TED Talks
TED: The revolutionary power of diverse thought | elif Shafak
From populist demagogues, we will learn the indispensability of democracy, says novelist elif Shafak. "From isolationists, we will learn the need for global solidarity. And from tribalists, we will learn the beauty of cosmopolitanism." A...
SciShow
The Terrifying Promise of Robot Bugs
Imitating nature to build a better (or possibly more terrifying) future. We've been trying to build flapping-wing robots for hundreds of years, and now, ornithopters are finally being developed, and may be used mostly for military...
TED Talks
TED: This tennis icon paved the way for women in sports | Billie Jean King
Tennis legend Billie Jean King isn't just a pioneer of women's tennis -- she's a pioneer for women getting paid. In this freewheeling conversation, she talks about identity, the role of sports in social justice and the famous Battle of...
TED Talks
TED: Our unhealthy obsession with choice | Renata Salecl
We face an endless string of choices, which leads us to feel anxiety, guilt and pangs of inadequacy that we are perhaps making the wrong ones. But philosopher Renata Salecl asks: Could individual choices be distracting us from something...
TED Talks
Jane McGonigal: The game that can give you 10 extra years of life
When game designer Jane McGonigal found herself bedridden and suicidal following a severe concussion, she had a fascinating idea for how to get better. She dove into the scientific research and created the healing game, SuperBetter. In...
TED Talks
TED: The history of human emotions | Tiffany Watt Smith
The words we use to describe our emotions affect how we feel, says historian Tiffany Watt Smith, and they've often changed (sometimes very dramatically) in response to new cultural expectations and ideas. Take nostalgia, for instance:...
TED Talks
David Pogue: Simplicity sells
New York Times columnist David Pogue takes aim at technology’s worst interface-design offenders, and provides encouraging examples of products that get it right. To funny things up, he bursts into song.
TED Talks
Sheryl Sandberg: So we leaned in ... now what?
Sheryl Sandberg admits she was terrified to step onto the TED stage in 2010 -- because she was going to talk, for the first time, about the lonely experience of being a woman in the top tiers of business. Millions of views (and a...
SciShow
Spelunking in the Uncanny Valley
With all the CGI cat-humans going around on the internet these days, it’s hard to deny the sense of yikes known as the uncanny valley. But what exactly is this phenomenon, and why do we feel it when we do?
SciShow
Why Do We Sigh?
A sigh is often taken to be a sign of sadness, but it can indicate a lot more than that,or a lot less.
TED Talks
TED: A love letter to realism in a time of grief | Mark Pollock and Simone George
When faced with life's toughest circumstances, how should we respond: as an optimist, a realist or something else? In an unforgettable talk, explorer Mark Pollock and human rights lawyer Simone George explore the tension between...
SciShow
The UAE's Martian City on Earth
The United Arab Emirates is planning an enormous colony on Mars, but first they are building the biggest Mars simulator right here on earth.
TED Talks
Renée Lertzman: How to turn climate anxiety into action
It's normal to feel anxious or overwhelmed by climate change, says psychologist Renée Lertzman. Can we turn those feelings into something productive? In an affirming talk, Lertzman discusses the emotional effects of climate change and...
TED Talks
Dame Ellen MacArthur: The surprising thing I learned sailing solo around the world
What do you learn when you sail around the world on your own? When solo sailor Ellen MacArthur circled the globe – carrying everything she needed with her – she came back with new insight into the way the world works, as a place of...
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 Talks
Akash Manoj: A life-saving device that detects silent heart attacks
You probably know the common symptoms of a heart attack: chest and arm pain, shortness of breath and fatigue. But there's another kind that's just as deadly and harder to detect because the symptoms are silent. In this quick talk,...
TED Talks
TED: How to stop languishing and start finding flow | Adam Grant
Have you found yourself staying up late, joylessly bingeing TV shows and doomscrolling through the news, or simply navigating your day uninspired and aimless? Chances are you're languishing, says organizational psychologist Adam Grant --...
SciShow Kids
Why Do We Yawn?
We yawn a lot when we're tired or warm, and sometimes we even yawn just because we see other people yawning! But why do we yawn in the first place?
Be Smart
The Scale of the Universe
From the very large to the very small, the universe is an amazing place. Here's my favorite ways to explore its scale.
SciShow
Why Did People Love Flappy Bird?
Flappy Bird was quite the gaming craze, but what about this super simple game appealed to our brains so much?
SciShow
The Unexpected Benefits (and Risks) of Nostalgia
Psychologists consider nostalgia a complex emotion and it may have both benefits and risks.
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: What is imposter syndrome and how can you combat it? - Elizabeth Cox
Even after writing eleven books and winning several awards, Maya Angelou couldn't escape the doubt that she hadn't earned her accomplishments. This feeling of fraudulence is extremely common. Why can't so many of us shake feelings that...
TED Talks
TED: Can beauty open our hearts to difficult conversations? | Titus Kaphar
An artwork's color or composition can pull you in -- and put you on the path to having important and difficult conversations, says artist Titus Kaphar. In this stunning talk, he reflects on his artistic evolution and takes us on a tour...
TED Talks
John Hunter: Teaching with the World Peace Game
John Hunter puts all the problems of the world on a 4'x5' plywood board -- and lets his 4th-graders solve them. At TED2011, he explains how his World Peace Game engages schoolkids, and why the complex lessons it teaches -- spontaneous,...