TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The meaning of life according to Simone de Beauvoir - Iseult Gillespie
At the age of 21, Simone de Beauvoir became the youngest person to take the philosophy exams at France’s most esteemed university. But as soon as she mastered the rules of philosophy, she wanted to break them. Her desire to explore the...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Are we living in a simulation? | Zohreh Davoudi
All life on Earth— living and inanimate, microscopic and cosmic— is governed by mathematical laws with apparently arbitrary constants. And this opens up a question: If the universe is completely governed by these laws, couldn't a...
Crash Course
Where Did Theater Go? Crash Course Theater #18
The English Theater survived a lot of pushback from various powers that be, but in the 17th century, it had to go into hiding, from PURITANS. Let's take a look at how the English Civil War, Charles I's beheading, and the Restoration of...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: How to recognize a dystopia - Alex Gendler
The genre of dystopia _ the 'not good place'_ has captured the imaginations of artists and audiences alike for centuries. But why do we bother with all this pessimism? Alex Gendler explains how dystopias act as cautionary tales _ not...
Crash Course
Existentialism: Crash Course Philosophy
Now that we’ve left behind the philosophy of religion, it’s time to start exploring what other ways might exist to find meaning in the world. Today we explore essentialism and its response: existentialism. We’ll also learn about...
Crash Course
How to Argue - Philosophical Reasoning: Crash Course Philosophy
Before we dive into the big questions of philosophy, you need to know how to argue properly. We’ll start with an overview of philosophical reasoning and breakdown of how deductive arguments work (and sometimes don’t work).
TED-Ed
This tool will help improve your critical thinking | Erick Wilberding
Socrates, one of the founding fathers of Western philosophical thought, was on trial. Many believed he was an enemy of the state, accusing the philosopher of corrupting the youth and refusing to recognize their gods. But Socrates wasn't...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: What did democracy really mean in Athens? - Melissa Schwartzberg
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...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: The Egyptian Book of the Dead: A guidebook for the underworld - Tejal Gala
Ancient Egyptians believed that in order to become immortal after death, a spirit must first pass through the underworld - a realm of vast caverns, lakes of fire, and magical gates. Needless to say, one needed to come prepared. But how?...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: The battle of the Greek tragedies - Melanie Sirof
The world of modern theater owes its roots to the tragedians of Ancient Greece. As far back as the 5th Century BCE, actors and playwrights were entertaining the masses with intriguing stories. Melanie Sirof unveils the ancient theatrical...
Crash Course
The Scientific Methods Crash Course History of Science 14
Historically speaking, there is no one scientific method. There's more than one way to make knowledge. In this episode we're going to look at a few of those ways and how they became more of the "norm."
PBS
Is Community a Postmodern Masterpiece?
Though the TV show Community has never achieved huge ratings, it has a passionate cult following, including us here at Idea Channel. The show plays with genre and narrative in such a creative way that it brings to mind the cultural and...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Why should you read "Hamlet"? - Iseult Gillespie
Explore William Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, “Hamlet,” a play about conspiracy, deception and the tragic consequences of indecision. -- “Who’s there?” Whispered in the dark, this question begins a tale of conspiracy, deception and...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Who am I? A philosophical inquiry - Amy Adkins
Throughout the history of mankind, the subject of identity has sent poets to the blank page, philosophers to the agora and seekers to the oracles. These murky waters of abstract thinking are tricky to navigate, so it's probably fitting...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Can robots be creative? - Gil Weinberg
People have been grappling with the question of artificial creativity -- alongside the question of artificial intelligence -- for over 170 years. For instance, could we program machines to create high quality original music? And if we...
Crash Course
What is Philosophy?: Crash Course Philosophy
Today Hank begins to teach you about Philosophy by discussing the historical origins of philosophy in ancient Greece, and its three main divisions: metaphysics, epistemology, and value theory. He will also introduce logic, and how you’re...
TED Talks
Rives: If I controlled the Internet
How many poets could cram eBay, Friendster and Monster.com into 3-minute poem worthy of a standing ovation? Enjoy Rives' unique talent.
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Plato's Allegory of the Cave - Alex Gendler
Twenty four hundred years ago, Plato, one of history's most famous thinkers, said life is like being chained up in a cave forced to watch shadows flitting across a stone wall. Beyond sounding quite morbid, what exactly did he mean? Alex...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The five major world religions - John Bellaimey
It's perfectly human to grapple with questions, like 'Where do we come from?' and 'How do I live a life of meaning?' These existential questions are central to the five major world religions -- and that's not all that connects these...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Plato's best (and worst) ideas - Wisecrack
Few individuals have influenced the world and many of today's thinkers like Plato. He created the first Western university and was teacher to Ancient Greece's greatest minds, including Aristotle. But even he wasn't perfect. Along with...
The Daily Conversation
Human-Animal Chimeras, The Future of Medicine?
New ReviewAn ethically questionable new genetic technique attempts to grow human organs inside of pigs.
Curated Video
Roots in the West
This World Cultures video demonstrates how Roman and Greek ideas took root in the West.
Curated Video
Abraham Lincoln Motivates Us To Never Give Up
On President's Day we salute our nation's leaders. One man, in particular, gives us the motivation to conquer each day. Abraham Lincoln not only fought for our country but never gave up until he became our leader. Through his actions, we...
Curated Video
What Is Past Life Regression?
Howcast - Learn what past life regression is from renowned psychic Paula Roberts in this Howcast video.