PBS
When Apes Conquered Europe
Today, our closest evolutionary relatives, the apes, live only in small pockets of Africa and Asia. But back in the Miocene epoch, apes occupied all of Europe. Why aren't there wild apes in Europe today?
TED Talks
Nina Jablonski: Skin color is an illusion
Nina Jablonski says that differing skin colors are simply our bodies' adaptation to varied climates and levels of UV exposure. Charles Darwin disagreed with this theory, but she explains, that's because he did not have access to NASA.
SciShow Kids
The Real Animals of Madagascar | Animal Science for Kids
Jessi and Squeaks introduce you to the amazing, unusual animals and plants from a place like nowhere else on earth: Madagascar!
TED Talks
Patrick Chappatte: The power of cartoons
In a series of witty punchlines, Patrick Chappatte makes a poignant case for the power of the humble cartoon. His projects in Lebanon, West Africa and Gaza show how, in the right hands, the pencil can illuminate serious issues and bring...
TED-Ed
3 bizarre (and delightful) ancient theories about bird migration | Lucy Cooke
In 1822, Count von Bothmer shot down a stork in Germany. However, the bird had already been impaled by a yard-long wooden spear. The stork had been speared in Africa and then flew over 2,500 km. This astonishing flight proved to be an...
SciShow
How Continent-Sized Dust Storms Form
In the future, we may see more continent-sized dust storms like the one nicknamed Godzilla, which crossed the Atlantic ocean in 2020. And since then, researchers have been looking into what caused such a colossal storm. If we can predict...
TED Talks
TED: Africa's path to clean mobility -- driven by motorcycles | Adetayo Bamiduro
A lack of infrastructure in parts of Africa has made unregulated, gas-powered motorcycle taxis widespread -- a system that gets people where they need to be, but heavily pollutes the air and excludes drivers from the formal economy. TED...
TED Talks
TED: Architecture that's built to heal | Michael Murphy
Architecture is more than a clever arrangement of bricks. In this eloquent talk, Michael Murphy shows how he and his team look far beyond the blueprint when they're designing. Considering factors from airflow to light, theirs is a...
Crash Course
Expansion and Resistance: Crash Course European History
In 19th century Europe, with nation building well under way, thoughts turned outward, toward empire. This week, we're looking at how Europeans expanded into Africa, Asia, and Oceania during the 1800s. You'll learn about China and the...
TED Talks
TED: Why it's too hard to start a business in Africa -- and how to change it | Magatte Wade
Many African countries are poor for a simple reason, says entrepreneur Magatte Wade: governments have created far too many obstacles to starting and running a business. In this passionate talk, Wade breaks down the challenges of doing...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Vultures: The acid-puking, plague-busting heroes of the ecosystem | Kenny Coogan
In the African grasslands, a gazelle suffering from tuberculosis takes its last breath. The animal's corpse threatens to infect the water, but for the vulture, this isn't a problem: it's a feast. With a stomach of steel that can digest...
TED Talks
TED: The future of the food ecosystem -- and the power of your plate | Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli
Many people across the world don't have access to healthy food -- while in other places tons of food go to waste. Social entrepreneur Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli thinks we can take bold steps to fix this problem. She lays out what it would...
Bozeman Science
Vaccines and Herd Immunity
In this video Paul Andersen explains how immune individuals in a population give the entire group a herd immunity. Concepts of immunity, vaccines, basic reproduction number, and herd immunity threshold are discussed.
SciShow Kids
Ostriches: The World's Biggest Birds! | Biology for Kids | SciShow Kids
There are all sorts of flying birds, but some of the world's biggest are ones that stick to the ground, like the awesome ostrich!
TED Talks
TED: What happens when an NGO admits failure | David Damberger
International aid groups make the same mistakes over and over again. David Damberger analyzes his own engineering failure in India -- and calls for his friends in the development sector to publicly admit, scrutinize and learn from their...
TED Talks
Louise Leakey: A dig for humanity's origins
Louise Leakey asks, "Who are we?" The question takes her to the Rift Valley in Eastern Africa, where she digs for the evolutionary origins of humankind -- and suggests a stunning new vision of our competing ancestors.
TED Talks
Mitchell Besser: Mothers helping mothers fight HIV
In sub-Saharan Africa, HIV infections are more prevalent and doctors scarcer than anywhere else in the world. With a lack of medical professionals, Mitchell Besser enlisted the help of his patients to create mothers2mothers -- an...
TED Talks
TED: How we can make crops survive without water | Jill Farrant
As the world's population grows and the effects of climate change come into sharper relief, we'll have to feed more people using less arable land. Molecular biologist Jill Farrant studies a rare phenomenon that may help: "resurrection...
TED Talks
TED: We should all be feminists | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
* Viewer discretion advised. This video includes discussion of mature topics and may be inappropriate for some audiences. We teach girls that they can have ambition, but not too much ... to be successful, but not too successful, or...
Crash Course
Nonviolence and Peace Movements: Crash Course World History 228
In which John Green teaches you about nonviolence and peace movements in the 20th century. What is nonviolence? What is a peace movement? Well. traditionally, humans often resort to violence when they come into conflict. In the 20th...
Crash Course Kids
Water Water Everywhere
So you know about Freshwater and Saltwater now and you know that there's not that much Freshwater for us (and other life) to get to. So how do different animals deal with different amounts of water where they live? In this episode of...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The biggest mistakes in mapmaking history | Kayla Wolf
For thousands of years, people made both functional maps and what are known as cosmographies, illustrating the earth and its position in the cosmos, often including constellations, gods, and mythic locations. These maps were meant to...
TED Talks
TED: Being young and making an impact | Natalie Warne
At 18, Natalie Warne's work with the Invisible Children movement made her a hero for young activists. She uses her inspiring story to remind us that no one is too young to change the world.
SciShow
Why Was the Islamic Golden Age of Science… Golden?
Around 750-1250 CE, the Islamic empire made incredible scientific advancements that still influence many fields of research today. What we know about some of the great minds of that time, as well as what we’ve learned from modern...