Today, rats are often regarded as the most successful invasive species in the world. The most common species of rat scurried onto the scene roughly 1 to 3 million years ago in Asia. There, they craftily survived Earth’s most recent ice...

Inspired by the rising movement against racism in the US, WNBA champion Renee Montgomery made an unexpected decision: she opted out of her dream job. As she says in this stirring talk, she wanted to "make it felt," and that meant turning...

Singer Rhiannon Giddens joins international music collective Silk Road ensemble to perform "St. James Infirmary Blues," spiking the American folk song that Louis Armstrong popularized in the 1920s with Romani influence and mischievous...

Heart racing, palms sweating, labored breathing? No, you're not having a heart attack -- it's stage fright! If speaking in public makes you feel like you're fighting for your life, you're not alone. But the better you understand your...

Don't make people pay for music, says Amanda Palmer: Let them. In a passionate talk that begins in her days as a street performer (drop a dollar in the hat for the Eight-Foot Bride!), she examines the new relationship between artist and...

One of the most significant scientific discoveries of the early 21st century is surely the Higgs boson, but the boson and the Higgs Field that allows for that magic particle are extremely difficult to grasp. Don Lincoln outlines an...

With help from some surprising footage, Derek Sivers explains how movements really get started. (Hint: it takes two.)

In a disturbing — but fascinating — walk through history, Frances Larson examines humanity's strange relationship with public executions … and specifically beheadings. As she shows us, they have always drawn a crowd, first in the public...

Wave power hasn’t yet made a splash because it’s hard to use waves to spin turbines, and because the sea is a harsh place to build...

Peaceful protests can help people have their voices heard, but sometimes a protest becomes a more aggressive riot. How does that happen?

We are constantly recognizing faces countless times a day, but how do our brains distinguish those faces so easily?

The drafting and adoption of the United States Constitution recalled many of the high ideals of liberty and freedom that were espoused during the Revolutionary War. But the compromises that were made to get all of the new states on board...

From setback and injury to an Olympic gold medal -- see how confidently making decisions led one bobsledder down an unexpected pathway to victory.

When many individual organisms come together and move as one entity, that's a swarm. From a handful of birds to billions of insects, swarms can be almost any size. They have no leader, and members interact only with their neighbors or...

While we might consider elections to be the cornerstone of democracy, the Athenians who coined the term actually employed a lottery system to choose most of their politicians. Melissa Schwartzberg describes the ins and outs of the...

Groups of animals have some really interesting names! Learn about them with Jessi and Squeaks!

In 1776, American colonists were taxed heavily for importing tea from Britain. The colonists, not fans of "taxation without representation", reacted by dumping tea into the Boston Harbor, a night now known as the Boston Tea Party. Ben...

New ReviewJalen Brunson discusses what the energy of MSG feels like as a player, especially during the playoffs. He also talks about Cade Cunningham, the Detroit Pistons, and the shot he hit to send them home last year. Hear all this and more in...

"1984" by George Orwell explores the dangers of totalitarianism through the story of Winston Smith in a society controlled by Big Brother. Drawing on Orwell's own experiences in the Spanish Civil War, the novel delves into themes of...

Learn the story behind the Gettysburg Address, one of the most famous speeches in American history. After a major Civil War battle, President Abraham Lincoln spoke just 271 words—but those words still inspire people today. He reminded...

Group human behavior can be largely explained by physics. In fact, crowds, traffic and pedestrian behavior can be modeled using using principle from physics.



Everyone in a crowd has their own...

Howcast - Learn everything you need to know about wisdom teeth from Shane Methal DDS in this Howcast video.

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Howcast - Learn how to find a great wedding DJ from celebrity wedding planner Barbara Esses in this Howcast video.