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TED-Ed episodes

  • The secret mechanisms of the adolescent brain - Sarah-Jayne Blakemore

    View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-mysterious-workings-of-the-adolescent-brain-sarah-jayne-blakemore

    Why do teenagers seem so much more impulsive, so much less self-aware than grown-ups? Cognitive neuroscientist Sarah-Jayne Blakemore compares the prefrontal cortex in adolescents to that of adults, to show us how typically "teenage" behavior is caused by the growing and developing brain.

    Talk by Sarah-Jayne Blakemore.

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    19 min
  • The uncertain location of electrons - George Zaidan and Charles Morton

    View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-uncertain-location-of-electrons-george-zaidan-and-charles-morton

    Uploaded 14-10-13

    The tiny atoms that make up our world are made up of even tinier protons, neutrons and electrons. Though the number of protons determine an atom's identity, it's the electrons -- specifically, their exact location outside the nucleus -- that particularly perplex scientists. George Zaidan and Charles Morton show how to make an educated guess of where those itty-bitty freewheeling electrons might be.

    Lesson by George Zaidan and Charles Morton, animation by Karrot Animation.



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    6 min
  • Earworms: Those songs that get stuck in your head - Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis

    View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/earworms-those-songs-that-get-stuck-in-your-head-elizabeth-hellmuth-margulis

    Uploaded 26-03-15

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    Have you ever been waiting in line at the grocery store, innocently perusing the magazine rack, when a song pops into your head? Not the whole song, but a fragment of it that plays and replays until you find yourself unloading the vegetables in time to the beat? Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis explores earworms — a cognitive phenomenon that plagues over 90% of people at least once a week.

    Lesson by Elizabeth Margulis, animation by Artrake Studio.



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    7 min
  • What is a butt tuba and why is it in medieval art? - Michelle Brown

    Uncover the rich history of illuminated manuscripts and the often bizarre images that filled the margins of medieval books.

    Uploaded 16-04-19

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    A rabbit attempts to play a church organ, while a knight fights a giant snail and a naked man blows a trumpet with his rear end. These bizarre images, painted with squirrel-hair brushes on vellum or parchment by monks, nuns and urban craftspeople, populate the margins of the most prized books from the Middle Ages. Michelle Brown explores the rich history and tradition of illuminated manuscripts.

    Lesson by Michelle Brown, directed by WOW-HOW Studio.

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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-is-a-butt-tuba-and-why-is-it-in-medieval-art-michelle-brown

    Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Vaibhav Mirjolkar, Tony, Michelle, Katie and Josh Pedretti, Erik Biemans, Gaurav Mathur, Sameer Halai, Hans Peng, Tekin Gültekin, Hector Quintanilla, Raheem , Penelope Misquitta, Ravi S. Rāmphal, Fahad Nasser Chowdhury, Marin Kovachev, Roman Pinchuk, Maria Lerchbaumer, Edgar Campos Barrachina, Dianne Palomar, The Brock, Curtis Light, Ernest Chow, Liana Switzer, Maija Chapman, Pamela Harrison, Mighterbump, Beatriz Inácio, Robert Hargis, Soma Ali, Mark wisdom, Ai Ejima, Irindany Sandoval, William Bravante, Elizabeth Parker, Sai Krishna Koyoda, Therapist Gus, Samuel Barbas, Betsy Feathers, Victoria Soler-Roig, Pavel Maksimov, Barbara Younker, Cyrus Garay, Yvette Mocete, Mike Azarkman, Valeria Sloan Vasquez, Patricia Alves Panagides, William Biersdorf, Michael Aquilina, Kshitij Shah, Mohammad Said, Victoria Veretilo and Rebecca Reineke.



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    7 min
  • Why you will fail to have a great career - Larry Smith

    In this funny and blunt talk, Larry Smith pulls no punches when he calls out the absurd excuses people invent when they fail to pursue their passions. (Filmed at TEDxUW.)

    Uploaded 15-08-13

    Talk by Larry Smith.



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    20 min
  • How long should your naps be? - Sara C. Mednick

    Download a free audiobook version of "Take a Nap: Change Your Life" by Sara Mednick or Matthew Walker's "Why We Sleep" and support TED-Ed's nonprofit mission: https://www.audible.com/ted-ed

    Uploaded 29-04-21

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    Your eyes get heavy and gradually close… But wait! It’s only lunch time and you still have so much to do. Would taking a nap help? Or would it derail your day? Well, that depends on a few things— especially what stages of sleep the nap includes. Sara C. Mednick details the cognitive benefits of napping, and explores the optimal length and time of day for a quick snooze.

    Lesson by Sara C. Mednick, directed by Qian Shi.

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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-long-should-your-naps-be-sara-c-mednick
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    Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Anoop Varghese, David Yastremski, Zoë Tulip, B, Jason Harrison, Erica Guerrero, Richard Manklow, Roberto Chena, Oliver Koo, Luke Pisano, Andrea Gordon, Aleksandar Donev, Nicole Klau Ibarra, Milo Vermeulen, Ryan Weiler, Jesse Lira, Ezekiel Raui, Itay Levi, Zongpu Kou, Cameron Chakraverty, Petr Vacek, Rhys Patterson, Dennis, Olivia Fu, Katrina Adams, Regina Post, Mary Collins, Kari Teffeau, clumsybunnie, Adam Leos, Jeremy Laurin, Cindy Lai, Liz, Bhargav Pandravada, Rajath Durgada Manjunath, Dan Nguyen, sarim haq, Chin Beng Tan, Alejandro Gomez, Tom Boman, Karen Warner, Isorn Sookwanish, Iryna Panasiuk, Diane Gallin, Aaron Torres, Vasundhar, Eric Braun, Denka Wee, Daru Bhargav an Sonja Worzewski.



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    7 min
  • Gaming to re-engage boys in learning - Ali Carr-Chellman

    In her talk, Ali Carr-Chellman pinpoints three reasons boys are tuning out of school in droves, and lays out her bold plan to re-engage them: bringing their culture into the classroom, with new rules that let boys be boys, and video games that teach as well as entertain. (Filmed at TEDxPSU.)

    Uploaded 15-08-13

    Talk by Ali Carr-Chellman.



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    17 min
  • Why do we sweat? - John Murnan

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    Uploaded 15-05-18

    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-do-we-sweat-john-murnan

    There are a number of scenarios that can make us sweat–including exercise, eating spicy foods, and nervousness. But how does this substance suddenly materialize, and what exactly is its purpose? John Murnan explores the science behind sweat.

    Lesson by John Murnan, directed by Dogzilla Studio.

    Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible. Exal Enrique Cisneros Tuch, Ana Maria, Vignan Velivela, Ibel Wong, Ahmad Hyari, A Hundred Years, eden sher, Travis Wehrman, Minh Tran, Louisa Lee, Kiara Taylor, Hoang Viet, Nathan A. Wright, Jast3r, Аркадий Скайуокер, Milad Mostafavi, Rob Johnson, Ashley Maldonado, Clarence E. Harper Jr., Bojana Golubovic, Mihail Radu Pantilimon, Benedict Chuah, Karthik Cherala, haventfiguredout, Violeta Cervantes, Elaine Fitzpatrick, Lyn-z Schulte, cnorahs, Henrique 'Sorín' Cassús, Tim Robinson, Kiarash Asar, Jun Cai, Paul Schneider, Amber Wood, Ophelia Gibson Best, Cas Jamieson, Michelle Stevens-Stanford, Phyllis Dubrow, Andreas Voltios, Eunsun Kim, Philippe Spoden, Samantha Chow, Armando Ello, Ayala Ron, Manognya Chakrapani, Simon Holst Ravn, Doreen Reynolds-Consolati, Rakshit Kothari, Melissa Sorrells, and Antony Lee.



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    7 min
  • Hacking bacteria to fight cancer - Tal Danino

    Explore how synthetic biologists are programming bacteria to fight cancer by manipulating their DNA.

    Uploaded 10-12-19

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    In 1884, an unlucky patient who had a rapidly growing cancer in his neck came down with an unrelated bacterial skin infection. As he recovered from the infection, the cancer surprisingly began to recede. The infection had stimulated the patient’s immune system. Today, synthetic biologists program bacteria to safely deliver drugs directly to tumors. How is this possible? Tal Danino investigates.

    Lesson by Tal Danino, directed by Chris Bishop.

    Animator's website: https://www.chrisbishopartist.com
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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/hacking-bacteria-to-fight-cancer-tal-danino

    Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Kyanta Yap, Ricardo Rendon Cepeda, Ana Maria, Benjamin and Shannon Pinder, Ernest Chow, Bela Namyslik, Alan Froese, Anika Westburg, Nick Cozby, Shawar Khan, Michael Braun-Boghos, Rohan Gupta, Elizabeth Cruz, Yujing Jiang, Sarah Lundegaard, Vladimir Ivanchenko, Georg Gusewski, Rohit Lodha, Erica Zhuang, Aaron Henson, Julio Sabatés Rodríguez, Vivian and Gilbert Lee, Fahad Nasser Chowdhury, ரமணன், John simmons, June Reiling, Khalid AlAli, Mickey Mikeworth, Nathaniel Lupus, Yansong Li, Chung Wah Gnapp, Amber Alexander, Robert Patrick, Pi Guanghui, Barbara Younker, Ai Ejima, Soma Ali, Roman Pinchuk, Raheem, Hector Quintanilla, Leen Mshasha, Mariana Ortega, Danny Romard, James Bruening, Ricki Daniel Marbun, Malcolm Callis, Sabrina Gonzalez, Al the Scottish Wildcat, سلطان الخليفي and Alexander Walls.



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    7 min
  • Quarrying literature for deeper meanings - Amy E. Harter

    View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/mining-literature-for-deeper-meanings-amy-e-harter

    Writing a great English paper can be tough because literature doesn't always reveal its deeper meanings immediately. You might not know Mr. Darcy's true feelings for Elizabeth Bennett in Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" or grasp the complex moral universe of Toni Morrison's "Beloved" at first reading. Amy E. Harter offers a few tips on how to read and write more critically and thoughtfully.

    Lesson by Amy E. Harter, animation by The Leading Sheep Studios.

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    6 min

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