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  • 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.

    Uploaded 19-01-21

    --

    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, directed by Tjoff Koong.

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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/who-decides-how-long-a-second-is-john-kitching
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    Animator's website: http://greenhouseanimation.com/directors/tjoff-koong/
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    8 min
  • Meet global corruption's hidden players - Charmian Gooch

    When the son of the president of a desperately poor country starts buying mansions and sportscars on an official monthly salary of $7,000, Charmian Gooch suggests, corruption is probably somewhere in the picture. In a blistering, eye-opening talk (and through several specific examples), she details how global corruption trackers follow the money -- to some surprisingly familiar faces.

    Uploaded 23-08-13

    Talk by Charmian Gooch.



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    19 min
  • 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.

    Uploaded 03-09-19

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    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.

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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-secret-student-resistance-to-hitler-iseult-gillespie

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    8 min
  • The ethical origins of progressives and conservatives - Jonathan Haidt

    View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/jonathan-haidt-on-the-moral-roots-of-liberals-and-conversatives

    Psychologist Jonathan Haidt studies the five moral values that form the basis of our political choices, whether we're left, right, or center. In this eye-opening talk, he pinpoints the moral values that liberals and conservatives tend to honor most. Jonathan Haidt studies how -- and why -- we evolved to be moral. By understanding more about our moral roots, his hope is that we can learn to be civil and open-minded.

    Talk by Jonathan Haidt.

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    24 min
  • Behind the Great Firewall of China - Michael Anti

    View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/behind-the-great-firewall-of-china-michael-anti

    Uploaded 22-06-13

    Michael 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.



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    24 min
  • How CRISPR lets you edit DNA - Andrea M. Henle

    Explore the science of the groundbreaking technology for editing genes, called CRISPR- Cas9, and how the tool could be used to cure diseases.

    Uploaded 24-01-19

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    From the smallest single-celled organism to the largest creatures on Earth, every living thing is defined by its genes. With recent advancements, scientists can change an organism’s fundamental features in record time using gene editing tools such as CRISPR. But where did this medical marvel come from and how does it work? Andrea M. Henle examines the science behind this new technology.

    Lesson by Andrea M. Henle, directed by Adam Wells.

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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-crispr-lets-you-edit-dna-andrea-m-henle

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    8 min
  • How are microchips produced? - George Zaidan and Sajan Saini

    Travel into a computer chip to explore how these devices are manufactured and what can be done about their environmental impact.

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    Globally, we produce more than a trillion computer chips every year. Which means about 20 trillion transistors are built every second— and this process is done in fewer than 500 fabrication plants. How do we build so many tiny, intricately-connected devices, so incredibly fast? George Zaidan and Sajan Saini explore how photolithography helps build these devices and its environmental impact.

    Lesson by George Zaidan and Sajan Saini, directed by Kozmonot Animation Studio.

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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-are-microchips-made-george-zaidan-and-sajan-saini
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    Animator's website: https://www.kozmonot.tv
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    8 min
  • Your phone company is watching - Malte Spitz

    What kind of data is your cell phone company collecting? Malte Spitz wasn't too worried when he asked his operator in Germany to share information stored about him. Multiple unanswered requests and a lawsuit later, Spitz received 35,830 lines of code -- a detailed, nearly minute-by-minute account of half a year of his life.

    Uploaded 21-06-13

    Talk by Malte Spitz.



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    14 min
  • How to build a fictional world - Kate Messner

    View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-build-a-fictional-world-kate-messner

    Uploaded 09-01-14

    Why is J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy so compelling? How about The Matrix or Harry Potter? What makes these disparate worlds come alive are clear, consistent rules for how people, societies -- and even the laws of physics -- function in these fictional universes. Author Kate Messner offers a few tricks for you, too, to create a world worth exploring in your own words.

    Lesson by Kate Messner, animation by Avi Ofer.



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    8 min
  • This is the most frequent way to get head lice - Nazzy Pakpour

    Dig into what makes head lice so difficult to get rid of, and the effectiveness of our most common treatments.

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    For as long as humans have had lice, we’ve fought hard to get rid of them. Nit combs, the fine-tooth brushes used to remove lice and their sticky eggs, have been found among the ancient remains of cultures across the globe. Today it’s estimated we spend billions of dollars each year treating infestations. So why are lice so difficult to get rid of? Nazzy Pakpour digs into these stubborn insects.

    Lesson by Nazzy Pakpour, directed by Oksana Kurmaz.

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    Animator's website: https://www.kurmaz.me
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    7 min

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