TED Talks
Seth Priebatsch: The game layer on top of the world
In this far-seeing talk, Seth Priebatsch shows how game dynamics are reshaping the world -- from a classroom where students "level up" instead of being graded ,to a pervasive game called "happy hour" that you may already be playing. Get...
TED Talks
Rachel Botsman: The currency of the new economy is trust
There's been an explosion of collaborative consumption -- web-powered sharing of cars, apartments, skills. Rachel Botsman explores the currency that makes systems like Airbnb and Taskrabbit work: trust, influence, and what she calls...
TED Talks
Lawrence Lessig: We the People, and the Republic we must reclaim
There is a corruption at the heart of American politics, caused by the dependence of Congressional candidates on funding from the tiniest percentage of citizens. That's the argument at the core of this blistering talk by legal scholar...
TED Talks
Saki Mafundikwa: Ingenuity and elegance in ancient African alphabets
From simple alphabets to secret symbolic languages, graphic designer Saki Mafundikwa celebrates the many forms of written communication across the continent of Africa. He highlights the history and legacy that are embodied in written...
TED Talks
Eric Berlow: Simplifying complexity
Ecologist Eric Berlow doesn't feel overwhelmed when faced with complex systems. He knows that more information can lead to a better, simpler solution. Illustrating the tips and tricks for breaking down big issues, he distills an...
Crash Course
Why Do Outbreaks Affect People Unequally? Crash Course Outbreak Science
We’re all susceptible to infectious disease of some kind or other, but not everyone is equally likely to be the victim of an outbreak. The fact is, inequalities both between and within communities mean that some people are at higher risk...
TED-Ed
The rise of the Ottoman Empire | Mostafa Minawi
In the late 13th century, Osman I established a small principality sandwiched between a crumbling Byzantine Empire and a weakened Sultanate of the Seljuk of Rum, in what is now Turkey. In just a few generations, this territory had...
Crash Course
How Does Language Move? Crash Course Geography
While we can’t explore every cultural trait in the world, language is an important system of spoken, signed, or written symbols humans use to express themselves. It’s a major marker of identity that often unites members of the same...
3Blue1Brown
What is backpropagation really doing? | Deep learning, chapter 3
An overview of backpropagation, the algorithm behind how neural networks learn.
SciShow
Why Do We Still Teach Freud If He Was So Wrong?
Freud is one of the most famous psychologists ever, but a lot of the things he taught are just… well, wrong. So why do we still spend so much time talking about this dude in psychology classes?
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The movement that inspired the Holocaust | Alexandra Minna Stern and Natalie Lira
Since ancient Greece, humans have controlled populations via reproduction, retaining some traits and removing others. But in the 19th century, a new scientific movement dedicated to this endeavor emerged: eugenics. Scientists believed...
TED Talks
TED: Why you feel anxious socializing (and what to do about it) | Fallon Goodman
In crowds, at parties, meetings, get-togethers with friends, everyday interactions: social anxiety can show up as an unwelcome guest at any time. But why? Psychologist Fallon Goodman digs into the source of social anxiety, setting the...
Crash Course
Post-War Rebuilding and the Cold War: Crash Course European History
Sometimes, friendship isn't forever. At the conclusion of World War II, the old structures of power were a shambles. The traditional European powers were greatly weakened by years of total war and widespread destruction. The USSR was...
TED Talks
Omar Ahmad: Political change with pen and paper
Want your local politician to pay attention to an issue you care about? Send a monthly handwritten letter, says former mayor Omar Ahmad -- it's more effective than email, phone, or even writing a check. He shares four steps to writing a...
Crash Course
Socialization: Crash Course Sociology
Last week we introduced the idea of socialization and today we’re talking a little more about how it works, including an introduction to five main types of socialization. We’ll explore anticipatory socialization from your family, the...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The truth about electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) - Helen M. Farrell
In 1982, a young nurse was suffering from severe, unrelenting depression. She couldn’t work, socialize or concentrate. One controversial treatment changed everything: after two courses of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) her symptoms...
TED Talks
Dan Ariely: Are we in control of our own decisions?
Behavioral economist Dan Ariely, the author of Predictably Irrational, uses classic visual illusions and his own counterintuitive (and sometimes shocking) research findings to show how we're not as rational as we think when we make...
SciShow
The Girl Who Never Grew Up
The human body generally grows in a predictable pattern, but in one rare case, one American girl essentially remained a toddler her entire life.
3Blue1Brown
What is backpropagation really doing? Deep learning - Part 3 of 4
An overview of backpropagation, the algorithm behind how neural networks learn.
TED Talks
TED: How to make a profit while making a difference | Audrey Choi
Can global capital markets become catalysts for social change? According to investment expert Audrey Choi, individuals own almost half of all global capital, giving them (us!) the power to make a difference by investing in companies that...
Crash Course
Interest Group Formation: Crash Course Government and Politics
So last week we talked about what special interest groups are and how they influence the political system, and today we’re going to focus on why we even have them in the first place. As to avoid getting too cynical, we’re going to focus...
TED Talks
María Neira: This is your brain on air pollution
Air pollution knows no borders -- even in your own body, says public health expert María Neira. In this startling talk, she describes how the microscopic particles and chemicals you breathe affect all your major organs (including your...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Are all of your memories real? | Daniel L. Schacter
In a 1990's study, participants recalled getting lost in a shopping mall as children. Some shared these memories in vivid detail, but there was one problem: none of these people had actually gotten lost in a mall. They produced these...