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)
Yup, I built a nuclear fusion reactor - Taylor Wilson
Taylor Wilson believes nuclear fusion is a solution to our future energy needs, and that kids can change the world. And he knows something about both of those: When he was 14, he built a working fusion reactor in his parents' garage. Now 17, he takes the TED stage at short notice to tell (the short version of) his story. Talk by Taylor Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 26m 13s
Science is for all people, kids included - Beau Lotto and Amy O'Toole
What do science and play have in common? Neuroscientist Beau Lotto thinks all people (kids included) should participate in science and, through the process of discovery, change perceptions. He's seconded by 12-year-old Amy O'Toole, who, along with 25 of her classmates, published the first peer-reviewed article by schoolchildren, about the Blackawton bees project. It starts: "Once upon a time ... " Talk by Beau Lotto and Amy O'Toole. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 20m 10s
Should you care what your parents value?
Dig into the Romeo and Juliet Effect, which describes the tendency to find someone more desirable when met by parental opposition.--In 1972, psychologists at the University of Colorado surveyed 140 couples to determine whether a relationship facing parental disapproval was more likely to strengthen or crumble under the pressure. Can long-term success of a romantic relationship be predicted by the perceived approval or disapproval of the couple’s friends and family? Dig into the trend known as the Romeo and Juliet Effect.Directed by Maryna Buchynska, and action creative agency.This vi...
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 8m 32s
The case of the missing fractals - Alex Rosenthal and George Zaidan
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-case-of-the-missing-fractals-alex-rosenthal-and-george-zaidanA bump on the head, a mysterious femme fatale and a strange encounter on a windswept peak all add up to a heck of a night for Manny Brot, Private Eye. Watch as he tries his hand at saving the dame and getting the cash! Shudder at the mind-bending geometric riddles! Thrill to the stunning solution of The Case of the Missing Fractals.Lesson by Alex Rosenthal and George Zaidan, animation by TED-Ed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm...
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 6m 37s
Let's transform energy -- with natural gas - T. Boone Pickens
The US consumes 25% of the world's oil -- but as energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens points out onstage, the country has no energy policy to prepare for the inevitable. Is alternative energy our bridge to an oil-free future? After losing $150 million investing in wind energy, Pickens suggests it isn't, not yet. What might get us there? Natural gas. After the talk, watch for a lively Q&A with TED Curator Chris Anderson. Talk by T. Boone Pickens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 25m 27s
Excuse me, may I borrow your car? - Robin Chase
A decade ago, Robin Chase founded Zipcar in the US, now the largest car-sharing company in the world. Now she's exploring the next level of car-sharing: Buzzcar, a French startup that lets people rent their own cars to others. The details are fascinating (how does insurance work, exactly?), and the larger vision (she calls it Peers, Inc.) points to a new definition of ownership and entrepreneurship.Talk by Robin Chase. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 16m 9s
Is space attempting to kill us? - Ron Shaneyfelt
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/is-space-trying-to-kill-us-ron-shaneyfeltHow likely is it that a massive asteroid will do major damage to Earth and its inhabitants? What about the sun -- is it dying out anytime soon? And the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way -- should we be worried about that? Ron Shaneyfelt assesses the dangers of space.Lesson by Ron Shaneyfelt, animation by Retchy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 5m 15s
How art can help you analyze - Amy E. Herman
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-art-can-help-you-analyze-amy-e-hermanCan art save lives? Not exactly, but our most prized professionals (doctors, nurses, police officers) can learn real world skills through art analysis. Studying art like René Magritte's Time Transfixed can enhance communication and analytical skills, with an emphasis on both the seen and unseen. Amy E. Herman explains why art historical training can prepare you for real world investigation.Lesson by Amy E. Herman, animation by Flaming Medusa Studios Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 6m 34s
The economic case for preschool - Timothy Bartik
In this well-argued talk, Timothy Bartik makes the macro-economic case for preschool education -- and explains why you should be happy to invest in it, even if you don't have kids that age (or kids at all). The economic benefits of well-educated kids, it turns out, go well beyond the altruistic. (Filmed at TEDxMiamiUniversity.) Talk by Timothy Bartik. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 20m 33s
What fear can show us - Karen Thompson Walker
Imagine you're a shipwrecked sailor adrift in the enormous Pacific. You can choose one of three directions and save yourself and your shipmates -- but each choice comes with a fearful consequence too. How do you choose? In telling the story of the whaleship Essex, novelist Karen Thompson Walker shows how fear propels imagination, as it forces us to imagine the possible futures and how to cope with them. Talk by Karen Thompson Walker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 15m 15s
A cinematic tour through visual effects - Don Levy
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/a-cinematic-journey-through-visual-effects-don-levyIt's been 110 years since Georges Méliès sent a spaceship slamming into the eye of the man on the moon. So how far have visual effects come since then? Working closely with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Don Levy takes us on a visual journey through special effects, from the fakery of early technology to the seamless marvels of modern filmmaking. Talk by Don Levy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 9m 39s
How does the stock market work? - Oliver Elfenbaum
Download a free audiobook version of "The Richest Man in Babylon" and support TED-Ed's nonprofit mission: https://www.audible.com/ted-edCheck out our full book recommendation: https://shop.ed.ted.com/products/the-richest-man-in-babylon--In the 1600s, the Dutch East India Company employed hundreds of ships to trade goods around the globe. In order to fund their voyages, the company turned to private citizens to invest money to support trips in exchange for a share of the profits. In doing so, they unknowingly invented the world’s first stock market. So how do...
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 6m 14s
The science of love's fall - Shannon Odell
Travel into the brain to see what happens when you fall in love and explore how the brain responds to heartbreak.--Love is often described as heartwarming, heart-wrenching, or even heartbreaking— and your brain is responsible for all these feelings. The journey from first spark to the last tear is guided by a symphony of neurochemicals and brain systems. Shannon Odell explores what happens in your brain when you fall in love, how it responds to a relationship, and how it reacts to a breakup.Lesson by Shannon Odell, directed by Biljana La...
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 9m 25s
Mysteries of vernacular: Initiate - Jessica Oreck
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/mysteries-of-vernacular-inaugurate-jessica-oreckFrom avian omens to the beginning of a new policy or the reign of a new politician, Jessica Oreck follows the flight path of the word inaugurate.Lesson and animation by Jessica Oreck. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 3m 52s
How open data is shifting international aid - Sanjay Pradhan
How do we make sure that development and aid money actually goes to the people who most need it? Sanjay Pradhan of the World Bank Institute lays out three guidelines to help relief efforts make the most impact -- while curbing corruption. One key: connecting the players who are working to change broken systems with the data they need. Talk by Sanjay Pradhan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 20m 5s
Why you procrastinate even when it's unpleasant
Explore what happens in the brain to trigger procrastination, and what strategies you can use to break the cycle of this harmful practice.--The report you’ve been putting off is due tomorrow. It’s time to buckle down, open your computer ... and check your phone. Maybe watch your favorite YouTube channel? Or maybe you should just start in the morning? This is the cycle of procrastination. So, why do we procrastinate when we know it’s bad for us? Explore how your body triggers a procrastination response, and how you can break the cycle...
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 8m 30s
What is fat? - George Zaidan
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-is-fat-george-zaidanAs the narrative goes, fat is bad. Well, it's actually more nuanced than that. The type of fat you eat is more impactful on your health than the quantity. George Zaidan examines triglycerides, the varied molecules that make up fat, and how to identify which types of fat you are consuming.Lesson by George Zaidan, animation by Igor Coric. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 6m 6s
How was the Great Pyramid of Giza built? - Soraya Field Fiorio
Explore how the ancient Egyptians built the Great Pyramid, a tomb created for Pharaoh Khufu which took over 20 years to complete.--As soon as Pharaoh Khufu ascended the throne circa 2575 BCE, work on his eternal resting place began. The structure’s architect, Hemiunu, determined he would need 20 years to finish the royal tomb. But what he could not predict was that this monument would remain the world’s tallest manmade structure for over 3,800 years. Soraya Field Fiorio digs into the construction of the Great Pyramid.Lesson by Soraya Field Fiorio, directed by Luís...
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 8m 17s
Is capitalism actually malfunctioning?
Explore the different types of capitalism, how they operate, and how they impact issues like climate change and rising inequality.--People have become increasingly worried that the threats we face today, like climate change and rising inequality, can’t be solved by a capitalist economic system. So, is that true? And if it is, can we fix capitalism or do we need to tear the system down and build a new one from scratch? Explore the different types of capitalism and the role it plays in our society.Directed by Lorenzo Mercanti, AI...
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 9m 25s
The arts festival movement - David Binder
David Binder is a major Broadway producer, but last summer he found himself in a small Australian neighborhood, watching locals dance and perform on their lawns -- and loving it. He shows us the new face of arts festivals, which break the boundary between audience and performer and help cities express themselves. Talk by David Binder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 12m 49s