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TED-Ed episodes

  • What sleep deprivation does to the teenage brain - Wendy Troxel

    Dig into how sleep deprivation affects the teenage body and brain, and what can be done to help adolescents get enough sleep.

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    Sleep deprivation among American teenagers is an epidemic. Only about 1 in 10 teens gets the 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night recommended by sleep scientists and pediatricians. So, what’s going on? And what changes can be made to address this issue? Wendy Troxel shares how early school start times and public policy are depriving adolescents of sleep at a time when they need it most.

    Directed by Laura Jayne Hodkin.

    This is an animated adaptation of a TEDx Talk given by Wendy Troxel. You can watch the talk in full here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS6lFDVR-3g

    Education is the ultimate idea worth spreading. That’s why we’ve launched InnovaTED — a program that helps educators develop their brightest ideas and share them with the world. Learn more: https://ed.ted.com/edtalks

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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-sleep-deprivation-does-to-the-teenage-brain-wendy-troxel
    Dig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-sleep-deprivation-does-to-the-teenage-brain-wendy-troxel/digdeeper

    Animator's website: https://laurajaynehodkin.com
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    10 min
  • The endurance of the sea turtle

    Watch the miraculous journey of infant sea turtles as these tiny animals run the gauntlet of predators and harsh conditions. Then, in numbers, see how human behavior has made their tough lives even more challenging.

    Lesson by Scott Gass, animation by Veronica Wallenberg and Johan Sonestedt.

    View the full lesson at: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-survival-of-the-sea-turtle

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    7 min
  • Was Alexander the Great actually that impressive? - Stephanie Honchell Smith

    Alexander the Great transformed the world during his reign — but was he an embattled leader, or a ruthless conqueror?

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    Alexander the Great fundamentally transformed the world during his 13-year reign. He conquered Persia when it was one of the world’s largest empires, and he was considered a living demi-god by Egyptians and Greeks. But was he a brilliant, embattled leader, or a ruthless, power-hungry conqueror? Stephanie Honchell Smith puts this controversial figure on trial in History vs. Alexander the Great.

    Lesson by Stephanie Honchell Smith, directed by Michael Kalopaidis, Zedem Media.

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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/was-alexander-the-great-really-that-great-stephanie-honchell-smith
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    Animator's website: https://www.zedemanimations.com
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    9 min
  • The punishable pitfalls of plagiarism - Melissa Huseman D'Annunzio

    View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-punishable-perils-of-plagiarism-melissa-huseman-d-annunzio

    Fighting plagiarism is serious business. From brainchild-snatching to wholly quotables, plagiarists have plenty of wily ways to pass others' work off as their own -- and all of them are threats to original thinking. Melissa Huseman D'Annunzio imagines what would happen if a Department of Plagiarism Investigation were on the case.

    Lesson by Melissa Huseman D'Annunzio, animation by Hache Rodriguez.

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    6 min
  • Ugly History: The Spanish Inquisition - Kayla Wolf

    Dig into the era of the Spanish Inquisition, when the Catholic Church was charged with rooting out and punishing heresy.

    Uploaded 23-03-21

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    In 1478, Pope Sixtus IV issued a decree authorizing the Catholic monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, to root out heresy in the Spanish kingdoms. The inquisition quickly turned its attention to ridding the region of people who were not part of the Catholic Church— leading to more than 350 years of ethnic cleansing. Kayla Wolf digs into the persecution and brutality of the Spanish Inquisition.

    Lesson by Kayla Wolf, directed by Luísa M H Copetti, Hype CG.

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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/ugly-history-the-spanish-inquisition-kayla-wolf
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    Animator's website: https://www.luisacopetti.com/ and https://www.hype.cg/
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    8 min
  • How tall can a tree grow? - Valentin Hammoudi

    What makes a tree grow tall? And do trees ever stop growing? Explore how photosynthesis and gravity can affect and limit the height of trees.

    Uploaded 14-03-19

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    Reaching heights of over 100 meters, Californian sequoias tower over Earth’s other 60,000 tree species. But even these behemoths seem to have their limits: no sequoia on record has been able to grow taller than 130 meters. So what exactly is stopping these trees from growing taller, forever? Valentin Hammoudi investigates why trees have limited heights.

    Lesson by Valentin Hammoudi, directed by Doug Alberts.

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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-tall-can-a-tree-grow-valentin-hammoudi

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    7 min
  • The Taino myth of the cursed creator - Bill Keegan

    Dive into the Taino myth of the sea, and watch as Deminan and his brothers accidentally create a new world from a giant gourd.

    Uploaded 04-11-19

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    Before the world of humans began, there was the world of the gods. Four brothers wandered this celestial realm. One day, the brothers snuck into a spirit’s house and spotted a giant gourd hanging in the corner. But as they tried to look inside the gourd, they dropped it. It broke apart, releasing a deluge that formed a new world. Bill Keegan details the Taino myth of Deminan and the sea.

    Lesson by Bill Keegan, directed by Franz Palomares.

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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-taino-myth-of-the-cursed-creator-bill-keegan

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    6 min
  • Volcanic eruption explained - Steven Anderson

    Dig into the science of how new volcanoes form, and what causes their unpredictable eruptions.

    Uploaded 13-07-20

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    In February of 1942, Mexican farmer Dionisio Pulido thought he heard thunder coming from his cornfield. However, the sound wasn’t coming from the sky. The source was a large, smoking crack emitting gas and ejecting rocks, and would come to be known as the volcano Paricutin. Where do new volcanoes like this come from, and what triggers their unpredictable eruption? Steven Anderson investigates.

    Lesson by Steven Anderson, directed by Cabong Studios.

    Animator's website: https://www.cabongstudios.com.br/
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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-makes-volcanoes-erupt-steven-anderson

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    8 min
  • The obscure past of zombies - Christopher M. Moreman

    Trace the origins of zombies from the Afro-Haitian religion of vodou, and discover how zombification was a reflection of slavery.

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    Zombies have a distinct lineage— one that traces back to Equatorial and Central Africa. For three centuries, African people were enslaved and brought to the Caribbean Islands. There, a religion known as vodou developed, along with the belief that a person’s soul can be captured and stored, becoming a body-less zombie. Christopher M. Moreman uncovers the true origins of the undead.

    Lesson by Christopher M. Moreman, directed by Kaspar Jancis.

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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-dark-history-of-zombies-christopher-m-moreman
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    7 min
  • Why do humans have a third eyelid? - Dorsa Amir

    Discover how evolution and natural selection influence why the human body has vestigial organs— body parts that no longer serve their original purpose.

    Uploaded 11-11-19

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    You know that little pink thing nestled in the corner of your eye? It’s actually the remnant of a third eyelid. In humans, it’s vestigial, meaning it no longer serves its original purpose. There are several other vestigial structures in the human body, quietly riding along from one of our ancestor species to the next. But why have they stuck around for so long? Dorsa Amir investigates.

    Lesson by Dorsa Amir, directed by Avi Ofer.

    Animator's website: https://www.aviofer.com
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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-do-humans-have-a-third-eyelid-dorsa-amin

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    7 min

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