TED-Ed
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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)
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Published: Sep 10, 2026Duration: 4m 6s
A day in the life of a martial artist in ancient China - Peter Lorge
Follow Chu Hong, a Chinese martial artist in training, as he practices his skills and competes in an archery tournament.--The year is 1030 CE. Chu Hong's best friend, Liang Gao, tells him that the local magistrate has been spotted holding a surprise archery competition in a nearby town and will arrive at their village soon. This is Hong’s chance to showcase his talents in martial arts— and secure some much-needed money for his family. Peter Lorge outlines a day in the life of a Chinese martial artist.Lesson by Peter Lorge, dire...
Published: Sep 10, 2026Duration: 6m 11s
Lady Meng Jiang: The legend of the woman who outmaneuvered a cruel emperor - Juwen Zhang
Dig into the Chinese myth of Lady Meng Jiang, and how her grief over the death of her husband brought down the Great Wall.--Long ago, an emperor decided to build a great wall to protect his new empire and ensure his power. He ordered men across China to leave their homes and submit to the grueling labor required for its construction. As years passed and the wall grew, few returned home. But one worker’s death spelled trouble for the wall. Juwen Zhang shares the myth of the heartbroken Lady Meng Jiang and he...
Published: Sep 10, 2026Duration: 6m 44s
The rise of the Ottoman Empire - Mostafa Minawi
Explore the early days of the Ottoman Empire, as shrewd political rulers grew the principality into an intercontinental empire. --In the late 13th century, Osman I established a small principality sandwiched between a crumbling Byzantine Empire and a weakened Sultanate of the Seljuk of Rum, in what is now Turkey. In just a few generations, this territory had outmaneuvered more powerful neighbors to become the vast Ottoman Empire. What enabled its rapid rise? Mostafa Minawi details the early days of the Ottomans.Lesson by Mostafa Minawi, directed by Kozmonot Animation Studio.<...
Published: Sep 10, 2026Duration: 7m 59s
On reading the Koran - Lesley Hazleton
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/on-reading-the-koran-lesley-hazletonLesley Hazleton sat down one day to read the Koran. And what she found -- as a non-Muslim, a self-identified "tourist" in the Islamic holy book -- wasn't what she expected. With serious scholarship and warm humor, Hazleton shares the grace, flexibility and mystery she found, in this myth-debunking talk. (Filmed atTEDxRainier.) Talk by Lesley Hazleton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 10, 2026Duration: 13m 18s
A plant's outlook - Michael Pollan
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/a-plant-s-eye-view-michael-pollanWhat if human consciousness isn't the end-all be-all of Darwinism? What if we are all just pawns in corn's clever strategy game to rule the Earth? Author Michael Pollan asks us to see the world from a plant's-eye view.Talk by Michael Pollan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 10, 2026Duration: 23m 14s
How to conquer a dragon with math - Garth Sundem
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-defeat-a-dragon-with-math-garth-sundemHaving trouble remembering the order of operations? Let's raise the stakes a little bit. What if the future of your (theoretical) kingdom depended on it? Garth Sundem creates a world in which PEMDAS is the hero but only heroic when in the proper order.Lesson by Garth Sundem, animation by Mark Phillips. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 10, 2026Duration: 5m 31s
How to use experts—and when not to - Noreena Hertz
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/noreena-hertz-how-to-use-experts-and-when-not-toWe make important decisions every day -- and we often rely on experts to help us decide. But, says economist Noreena Hertz, relying too much on experts can be limiting and even dangerous. She calls for us to start democratizing expertise -- to listen not only to "surgeons and CEOs, but also to shop staff."Talk by Noreena Hertz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 10, 2026Duration: 24m 3s
Who decides how long a second is? - John Kitching
Discover how scientists developed atomic clocks, which use the vibrations of atoms to measure and maintain a globally consistent time. --In 1967, researchers gathered to answer a long-running scientific question: just how long is a second? It might seem obvious at first. A second is the tick of a clock, the swing of a pendulum, the time it takes to count to one. But how precise are those measurements? And what is that length based on? John Kitching digs into how we scientifically define this fundamental unit of time.Lesson by John Kitching...
Published: Sep 10, 2026Duration: 8m 31s
The secret student resistance to Hitler - Iseult Gillespie
Learn the story of the WWII student resistance group, called the White Rose, fighting against Hitler in Nazi Germany. --In 1943, Allied aircraft rained tens of thousands of leaflets on Nazi Germany below. The leaflets urged readers to renounce Hitler, to fight furiously for the future— and to never give up hope. Their call to action rippled through homes and businesses— and their message even reached concentration camps. They were signed: the White Rose. Iseult Gillespie details the story of the resistance group.Lesson by Iseult Gillespie, directed by WOW-HOW Studio.Sign...
Published: Sep 10, 2026Duration: 8m 17s
Behind the Great Firewall of China - Michael Anti
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/behind-the-great-firewall-of-china-michael-antiMichael Anti (aka Jing Zhao) has been blogging from China for 12 years. Despite the control the central government has over the Internet -- "All the servers are in Beijing" -- he says that hundreds of millions of microbloggers are in fact creating the first national public sphere in the country's history, and shifting the balance of power in unexpected ways. Talk by Michael Anti. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 10, 2026Duration: 24m 36s
What happens if you cut down all of a city's trees? - Stefan Al
Explore what makes trees a vital part of cities, and how urban spaces throughout history have embraced the importance of trees.--By 2050, it’s estimated that over 65% of the world will be living in cities. We may think of nature as being unconnected to our urban spaces, but trees have always been an essential part of successful cities. Humanity has been uncovering these arboreal benefits since the creation of our first cities thousands of years ago. So what makes trees so important to a city’s survival? Stefan Al explains. Lesson by Stef...
Published: Sep 10, 2026Duration: 8m 10s
The fable of Ireland's most disreputable love triangle - Iseult Gillespie
Dig into the tragic myth of Tristan and Princess Isolde, and how they fall in love despite her being promised to another.--After witnessing a bird carrying a single golden hair, King Mark of Cornwall declared his future bride must have equally radiant locks. The only royal matching this description was Princess Isolde of Ireland. So the king sent Tristan, his bravest knight, to extend an olive branch to the royal family and deliver his proposal of marriage. Iseult Gillespie shares the tale of Tristan and Isolde.Lesson by Iseult Gillespie, directed...
Published: Sep 9, 2026Duration: 7m 54s
Underwater wonders - David Gallo
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/underwater-astonishments-david-galloDavid Gallo shows jaw-dropping footage of amazing sea creatures, including a color-shifting cuttlefish, a perfectly camouflaged octopus, and a Times Square's worth of neon light displays from fish who live in the blackest depths of the ocean.Talk by David Gallo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 9, 2026Duration: 8m 10s
Preserving our stunning, delicate coral reefs - Joshua Drew
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/conserving-our-spectacular-vulnerable-coral-reefs-joshua-drewHow do coral reef conservationists balance the environmental needs of the reefs with locals who need the reefs to survive? Joshua Drew draws on the islands of Fiji and their exemplary system of protection, called "connectivity," which also keep the needs of fishermen in mind.Lesson by Joshua Drew, animation by Veronica Wallenberg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published: Sep 9, 2026Duration: 4m 59s
A civil response to violence - Emiliano Salinas
In this passionate talk that's already caused a sensation in Mexico, Emiliano Salinas, son of former president Carlos Salinas de Gortari, confronts the current climate of violence in Mexico -- or rather, how Mexican society responds to it. He calls on ordinary citizens to move from denial and fear to peaceful, community-based action. This is the first talk posted on TED.com that was delivered in a language other than English. (It has English subtitles by default.) (Filmed at TEDxSanMigueldeAllende.)Talk by Emiliano Salinas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm...
Published: Sep 9, 2026Duration: 16m 2s
The shadowy past of arsenic - Neil Bradbury
Dig into the history of arsenic dating back to ancient civilizations, and find out why this element is known as the king of poisons.--No substance has been as constant an ally to insidious scheming as arsenic, the so-called “king of poisons.” In its chemically pure form, it isn’t much of a threat because our bodies don’t absorb it well; it’s when arsenic combines with other elements that things get dangerous. So, how did this substance become such a popular poison? Neil Bradbury digs into the element's sordid and lethal history.Les...
Published: Sep 9, 2026Duration: 8m 52s
Should we abolish pregnancy? | Ada, Ep. 3
Ada imagines a life where she could have children without giving birth. Would artificial wombs give us more choice or less?--This is episode 3 of the animated series, “Ada.” This 5-episode narrative follows the young library assistant Ada as she juggles two worlds: her daily mundane reality and the future she vividly imagines for all humanity. Traveling through her visions of potential futures, Ada grapples with the ethical and social implications of new technologies and how they could shape the world.Written by Elizabeth Cox, directed by Elizabeth Cox & Kirill Yeretsky. T...
Published: Sep 9, 2026Duration: 13m 51s
The mystery of motion sickness - Rose Eveleth
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-mystery-of-motion-sickness-rose-evelethAlthough one third of the population suffers from motion sickness, scientists aren't exactly sure what causes it. Like the common cold, it's a seemingly simple problem that's still without a cure. And if you think it's bad on a long family car ride, imagine being a motion sick astronaut! Rose Eveleth explains what's happening in our bodies when we get the car sick blues.Lesson by Rose Eveleth, animation by Tom Gran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices<...
Published: Sep 9, 2026Duration: 4m 54s
The myth of Loki’s monstrous children - Iseult Gillespie
Download a free audiobook version of “Where the Crawdads Sing“ and support TED-Ed's nonprofit mission: https://www.audible.com/ted-ed--Odin, the king of Asgard, was plagued by nightmares. Three fearsome figures haunted his dreams: a massive, writhing shadow; a shambling, rotting corpse; and worst of all, a monstrous beast with a deadly bite. Though their true forms were unknown to him, he could tell they were related to Asgard’s most persistent problem: Loki. Iseult Gillespie details the myth of Loki's secret children.Lesson by Iseult Gillespie, directed by Layron DeJarnette, Gumboy...
Published: Sep 9, 2026Duration: 8m 42s