Curated Video
Social Orders and Creation Stories: Crash Course World Mythology
In which Mike Rugnetta sits you down for a little talk about myth as a way to construct or reinforce social orders. Specifically, we're going to look today at stories from around the world that establish or amplify the idea that the...
Crash Course
What Is Myth? Crash Course World Mythology
Welcome to Crash Course World Mythology, our latest adventure (and this series may be literally adventurous) in education. Over the next 40 episodes or so, we and Mike Rugnetta are going to learn about the world by looking at the...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The Greek myth of Talos, the first robot | Adrienne Mayor
Hephaestus, god of technology, was hard at work on his most ingenious invention yet. He was creating a new defense system for King Minos, who wanted fewer intruders on his island kingdom of Crete. But mortal guards and ordinary weapons...
SciShow
Where Did Werewolf Myths Come From
Werewolves might not be real, but the myths about them could have come from real scientific phenomena, like a misunderstanding of certain illnesses.
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How Thor got his hammer - Scott A. Mellor
Loki the mischief-maker, writhes in Thor’s iron grip. The previous night, he’d snuck up on Thor’s wife and shorn off her beautiful hair. To fix what he’d done, Loki rushes to the dwarves and tricks them into making gifts for the gods....
SciShow
Calendars, Codes & Virgins: 3 Myths About the Maya
Hank talks about the Maya, and helps dispel some myths about their historic civilization, revealing how, ultimately, they were just like us: smart, flawed, and awesome.
Crash Course
Cosmic Sexy Time, Eggs, Seeds, and Water: Crash Course World Mythology
In which Mike teaches you about the creation of the universe, with sex. This week we're talking about creations stories from Egypt, West Africa, Greece, China, and Persia that have a lot in common with human sexual reproduction. And also...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Making sense of irrational numbers - Ganesh Pai
Like many heroes of Greek myths, the philosopher Hippasus was rumored to have been mortally punished by the gods. But what was his crime? Did he murder guests or disrupt a sacred ritual? No, Hippasus's transgression was mathematically...
Crash Course
Earth Mothers and Rebellious Sons - Creation Part 3: Crash Course World Mythology
So, we're still talking about sex this week, but we're talking about Earth Mothers and their children. We'll start with Gaia, and her son Kronos, who had a classic childhood rebellion, and castrated his father. We'll also get into...
Crash Course
Indian Pantheons: Crash Course World Mythology
In which Mike Rugnetta continues our unit on pantheons with the complex Indian pantheon, focusing on stories that were written in Sanskrit. We start with a violent creation story. We talk about the concept of Brahman, and the...
SciShow
Are Multivitamins Really Good For You?
People spend billions of dollars every year trying to boost their health with multivitamins- but are they actually good for you?
Crash Course
Ragnarok: Crash Course World Mythology
Ragnarok! It's the end of the world, Norse style. It's got everything you want in an apocalypse. Earthquakes, destruction, armies of the dead, a giant evil wolf, giants with flaming swords, and a kind of happy ending. It's got it all....
Crash Course
The Norse Pantheon: Crash Course World Mythology
This week, we're headed north. To check out the gods of the Northmen. Or the Norse. That's right, we're talking Thor, Loki, Freyr, Freya, Odin, Frigg, Baldr, and Tyr. And Fenrir. And the Frost Giants. There's a lot to cover here, and...
Crash Course
Great Goddesses: Crash Course World Mythology
Great Goddesses: Crash Course World Mythology #13
Crash Course
Theories of Myth: Crash Course World Mythology
This week, we're talking about theories of Myth. We'll look at the different ways mythology has been studied in the last couple of millenia, and talk about the diffeent ways people have interpreted myth, academically.
SciShow
Will-o'-the-Wisps and 5 Other Mysteries Science Can Explain
The world doesn't have to be shrouded in mystery to be fascinating! Here are 6 mysteries that science has managed to solve. Chapters View all 1 THE KENTUCKY MEAT SHOWER 2:35 EASTER ISLAND HATS 3:18 EARTHQUAKE LIGHTS 5:53 4 SAILING STONES...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Shunan Teng: The Chinese myth of the white snake and the meddling monk
Xu Xian had just received an invitation to the opening ceremony of a new temple. His wife, Bai Su Zhen, warned him not to attend, but Xu Xian, a devout Buddhist, felt obligated to make an appearance. What they didn't know was that these...
Crash Course
Pantheons of the Ancient Mediterranean: Crash Course World Mythology
In which Mike Rugnetta begins our unit on pantheons, which are families of gods. We further define pantheons and talk about why they're important. Then, we discuss pantheons from the myths of the ancient Mediterranean, starting with...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: The science behind the myth: Homer's "Odyssey" - Matt Kaplan
Homer's "Odyssey" recounts the adventures of the Greek hero Odysseus during his journey home from the Trojan War. Though some parts may be based on real events, the encounters with monsters, giants and magicians are considered to be...
Crash Course
What Is Theater? Crash Course Theater #1
Welcome to Crash Course Theater with Mike Rugnetta! In this, our inaugural week, we're going to ask the two classic questions about theater. 1.What is theater? And 2. Is it spelled -re or -er? Well, there's a clue to question two in the...
Crash Course
Coyote and Raven, American Tricksters: Crash Course World Mythology
Mike Rugnetta continues to teach you about Tricksters in myth, and this time we're headed to the Americas. Coyote and Raven appear in stories from many Native American groups, and more often than not, they're tricky. They're also often...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The Maya myth of the morning star | TED-Ed
Chak Ek', the morning star, rose from the underworld to the surface of the eastern sea and on into the heavens. His brother K'in Ahaw, the sun, followed. Though Chak Ek' had risen first, K'in Ahaw outshone him, and the resentful Chak Ek'...
Crash Course
Mythical Caves and Gardens: Crash Course World Mythology
This week, Mike Rugnetta is teaching you about mythical gardens and caves, which appear in cultures all over the world. Caves and gardens can stand for different things, but in the two stories we're talking about today, they tie into the...