TED-Ed

Dig into the historic injustice of Japanese American incarceration camps, also known as internment camps, during World War II. --On December 7, 1941, 16 year-old Aki Kurose shared in the horror of millions of Americans when Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor. Unbeknownst to her, this shared experience would soon leave her family and over 120,000 Japanese Americans alienated from their country,...

In the 20th century we added an unprecedented number of years to our lifespans, but is the quality of life as good? Surprisingly, yes! At TEDxWomen psychologist Laura Carstensen shows research that demonstrates that as people get older they become happier, more content, and have a more positive outlook on the world. (Filmed at TEDxWomen.)Talk by Laura Carstensen. Learn more about your ad choices....

When photographed under a 3D microscope, grains of sand appear like colorful pieces of candy and the stamens in a flower become like fantastical spires at an amusement park. Gary Greenberg reveals the thrilling details of the micro world. (Filmed at TEDxMaui.) Talk by Gary Greenberg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dive into Herman Melville’s classic novel “Moby Dick,” the story of Captain Ahab’s hunt for revenge against the white whale who bit off his leg. --A mountain separating two lakes. A room papered floor to ceiling with bridal satins. The lid of an immense snuffbox. These seemingly unrelated images take us on a tour of a sperm whale’s head in Herman Melville’s "Moby Dick." Though the book features pi...

A poet receives a card with a cryptic message from a third grader. What she uncovers is a perfect little moment of beauty. --An animated interpretation of Aracelis Girmay's poem "For Estefani, Third Grade, Who Made Me A Card"Watch an interview with the poet here: https://youtu.be/RkKZSJGCbyIThis animation is part of our series, "There's a Poem for That," which features animated interpretations of...

Literature has long been fascinated with fostered, adopted and orphaned children, from Moses to Cinderella to Oliver Twist to Harry Potter. So why do many parentless children feel compelled to hide their pasts? Poet and playwright Lemn Sissay tells his own moving story. (Filmed at TEDxHousesofParliament.)Talk by Lemn Sissay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At TEDxCambridge, Michael Norton shares fascinating research on how money can, indeed buy happiness -- when you don't spend it on yourself. Listen for surprising data on the many ways pro-social spending can benefit you, your work, and (of course) other people. (Filmed at TEDxCambridge.)Talk by Michael Norton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dive into the life of Henry Christophe, a former enslaved person and leader in the Haitian Revolution and the only king of Haiti. --The royal couple of Haiti rode into their coronation to thunderous applause. After receiving his ornate crown, Henry Christophe ascended his throne, towering 20 meters in the air. But little did the cheering onlookers know that the first king of Haiti would also be it...

Download a free audiobook version of "Astrophysics for People in a Hurry" and support TED-Ed's nonprofit mission: https://www.audible.com/ted-ed Check out our full book recommendation: https://shop.ed.ted.com/collections/ted-ed-book-recommendations/products/astrophysics-for-people-in-a-hurry--You’re cruising down the highway when all of a sudden endless rows of brake lights appear ahead. There’s n...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/my-glacier-cave-discoveries-eddy-cartayaSnow Dragon. Pure Imagination. Frozen Minotaur. These are the names Eddy Cartaya and his climbing partner Brent McGregor gave three glacier caves that they were the first to explore, caves that are morphing constantly thanks to warm water and warm air. At TEDYouth, Cartaya takes us inside these magical spaces where...

You use paper towels to dry your hands every day, but chances are, you're doing it wrong. In this enlightening and funny short talk, Joe Smith reveals the trick to perfect paper towel technique. (Filmed at TEDxConcordiaUPortland.)Talk by Joe Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is our reality a detailed computer simulation? And how can we know for sure? Explore the scientific and philosophical theories surrounding this debate. --All life on Earth— living and inanimate, microscopic and cosmic— is governed by mathematical laws with apparently arbitrary constants. And this opens up a question: If the universe is completely governed by these laws, couldn’t a powerful enough...

Explore the three strategies governments and communities can use to contain and end a pandemic, and find out which method is best.--Consider the following scenario: a highly infectious, sometimes deadly respiratory virus infects humans for the first time. It spreads rapidly worldwide, and the WHO declares a pandemic. The death toll starts to rise and everyone is asking the same question: when will...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/from-dna-to-silly-putty-the-diverse-world-of-polymers-jan-mattinglyYou are made of polymers, and so are trees and telephones and toys. A polymer is a long chain of identical molecules (or monomers) with a range of useful properties, like toughness or stretchiness -- and it turns out, we just can't live without them. Polymers occur both naturally -- our D...

Explore Dante Alighieri’s epic poem, “Divine Comedy,” a 3-part narrative that follows Dante’s journey for salvation through Hell.--“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here…” Inscribed above the Gate of Hell, this prophecy sets into motion an epic journey for salvation. Written over 10 years, Dante Alighieri’s three-part narrative poem “Divine Comedy” is both an allegorical imagining of the soul’s jour...

It's never easy to get across the magnitude of complex tragedies -- so when Brenda Brathwite's daughter came home from school asking about slavery, she did what she does for a living -- she designed a game. At TEDxPhoenix she describes the surprising effectiveness of this game, and others, in helping the player really understand the story. (Filmed at TEDxPhoenix.)Talk by Brenda Braithwaite. Learn...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-sequence-the-human-genome-mark-j-kielYour genome, every human's genome, consists of a unique DNA sequence of A's, T's, C's and G's that tell your cells how to operate. Thanks to technological advances, scientists are now able to know the sequence of letters that makes up an individual genome relatively quickly and inexpensively. Mark J. Kiel takes...

Follow Quexo, a Peruvian shaman, as he searches for cinnabar to complete a special ritual that will protect his village from winter storms.--The year is 1400 BCE. At the temple of the fisherman, the morning is unusually still and this is just the latest in a series of troubling signs for Quexo, the village shaman. The villagers live off the sea, but this year the winds have died and the fish have...

The adventure continues! Episode 2: Ethic and Hedge search for the leader of the Resistance. Can they solve the puzzles blocking their way? --This is episode 2 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 t...

Get to know the life and works of painter and sculptor Georgia O’Keeffe, whose art became a cornerstone of American Modernism. --Feeling disconnected from creating art within classical conventions, artist Georgia O’Keeffe began experimenting with abstract drawings that defied easy classification. Using the shapes and rhythms of nature to capture her internal world, these experiments became the cor...

The circumstances of our lives may matter less than how we see them, says Rory Sutherland. At TEDxAthens, he makes a compelling case for how reframing is the key to happiness. (Filmed at TEDxAthens.)Talk by Rory Sutherland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-makes-us-feel-good-about-our-work-dan-arielyWhat motivates us to work? Contrary to conventional wisdom, it isn't just money. But it's not exactly joy either. It seems that most of us thrive by making constant progress and feeling a sense of purpose. Behavioral economist Dan Ariely presents two eye-opening experiments that reveal our unexpected and n...

Hans Rosling had a question: Do some religions have a higher birth rate than others -- and how does this affect global population growth? Speaking at the TEDxSummit in Doha, Qatar, he graphs data over time and across religions. With his trademark humor and sharp insight, Hans reaches a surprising conclusion on world fertility rates. Talk by Hans Rosling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg...

An animated poem exploring how the Covid-19 pandemic has reminded us of the importance of living in harmony with nature. #WorldEnvironmentDay--As millions around the world shelter at home, the smog melts away, the birds sing, and the waters run clear. What if we used this moment in our lives and in history as an opportunity to jumpstart the rebirth and rewilding of our planet when we go back to wo...

How can factors like inflation, supply and demand, and interest rates trigger recessions? Learn the economic basics of modern markets.--For millennia, the people of Britain had been using bronze to make tools and jewelry, and as a currency for trade. But around 800 BCE, that began to change: the value of bronze declined, causing social upheaval and an economic crisis— what we would call a recessio...