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...

Jumping into a refreshingly cold body of water on a hot summer day can feel wonderful, except for your nose. Why does it hurt so much when you get water up your nose?

In an effort to find Dark Matter, what did we find? Let's zero in on the matter.

A million refugees arrived in europe this year, says Alexander Betts, and "our response, frankly, has been pathetic." Betts studies forced migration, the impossible choice for families between the camps, urban poverty and dangerous...

We must face our fears if we want to get the most out of technology -- and we must conquer those fears if we want to get the best out of humanity, says Garry Kasparov. One of the greatest chess players in history, Kasparov lost a...

Margaret Gould Stewart, YouTube's head of user experience, talks about how the ubiquitous video site works with copyright holders and creators to foster (at the best of times) a creative ecosystem where everybody wins.

After years of war, the world’s kingdoms have come to an agreement. Every five years, teams representing the elves, goblins, and treefolk will compete in a grand tournament of dragon jousting. You have the important job of recording the...

Alzheimer's doesn't have to be your brain's destiny, says neuroscientist and author of "Still Alice," Lisa Genova. She shares the latest science investigating the disease -- and some promising research on what each of us can do to build...

Bacon and eggs aren’t a classic flavor combo for no reason, and the science behind why they taste so good together could help us make healthier foods more appealing to our palates.

We can’t find evidence of the Sun’s family, or how it might have formed, but we do have some pretty good theories.

Dealing with depression is not easy, and the most common treatments don’t work for everyone. Could biomarkers be the key to finding more treatment options?

In a lyrical, unexpectedly funny talk about heavy topics such as frayed relationships and the death of a loved one, elizabeth Lesser describes the healing process of putting aside pride and defensiveness to make way for soul-baring and...

Some countries are planning to wait up to 12 weeks to administer second doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Will this slow the virus?

Imagine a group of people. How big do you think the group would have to be before there's more than a 50% chance that two people in the group have the same birthday? The answer is - probably lower than you think. David Knuffke explains...

You are more than you think you are, says former pro wrestler Mike Kinney -- you just have to find what makes you unique and use it to your advantage. For years Kinney "turned up" the parts of himself that made him special as he invented...

In this video Paul Andersen explains how stimulated emission can be used to create coherent light. When an atom absorbs a photon it moves to a higher energy level through stimulated absorption. It may then release a photon and moves to...

In part 4 of our special series on human ancestry and evolution, we look into the future. Now that genetic engineering tools like CRISPR allow us to edit our genes, how will that impact human evolution going forward? Are designer babies...

Paul Andersen shows you how to compare DNA sequences to understand evolutionary relationships. He starts with a brief introduction to cladograms and evolutionary relationships. He shows you how to classify DNA relationships using a...

Diffuse interstellar bands were first discovered in 1919 and since then scientists have found nearly 500 of them. How many do we understand? Only one.

One day, twin brothers Junajpu and Ixb'alanke discovered their father's hidden ballgame equipment and began to play. Hearing their vigorous game, the lords of the underworld sent a messenger to challenge the boys to a match. Despite the...

Tricking your brain isn't just fun,it can be therapeutic, too!

A male firefly emits a series of enticing flashes. He hopes a female will respond and mate with him. A female from a different species mimics his patterns: by tricking the male, she lures him in -- and turns him into a meal. Where else...

Today we’re going to talk about how computers see. We’ve long known that our digital cameras and smartphones can take incredibly detailed images, but taking pictures is not quite the same thing. For the past half-century, computer...

Camels are so well adapted to the desert that it's hard to imagine them living anywhere else. But what if we have them pegged all wrong? What if those big humps, feet and eyes were evolved for a different climate and a different time? In...