TED Talks
TED: The evolution of compassion | Robert Wright
Robert Wright uses evolutionary biology and game theory to explain why we appreciate the Golden Rule ("Do unto others..."), why we sometimes ignore it and why there’s hope that, in the near future, we might all have the compassion to...
TED Talks
TED: How the teddy bear taught us compassion | Jon Mooallem
In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt legendarily spared the life of a black bear -- and prompted a plush toy craze for so-called "teddy bears." Writer Jon Mooallem digs into this toy story and asks us to consider how the tales we tell...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Pros and cons of public opinion polls - Jason Robert Jaffe
How 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.
Crash Course
Growth, Cities, and Immigration Crash Course US History
In which John Green teaches you about the massive immigration to the United States during the late 19th and early 20th century. Immigrants flocked to the US from all over the world in this time period. Millions of Europeans moved to the...
Crash Course
North America Gets a Theater...Riot: Crash Course Theater #29
It's lights up in America! This week, we're headed to North America. We'll look at Native American storytelling traditions, the theater that Europeans brought along starting in the 17th century, and how theater developed before and after...
TED Talks
George Takei: Why I love a country that once betrayed me
When he was a child, George Takei and his family were forced into an internment camp for Japanese-Americans, as a "security" measure during World War II. 70 years later, Takei looks back at how the camp shaped his surprising, personal...
TED Talks
TED: Me Too is a movement, not a moment | Tarana Burke
In 2006, Tarana Burke was consumed by a desire to do something about the sexual violence she saw in her community. She took out a piece of paper, wrote "Me Too" across the top and laid out an action plan for a movement centered on the...
Crash Course
American Imperialism Crash Course US History
In which John Green teaches you about Imperialism. In the late 19th century, the great powers of Europe were running around the world obtaining colonial possessions, especially in Africa and Asia. The United States, which as a young...
Crash Course
Who Won the American Revolution Crash Course US History
In which John Green teaches you about the American Revolution. And the Revolutionary War. I know we've labored the point here, but they weren't the same thing. In any case, John will teach you about the major battles of the war, and...
Crash Course
The Seven Years War and the Great Awakening Crash Course US History
In which John Green teaches you about the beginnings of the American Revolution in a video titled The Seven Years War. Confusing? Maybe. John argues that the Seven Years War, which is often called the French and Indian War in the US,...
TED Talks
TED: The intended consequences of helping nature thrive | Ryan Phelan
From a special black-footed ferret to coral that can withstand warming waters, genetic rescue efforts that use genomics and synthetic biology are helping nature thrive. But despite the huge successes of this kind of intervention,...
Crash Course
18th Century Warfare: Crash Course European History
European powers had a lot of wars in the 18th century, and they weren't confined to Europe. Conflict raged across the globe, in what might be called a World War...but we don't call it that, because we already have a couple of those...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: The life cycle of a t-shirt - Angel Chang
Consider the classic white t-shirt. Annually, we sell and buy 2 billion t-shirts globally, making it one of the most common garments in the world. But how and where is the average t-shirt made, and what's its environmental impact? Angel...
TED Talks
Jay Walker: The world's English mania
Jay Walker explains why two billion people around the world are trying to learn English. He shares photos and spine-tingling audio of Chinese students rehearsing English -- "the world's second language" -- by the thousands.
TED Talks
TED: A visual history of social dance in 25 moves | Camille A. Brown
Why do we dance? African-American social dances started as a way for enslaved Africans to keep cultural traditions alive and retain a sense of inner freedom. They remain an affirmation of identity and independence. In this electric...
Crash Course
The Great Depression Crash Course US History
In which John Green teaches you about the Great Depression. So, everybody knows that the Great Depression started with the stock market crash in 1929, right? Not exactly. The Depression happened after the stock market crash, but wasn't...
TED Talks
Judith Jamison and members of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Revelations from a lifetime of dance
"Dance can elevate our human experience beyond words," says Judith Jamison, artistic director emerita of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In between performances of excerpts from Alvin Ailey's classic works "Revelations" and...
Be Smart
The Surprising Origin of Thanksgiving Foods
Ever wonder where your favorite Thanksgiving foods come from? Well the truth may be closer to home than you think.
PBS
Why Do We Love Zombies?
Zombies are EVERYWHERE!! Wait, don't panic- we mean in pop culture, not outside your window. But why is that? Bad guys and monsters seem to go through phases: one decade there's a dozen movies about aliens, ten years later it's vampires....
Crash Course
The Black Legend, Native Americans, and Spaniards Crash Course US History
In which John Green kicks off Crash Course US History! Why, you may ask, are we covering US History, and not more World History, or the history of some other country, or the very specific history of your home region? Well, the reasons...
SciShow
The Science of Chocolate
While you unwrap that luscious truffle, let Hank explain the science of chocolate -- where it comes from, what its active ingredient is, and how it works. Also learn the difference between chocolate, cocoa, cacao and coca, so you really...
TED Talks
Photographs of secret sites - Taryn Simon
* Viewer discretion advised. This video includes discussion of mature topics and may be inappropriate for some audiences. Taryn Simon exhibits her startling take on photography -- to reveal worlds and people we would never see otherwise....
MinutePhysics
Open Letter to the President - Physics Education
Open Letter to the President - Physics Education
TED Talks
David Ikard: The real story of Rosa Parks -- and why we need to confront myths about black history
Black history taught in US schools is often watered-down, riddled with inaccuracies and stripped of its context and rich, full-bodied historical figures. Equipped with the real story of Rosa Parks, professor David Ikard highlights how...