TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The rise and fall of the Maya Empire’s most powerful city | Geoffrey E. Braswell
During the 8th century CE, warfare and failing agriculture forced Maya people to move north, to hotter, drier Yucatán. Because of its freshwater access, Chichen Itza became the most powerful Maya city, with nearly 50,000 citizens at its...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: What really happened to Oedipus? | Stephen Esposito
When Queen Jocasta of Thebes gave birth to Oedipus, a grim air seized the occasion. Her husband, King Laius, had received a prophecy from Apollo's oracle foretelling that he would die at the hands of his own son. Determined to escape...
TED Talks
TED: The hidden danger of lead in soil | Yvette Cabrera
There's an invisible health threat right under our feet, says investigative journalist Yvette Cabrera. She digs into the pervasive problem of lead contamination in soil — a particular risk for children in cities — and shares her action...
TED Talks
TED: How to be an active citizen and spark change | Gabriel Marmentini
What does it mean to be an active citizen? It's about more than just voting and paying taxes, says social entrepreneur Gabriel Marmentini. He explains why we can't rely on the state alone to solve all our problems — and presents the four...
TED Talks
TED: How fantasy worlds can spark real change | Annalee Newitz
When the world's problems have you weary, journalist and science fiction writer Annalee Newitz suggests a good dose of escapist fiction to refresh your perspective. Step into the whimsical world of science fiction, cosplay and...
TED Talks
TED: A new national park to reclaim Indigenous land | Tracie Revis
In a part of the United States with more than 17,000 years of human history, cultural preservation advocate Tracie Revis is working to turn the Ocmulgee Mounds into Georgia's first national park and preserve. This park would be...
TED Talks
TED: The 5 tenets of turning pain into power | Christine Schuler Deschryver
A supportive community is the key to cultivating resilience and unlocking healing. Sharing the story of a transformative recovery program for survivors of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, human rights activist...
TED Talks
TED: When you inform women, you transform lives | Paige Alexander
Access to information is the key to unlocking human rights for all, says equality champion Paige Alexander. From educating female entrepreneurs on how to launch life-sustaining businesses to murals, billboards and other creative ways of...
TED Talks
TED: Life's an obstacle course — here's how to navigate it | Maryam Banikarim
Instead of seeing life's challenges as obstacles, I see them as an obstacle course — a fascinating array of tests that I'm curious to see if I can pass, says community builder Maryam Banikarim. Telling the story of her experience...
TED Talks
TED: Your creative superpowers can help protect democracy | Sofia Ongele
Democracy is more fun and inviting when you take it into your own hands, says creator and activist Sofia Ongele. Sharing how she's using coding and social media to defend democracy, Ongele invites us to identify our own creative...
TED Talks
TED: How to build democracy — in an authoritarian country | Tessza Udvarhelyi
Today, Hungary is in the gray zone between a dictatorship and a democracy, says activist Tessza Udvarhelyi. "This did not happen overnight." In a rousing talk, she reminds us just how close any country can come to authoritarianism — and...
TED Talks
TED: The vital data you flush down the toilet | Newsha Ghaeli
Everybody pees and poops — and we know that urine and stool contain a rich source of information on our health, says data detective Newsha Ghaeli. Exploring the growing field of wastewater epidemiology, she shows how studying sewage can...
SciShow
To Save Sinking Cities, Just Add Water
It's more than climate change putting coastal cities at risk of catastrophic flooding. Subsidence, or sinking, affects cities as they pump out groundwater to use. The solution might be as simple as putting it back.
SciShow
What Took Down These Three Ancient Civilizations?
When it comes to piecing together what happened to civilizations that no longer exist, it can be challenging to solve the mystery. But research into Angkor, the Akkadian Empire, and even the Norse of Greenland, is helping us see that...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The conspiracy to take down the Inca empire | Gabriel Prieto
It's daybreak in the city of Chan Chan, and former soldier Maxo has been up all night fretting. Last night, a friend stopped by and instructed him to go to the plaza at noon to receive an important message. But with the recent defeat of...
TED Talks
TED: Miles from Any Shoreline | Sarah Kay
Sarah Kay shares "Miles from Any Shoreline," a poem about "wandering the streets of Bewilderville" and "picking up when the universe calls."
TED Talks
TED: Why you should ditch deadly fossil-fuel appliances | Donnel Baird
In the US, people spend the overwhelming majority of their time inside buildings that burn fossil fuels, which are bad for both the environment and human health. (Think: breathing in air pollution from gas stoves, furnaces and water...
TED Talks
TED: Is technology our savior — or our slayer? | Ruha Benjamin
When it comes to technology, we're often presented with two contrasting visions of the future: one where technology fulfills all our desires, and another where it leads to chaos and conflict. Sociologist Ruha Benjamin is here with a more...
TED Talks
TED: Meet methane, the invisible climate villain | Marcelo Mena
A landfill on fire doesn't only emit a horrid stench — it has devastating consequences for the environment, too. The culprit is methane, an often underestimated greenhouse gas produced in large part by food systems, organic waste and...
TED Talks
TED: Birds aren't real? How a conspiracy takes flight | Peter McIndoe
Peter McIndoe isn't a fan of birds. In fact, he has a theory about them that might shock you. Listen along to this eye-opening talk as it takes a turn and makes a larger point about conspiracies, truth and belonging in divisive times.
TED Talks
TED: The growing megafire crisis -- and how to contain it | George T. Whitesides
Megafires, or fires that burn more than 100,000 acres, are becoming more frequent worldwide, wreaking havoc on landscapes and communities -- and fire experts say the problem is only going to get worse. George T. Whitesides is focused on...
TED Talks
TED: Detroit's climate crisis -- and how to build a resilient future everywhere | Anika Goss
How can cities become resilient to the shocks of climate change? As a leading force behind Detroit's ongoing revitalization, Anika Goss spends a lot of time thinking about this question. Connecting the city's industrial past to its...
TED Talks
TED: How to make sure materials get reused -- again and again | Garry Cooper
What if we could harness the power and value of all that we discard? Circular economy builder Garry Cooper presents a compelling vision for transforming cities into sustainable, circular economies, citing real-world examples of how...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Why is this black square famous? | Allison Leigh
In 1915, an exhibition of radical artworks opened in Russia. Many pieces pushed the boundaries of form and style, but one was particularly controversial: Kazimir Malevich's "Black Square." Criticized as simple and uninspired, Malevich's...