SciShow
Why Do Old Books Smell So Good?
Musty, with hints of vanilla, coffee, and maybe fresh cut grass-- why do old books smell the best?
Crash Course Kids
Danger! Falling Objects
So, what would happen if you dropped a hammer and a feather at the same time, from the same height? Well, the hammer would hit the ground first, right? But why? You might think it's because the hammer is heavier, or has more mass than...
TED Talks
TED: Dare to refuse the origin myths that claim who you are | Chetan Bhatt
We all have origin stories and identity myths, our tribal narratives that give us a sense of security and belonging. But sometimes our small-group identities can keep us from connecting with humanity as a whole -- and even keep us from...
TED Talks
Béatrice Coron: Stories cut from paper
With scissors and paper, artist Béatrice Coron creates intricate worlds, cities and countries, heavens and hells. Striding onstage in a glorious cape cut from Tyvek, she describes her creative process and the way her stories develop from...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The contributions of female explorers - Courtney Stephens
During the Victorian Age, women were unlikely to become great explorers, but a few intelligent, gritty and brave women made major contributions to the study of previously little-understood territory. Courtney Stephens examines three...
Crash Course Kids
Oobleck and Non-Newtonian Fluids
Ever heard of Oobleck? How about Non-Newtonian fluids? Well, today Sabrina is going to show us that things can sometimes behave like a solid, and sometimes like a liquid depending on how much force is applied to them. In this episode of...
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: Why should you read "Crime and Punishment"?
What drives someone to kill in cold blood? What goes through the murderer's mind? And what kind of a society breeds such people? Over 150 years ago Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky took these questions up in what would become one of the...
Crash Course
Zora Neale Hurston: Crash Course Black American History
The Harlem Renaissance produced many remarkable artists, writers, and thinkers. Today we'll talk about one of the most interesting minds of the time, Zora Neale Hurston. Hurston was an anthropologist by training, and spent much of her...
TED Talks
TED: Live drawings of the human experience | Jarrett J. Krosoczka
In this live drawing performance and poignant autobiographical journey, author and illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka sketches some life-shaping moments, showing us how drawing and storytelling can help us honor and remain close to those...
MinutePhysics
Why Isn't It Faster To Fly West?
If the earth is spinning to the east at 1000 miles per hour... why can't we fly west more easily?
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Why should you read "Don Quixote"? - Ilan Stavans
Mounting his skinny steed, Don Quixote charges an army of giants. It is his duty to vanquish these behemoths in the name of his beloved lady, Dulcinea. There's only one problem: the giants are merely windmills. What is it about this tale...
Crash Course
Invisible Man: Crash Course Literature 308
This week, we're on to reading Ralph Ellison's great novel about the black experience in America after World War II, Invisible Man. John will teach you about Ellison's nameless narrator, and his attempts to find his way in a social order...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Brendan Constantine: "The Opposites Game"
This animation is part of the TED-Ed series, "There's a Poem for That," which features animated interpretations of poems both old and new that give language to some of life's biggest feelings. [Poem by Brendan Constantine, directed by...
Crash Course
Toni Morrison: Crash Course Black American History #48
Today, Clint Smith will teach you about the legendary writer Toni Morrison. Morrison is best known for her novels which chronicle the experiences of Black Americans throughout history. She was the first Black American Woman to win a...
TED-Ed
Why should you read Toni Morrison's "Beloved"? | Yen Pham
Two tiny handprints stamped into a cake. A mirror that shatters without warning. A trail of cracker crumbs strewn along the floor. Everyone at 124 Bluestone Road knows their home is haunted— but there's no mystery about the spirit...
TED Talks
Rick Warren: A life of purpose
Pastor Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose-Driven Life," reflects on his own crisis of purpose in the wake of his book's wild success. He explains his belief that God's intention is for each of us to use our talents and influence to do...
Crash Course
Arts and Letters of the Harlem Renaissance: Crash Course Black American History
The Harlem Renaissance was one of the richest, most vibrant, and most culturally generative artistic periods in American history and the work that emerged from that period continues to shape the landscape of American arts and letters...
TED Talks
TED: Why art is a tool for hope | JR
Famed for enormous black-and-white portraits that are pasted on surfaces ranging from the Louvre to the US-Mexico border wall, multimedia artist JR continues to tackle ambitious projects. In this powerfully moving talk, he shares how he...
Be Smart
Can Evolution Create Information? - 12 Days of Evolution #9
Some of the biggest evolution questions finally answered.
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How fiction can change reality - Jessica Wise
Reading and stories can be an escape from real life, a window into another world -- but have you ever considered how new fictional experiences might change your perspective on real, everyday life? From Pride and Prejudice to Harry...
TED Talks
Jim Fallon: Exploring the mind of a killer
Psychopathic killers are the basis for some must-watch TV, but what really makes them tick? Neuroscientist Jim Fallon talks about brain scans and genetic analysis that may uncover the rotten wiring in the nature (and nurture) of...