TED-Ed

Like an actor's script, a sheet of music instructs a musician on what to play (the pitch) and when to play it (the rhythm). Sheet music may look complicated, but once you've gotten the hang of a few simple elements like notes, bars and clefs, you're ready to rock. Tim Hansen hits the instrumental basics you need to read music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A decade ago, Robin Chase founded Zipcar in the US, now the largest car-sharing company in the world. Now she's exploring the next level of car-sharing: Buzzcar, a French startup that lets people rent their own cars to others. The details are fascinating (how does insurance work, exactly?), and the larger vision (she calls it Peers, Inc.) points to a new definition of ownership and entrepreneurshi...

Explore what happens in the brain to trigger procrastination, and what strategies you can use to break the cycle of this harmful practice.--The report you’ve been putting off is due tomorrow. It’s time to buckle down, open your computer ... and check your phone. Maybe watch your favorite YouTube channel? Or maybe you should just start in the morning? This is the cycle of procrastination. So, why d...

Leslie Morgan Steiner was in "crazy love" -- that is, madly in love with a man who routinely abused her and threatened her life. Steiner tells the dark story of her relationship, correcting misconceptions many people hold about victims of domestic violence, and explaining how we can all help break the silence. (Filmed at TEDxRainier.)Talk by Leslie Morgan Steiner. Learn more about your ad choices....

Dig into different strategies that can improve your listening skills so you can become a high quality listener.--It’s easy to tell when someone’s not paying attention, but it can be surprisingly tricky to know what good listening looks like. Good listening is one of the most important things we can do to improve our relationships, develop our worldview, and potentially change people’s minds. So wh...

Imagine you're a shipwrecked sailor adrift in the enormous Pacific. You can choose one of three directions and save yourself and your shipmates -- but each choice comes with a fearful consequence too. How do you choose? In telling the story of the whaleship Essex, novelist Karen Thompson Walker shows how fear propels imagination, as it forces us to imagine the possible futures and how to cope with...

Explore the different types of capitalism, how they operate, and how they impact issues like climate change and rising inequality.--People have become increasingly worried that the threats we face today, like climate change and rising inequality, can’t be solved by a capitalist economic system. So, is that true? And if it is, can we fix capitalism or do we need to tear the system down and build a...

Explore the history of the European plague doctor, and find out where their iconic outfit of a beaked mask and robe came from.--The year is 1656. Your body is wracked by violent chills. Your head pounds and you're too weak to sit up. In your feverish state, you see a strange-looking man wearing a beak-like mask, his body covered from head to toe. Without seeing his face, you know: you have the pla...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/your-brain-can-solve-algorithms-david-j-malanAn algorithm is a mathematical method of solving problems both big and small. Though computers run algorithms constantly, humans can also solve problems with algorithms. David J. Malan explains how algorithms can be used in seemingly simple situations and also complex ones. Lesson by David J. Malan, animation...

Find out what’s happening in the brain when you have a migraine and what we still don’t know about this complex disorder.--A throbbing, pounding headache. Bright zigzagging lines across your field of vision. Sensitivity to light, lingering fatigue, disrupted sleep. While an incapacitating headache is one of the most common symptoms, a migraine can include any of these experiences. So what exactly...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/pros-and-cons-of-public-opinion-polls-jason-robert-jaffeHow do public opinion polls work? And, more importantly, are they accurate? Jason Robert Jaffe reveals the complexities and biases of polls and provides tips on how to think about polls as we make everyday decisions. Lesson by Jason Robert Jaffe, animation by Flaming Medusa Studios. Learn more about...

Explore how scientists are developing a flu vaccine that would protect you against every strain— even ones that don’t exist yet.--There’s a vaccine being developed now that would protect you against every strain of the flu— even ones that don’t exist yet. But influenza is constantly mutating, so is a universal vaccine even possible? And how do you design a vaccine that will be effective against fu...

James Glattfelder studies complexity: how an interconnected system -- say, a swarm of birds -- is more than the sum of its parts. And complexity theory, it turns out, can reveal a lot about how the economy works. Glattfelder shares a groundbreaking study of how control flows through the global economy, and how concentration of power in the hands of a shockingly small number leaves us all vulnerabl...

Explore the model known as doughnut economics, which aims to meet the needs of people without overshooting Earth's ecological limits.--Can we call any economy “healthy” in the face of dwindling resources and growing inequality? What if we cut off our addiction to endless growth, and used a new compass for modern prosperity? One such compass is known as “doughnut economics,” which aims to meet the...

Travel into the brain to see what happens when you fall in love and explore how the brain responds to heartbreak.--Love is often described as heartwarming, heart-wrenching, or even heartbreaking— and your brain is responsible for all these feelings. The journey from first spark to the last tear is guided by a symphony of neurochemicals and brain systems. Shannon Odell explores what happens in your...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/a-universal-translator-for-surgeons-steven-schwaitzbergLaparoscopic surgery uses minimally invasive incisions -- which means less pain and shorter recovery times for patients. But Steven Schwaitzberg has run into two problems teaching these techniques to surgeons around the world -- language and distance. He shares how a new technology, which combines vi...

Puzzle through a classic ethical dilemma and decide: how do we determine the value of a life, whether human or non-human?--To protect against a possible resurgence of smallpox, the US government is funding research to improve treatments and vaccines. And since it’s unethical to expose people to a highly lethal virus, labs are using monkeys as research subjects. But is it right to harm these animal...

Filmed at TED 2012.View on TED-Ed blog: http://blog.ed.ted.com/2013/05/16/ladies-and-gentlemen-the-hobart-shakespereans/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-brilliance-of-bioluminescence-leslie-kennaSome lucky animals are naturally endowed with bioluminescence, or the ability to create light. The firefly, the anglerfish, and a few more surprising creatures use this ability in many ways, including survival, hunting, and mating. Leslie Kenna investigates this magical glow - and our quest to replicate it. L...

Dig into the construction of the Taj Mahal, a mausoleum that Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan had built for his wife Mumtaz Mahal.--It’s 1631. Mumtaz Mahal, beloved wife of Emperor Shah Jahan, is giving birth to their 14th child. A healthy girl is born, but Mumtaz dies soon after. Sobbing uncontrollably, the emperor decides to build a tomb worthy of his queen: a replica of paradise to embody their love a...

Get to know the story of Palmares, an autonomous settlement founded by people escaping slavery in Brazil in the 1600s.--In the 1600s, an expansive autonomous settlement called Palmares reached its height in Brazil. It was founded and led by people escaping from slavery, also called maroons. It was one of the world’s largest maroon communities, its population reaching beyond 10,000— and its citizen...

David Logan talks about the five kinds of tribes that humans naturally form -- in schools, workplaces, even the driver's license bureau. By understanding our shared tribal tendencies, we can help lead each other to become better individuals. (Filmed at TEDxUSC.)Talk by David Logan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/animation-basics-homemade-special-effects-ted-edAnimation is used everywhere to communicate big ideas--in movies, television, and media. Do you ever stop and wonder about the magic of it all? And have you ever wanted to create your own special effects? TED-Ed animators show just how easy (and fun) homemade special effects can be. Lesson and animation by...

Sign up for our newsletter and never miss an animation: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterHow did the young, wealthy women of Ancient Rome spend their days? Meet Domitia and her sister Domitia and her sister Domitia and her sister Domitia. Ray Laurence sketches the domestic life of leisure that these young girls lived, despite little recorded information on women from this otherwise well-documented era...

Explore what to do— and not to do— in order to deliver an authentic apology and make amends in a variety of situations.--Over the years, people have come up with some truly awful apologies. From classic non-apologies, to evasive excuses, and flimsy corporate promises, it’s all too easy to give a bad apology. Good apologies generally share certain elements, and considering these factors can help yo...