TED-Ed

Explore the physics of flight, and discover how aerodynamic lift generates the force needed for planes to fly.--By 1917, Albert Einstein had explained the relationship between space and time. But, that year, he designed a flawed airplane wing. His attempt was based on an incomplete theory of how flight works. Indeed, insufficient and inaccurate explanations still circulate today. So, where did Ein...

In this funny and insightful talk, builder Dan Phillips tours us through a dozen homes he's built in Texas using recycled and reclaimed materials in wildly creative ways. Brilliant, low-tech design details will refresh your own creative drive. (Filmed at TEDxHouston.)Talk by Dan Phillips. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this short talk, TED Fellow Sarah Parcak introduces the field of "space archeology" -- using satellite images to search for clues to the lost sites of past civilizations. Talk by Sarah Parcak. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dig into the field of cryobiology and explore the possibility of humans being frozen and preserved for future resurrection.--In 1967, James Bedford had a plan to cheat death. He was the first person to be cryogenically frozen. This process promised to preserve his body until a theoretical future when humanity could cure any illness, and essentially, reverse death. So is it possible to freeze a hum...

Find out how a hatchetfish survives its daily journey from the depths of the ocean’s Twilight Zone to the resource-rich surface.--You’re traveling deep beneath the ocean’s surface, where faint lights flicker and toothy grins flash. Your mission is to survive these depths and journey to the surface after sundown to feed. And as a hatchetfish, almost every other deep-sea creature is trying to eat yo...

In her talk, Rachel Botsman says we're "wired to share" -- and shows how websites like Zipcar and Swaptree are changing the rules of human behavior. (Filmed at TEDxSydney.)Talk by Rachel Botsman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is 'x' the symbol for an unknown? In this short and funny talk, Terry Moore gives the surprising answer. Talk by Terry Moore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore the framework known as the Process Model, a psychological tool to help you identify, understand, and regulate your emotions.--After a week of studying, you feel confident that you'll ace your exam. But when you get your grade back, it's much lower than you expected. You’re devastated, and the disappointment is hard to shake. Should you be trying to look on the bright side? And is controlli...

Even a death-defying magician has to start somewhere. High-wire artist Philippe Petit takes you on an intimate journey from his first card trick at age 6 to his tightrope walk between the Twin Towers. Talk by Philippe Petit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore why Maya Angelou’s memoir “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” became one of the most frequently banned books of all time.--In 1998, a school district removed one of American literature’s most acclaimed works from its curriculum. Parents pushing for the ban said the book was both “sexually explicit” and “anti-white.” The book at the center of this debate was Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why The Cag...

Practice more problem-solving at https://brilliant.org/TedEd--On Olympus, you’ve been waiting for an opportunity to bring the bloody Trojan War to its conclusion. The two sides have agreed to a brief truce, and when you consult the Fates, they advise: should the peace last for 10 days, all will end soon. But if the truce is broken, there will be 10 more devastating years of war. Can you help the G...

We've been to the moon, we've mapped the continents, we've even been to the deepest point in the ocean -- twice. What's left for the next generation to explore? Biologist and explorer Nathan Wolfe suggests this answer: Almost everything. And we can start, he says, with the world of the unseeably small. Talk by Nathan Wolfe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover what scientists have found buried in the Arctic permafrost, and find out the far-reaching effects of its melting. --In June 2022, a gold miner in the Canadian Yukon made a remarkable discovery. While working on the traditional lands of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation, he uncovered the exceptionally well-preserved, frozen remains of a wooly mammoth calf that died 30,000 years ago. And t...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/historical-role-models-amy-bissettaMany notable American historical figures are considered role models -- but why? George Washington was devilishly smart, and Abraham Lincoln was a brave leader, but have you heard of Sybil Ludington or Beriah Green? Amy Bissetta expounds on the lessons of character we can learn from these historical giants, whether you'v...

Examine the ethical stance known as longtermism, which is the idea that we should be doing more to protect future generations.--Imagine that your life began as one of the planet’s first humans. After dying, you're reincarnated as the second human ever to live. You then return as the third person, the fourth, the fifth, and so on – living the lives of every human that’s ever walked the Earth. How w...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/exploring-other-dimensions-alex-rosenthal-and-george-zaidanImagine a two-dimensional world -- you, your friends, everything is 2D. In his 1884 novella, Edwin Abbott invented this world and called it Flatland. Alex Rosenthal and George Zaidan take the premise of Flatland one dimension further, imploring us to consider how we would see dimensions different...

Surprising, but true: More women now die of heart disease than men, yet cardiovascular research has long focused on men. Pioneering doctor C. Noel Bairey Merz shares what we know and don't know about women's heart health -- including the remarkably different symptoms women present during a heart attack (and why they're often missed). (Filmed at TEDxWomen.)Talk by Noel Bairey Merz. Learn more about...

Dig into the science of plate tectonics to find out when the next supercontinent will emerge— and how it could affect Earth’s environment.--In the early 20th century, Alfred Wegener's theory of Continental Drift laid the foundation for our modern theory of plate tectonics. And today we know something even more exciting: Pangea was only the latest in a long lineage of supercontinents, and it won’t...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-mathematics-of-history-jean-baptiste-michelWhat can mathematics say about history? According to TED Fellow Jean-Baptiste Michel, quite a lot. From changes to language to the deadliness of wars, he shows how digitized history is just starting to reveal deep underlying patterns. Talk by Jean-Baptiste Michel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega...

Explore the 6 most common misconceptions about the Middle Ages, and find out what living in medieval times was actually like.--Medieval Europe. Where unbathed, sword-wielding knights ate rotten meat, thought the Earth was flat, defended chastity-belt wearing maidens, and tortured their foes with grisly gadgets. Except… this is more fiction than fact. So, where do all the myths about the Middle Age...

Dive into the Epic of Gilgamesh, and follow the king of Uruk on a series of dangerous quests as he searches for immortality.--In 1849, in the ancient city of Nineveh in Iraq, archaeologists sifted through dusty remains, hoping to find records to prove that Bible stories were true. What they found instead was a 4,000-year-old story inscribed on crumbling clay tablets— a story that was so riveting,...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-happened-to-antimatter-rolf-landuaParticles come in pairs, which is why there should be an equal amount of matter and antimatter in the universe. Yet, scientists have not been able to detect any in the visible universe. Where is this missing antimatter? CERN scientist Rolf Landua returns to the seconds after the Big Bang to explain the disparity tha...

Explore how the domestication of horses influenced the fate of entire civilizations and dramatically altered human history.--People have been captivated by horses for a long time. They appear more than any other animal in cave paintings dating back 30,000 years. But how did horses make the journey from wild animals to ones humans could hitch themselves to and even ride? William T. Taylor explores...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-basics-of-boson-dave-barney-and-steve-goldfarbIn 2012, scientists at CERN discovered evidence of the Higgs boson. The what? The Higgs boson is one of two types of fundamental particles and is a particular game-changer in the field of particle physics, proving how particles gain mass. Using the Socratic method, CERN scientists Dave Barney and Steve Go...

How do we keep labs that handle dangerous pathogens safe and leak-free? Dig into the ongoing debate over virology research. --Since the 1970s, researchers have engineered superbugs. While this research could help us prepare for future outbreaks, the stakes of this work are extremely high: if even one dangerous virus escaped a lab, it could cause a global pandemic. So, what can we do to minimize ri...