TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How spontaneous brain activity keeps you alive - Nathan S. Jacobs
The wheels in your brain are constantly turning, even when you're asleep or not paying attention. In fact, most of your brain's activities are ones you'd never be aware of - unless they suddenly stopped. Nathan S. Jacobs takes us inside...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: If superpowers were real: Immortality - Joy Lin
What if immortality wasn't just the stuff of epic comic book stories? Is it scientifically possible to be immortal? In this series, Joy Lin tackles six superpowers and reveals just how scientifically realistic they can be to us mere...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How breathing works - Nirvair Kaur
We breathe constantly, but have you ever thought about how breathing works? Discover the ins and outs of one of our most basic living functions-- from the science of respiration to how to control your breaths.
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Pruney fingers: A gripping story - Mark Changizi
Why do fingers become pruney when they get wet? Likely, for the same reasons that tires have treads. Mark Changizi examines the evolutionary reasons for pruney fingers, while exploring natural and manmade phenomena, like river networks,...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The incredible collaboration behind the International Space Station - Tien Nguyen
The International Space Station is roughly the size of a six-bedroom house and weighs more than 320 cars -- it's so large that no single rocket could have lifted it into orbit. Instead, it was assembled piece by piece while hurtling...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How do your kidneys work? - Emma Bryce
After drinking a few glasses of water on a hot day, you might be struck with a sudden urge. Behind that feeling are two bean-shaped organs that work as fine-tuned internal sensors. Emma Bryce details how the incredible kidneys balance...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How does your brain respond to pain? - Karen D. Davis
Everyone experiences pain -- but why do some people react to the same painful stimulus in different ways? And what exactly is pain, anyway? Karen D. Davis walks you through your brain on pain, illuminating why the "pain experience"...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: A simple way to tell insects apart - Anika Hazra
There are nearly a million known insect species in the world, but most have one of just five common types of mouthparts. Why is this information useful to scientists? Anika Hazra explains how the features of an insect's mouthparts can...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Why do you need to get a flu shot every year? - Melvin Sanicas
All year long, researchers at hospitals around the world collect samples from flu patients and send them to top virology experts with one goal: to design the vaccine for the next flu season. But why do we need a new one every year?...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: What is epigenetics? - Carlos Guerrero-Bosagna
Here's a conundrum: Identical twins originate from the same DNA ... so how can they turn out so different - even in traits that have a significant genetic component? Carlos Guerrero-Bosagna explains that while nature versus nurture has a...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Why do some people go bald? - Sarthak Sinha
What do Charles Darwin, Michael Jordan, and Yoda have in common? They, like many other historical and fictive individuals, are bald. Scientists have long pondered, why do some people lose their hair, and how can we bring it back? Sarthak...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How smart are orangutans? - Lu Gao
Along with humans, orangutans belong to the Hominidae family tree, which stretches back 14 million years. But it's not just their striking red hair that makes orangutans unique among our great ape cousins. Lu Gao shares some amazing...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Inside the minds of animals - Bryan B Rasmussen
Do animals think? It's a question that has intrigued scientists for thousands of years, inspiring them to come up with different methods and criteria to measure the intelligence of animals. Bryan B Rasmussen navigates through this...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: What percentage of your brain do you use? - Richard E. Cytowic
Two thirds of the population believes a myth that has been propagated for over a century: that we use only 10% of our brains. Hardly! Our neuron-dense brains have evolved to use the least amount of energy while carrying the most...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Cell membranes are way more complicated than you think - Nazzy Pakpour
Cell membranes are structures of contradictions. These oily films are hundreds of times thinner than a strand of spider silk, yet strong enough to protect the delicate contents of life: the cell's watery cytoplasm, genetic material,...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: History through the eyes of the potato - Leo Bear-McGuinness
Baked or fried, boiled or roasted, as chips or fries; at some point in your life you've probably eaten a potato. But potatoes have played a much more significant role in our history than just that of the dietary staple we have come to...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Debunking the myths of OCD - Natascha M. Santos
There's a common misconception that if you like to meticulously organize your things, keep your hands clean, or plan out your weekend to the last detail, you might be OCD. In fact, OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) is a serious...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: How aspirin was discovered - Krishna Sudhir
4000 years ago, the ancient Sumerians made a surprising discovery: if they scraped the bark off a particular kind of tree and ate it, their pain disappeared. Little did they know that what they'd found was destined to influence the...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The carbon cycle - Nathaniel Manning
What exactly is the carbon cycle? Nathaniel Manning provides a basic look into the cyclical relationship of carbon, humans and the environment.
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: DNA: The book of you - Joe Hanson
Your body is made of cells -- but how does a single cell know to become part of your nose, instead of your toes? The answer is in your body's instruction book: DNA. Joe Hanson compares DNA to detailed manual for building a person out of...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How does caffeine keep us awake? - Hanan Qasim
Over 100,000 metric tons of caffeine are consumed around the world every year. That's equivalent to the weight of 14 Eiffel Towers! Caffeine helps us feel alert, focused, and energetic, even if we haven't had enough sleep - but it can...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Mating frenzies, sperm hoards, and brood raids: the life of a fire ant queen - Walter R. Tschinkel
In the spring, just after a heavy rainfall, male and female fire ants swarm the skies for a day of romance, known as the nuptial flight. Thousands of reproduction-capable ants take part in a mating frenzy, and for one successfully mated...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: How do we smell? - Rose Eveleth
An adult human can distinguish up to 10,000 odors. You use your nose to figure out what to eat, what to buy and even when it's time to take a shower. But how do the molecules in the air get translated into smells in your brain? Rose...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How stress affects your brain - Madhumita Murgia
Stress isn't always a bad thing; it can be handy for a burst of extra energy and focus, like when you're playing a competitive sport or have to speak in public. But when it's continuous, it actually begins to change your brain. Madhumita...