one medical so...

At TEDYouth 2011, Performance artist Carvens Lissaint shows how to use language, metaphor and imagery to express a powerful idea -- as in this spoken word performance, a stirring plea to make college education more accessible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The future of green is local -- and entrepreneurial. In her talk, Majora Carter brings us the stories of three people who are saving their own communities while saving the planet. Call it "hometown security." (Filmed at TEDxMidWest.)Talk by Majora Carter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dig into sortition, a system where officials are selected via lottery, and how it could address the problems of modern democracies.--Elections are tools that ensure a nation’s citizens all have an equal political voice. But these so-called “great equalizers” are often plagued by corruption, partisan divides, and uninformed voters. Which is why some of democracy’s first and most famous practitioner...

Explore the psychology behind why children invent imaginary companions and what skills they can develop through pretend play.--Amia and her friend Zelba have been inseparable for nearly a year. They share secrets, play games, and rule over imaginary kingdoms. Amia sometimes has bad ideas, and Zelba goes along with them anyway. Amia is very real, but Zelba... is not. So, what leads kids to create t...

Long, fancy words designed to show off your intelligence and vocabulary are all very well, but they aren't always the best words. In this short, playful video Terin Izil explains why simple, punchy language is often the clearest way to convey a message. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sign up for our newsletter and never miss an animation: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterIn the first of a new TED-Ed series designed to catalyze curiosity, TED Curator Chris Anderson shares his boyhood obsession with quirky questions that seem to have no answers. (Introducing the series "Questions no one knows the answers to")"Questions No One Knows the Answers to" was animated by Andrew Park (http:/...

Trace the history and evolution of beer, from its first known existence 13,000 years ago to the modern beverage we know today.--Today, there are over 100 distinct beer varieties, from pilsners and bocks, to porters, stouts, and IPAs. The oldest evidence of beer brewing dates back 13,000 years, but experts believe the drink developed independently across the world. So, how did ancient civilizations...

Get to know Auguste Rodin’s infamous sculpture “The Thinker,” and find out who was the inspiration for this masterpiece.--Contrary to popular belief, "The Thinker" sculpture isn’t just a universal symbol of eternal contemplation. French sculptor Auguste Rodin intended it to represent a specific person— and fit into a much larger piece featuring the fiery pits of Hell. So, who was "The Thinker," an...

Calling them "our bodies' own repair kits," Susan Solomon advocates research using lab-grown stem cells. By growing individual pluripotent stem cell lines, her team creates testbeds that could accelerate research into curing diseases -- and perhaps lead to individualized treatment, targeted not just to a particular disease but a particular person. Talk by Susan Solomon. Learn more about your ad ch...

Call it "fuel without fossils": Jonathan Trent is working on a plan to grow new biofuel by farming micro-algae in floating offshore pods that eat wastewater from cities. Hear his team's bold vision for Project OMEGA (Offshore Membrane Enclosures for Growing Algae) and how it might power the future. Talk by Jonathan Trent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dig into the incredible fighting, feeding, and flying capabilities of hummingbirds.--In just a matter of seconds, hummingbirds can perform astonishing aerial acrobatics, eat lunch in midair, pollinate a flower, even escape threats while upside-down. And they can do this all while achieving sustained hovering flight— an aerial feat no other bird can perform. How do they do it? Kristiina J. Hurme an...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/symbiosis-a-surprising-tale-of-species-cooperationDifferent species often depend on one another. David Gonzales describes the remarkable relationship of the Clark's nutcracker and the whitebark pine, to illustrate the interdependency known as symbiosis. Lesson by David Gonzales, animation by Sunni Brown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone....

By dissecting a cockroach ... yes, live on stage ... TED Fellow and neuroscientist Greg Gage shows how brains receive and deliver electric impulses -- and how legs can respond."The Cockroach Beatbox" was animated by the TED-Ed Animation Team (Jeremiah Dickey, Biljana Labovic, Celeste Lai, Kari Mulholland and Franz Palomares)View the full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-cockroach-beatbox Lear...

Professional songwriters share their writing process, how they collaborate with other artists, and what it takes to be a songwriter.--"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 sh...

Explore the cognitive benefits of risky play and how we can design better playgrounds that promote fun, agency, and development.--The best play environments offer freedom and novelty that kids can explore as much or as little as they like. But traditional playgrounds don’t offer much flexibility— swings, slides, and climbing frames are hardly novel structures. So, how do we create better play spac...

Using newts, coyotes and mice, Jason Munshi-South shows how animals develop genetic differences in evolution, even within an urban city."Evolution in a Big City" was animated by the TED-Ed Animation Team (Jeremiah Dickey, Biljana Labovic, Celeste Lai, Kari Mulholland and Franz Palomares)View the full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/evolution-in-a-big-city Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...