TED-Ed
TED-ED: The scientific origins of the Minotaur - Matt Kaplan
The myth of the Minotaur tells the story of an enraged beast forever wandering the corridors of a damp labyrinth, filled with a rage so intense that its deafening roar shakes the earth. But is this story just fiction, or an attempt of...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: The complicated history of surfing - Scott Laderman
Today, surfing is a multi-billion-dollar global industry, with tens of millions of enthusiasts worldwide. For some it's a serious sport; for others, just a way to let loose. But despite its casual association with fun and sun, surfing...
SciShow
Viking Sunstones and Mummy Health Secrets
Today on SciShow news, dead person wisdom is helping enrich our understanding of the natural world - how did Vikings manage to be such awesome navigators? And is heart disease inherent in human beings? Scientists think mummies may have...
SciShow
The Real Mayan Apocalypse
There are just six weeks left until the celestial odometer that is the Mayan calendar clicks over to the next b'akt'un, but in the meantime, scientists have been trying to solve the mystery behind the collapse of the Mayan civilization....
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Why is Aristophanes called "The Father of Comedy"? - Mark Robinson
Aristophanes, often referred to as the Father of Comedy, wrote the world's earliest surviving comic dramas. They're stuffed full of parodies, songs, sexual jokes and surreal fantasy -- and they've shaped how comedy's been written and...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How do dogs "see" with their noses? - Alexandra Horowitz
You may have heard the expression that dogs 'see with their noses.' But these creature's amazing nasal architecture actually reveals a whole world beyond what we can see. Alexandra Horowitz illustrates how the dog's nose can smell the...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Ugly History: The 1937 Haitian Massacre - Edward Paulino
When historians talk about the atrocities of the 20th century, we often think of those that took place during and between the two World Wars. But two months before the Rape of Nanking in China, and a year before Kristallnacht in Germany,...
TED Talks
Jeffrey Kluger: The sibling bond
Were you the favorite child, the wild child or the middle child? Jeffrey Kluger explores the profound life-long bond between brothers and sisters, and the influence of birth order, favoritism and sibling rivalry.
SciShow
Why Do We Have Such Crooked Teeth?
A lot of humans need or want braces to fix their crooked teeth, but why do you never see a dog walking down the street with headgear? Our ancient ancestors and mac and cheese may be to blame!
TED-Ed
TED-ED: The world's most mysterious book - Stephen Bax
Deep inside Yale's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library lies a 240 page tome. Recently carbon dated to around 1420, its pages feature looping handwriting and hand drawn images seemingly stolen from a dream. It is called the Voynich...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: What is the tragedy of the commons? - Nicholas Amendolare
Is it possible that overfishing, super germs, and global warming are all caused by the same thing? In 1968, a man named Garrett Hardin sat down to write an essay about overpopulation. Within it, he discovered a pattern of human behavior...
SciShow
Denisovans: Our Mysterious Cousins That Made Us Better
During most of the past 2 million years or so, there were several species of hominins on Earth at any given time. Like, you might be familiar with our famous extinct cousins, the Neanderthals. But since 2010 we’ve been uncovering...
SciShow
The Past, Present, and Future of Human Evolution | Compilation
Humanity has changed a lot since the days of our ancestral species, and we have continued evolution to look forward to as well.
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: At what moment are you dead? - Randall Hayes
For as far back as we can trace our existence, humans have been fascinated with death and resurrection. But is resurrection really possible? And what is the actual difference between a living creature and a dead body anyway? Randall...
TED Talks
TED: An invitation to reexamine your familiar world | Gillian Tett
Before entering the world of financial journalism, Gillian Tett was a cultural anthropologist who studied how the past influences our present thoughts and behaviors. In an entertaining talk, she shows how you can use an anthropological...
SciShow
Hotter Than Death Valley | Weird Places
With acidic puddles, lava lakes, and one of the most important early hominid discoveries, the Danakil Depression is home to all of the extremes.
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Why do people join cults? - Janja Lalich
Today, there are thousands of cults around the world. Broadly speaking, a cult is a group or movement with a shared commitment to a usually extreme ideology that's typically embodied in a charismatic leader. But what exactly...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: A day in the life of an ancient Athenian - Robert Garland
It's 427 BCE and the worst internal conflict ever to occur in the ancient Greek world is in its fourth year. Athens is facing a big decision: what to do with the people of Mytilene, a city on the island of Lesbos where a revolt against...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Vampires: Folklore, fantasy and fact - Michael Molina
The myth of the bloodsucking vampire has stalked humans from ancient Mesopotamia to 18th-century Eastern Europe, but it has differed in the terrifying details. So, how did we arrive at the popular image we know, love and fear today? And...
TED Talks
TED: Why the "wrong side of the tracks" is usually the east side of cities | Stephen DeBerry
What do communities on the social, economic and environmental margins have in common? For one thing, they tend to be on the east sides of cities. In this short talk about a surprising insight, anthropologist and venture capitalist...
TED Talks
Zeresenay Alemseged: The search for humanity's roots
Paleoanthropologist Zeresenay Alemseged looks for the roots of humanity in Ethiopia's badlands. Here he talks about finding the oldest skeleton of a humanoid child -- and how Africa holds the clues to our humanity.
SciShow
Ecosystems Around the Globe Contain Echoes of Past Peoples
There’s a common misconception that humans of the past lived in harmony with their environments and left them “pristine and untouched.” However, there is plenty of evidence that these relationships were much more complicated
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: A day in the life of an ancient Egyptian doctor - Elizabeth Cox
It's another sweltering morning in Memphis, Egypt. As the sunlight brightens the Nile, Peseshet checks her supplies. Honey, garlic, cumin, acacia leaves, cedar oil -- she's well stocked with the essentials she needs to treat her...
TED Talks
Robin Nagle: What I discovered in New York City trash
New York City residents produce 11,000 tons of garbage every day. Every day! This astonishing statistic is just one of the reasons Robin Nagle started a research project with the city's Department of Sanitation. She walked the routes,...