TED Talks
TED: How to disagree productively and find common ground | Julia Dhar
Some days, it feels like the only thing we can agree on is that we can't agree -- on anything. Drawing on her background as a world debate champion, Julia Dhar offers three techniques to reshape the way we talk to each other so we can...
TED Talks
TED: Is civility a sham? | Teresa Bejan
What exactly is civility, and what does it require? In a talk packed with historical insights, political theorist Teresa Bejan explains how civility has been used as both the foundation of tolerant societies and as a way for political...
TED Talks
Andreas Schleicher: Use data to build better schools
How can we measure what makes a school system work? Andreas Schleicher walks us through the PISA test, a global measurement that ranks countries against one another -- then uses that same data to help schools improve. Watch to find out...
TED Talks
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: Aid versus trade
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the former finance minister of Nigeria, sums up four days of intense discussion on aid versus trade on the closing day of TEDGlobal 2007, and shares a personal story explaining her own commitment to this cause.
TED Talks
Emma Belcher: 3 questions we should ask about nuclear weapons
There are more than 10,000 nuclear weapons in existence today, each one capable of causing immense destruction. Why don't we talk about this threat as much as some other major issues? In this practical talk, nuclear security expert Emma...
TED Talks
Rob Reid: The $8 billion iPod
Comic author Rob Reid unveils Copyright Math (TM), a remarkable new field of study based on actual numbers from entertainment industry lawyers and lobbyists.
TED Talks
TED: A conservative's plea: Let's work together | Arthur Brooks
Conservatives and liberals both believe that they alone are motivated by love while their opponents are motivated by hate. How can we solve problems with so much polarization? In this talk, social scientist Arthur Brooks shares ideas for...
PBS
How the Turtle Got Its Shell
Where did turtles come from? And how did the they get their shells? The answers to these questions would eventually cause scientists to rethink the entire history of reptile evolution.
PBS
Are MP3s & Vinyl Better than Live Music?
If you've ever talked to a vinyl purist (or are one yourself) you know that people can be pretty passionate about what format is king when it comes to music. And based on how much people like to brag about what band they saw live and how...
SciShow
There Are Crystal Mirrors Hidden in Scallop Eyes
Sea creatures abound this week, as scientists make discoveries about scallop eyes and use models to help figure out the age old mystery, "Which came first, comb jellies or the sea sponge?”
SciShow
What Did the First Animal Look Like?
If you trace your way back along the tree of life, eventually you'd come face-to-face with the very first animal. But what exactly would that animal have looked like?
TED Talks
Michael Sandel: Why we shouldn't trust markets with our civic life
In the past three decades, says Michael Sandel, the US has drifted from a market economy to a market society; it's fair to say that an American's experience of shared civic life depends on how much money they have. (Three key examples:...
TED Talks
Pankaj Ghemawat: Actually, the world isn't flat
It may seem that we're living in a borderless world where ideas, goods and people flow freely from nation to nation. We're not even close, says Pankaj Ghemawat. With great data (and an eye-opening survey), he argues that there's a delta...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: How to turn protest into powerful change - Eric Liu
We live in an age of protest. On campuses, in public squares, on streets and social media, protestors around the world are challenging the status quo. But while protest is often necessary, is it sufficient? Eric Liu outlines three...
TED Talks
Mark Forsyth: What's a snollygoster? A short lesson in political speak
Most politicians choose their words carefully, to shape the reality they hope to create. But does it work? Etymologist Mark Forsyth shares a few entertaining word-origin stories from British and American history (for instance, did you...
TED Talks
TED: Why gun violence can't be our new normal | Dan Gross
It doesn't matter whether you love or hate guns; it's obvious that the uS would be a safer place if there weren't thousands of them sold every day without background checks. Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: History's "worst" nun | Theresa A. Yugar
Juana Ramírez de Asbaje sat before a panel of prestigious theologians, jurists, and mathematicians. They had been invited to test Juana's knowledge with the most difficult questions they could muster. But she successfully answered every...
Crash Course
Aesthetics: Crash Course Philosophy
How do art and morality intersect? Today we look at an ethically questionable work of art and discuss R. G. Collingwood’s view that art is best when it helps us live better lives. We’ll go over Aristotle’s concept of catharsis and how it...
TED Talks
TED: Gene editing can now change an entire species -- forever | Jennifer Kahn
CRISPR gene drives allow scientists to change sequences of DNA and guarantee that the resulting edited genetic trait is inherited by future generations, opening up the possibility of altering entire species forever. More than anything,...
SciShow
The Baffling Viruses That Infect... Other Viruses
Scientists have discovered viruses that infect viruses... virusception, if you will. Does this mean viruses qualify as life yet? Or are they still hanging out in the misfits drawer with sporks and Pluto?
Crash Course
The Economics of Immigration: Crash Course Econ
Is Immigration good or bad? Immigration is a touchy subject in the United States. The 2016 election has been filled with debate about the subject, and both proponents and opponents have lots of reasons for their stance. But, this is a...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Does grammar matter? - Andreea S. Calude
It can be hard sometimes, when speaking, to remember all of the grammatical rules that guide us when we're writing. When is it right to say the dog and mec and when should it be the dog and I? Does it even matter? Andreea S. Calude dives...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The infamous overpopulation bet: Simon vs. Ehrlich | Soraya Field Fiorio
In 1980, Paul Ehrlich and Julian Simon bet $1,000 on a question with stakes that couldn't be higher: would the earth run out of resources to sustain a growing human population? They bet $200 on the price of five metals. If the price of a...
TED Talks
How to have constructive conversations | Julia Dhar
We need to figure out how we go into conversations not looking for the victory, but the progress, says world debate champion Julia Dhar. In this practical talk, she shares three essential features of productive disagreements grounded in...