TED-Ed
TED-Ed: What causes seizures, and how can we treat them? | Christopher E. Gaw
Nearly 3,000 years ago, a Babylonian tablet described a curious illness called "miqtu" that caused symptoms ranging from facial twitching to full body convulsions. Today we know miqtu as seizures, and modern medicine has developed...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: What happened to the lost Kingdom of Kush? | Geoff Emberling
Along the Nile River, in what is now northern Sudan, lay the ancient civilization of Kush. Though they were once conquered by a powerful neighbor, the kings and queens of Kush would go on to successfully challenge two of the most...
Crash Course
Civil Rights and the 1950s Crash Course US History
In which John Green teaches you about the early days of the Civil Rights movement. By way of providing context for this, John also talks a bit about wider America in the 1950s. The 1950s are a deeply nostalgic period for many Americans,...
Crash Course
Mansa Musa and Islam in Africa Crash Course World History
In which John Green teaches you about Sub-Saharan Africa! So, what exactly was going on there? It turns out, it was a lot of trade, converting to Islam, visits from Ibn Battuta, trade, beautiful women, trade, some impressive...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Iceland's superpowered underground volcanoes | Jean-Baptiste P. Koehl
While the weather in Iceland is often cold, wet, and windy, a nearly endless supply of heat bubbles away below the surface. In fact, almost every building in the country is heated by geothermal energy in a process with virtually no...
Crash Course
World War II Part 1 Crash Course US History
In which John Green teaches you about World War II, a subject so big, it takes up two episodes. This week, John will teach you how the United States got into the war, and just how involved America was before Congress actually declared...
Crash Course
The Progressive Era Crash Course US History
In which John Green teaches you about the Progressive Era in the United States. In the late 19th and early 20th century in America, there was a sense that things could be improved upon. A sense that reforms should be enacted. A sense...
Crash Course
USA vs USSR Fight! The Cold War Crash Course World History
In which John Green teaches you about the Cold War, which was occasionally hot, but on average, it was just cool. In the sense of its temperature. It was by no means cool, man. After World War II, there were basically two big...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The secret society of the Great Dismal Swamp | Dan Sayers
Straddling Virginia and North Carolina is an area that was once described as the "most repulsive of American possessions." By 1728, it was known as the Great Dismal Swamp. But while many deemed it uninhabitable, recent findings suggest...
Crash Course
America in World War I Crash Course US History
In which John Green teaches you about American involvement in World War I, which at the time was called the Great War. They didn't know there was going to be a second one, though they probably should have guessed, 'cause this one didn't...
Crash Course
Ancient Egypt Crash Course World History
In which John covers the long, long history of ancient Egypt, including the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms, and even a couple of intermediate periods. Learn about mummies, pharaohs, pyramids and the Nile with John Green.
Crash Course
Christianity from Judaism to Constantine Crash Course World History
In which John Green teaches you the history of Christianity, from the beginnings of Judaism and the development of monotheism, right up to Paul and how Christianity stormed the Roman Empire in just a few hundred years. Along the way,...
TED Talks
Vik Muniz: Art with wire, sugar, chocolate and string
Vik Muniz makes art from pretty much anything, be it shredded paper, wire, clouds or diamonds. Here he describes the thinking behind his work and takes us on a tour of his incredible images.
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-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...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Pedro Brugarolas: Why do hospitals have particle accelerators?
Is there a way to detect diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's before they advance too far? Doctors are using injected radioactive drugs that circulate through the body and act as a beacon for PET scanners. These diagnostic tools can...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How do you know if you have a virus? | Cella Wright
A new virus emerges and spreads like wildfire. In order to contain it, researchers must first collect data about who's been infected. Two main viral testing techniques are critical: one tells you if you have the virus and the other shows...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Why is pneumonia so dangerous? | Eve Gaus and Vanessa Ruiz
Every time you breathe, air travels down the trachea, through a series of channels, and then reaches little clusters of air sacs in the lungs. These tiny sacs facilitate a crucial exchange: allowing oxygen from the air we breathe into...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Hacking bacteria to fight cancer | Tal Danino
In 1884, an unlucky patient who had a rapidly growing cancer in his neck came down with an unrelated bacterial skin infection. As he recovered from the infection, the cancer surprisingly began to recede. The infection had stimulated the...
TED-Ed
This tool will help improve your critical thinking | Erick Wilberding
Socrates, one of the founding fathers of Western philosophical thought, was on trial. Many believed he was an enemy of the state, accusing the philosopher of corrupting the youth and refusing to recognize their gods. But Socrates wasn't...
TED-Ed
The material that could change the world... for a third time | TED-Ed
Today roads, sidewalks, bridges, and skyscrapers are made of a material called concrete. There's three tons of it for every person on Earth. It's also played a surprisingly large role in rising global temperatures over the last century....
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Can you solve the sorting hat riddle? | Dan Katz and Alex Rosenthal
It's your first day at Magnificent Marigold's Magical Macademy. But before you can learn your first spell you must get through the sorting ceremony. And the sorting hat has chosen you for a special challenge. The Macademy had 8 founders...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Is marijuana bad for your brain? | Anees Bahji
In 1970, marijuana was classified as a schedule 1 drug in the United States: the strictest designation possible, meaning it was completely illegal and had no recognized medical uses. Today, marijuana's therapeutic benefits are widely...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Why should you read "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding? | Jill Dash
After witnessing the atrocities of his fellow man in World War II, William Golding was losing his faith in humanity. Later, during the Cold War, as superpowers began threatening one another with nuclear annihilation, he was forced to...