TED-Ed
byTED-Ed
EducationScienceTechnology
TED-Ed’s mission is to create lessons worth sharing. Feed and expand your curiosity with our award-winning animated shorts - published on YouTube and available with supplemental learning materials on ed.ted.com. Want to suggest an idea for a TED-Ed animation, nominate an educator or animator? Visit our website at: http://ed.ted.com/get_involved. Consider backing us on Patreon. By doing so, you directly support our nonprofit mission to create free, high-quality educational content: https://www.patreon.com/teded For more information on using TED-Ed content for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film, or in...
Episodes(40 episodes)
grammar rules you can break today - Arika Okrent
Take a look at 3 English language grammar rules to find out where they come from and if you actually need to follow them.--Grammatical rules have caused heated debate in various regions and languages for centuries. But while we know people take grammar seriously, what’s less clear is, why? Where do these seemingly random rules come from, and which, if any, actually matter? Arika Okrent takes a closer look at three famous examples from the English language that have been the source of numerous grammatical arguments.Lesson by Arika Okrent, directed by...
Published: Jul 27, 2026Duration: 8m 18s
Deep ocean secrets and wonders - David Gallo
In the deepest, darkest parts of the oceans are ecosystems with more diversity than a tropical rainforest. Taking us on a voyage into the ocean -- from the deepest trenches to the remains of the Titanic -- marine biologist David Gallo explores the wonder and beauty of marine life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Jul 27, 2026Duration: 12m 12s
How do snakes consume animals so much bigger than they are? - Niko Zlotnik
Explore how snakes evolved, and find out how their jaw-dropping anatomy allows them to take down prey several times their size.--Since slithering onto the scene some 150 million years ago, evolving length and limbless-ness out of their ancestral lizard forms, snakes have diversified rapidly. Their noodly bodies and flexible heads granted them access to novel places and prey. And today, there are nearly 4,000 snake species, spanning habitats high and low. Niko Zlotnik explores how snakes evolved into incredible predators.Lesson by Niko Zlotnik, directed by Anna Benner.Support Our Non-Profit...
Published: Jul 27, 2026Duration: 9m 31s
A choreographer's compositional process in real time - Wayne McGregor
We all use our body on a daily basis, and yet few of us think about our physicality the way Wayne McGregor does. He demonstrates how a choreographer communicates ideas to an audience, working with two dancers to build phrases of dance, live and unscripted, on the TEDGlobal stage.Talk by Wayne McGregor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Jul 27, 2026Duration: 21m 3s
Why Can't We Observe Evidence of Alien Life?
Stand by for an animated exploration of the famous Fermi Paradox. Given the vast number of planets in the universe, many much older than Earth, why haven't we yet seen obvious signs of alien life? The potential answers to this question are numerous and intriguing, alarming and hopeful. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Jul 27, 2026Duration: 8m 48s
Can you decipher the fortress riddle? - Henri Picciotto
Practice more problem-solving at https://brilliant.org/TedEd--Bad news: your worst enemies are at the gate. Your fledgling kingdom guards the world’s only herd of tiny dino creatures. To you, they’re sacred. To everyone else, they’re food. The three closest nation-states have teamed up to smash open your walls and devour the herd. Can you build fortifications for your kingdom before the siege weapons arrive? Henri Picciotto shows how. Lesson by Henri Picciotto, directed by Igor Coric, Artrake Studio. Support Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Suppor...
Published: Jul 27, 2026Duration: 8m 7s
The voice of the natural world - Bernie Krause
Bernie Krause has been recording wild soundscapes -- the wind in the trees, the chirping of birds, the subtle sounds of insect larvae -- for 45 years. In that time, he has seen many environments radically altered by humans, sometimes even by practices thought to be environmentally safe. A surprising look at what we can learn through nature's symphonies, from the grunting of a sea anemone to the sad calls of a beaver in mourning. Talk by Bernie Krause. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Jul 27, 2026Duration: 20m 36s
The intriguing reason you cherished peek-a-boo
Dig into how the simple game of peek-a-boo contributes to babies developing their cognitive, motor, and social skills.--In Italy, it’s called il gioco del cucù. Palestinians say ba' 'éno. And in Japan, it’s inaīnaibā! Peek-a-boo is a near universal source of laughter and connection for infants and adults— it’s the first game that almost everyone plays. So what is it about this goofy game that babies love so much? Dig into how this simple game promotes the development of our cognitive, motor, and social skills.Directed by Homework...
Published: Jul 27, 2026Duration: 8m 13s
Unveiling TED-Ed: Lessons Worth Sharing
TED-Ed's mission is to capture and amplify the voices of great educators around the world. We do this by pairing extraordinary educators with talented animators to produce a new library of curiosity-igniting videos. You can nominate a teacher, nominate an animator or suggest a lesson here: http://education.ted.comSubscribe to http://www.youtube.com/user/TEDEducation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Jul 27, 2026Duration: 3m 56s
Technology's epic story - Kevin Kelly
In this wide-ranging, thought-provoking talk, Kevin Kelly muses on what technology means in our lives -- from its impact at the personal level to its place in the cosmos. (Filmed at TEDxAmsterdam.)Talk by Kevin Kelly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Jul 27, 2026Duration: 23m 17s
Mysteries No One Knows the Answers to
In the first of a new TED-Ed series designed to catalyze curiosity, TED Curator Chris Anderson shares his boyhood obsession with quirky questions that seem to have no answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Jul 27, 2026Duration: 3m 55s
Can you outsmart the fallacy that fooled a generation of doctors? - Elizabeth Cox
Dig into the false cause fallacy, which assumes that one event causes another, and learn how to distinguish between correlation and causation.--It’s 1843, and a debate is raging about one of the most common killers of women: childbed fever— no one knows what causes it. One physician has observed patients with inflammation go on to develop childbed fever, and therefore believes the inflammation causes the fever. What's the problem with this argument? Elizabeth Cox explores the false cause fallacy and how to dissect claims with skepticism.Lesson by Elizabeth Cox, directed by T...
Published: Jul 27, 2026Duration: 8m 15s
Michael Green: Why we should build wooden skyscrapers
Building a skyscraper? Forget about steel and concrete, says architect Michael Green, and build it out of ... wood. As he details in this intriguing talk, it's not only possible to build safe wooden structures up to 30 stories tall (and, he hopes, higher), it's necessary. Talk by Michael Green. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Jul 26, 2026Duration: 17m 10s
How did detectives unravel the case of the bloody motel? - Theodore E. Yeshion
Learn more at https://brilliant.org/TedEd--Scanning the crime scene, Officer Stone sees a disorderly room, visible red-brown stains and a partial shoe track— all hinting at a bloody struggle. After calling in a team to inspect, photograph, sketch, measure, and collect all the evidence, the investigators apply Luminol. So, what is Luminol and why is it used at crime scenes? Theodore E. Yeshion shines a light on the investigative tool.Lesson by Theodore E. Yeshion, directed by Raghav Arumugam, Jagriti Khirwar.This video made possible in collaboration with Br...
Published: Jul 26, 2026Duration: 8m 18s
Can you solve the cheating royal riddle? - Dan Katz
Practice more problem-solving at https://brilliant.org/TedEd/--You’re the chief advisor to an eccentric king who needs to declare his successor. He wants his heir to be good at arithmetic, lucky, and above all else, honest. So he’s devised a competition to test his children, and ordered you to choose the winner. The future of the kingdom is in your hands. Can you find the worthiest successor? Dan Katz shows how.Lesson by Dan Katz, directed by Artrake Studio.Animator's website: https://www.artrake.comSign up f...
Published: Jul 26, 2026Duration: 8m 34s
Whatever happened to acid rain? - Joseph Goffman
Discover what causes acid rain, and how scientists were able to largely eliminate this major environmental threat. --In 1963, scientists studying Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest made a shocking discovery. Their most recent rainfall samples were nearly 100 times more acidic than usual; which could destroy the area’s ecosystems in a matter of decades. What was causing this deadly rainfall? And what could be done to stop it? Joseph Goffman details how scientists transformed this major threat into a minor issue.Lesson by Joseph Goffman, directed by Nick Hilditch.Support Our Non-Profit Mi...
Published: Jul 26, 2026Duration: 8m 24s
Inside the Egyptian revolution - Wael Ghonim
Wael Ghonim is the Google executive who helped jumpstart Egypt's democratic revolution ... with a Facebook page memorializing a victim of the regime's violence. Speaking at TEDxCairo, he tells the inside story of the past two months, when everyday Egyptians showed that "the power of the people is stronger than the people in power."Talk by Wael Ghonim. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Jul 26, 2026Duration: 13m 52s
Why are airplanes slower than they used to be? - Alex Gendler
Why aren’t commercial flights getting faster? Dig into the technological and environmental problems facing supersonic flight. --In 1996, a British Airways plane flew from New York to London in a record-breaking two hours and fifty-three minutes. Today, however, passengers flying the same route can expect to spend no less than six hours in the air — twice as long. So why, in a world where everything seems to be getting faster, have commercial flights lagged behind? Alex Gendler details the problems facing supersonic flight.Lesson by Alex Gendler, directed by Zedem Media.S...
Published: Jul 26, 2026Duration: 7m 43s
Don't insist on English! - Patricia Ryan
In her talk, longtime English teacher Patricia Ryan asks a provocative question: Is the world's focus on English preventing the spread of great ideas in other languages? (For instance: what if Einstein had to pass the TOEFL?) It's a passionate defense of translating and sharing ideas. (Filmed at TEDxDubai.)Talk by Patricia Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Jul 26, 2026Duration: 15m 20s
The world’s most painful insect sting - Justin Schmidt
Find out whether a honeybee, a tarantula hawk wasp, or a bullet ant has the most painful insect sting, and what each of their stings feel like. --One of these three creatures is thought to possess the world’s most painful insect sting: there’s an ant that forages in rainforest canopies, a bee that protects a hive of delectable honey, and a wasp that paralyzes tarantulas. So which has the nastiest sting? Justin Schmidt describes and ranks the pain inflicted by each insect.Lesson by Justin Schmidt, directed by Nicholas Paim, Alop...
Published: Jul 26, 2026Duration: 7m 56s