Penguins are odd birds. For one, they cannot fly (but they are amazing swimmers), and, contrary to popular belief, the majority of penguin populations live in warmer regions. But these beloved birds are in danger, with populations...

While plants don't really have the thumbs required for high-end cosplay, here are a few that have made a career of looking like something they're not.

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TED Fellow Alicia Eggert takes us on a visual tour of her work -- from a giant sculpture on an uninhabited island in Maine to an installation that inflates only when people hold hands to complete an electric current. Her work explores...

South African singer-songwriter Vusi Mahlasela dedicates his song, "Thula Mama," to all women -- and especially his grandmother.

* Viewer discretion advised. This video includes discussion of mature topics and may be inappropriate for some audiences. Everyone has an opinion about how to legislate sex work (whether to legalize it, ban it or even tax it) ... but...

Business in Africa is booming -- but international companies are missing out, says emerging markets expert Nomava Zanazo. Rushing in without knowing their customers, businesses underestimate Africans and make costly assumptions about...

Until recently, fossil evidence for modern humans has only gone back 200,000 years. A new discovery in Morocco and thermoluminescence dating may help extend that beyond 300,000 years. Chapters View all Homo sapiens 0:09...

For a long time, rogue waves (defined as waves that are greater than twice the height of surrounding waves) were thought to be a myth, like mermaids or the kraken, but recent developments in satellite imagery and oceanic instruments now...

* Viewer discretion advised. This video includes discussion of mature topics and may be inappropriate for some audiences. In 1996, Thordis Elva shared a teenage romance with Tom Stranger, an exchange student from Australia. After a...

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...

The only way we're going to make substantial progress on the challenging problems of our time is for business to drive the solutions, says social impact strategist Wendy Woods. In a data-packed talk, Woods shares a fresh way to assess...

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...

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...

The tale of a major global cultural phenomenon: Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle describes the spectacular arrival of fast-paced 20-20 cricket as it parallels the rise of modern India. He traces the game from its sleepy English roots to...

People have been migrating and transplanting since before recorded history, and understanding the reasons why people migrate can help explain some of the cultural, economic, and political patterns we see around the world. Today, we’re...

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...

In 2013, a treasure trove of unusual fossils were uncovered in a cave in South Africa, and researchers soon realized: these were the remains of a new species of ancient humans. Paleoanthropologist Juliet Brophy takes us inside the...

Daphne Koller is enticing top universities to put their most intriguing courses online for free -- not just as a service, but as a way to research how people learn. With Coursera (cofounded by Andrew Ng), each keystroke, quiz,...

Income and wealth inequality are two of the most debate issues in the world of economics. In this video we look at some of the most equal countries in the world to see what they are doing right

Off the coast of South Africa, a small group of orcas with an apparent taste for shark liver have been taking out great white sharks since at least 2017. And, honestly, that’s not even the strangest thing killer whales have been up to...

Although it is rarely fatal in wealthy countries, pneumonia kills more children each year than any other infectious disease. This program explains why the pneumococcus bacterium has run rampant in the underdeveloped world, and explores...

Learn more about the challenges that exist when it comes to doing business in South Africa. Yes, South Africa’s government has made a strong commitment to privatization and has been striving to attract foreign investment, but the country...

South Africans tend to be rather formal when you first meet them. But as long as you stick to the norms of behavior accepted in most places, interacting and living with them should be relatively easy. Cultural norms differ from one...

Entertaining at home is an extremely important part of the social life of South Africa. To participate fully, you need to be comfortable visiting people in their homes and adept at reciprocating. In keeping with the country’s generally...