TED-Ed
TED-ED: What makes something "Kafkaesque"? - Noah Tavlin
The term Kafkaesque has entered the vernacular to describe unnecessarily complicated and frustrating experiences, especially with bureaucracy. But does standing in a long line to fill out confusing paperwork really capture the richness...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Are Elvish, Klingon, Dothraki and Na'vi real languages? - John McWhorter
What do Game of Thrones' Dothraki, Avatar's Na'vi, Star Trek's Klingon and LOTR's Elvish have in common? They are all fantasy constructed languages, or conlangs. Conlangs have all the delicious complexities of real languages: a high...
SciShow
A New Idea About Tabby's Star!
Astronomers might have finally discovered part of why Tabby's Star acts so strangely and we have some new ideas about what triggers a type Ia supernova.
SciShow
Does My Voice Really Sound Like That?
Take it from an expert: It’s weird to hear how your voice really sounds. But why does it sound different to you than everyone else. Hank explains -- in a deep, resonant voice.
TED Talks
Who counts as a speaker of a language? | Anna Babel
Backed by research and personal anecdotes, Spanish professor Anna Babel reveals the intricate relationship between language and culture, showing how social categories and underlying biases influence the way we hear, regard and,...
TED Talks
TED: Why being respectful to your coworkers is good for business | Christine Porath
Looking to get ahead in your career? Start by being respectful to your coworkers, says leadership researcher Christine Porath. In this science-backed talk, she shares surprising insights about the costs of rudeness and shows how little...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: The science of stage fright (and how to overcome it) - Mikael Cho
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...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The Turing test: Can a computer pass for a human? - Alex Gendler
What is consciousness? Can an artificial machine really think? For many, these have been vital considerations for the future of artificial intelligence. But British computer scientist Alan Turing decided to disregard all these questions...
TED Talks
John McWhorter: Txtng is killing language. JK!!!
Does texting mean the death of good writing skills? John McWhorter posits that there’s much more to texting -- linguistically, culturally -- than it seems, and it’s all good news.
TED Talks
Adora Svitak: What adults can learn from kids
Child prodigy Adora Svitak says the world needs "childish" thinking: bold ideas, wild creativity and especially optimism. Kids' big dreams deserve high expectations, she says, starting with grownups' willingness to learn from children as...
Crash Course
How to Speak With Confidence: Crash Course Business - Soft Skills
Public speaking isn't easy for everyone. It can be nerve racking and even scary. But, in this episode of Crash Course Business Soft Skills, Evelyn talks to us about S.U.C.C.E.S and how we can use it to help us be prepared to speak to a...
TED Talks
TED: Remaking my voice | Roger Ebert
When film critic Roger Ebert lost his lower jaw to cancer, he lost the ability to eat and speak. But he did not lose his voice. In a moving talk from TED2011, Ebert and his wife, Chaz, with friends Dean Ornish and John Hunter, come...
TED Talks
Chris Jordan: Turning powerful stats into art
Artist Chris Jordan shows us an arresting view of what Western culture looks like. His supersized images picture some almost unimaginable statistics -- like the astonishing number of paper cups we use every single day.
TED-Ed
TED-ED: When to use apostrophes - Laura McClure
It's possessive. It's often followed by S's. And it's sometimes tricky when it comes to its usage. It's the apostrophe. Laura McClure gives a refresher on when to use apostrophes in writing.
TED Talks
TED: Get comfortable with being uncomfortable | Luvvie Ajayi
Luvvie Ajayi isn't afraid to speak her mind or to be the one dissenting voice in a crowd, and neither should you. "Your silence serves no one," says the writer, activist and self-proclaimed professional troublemaker. In this bright,...
SciShow
The Strange Anatomy of Hummingbirds
In this episode of SciShow we look at the most fascinating birds that hover!
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: What makes a language... a language? | Martin Hilpert
Outside of China, Mandarin and Cantonese are often referred to as Chinese dialects, despite being even more dissimilar than Spanish and Italian. On the other hand, speakers of Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish, which are three distinct...
SciShow
How Do Babies Become Bilingual?
Have you ever seen a kid talk to her friends in English, but to her mom in Spanish? Learning a second language can be really hard for adults, so how do bilingual babies learn two at the same time?
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Where did English come from? - Claire Bowern
When we talk about 'English', we often think of it as a single language. But what do the dialects spoken in dozens of countries around the world have in common with each other, or with the writings of Chaucer? Claire Bowern traces the...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The case against "good" and "bad" - Marlee Neel
Don't take the easy route! Instead, use this little trick to improve your writing -- let go of the words "good" and "bad," and push yourself to illustrate, elucidate and illuminate your world with language.
TED Talks
Lýdia Machová: The secrets of learning a new language
Want to learn a new language but feel daunted or unsure where to begin? You don't need some special talent or a "language gene," says Lýdia Machová. In an upbeat, inspiring talk, she reveals the secrets of polyglots (people who speak...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Alex Gendler: How languages evolve
Over the course of human history thousands of languages have developed from what was once a much smaller number. How did we end up with so many? And how do we keep track of them all? Alex Gendler explains how linguists group languages...
TED-Ed
Why do we, like, hesitate when we, um, speak? | Lorenzo García-Amaya
For as long as we've had language, some people have tried to control it. And some of the most frequent targets of this communication regulation are the ums, ers, and likes that pepper our conversations. These linguistic fillers occur...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: A poetic experiment: Walt Whitman, interpreted by three animators - Justin Moore
Take a journey through Walt Whitman's poem 'A Noiseless Patient Spider' with the help of three animators who each used a different animation style to bring this beautiful poem to life.