TED Talks
Daniele Quercia: Happy maps
Mapping apps help us find the fastest route to where we’re going. But what if we’d rather wander? Researcher Daniele Quercia demos “happy maps” that take into account not only the route you want to take, but how you want to feel along...
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 Talks
TED: Don't call people out -- call them in | Loretta J. Ross
We live in a call-out culture, says activist and scholar Loretta J. Ross. You're probably familiar with it: the public shaming and blaming, on social media and in real life, of people who may have done wrong and are being held...
TED Talks
Eric Liu: How to revive your belief in democracy
Civic evangelist Eric Liu shares a powerful way to rekindle the spirit of citizenship and the belief that democracy still works. Join him for a trip to "Civic Saturday" and learn more about how making civic engagement a weekly habit can...
SciShow
Why Do People Join Cults?
It’s easy to assume that people who join cults have something wrong with them, but usually the people who join cults are just like the rest of us. So, how does it happen?
Curated Video
The Cult I Grew Up In | British Israelism Debunked
I grew up in the Worldwide Church of God cult, founded by Herbert W. Armstrong. In this video, I discuss one of the cult's main beliefs - British Israelism - and why it is wrong.
Brainwaves Video Anthology
Frank Abe - Teachers Make a Difference - Frank Chin
Frank AB was mentored by playwright Frank Chin, which introduced him to Asian-American literature and culture. This experience inspired Frank to focus on recovering and understanding authentic Asian-American cultural sensibilities. He...
Curated Video
The Lindisfarne Gospels and the Legacy of Saint Cuthbert
The Christian heritage of Lindisfarne dates back nearly 1,400 years, beginning with the construction of a monastery in AD 635. This site, most closely associated with Saint Cuthbert, became a significant religious center, and it was here...
PBS
How Bloody Mary Turns Fear Into Fun
By some accounts, she’s hideously mutilated but in others she is beautiful but bloody—more commonly though—every aspect of her appearance is vague. There’s even versions where she was a witch burned at the stake in Salem. In some...
Great Big Story
She Escaped a Cult and Now Helps Others
Discover the story of a former FLDS member and her mission to provide refuge and support for those leaving the polygamist sect.
Curated Video
The Mysteries of Easter Island
European explorers first visited Easter Island in 1722. They were astonished by the giant statues across the island. Situated 2,000 kilometres west of South America it is one of the most remote populated islands in the world.
Curated Video
Introduction to F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby is, at it's core, a novel about the American Dream. It takes place during the 1920s, a period that epitomized America's pursuit of freedom and prosperity but also revealed the fragility of that dream. This video...
PBS
Why Are We Obsessed with Cults?
What is it about cults that captures the public imagination? Why are we so interested in the stories of Jonestown, Charles Manson, and Patty Hearst? Today Danielle explores how these groups entered the public consciousness and why we...
The Guardian
How Ukip normalised far-right politics
Since the Brexit vote in 2016, Ukip is no longer primarily concerned with attacking the EU. Now led by Gerard Batten, the party has started to normalise far-right ideas and has given roles to figures including Tommy Robinson. The...
The Guardian
How 'voodoo' became a metaphor for evil
Voodoo' has come to represent something evil when it appears in popular culture. 'Black magic', witchcraft – it's always portrayed as something to be feared. But in reality, Vodou, as it's correctly written, is an official religion...
Curated Video
Scientific Sibyls
Historian Darrin McMahon, Dartmouth College, describes how the 19th-century psychological view known as “degeneration theory” went a considerable distance towards confirming the ancient religious, prophetic notion of a “mad genius” in...
Jabzy
The Last Slave Owners in the US | Native American Slavery, 5 Civilized Tribes, Trail of Tears
The Last Slave Owners in the US | Native American Slavery, 5 Civilized Tribes, Trail of Tears
Hip Hughes History
19th Century Utopism: The Oneida Community
Take a looksy at a free love commune of the 19th century, the Oneida Community in the heart of NY State.
Curated Video
Nefertiti and Akhenaten part 2: Religious Upheaval and Worship of Aten
Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti moved the capital of Egypt from Thebes to Akhataten (modern day Amarna) and introduced the worship of a single God, Aten - the sun disk. This replaced the old gods worshiped by the Egyptians for...
Curated Video
Nefertiti and Akhenaten part 5: Return to Amun
The decades following Akhenaten and Nefertiti's rule were politically and financially tumultuous for Egypt. Subsequent rulers such as Tutankhamun and Horemheb moved away from the worship of Aten and blamed their struggles on misguided...
Curated Video
Italy, Rome, Roman Forum - Temple of Castor and Pollux
The Temple of Castor and Pollux in the Roman Forum, Rome, was originally built in 484 BC and rebuilt by Tiberius in 6 AD. Three columns and part of the architrave stand today. Castor and Pollux were the Dioscuri, the "twins" of Gemini,...
Religion for Breakfast
Modern Paganism and Modern Pilgrimage in Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a small city in Massachusetts, most famous for being the site of the Salem Witch Trials. Because of this dubious history, Salem has become a hub for New Religious Movements. Tens of thousands of people travel there in October...
Curated Video
Italy, Pompeii the buried city
Researchers believe that the town was founded in the 7th or 6th century BC by the Osci or Oscans. It came under the domination of Rome in the 4th century BC, and was conquered and became a Roman colony in 80 BC after it joined an...
Religion for Breakfast
Is There Any Difference Between a Cult and a Religion?
You've heard the term "cult" before. It conjures images of authoritarian leaders and sheep-like followers. Many people claim that some religious groups are not religions at all...but rather..."cults." But is there any real difference...