Be Smart
Space Sounds
There is no sound in space. In the near-vacuum of space, there is nothing to transmit the physical waves that we need to perceive sound. But that doesn't mean we can't MAKE sound from space.
TED Talks
The music of a war child - Emmanuel Jal
* Viewer discretion advised. This video includes discussion of mature topics and may be inappropriate for some audiences. For five years, young Emmanuel Jal fought as a child soldier in the Sudan. Rescued by an aid worker, he's become an...
SciShow
How Do Parrots Talk Like Humans?
Are parrots just good at imitating sounds or is there something else that separates them from other birds?
TED Talks
Claron McFadden: Singing the primal mystery
"The human voice: mysterious, spontaneous, primal." With these words, soprano Claron McFadden invites us to explore the mysteries of breathing and singing, as she performs the intriguing modern song "Aria," by John Cage.
TED Talks
Teitur: Home is a song I've always remembered
For musician Teitur, singing is about giving away a piece of yourself to others. "If your intentions are to impress people or to get the big applause at the end," he says, "then you are taking, not giving." Listen as he plays on stage at...
TED Talks
Rives: A mockingbird remix of TED2006
Rives recaps the most memorable moments of TED2006 in the free-spirited rhyming verse of a fantastical mockingbird lullaby.
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Why do whales sing? - Stephanie Sardelis
Communicating underwater is challenging. Light and odors don't travel well, but sound moves about four times faster in water than in air - which means marine mammals often use sounds to communicate. The most famous of these underwater...
TED Talks
TED: A feminist reimagining of Kenya's public transport | Naomi Mwaura
Kenya's minibuses -- known as "matatus" -- offer a convenient, affordable and colorful way for people to get around. But they also pose safety risks and accessibility issues for many of their passengers, especially women. Bringing a...
SciShow
This One’s for the Birds: Your Bird Questions, Answered | Compilation
You probably don't think much about birds most of the time, but these little former-dinosaurs are amazing! So, here's a collection of videos in which we've tackled our viewers' biggest bird questions!
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: What’s a squillo, and why do opera singers need it?
An orchestra fills an opera house with music, but a singer’s voice soars above the instruments. Its melody rings out across thousands of patrons— all without any assistance from a microphone. How is it possible that a single voice can be...
TED Talks
Joe Kowan: How I beat stage fright
Humanity's fine-tuned sense of fear served us well as a young species, giving us laser focus to avoid being eaten by competing beasts. But it's less wonderful when that same visceral, body-hijacking sense of fear kicks in in front of 20...
TED Talks
Vusi Mahlasela: "Thula Mama"
South African singer-songwriter Vusi Mahlasela dedicates his song, "Thula Mama," to all women -- and especially his grandmother.
TED Talks
America Ferrera: My identity is a superpower -- not an obstacle
Hollywood needs to stop resisting what the world actually looks like, says actor, director and activist America Ferrera. Tracing the contours of her career, she calls for more authentic representation of different cultures in media --...
TED Talks
Morley: "Women of Hope"
Inspired by Aung San Suu Kyi's call to action, "If you're feeling helpless, help someone," Morley composed this song. She sings it at TEDxWomen in her gorgeous, warm voice.
TED Talks
TED: The search for "aha!" moments | Matt Goldman
In 1988, Matt Goldman co-founded Blue Man Group, an off-Broadway production that became a sensation known for its humor, blue body paint and wild stunts. The show works on the premise that certain conditions can create "aha moments" --...
TED Talks
Megan Washington: Why I live in mortal dread of public speaking
Megan Washington is one of Australia's premier singer/songwriters. And, since childhood, she has had a stutter. In this bold and personal talk, she reveals how she copes with this speech impediment—from avoiding the letter combination...
SciShow
Do You Really Sing Better In The Shower?
Singing in the shower seems to sound better, but what is actually happening to the sound waves in that soapy, tiled room?
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Everything you need to know to read "The Canterbury Tales" - Iseult Gillespie
A portly Miller, barely able to sit on his horse, rambles on about the flighty wife of a crotchety old carpenter and the scholar she takes as her lover. This might sound like a bawdy joke, but it's part of one of the most esteemed works...
Crash Course
Before I Got My Eye Put Out - The Poetry of Emily Dickinson: Crash Course English Lit
In which John Green concludes the Crash Course Literature mini-series with an examination of the poetry of Emily Dickinson. Sure, John explores the creepy biographical details of Dickinson's life, but he also gets into why her poems have...
TED Talks
TED: What capitalism gets right -- and governments get wrong | Katherine Mangu-Ward
Is capitalism a good thing? Journalist Katherine Mangu-Ward makes the case that "weirdos" left alone to innovate and explore far-out ideas in a free market system are our best hope for the future. She asks us to reconsider our qualms...
SciShow Kids
How Do We Sing?
Sam the Bat is visiting today, and Jessi wants to use a cool trick to show him how we use a special part of our body to sing.
TED Talks
Jamila Lyiscott: 3 ways to speak English
Jamila Lyiscott is a “tri-tongued orator;” in her powerful spoken-word essay “Broken English,” she celebrates — and challenges — the three distinct flavors of English she speaks with her friends, in the classroom and with her parents. As...
SciShow
Can You Break Glass with Your Voice?
It's an old cliche: an opera singer hits a note so high, it breaks a wine glass. It may seem over the top, but with a little science (and an amp), you too can break a glass like the finest soprano!
Crash Course
Central Nervous System: Crash Course A&P
Today Hank talks about your central nervous system. In this episode we'll explore how your brain develops and how important location is for each of your brain's many functions. Table of Contents Central Nervous System, Location and Brain...