From changing diapers to cleaning up vomit, human parents can have it tough, but at least they don't have to incubate their babies under their skin or liquify their own guts to feed their brood like these animal moms do! In honor of...

Squeaks surprises Jessi, which makes her wonder: What's the science behind getting scared?

What did the world learn from the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010? That shoddy buildings and bad planning can make a terrible situation even worse. "Haiti was not a natural disaster," says TED Fellow Peter Haas. "It was...

Warning: Contains talk of cannabis.<br/>
CBD: Marijuana Without the High

What does it really take for a planet to be habitable? It turns out, certain parts of a star system, a galaxy, and even the universe as we know it, are more habitable than others. Get to know them as Hank takes you on a tour of some of...

So you think eye licking (also known as worming) is just a harmless bit of foreplay? Think again.

When a kid commits a crime, the uS justice system has a choice: prosecute to the full extent of the law, or take a step back and ask if saddling young people with criminal records is the right thing to do every time. In this searching...

At the Harbour School in Hong Kong, TED Senior Fellow Cesar Harada teaches citizen science and invention to the next generation of environmentalists. He's moved his classroom into an industrial mega-space where imaginative kids work with...

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This week, an alarming report on North American bird populations and a sweet study on one of our more aloof furry companions.

Landing will take place the night of August 5th, 1:30 AM eastern, 10:30 pm pacific, and 6:30 AM GMT (August 6th.)

The Mars Science Laboratory or Curiosity Rover is the largest payload ever delivered to the surface of a planet and...

The sensation of time slowing down during intense situations is a commonly reported phenomenon, but what's actually going on?

Being a parent requires a lot of time and energy, but some animals are extremely devoted to caring for their young, and these five might not be the ones you would expect.

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Can you actually drink that steaming mug of snake venom? The science comes down to the difference between poisons and venoms, and to the oral toxicity of the venom itself.

Finding safe, effective cancer treatments is tough, but in the last couple of weeks, we've taken two major steps toward a future where every type of cancer has a cure.

Refugee and immigrants rights attorney Melanie Nezer shares an urgently needed historical perspective on the crisis at the southern US border, showing how citizens can hold their governments accountable for protecting the vulnerable. "A...

The Devil has come to town. But don't worry– all he wants to do is stage a magic show. This absurd premise forms the central plot of Mikhail Bulgakov's masterpiece, "The Master and Margarita." Its blend of political satire, historical...

Woodpeckers search for food by using their face to dig through tree bark! But why doesn't this give them a headache?

There are more than 10,000 nuclear weapons in existence today, each one capable of causing immense destruction. Why don't we talk about this threat as much as some other major issues? In this practical talk, nuclear security expert Emma...

After a crisis, how can we tell if water is safe to drink? Current tests are slow and complex, and the delay can be deadly, as in the cholera outbreak after Haiti's earthquake in 2010. TED Fellow Sonaar Luthra previews his design for a...

We may think of a lot of critters with crab-like body plans as crabs, but, technically, many of them are other types of crustaceans. So why do they share so many physical traits?

Originally meaning a woven container, the word keister has roots all over the place. The devil's tool box? Sure. A safe? That too. So, how did it become associated with the buttochs? Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel get to the bottom of...

Gardening doesn't need to be a hobby just here on Earth. In fact, it might help life outside of Earth quite a bit to take that pastime to the stars.

Is the science of Orphan Black realistic? Could we clone humans, or engineer them to have customized traits? We take a look at today's genetic engineering technologies to find out if designer babies and human cloning is, or should be, a...