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)
Will another pandemic strike during your lifetime?
Explore the probability of a future pandemic and the steps we can take to reduce its destructiveness.--We tend to think of pandemics as unlikely events, but disease outbreaks are surprisingly common. Over the past 400 years, the longest stretch of time without a documented outbreak was just four years. So, what’s the probability of experiencing another world-changing pandemic in your lifetime? Explore the likelihood of a future pandemic and the steps we can take to reduce its destructiveness.Directed by Igor Coric, Artrake Studio.This video made possible in co...
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 8m 51s
A universal translator for doctors - Steven Schwaitzberg
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/a-universal-translator-for-surgeons-steven-schwaitzbergLaparoscopic surgery uses minimally invasive incisions -- which means less pain and shorter recovery times for patients. But Steven Schwaitzberg has run into two problems teaching these techniques to surgeons around the world -- language and distance. He shares how a new technology, which combines video conferencing and a real-time universal translator, could help. Talk by Steven Schwaitzberg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 15m 26s
Why is it so challenging to treat the common cold?
Dig into the two main ways we fight the viruses that cause the common cold, and find out if it’s possible to create a cure. --On average, adults catch more than 150 colds throughout their lives. Even with similar symptoms, the cause could be different each time. Common colds are caused by at least 8 different families of virus, each of which can have its own subtypes. How can so many different viruses cause the same illness? And is a cure even possible? Explore the two main strategies we employ to fight viruses.Di...
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 8m 2s
Gibberish, urine, and sheer chaos: What happens when you sleepwalk - Emmanuel During
Download a free audiobook version of “The Midnight Library“ and support TED-Ed's nonprofit mission: https://www.audible.com/ted-ed--Mumbling fantastical gibberish; devouring blocks of cheese in the nude; peeing in places that aren’t toilets; and jumping out of windows. These are all things people have reportedly done while sleepwalking, a behavior that can be dangerous in some cases. It’s estimated that around 18% of people sleepwalk at least once in their lives. So, what exactly is sleepwalking? Emmanuel During investigates.Lesson by Emmanuel During, directed by Laura Jayne Hodkin.Learn...
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 8m 16s
Why domestic violence victims don't exit - Leslie Morgan Steiner
Leslie Morgan Steiner was in "crazy love" -- that is, madly in love with a man who routinely abused her and threatened her life. Steiner tells the dark story of her relationship, correcting misconceptions many people hold about victims of domestic violence, and explaining how we can all help break the silence. (Filmed at TEDxRainier.)Talk by Leslie Morgan Steiner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 20m 44s
How tsunamis work - Alex Gendler
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-tsunamis-work-alex-gendlerThe immense swell of a tsunami can grow up to 100 feet, hitting speeds over 500 mph -- a treacherous combination for anyone or anything in its path. Alex Gendler details the causes of these towering terrors and explains how scientists are seeking to reduce their destruction in the future.Lesson by Alex Gendler, animation by Augenblick Studios. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 5m 21s
How do oysters generate pearls? - Rob Ulrich
Explore how oysters use calcium carbonate to create pearls, and how this chemical compound creates a vast array of other materials.--Despite their iridescent colors and smooth shapes, pearls are actually made of the exact same material as the craggy shell that surrounds them. Pearls, urchin spines, the shells of mussels, snails and clams, even coral— all these structures are made out of the same chemical compound: calcium carbonate. So how does this single ingredient form such a vast array of materials? Rob Ulrich investigates.Lesson by Rob Ulrich, directed by Ivana Bo...
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 8m 7s
The sibling rivalry that tore a town apart - Jay Van Bavel and Dominic Packer
Explore the psychology of social identity and in-group bias and discover the conditions that cause people to turn against one another.--One day a pair of brothers working together as shoemakers had an explosive fight that split the family business in two. Over the coming years, this disagreement divided their town— residents and businesses chose sides. Could such a serious divide really be about shoes? Doesn’t it take more significant differences to produce this degree of conflict? Jay Van Bavel and Dominic Packer investigate.Lesson by Jay Van Bavel and Dominic Pack...
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 8m 11s
The magnificence of bioluminescence - Leslie Kenna
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-brilliance-of-bioluminescence-leslie-kennaSome lucky animals are naturally endowed with bioluminescence, or the ability to create light. The firefly, the anglerfish, and a few more surprising creatures use this ability in many ways, including survival, hunting, and mating. Leslie Kenna investigates this magical glow - and our quest to replicate it.Lesson by Leslie Kenna, animation by Cinematic Sweden. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 5m 53s
Why seasons change - Rebecca Kaplan
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/reasons-for-the-seasons-rebecca-kaplanWhy do some regions experience full-time heat while others are reckoning with frigid temperatures and snow? And why are the seasons reversed in the two hemispheres? Rebecca Kaplan explains how the shape of the Earth's orbit around the Sun and the Earth's tilt on its axis affect the amount of sunlight each region receives.Lesson by Rebecca Kaplan, animation by Marc Christoforidis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 8m 5s
What makes an algorithm? - David J. Malan
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/your-brain-can-solve-algorithms-david-j-malanAn algorithm is a mathematical method of solving problems both big and small. Though computers run algorithms constantly, humans can also solve problems with algorithms. David J. Malan explains how algorithms can be used in seemingly simple situations and also complex ones.Lesson by David J. Malan, animation by enjoyanimation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 6m 42s
Could this technology stop all viruses?
Explore how scientists are developing a flu vaccine that would protect you against every strain— even ones that don’t exist yet.--There’s a vaccine being developed now that would protect you against every strain of the flu— even ones that don’t exist yet. But influenza is constantly mutating, so is a universal vaccine even possible? And how do you design a vaccine that will be effective against future strains? Explore how scientists are developing new ways to help our immune systems fight viruses. Directed by Igor Coric, Artrake Studio.Thi...
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 8m 30s
The most groundbreaking scientist you've never heard of - Addison Anderson
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-most-groundbreaking-scientist-you-ve-never-heard-of-addison-andersonSeventeenth-century Danish geologist Nicolas Steno earned his chops at a young age, studying cadavers and drawing anatomic connections between species. Steno made outsized contributions to the field of geology, influencing Charles Lyell, James Hutton and Charles Darwin. Addison Anderson recounts Steno's little-known legacy and lauds his insistence on empiricism over blind theory. Lesson by Addison Anderson, animation by Anton Bogaty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 6m 18s
Speech acts: Constative and performative - Colleen Glenney Boggs
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/speech-acts-constative-and-performative-colleen-glenney-boggsWhen are words just words, and when do words force action? Linguist J.L. Austin divided words into two categories: constatives (words that describe a situation) and performatives (words that incite action). For instance, is a "No running" sign describing your gait, or are you not running because the sign prohibits it? Colleen Glenney Boggs describes how these categorizations give power to words and, ultimately, to your actions.Lesson by Colleen Glenney Boggs, animation by Lou Webb. Learn more about your ad...
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 5m 42s
"Accents" by Denice Frohman
An animated interpretation of Denice Frohman's poem "Accents"--Watch an interview with the poet here: https://youtu.be/MbA7hvrDneoThis animation is part of our 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. Check out the full series here: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTheresAPoemForThatPoem by Denice Frohman, directed by KAPWA / Robertino Zambrano.Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterSupport us on Patreon: http://bit.ly...
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 4m 16s
Lesson 1: What define ideas?
Master a variety of communication skills with TED’s official public speaking course. This course will teach you how to identify, develop and share your best ideas with the world. This video - the first in the series - is available for free. If you'd like to continue on this learning journey, you can purchase the full 11-lesson course. All proceeds support TED-Ed's nonprofit mission to develop and share free high-quality educational materials with the world. Lesson 1 Learning Goal:Identify the qualities of ideas worth spreading.This lesson is full of foundational knowledge that wi...
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 13m 22s
Ethical dilemma: Whose life deserves greater worth? - Rebecca L. Walker
Puzzle through a classic ethical dilemma and decide: how do we determine the value of a life, whether human or non-human?--To protect against a possible resurgence of smallpox, the US government is funding research to improve treatments and vaccines. And since it’s unethical to expose people to a highly lethal virus, labs are using monkeys as research subjects. But is it right to harm these animals to protect humanity from a potential threat? Rebecca L. Walker takes a look at this classic ethical dilemma. Lesson by Rebecca L. Walker, directed by...
Published: Sep 24, 2026Duration: 8m 50s
How movies portray manhood - Colin Stokes
When Colin Stokes' 3-year-old son caught a glimpse of Star Wars, he was instantly obsessed. But what messages did he absorb from the sci-fi classic? Stokes asks for more movies that send positive messages to boys: that cooperation is heroic, and respecting women is as manly as defeating the villain. (Filmed at TEDxBeaconStreet.) Talk by Colin Stokes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 23, 2026Duration: 16m 41s
Who directs the world? - James B. Glattfelder
James Glattfelder studies complexity: how an interconnected system -- say, a swarm of birds -- is more than the sum of its parts. And complexity theory, it turns out, can reveal a lot about how the economy works. Glattfelder shares a groundbreaking study of how control flows through the global economy, and how concentration of power in the hands of a shockingly small number leaves us all vulnerable. (Filmed at TEDxZurich.) Talk by James B. Glattfelder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 23, 2026Duration: 18m 55s
Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the Hobart Shakespeareans
Filmed at TED 2012.View on TED-Ed blog: http://blog.ed.ted.com/2013/05/16/ladies-and-gentlemen-the-hobart-shakespereans/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 23, 2026Duration: 13m 54s