Crash Course
The Medieval Islamicate World: Crash Course History of Science
The religion of Islam significantly influenced knowledge-making in the greater Mediterranean and western Asian world. Islamicate scholars—meaning people influenced by Islamic civilization, regardless of their religious views—gave us...
Crash Course
The Handmaid's Tale, Part 2: Crash Course Literature 404
This week, John Green continues to teach you about Margaret Atwood's speculative fiction, The Handmaid's Tale. In this installment, we're looking at Atwood's desire to tell a story from a female point of view, and what exactly it means...
Crash Course
The Scientific Revolution: Crash Course History of Science
So, what exactly is a scientific revolution? And are they more than just moments in time Historians use to mark the beginning and ending of things through time? In this episode we'll look into some ideas and people named Nick and how...
TED Talks
TED: Embrace your raw, strange magic | Casey Gerald
* Viewer discretion advised. This video includes discussion of mature topics and may be inappropriate for some audiences. The way we're taught to live has got to change, says author Casey Gerald. Too often, we hide parts of ourselves in...
TED Talks
TED: Aliens, love -- where are they? | John Hodgman
Humorist John Hodgman rambles through a new story about aliens, physics, time, space and the way all of these somehow contribute to a sweet, perfect memory of falling in love.
Crash Course
Witchcraft: Crash Course European History
During our last several episodes, Europe and the European-controlled world have been in crisis. Wars, disease, climate changes, and shifts in religious and political power threw the European world into turmoil. People were looking for a...
TED Talks
Natalie Merchant: Singing old poems to life
Natalie Merchant sings from her poetry-inspired album "Leave Your Sleep," which pairs lyrics from poets -- from Gerard Manley Hopkins to a near-forgotten 10-year-old girl in Brooklyn -- with simple melodies and her unmistakable voice....
MinuteEarth
Hyena Butter: Everything You Did And Didn't Want To Know
Hyenas communicate via an information-dense physical medium (hyena butter) - and now MinuteEarth does too (book).
SciShow
Rosalind Franklin: Great Minds
Rosalind Franklin was a British scientist who helped discover the structure of DNA, but you most likely haven't heard of her. Hank will attempt to fix this gap in your knowledge on today's SciShow: Great Minds.
SciShow
Why Are Paper Cuts So Painful?
Paper cuts are tiny compared to other injuries you may have experienced, but they hurt… A LOT! This has to do with your hands being pretty sensitive, and the fact that the edges of paper are like tiny saws.
SciShow
The Weird Truth About Arabic Numerals
Hank unravels the fascinating yarn of how the world came to use so-called Arabic numerals -- from the scholarship of ancient Hindu mathematicians, to Muslim scientist Al-Khwarizmi, to the merchants of medieval Italy.
TED Talks
Diane Benscoter: How cults rewire the brain
Diane Benscoter spent five years as a "Moonie." She shares an insider's perspective on the mind of a cult member, and proposes a new way to think about today's most troubling conflicts and extremist movements.
TED Talks
TED: The roots of plant intelligence | Stefano Mancuso
Plants behave in some oddly intelligent ways: fighting predators, maximizing food opportunities ... But can we think of them as actually having a form of intelligence of their own? Italian botanist Stefano Mancuso presents intriguing...
Crash Course
Holden, JD, and the Red Cap- The Catcher in the Rye Part 2: Crash Course English Literature
In which John continues the discussion of JD Salinger's Catcher in the Rye. This week John reads the novel with Salinger's life story in mind. John explores how Salinger's war experience, educational background, and romantic life inform...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Does "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" have a hidden message? - David B. Parker
In his introduction to "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," L. Frank Baum claims that the book is simply an innocent children's story. But some scholars have found hidden criticisms of late-nineteenth-century economic policies in the book. Is...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The fundamentals of space-time: Part 1 - Andrew Pontzen and Tom Whyntie
Space is where things happen. Time is when things happen. And sometimes, in order to really look at the universe, you need to take those two concepts and mash them together. In this first lesson of a three-part series on space-time,...
TED Talks
Christien Meindertsma: How pig parts make the world turn
Christien Meindertsma, author of "Pig 05049" looks at the astonishing afterlife of the ordinary pig, parts of which make their way into at least 185 non-pork products, from bullets to artificial hearts.
SciShow
Can You Rip a Phone Book in Half?
If you can find a phone book these days, science is here to help you rip it in half with your bare hands!
TED Talks
TED: My year reading a book from every country in the world | Ann Morgan
Ann Morgan considered herself well read -- until she discovered the "massive blindspot" on her bookshelf. Amid a multitude of english and American authors, there were very few books from beyond the english-speaking world. So she set an...
TED Talks
Chip Kidd: The art of first impressions -- in design and life
Book designer Chip Kidd knows all too well how often we judge things by first appearances. In this hilarious, fast-paced talk, he explains the two techniques designers use to communicate instantly -- clarity and mystery -- and when, why...
Crash Course
Work, Energy, and Power: Crash Course Physics
When you hear the word, "Work," what is the first thing you think of? Maybe sitting at a desk? Maybe plowing a field? Maybe working out? Work is a word that has a little bit of a different meaning in Physics and today, Shini is going to...
Crash Course
The Poetry of Sylvia Plath: Crash Course Literature 216
In which John Green teaches you about the poetry of Sylvia Plath. When a lot of people think about Sylvia Plath, they think about her struggles with mental illness and her eventual suicide. Her actual work can get lost in the shuffle a...
TED Talks
Joseph Pine: What consumers want
Customers want to feel what they buy is authentic, but "Mass Customization" author Joseph Pine says selling authenticity is tough because, well, there's no such thing. He talks about a few experiences that may be artificial but make...