TED-Ed

Download a free audiobook version of “Born A Crime“ and support TED-Ed's nonprofit mission: https://www.audible.com/ted-ed--It may seem counterintuitive, but comedy is often key to a serious story. As a writer, you need your audience to experience a range of emotions, no matter what your genre. Comic relief is a tried-and-true way of creating the varied emotional texture a compelling story needs....

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-curiosity-got-us-to-mars-bobak-ferdowsiIn August 2012, the Curiosity rover landed on Mars. The landing itself was a huge achievement and required a lot of forethought and planning by a very smart team. In this TED Youth 2012 Talk, Bobak Ferdowsi, the mohawked member of that team, outlines various aspects of a Mars landing, including the Seven Minutes...

Dig into the scientific theories of why zebras have stripes, and why this unique patterning sets them apart from their equine relatives.--Zebras belong to the same equine family as horses and donkeys. After their lineage entered Africa, they evolved into three zebra species, lived in social herds, grazed on grasses, and evaded fierce predators. One mystery that has perplexed prominent scientists f...

Examine how popular personality tests, like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Enneagram, are designed and their inconsistencies. --In 1942, a mother-daughter duo named Katherine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers developed a questionnaire that classified people’s personalities into 16 types. Called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI, it would go on to become one of the world’s most wi...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/admin/lessonsTemple Grandin, diagnosed with autism as a child, talks about how her mind works -- sharing her ability to "think in pictures," which helps her solve problems that neurotypical brains might miss. She makes the case that the world needs people on the autism spectrum: visual thinkers, pattern thinkers, verbal thinkers, and all kinds of smart geeky kid...

Explore what we know about the function of the appendix, what leads to appendicitis, and why the organ is so prone to bursting.--In 1961, an Antarctic expedition took a harrowing turn: Dr. Leonid Rogozov began feeling feverish, with an excruciating pain in his right side. It soon became clear that he had appendicitis. While Rogozov’s predicament was extreme, appendicitis is not uncommon; affecting...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/if-superpowers-were-real-body-mass-joy-linWhat if manipulating body mass wasn't just the stuff of epic comic book stories? Is it scientifically possible to manipulate your body mass? In this series, Joy Lin tackles six superpowers and reveals just how scientifically realistic they can be to us mere mortals. Lesson by Joy Lin, animation by Cognitive Media...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-bacteria-talk-bonnie-basslerBonnie Bassler discovered that bacteria "talk" to each other, using a chemical language that lets them coordinate defense and mount attacks. The find has stunning implications for medicine, industry -- and our understanding of ourselves. Talk by Bonnie Bassler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Download a free audiobook version of “City of Girls” and support TED-Ed's nonprofit mission: https://www.audible.com/ted-ed--Do you ever feel tired? Overwhelmed? Depressed? Do you have headaches, dizziness, cramps, difficulty breathing? From 300 BCE to the 1900s, if you answered yes to any of these questions and you had a uterus, a doctor would likely diagnose you with hysteria. So, where did this...

Yang Lan, a journalist and entrepreneur who's been called "the Oprah of China," offers insight into the next generation of young Chinese citizens -- urban, connected (via microblogs) and alert to injustice. Talk by Yang Lan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore the incredible regenerative capacity of salamanders, and see how they’re able to regrow limbs, hearts, and even brain tissue.--For some animals, losing a limb is a decidedly permanent affair. But for salamanders, particularly axolotls, amputation is just a temporary affliction. Not only can they grow back entire limbs in as little as six weeks, they can also regenerate heart and even brain...

Practice more problem-solving at https://brilliant.org/TedEd--They call you the human cannonball. Your act involves flying through rings of fire, bouncing through a trampoline course, and catching the trapezist in the grand finale. Today’s pre-flight test fails dramatically, and upon inspection, your cannon has clearly been sabotaged. Unfortunately, it’s too late to abort the launch. Can you fix i...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-polarity-makes-water-behave-strangely-christina-kleinbergWater is both essential and unique. Many of its particular qualities stem from the fact that it consists of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen, therefore creating an unequal sharing of electrons. From fish in frozen lakes to ice floating on water, Christina Kleinberg describes the effects of pol...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/four-principles-for-the-open-world-don-tapscottThe recent generations have been bathed in connecting technology from birth, says futurist Don Tapscott, and as a result the world is transforming into one that is far more open and transparent. In this inspiring talk, he lists the four core principles that show how this open world can be a far better place....

Dig into the dangers of common kitchen appliances, and find out which could be the most hazardous to your health.--Between 2011 and 2022, the deadliest kitchen appliances in the US were ovens and ranges; taking lives by causing fires and leaking carbon monoxide. These kinds of sudden, catastrophic fatalities are thankfully rare. But the kitchen dangers that cause the most casualties may actually b...

Dive into the deep sea to find giant squids, and explore what scientists have learned about these mysterious creatures.--In 1873, fishermen glimpsed what they thought was a shipwreck. But when they probed the mass, it moved— and huge, serpentine appendages soon besieged their boat. One fisherman took an axe to the animal, and it disappeared in a cloud of ink, leaving behind definitive evidence tha...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/if-superpowers-were-real-invisibility-joy-linWhat if invisibility wasn't just the stuff of epic comic book stories? Is it scientifically possible to be invisible? In this series, Joy Lin tackles six superpowers and reveals just how scientifically realistic they can be to us mere mortals. Lesson by Joy Lin, animation by Cognitive Media. Learn more about y...

Discover the adaptations that allow cacti to not only survive, but thrive, in some of the harshest desert climates on Earth. --If you were a jackrabbit in the desert, you’d be glad to stumble across a cactus: the flesh of these plants is a water source for many animals. Known for their spines and succulent stems, cacti of all shapes and sizes have evolved to not just survive, but thrive, in some o...

Trace the globe-spanning journey of coffee as it goes from plant to brew, and the complex infrastructure that makes it possible.--How many people does it take to make a cup of coffee? For many of us, all it takes is a short walk and a quick pour. But this simple staple is the result of a globe-spanning process whose cost and complexity are far greater than you might imagine. AJ Jacobs traces the j...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-audacity-behind-the-louisiana-purchase-judy-waltonWhen the French offered up the Louisiana Territory, Thomas Jefferson knew this real estate deal was too good to pass up. How did the President justify the purchase that doubled the size of the United States? Judy Walton provides President Jefferson's reasoning. Lesson by Judy Walton, animation by Sumi...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/our-buggy-moral-code-dan-arielyBehavioral economist Dan Ariely studies the bugs in our moral code: the hidden reasons we think it's OK to cheat or steal (sometimes). Clever studies help make his point that we're predictably irrational -- and can be influenced in ways we can't grasp. Talk by Dan Ariely Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/...

Learn more at https://brilliant.org/TedEd--Your granddaughter created a surprise for your birthday: a holographic map displaying everywhere you’ve traveled— not just on Earth, but through the universe. Considering you’re living on a spinning rock hurtling around a sun whizzing through a galaxy, you’ve made some real progress. But, how much, exactly? Fabio Pacucci and Lindsay DeMarchi explore how f...

Explore the 4 common categories of cold medicines, and how to choose the right one based on your symptoms.--From incantations in ancient Egypt, bloodletting in 18th century Europe, to President Coolidge inhaling poisonous chlorine gas in 1924, the common cold has inspired a variety of creative treatments. Today pharmacies are filled with an endless assortment of cold remedies. But how do these pro...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/our-loss-of-wisdom-barry-schwartzBarry Schwartz makes a passionate call for "practical wisdom" as an antidote to a society gone mad with bureaucracy. He argues powerfully that rules often fail us, incentives often backfire, and practical, everyday wisdom will help rebuild our world. Talk by Barry Schwartz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/make-robots-smarter-ayanna-howardThere are three major rules that we want our robots to follow: do not harm a human, obey us, and protect us. The prerequisite for these rules? We need to make robots smarter. Ayanna Howard explains how robots can become smarter (hint: it is related to how smart we humans are). Talk by Ayanna Howard. Learn more about your...