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  • Why do we snack on popcorn at the movies? - Andrew Smith

    Trace the history of popcorn, from its origins in the Americas to its explosion of popularity in the 20th century.

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    Soft percussion and a toasty scent mark the violent transformation of tough seeds into cloud-like puffs. This is the almost magical process of popcorn-making. Dozens of kinds of popcorn are now grown in the US, with different strains assuming distinctive shapes when their kernels explode. So, how did we actually end up with this whimsical food? Andrew Smith traces the history of popcorn.

    Lesson by Andrew Smith, directed by Mitchelle Tamariz.

    This video made possible in collaboration with Marriott Hotels
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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-do-we-eat-popcorn-at-the-movies-andrew-smith
    Dig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-do-we-eat-popcorn-at-the-movies-andrew-smith#digdeeper

    Animator's website: https://www.mitchelletamariz.com
    Music: https://www.campstudio.co
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    Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Vector-Dopamine math, Jasper Song, Giorgio Bugnatelli, Chardon, Eddy Trochez, OnlineBookClub.org, Eric Shear, Leith Salem, Omar Hicham, Adrian Rotaru, Brad Sullivan, Karen Ho, Niklas Frimberger, Hunter Manhart, Nathan Nguyen, Igor Stavchanskiy, James R DeVries, Grace Huo, Diana Huang, Chau Hong Diem, Orlellys Torre, Corheu, Thomas Mee, Maryann H McCrory, Blas Borde, John Hellmann, Poompak Meephian, Chuck Wofford, Adam Pagan, Wes Winn, Conder Shou, ntiger, Noname, Hansan Hu, David D, Mac Hyney, Keith Ellison, robin valero walters, Lynne Truesdale, Gatsby Dkdc, Matthew Neal, Denis Chon, Julian Oberhofer, Monte Carroll, Eddy, Jay M, Constantino Victor Delgado, Andrea Galvagni, Andrew Tweddle and Laurel-Ann Rice.

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    8 min
  • The good news of the decade? - Hans Rosling

    View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-good-news-of-the-decade-hans-rosling

    Uploaded 11-08-13

    Hans Rosling reframes 10 years of UN data with his spectacular visuals, lighting up an astonishing -- mostly unreported -- piece of front-page-worthy good news: We're winning the war against child mortality. Along the way, he debunks one flawed approach to stats that blots out such vital stories. (Filmed at TEDxChange.)

    Talk by Hans Rosling.



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    21 min
  • Pursuing the pursuers - Gary Kovacs

    As you surf the Web, information is being collected about you. Web tracking is not 100% evil -- personal data can make your browsing more efficient; cookies can help your favorite websites stay in business. But, says Gary Kovacs, it's your right to know what data is being collected about you and how it affects your online life. He unveils a Firefox add-on to do just that.

    Talk by Gary Kovacs.

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    10 min
  • Is our universe the only cosmos? - Brian Greene

    Is there more than one universe? In this visually rich, action-packed talk, Brian Greene shows how the unanswered questions of physics (starting with a big one: What caused the Big Bang?) have led to the theory that our own universe is just one of many in the "multiverse."

    Talk by Brian Greene.

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    28 min
  • Is there any truth to the King Arthur legends? - Alan Lupack

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    Uploaded 11-09-18

    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/is-there-any-truth-to-the-king-arthur-legends-alan-lupack

    King Arthur has risen again and again in our collective imagination, along with his retinue of knights, Guinevere, the Round Table, Camelot, and of course Excalibur. But where do these stories come from, and is there any truth to them? Alan Lupack traces the evolution of King Arthur.

    Lesson by Alan Lupack, directed by Patrick Smith.

    Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Mary Sawyer, David Rosario, Samuel Doerle, Susan Herder, Prasanth Mathialagan, Yanira Santamaria, Dawn Jordan, Constantin Salagor, Kevin Wong, Umar Farooq, Goh Xiang Ting Diana, Cristóbal Medina Moenne, MJ Tan Mingjie, Yansong Li, Jason A Saslow, Henry Li, Kyle Nguyen, Taylor Hunter, Noa Shore, Lex Azevedo, Merit Gamertsfelder, Bev Millar, Rishi Pasham, Jhuval, SookKwan Loong, Daniel Day, Nick Johnson, Bruno Pinho, Javier Aldavaz, Marc Veale, Boytsov Ilya, maxi kobi einy, Misaki Sato, Andrew Bosco, Nik Maier, Mark Morris, Tamás Drávai, Adi V, Peter Liu, Leora Allen, Hiroshi Uchiyama, Julie Cummings-Debrot, Gilly, Ka-Hei Law, Maya Toll, Aleksandar Srbinovski, Ricardo Rendon Cepeda, Renhe Ji, Andrés Melo Gámez, and Tim Leistikow.



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    8 min
  • The life, legacy and assassination of an African revolutionary - Lisa Janae Bacon

    Get to know the life of West African revolutionary Thomas Sankara, and his pursuit of liberating Burkina Faso from colonial rule.

    Uploaded 03-02-20

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    In 1972, Thomas Sankara was swept into the revolution seeking to wrest control of Madagascar from France’s lingering colonial rule. The protests inspired the West African native to read works by socialist leaders and seek wisdom from military strategy. Leaving Madagascar in 1973, he was determined to free his country from its colonial legacy. Lisa Bacon details the life of the revolutionary icon.

    Lesson by Lisa Janae Bacon, directed by Tomás Pichardo-Espaillat.

    Animator's website: http://www.tomatico.net/
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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-life-legacy-assassination-of-an-african-revolutionary-lisa-janae-bacon

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    8 min
  • Sugar: Hiding in plain sight - Robert Lustig

    View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/sugar-hiding-in-plain-sight-robert-lustig

    Uploaded 31-03-14

    While sugar is easy to spot in candy, soft drinks and ice cream, it also hides out in foods you might not expect -- including peanut butter, pasta sauce and even bologna! Robert Lustig decodes confusing labels and sugar's many aliases to help determine just how much of that sweet carbohydrate makes its way into our diets.

    Lesson by Robert Lustig, animation by The Tremendousness Collective.



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    6 min
  • How to attack (and defend) a medieval castle - Connor C. Wilson

    Dig into the history of medieval European castles, and explore how the design of these formidable fortresses evolved over time.

    Uploaded 16-06-26

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    Medieval European castles weren’t just for passive defense and withstanding enemy onslaughts; they were symbols of power, private residences, and hubs of governance. Castles regularly served as bases for launching attacks and as a way to control local populations. So, how were these formidable fortresses built? Connor C. Wilson explores how the design of these structures evolved over time.

    Lesson by Connor C. Wilson, directed by Layron DeJarnette.

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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-attack-and-defend-a-medieval-castle-connor-c-wilson
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    Animator's website: https://www.gumboyo.com
    Educator's website: https://x.com/ConnorCWilson1
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    8 min
  • The rise and fall of history’s first empire - Soraya Field Fiorio

    Discover history’s first empire: Sumer, located in Mesopotamia, which built the world’s first cities and created the first writing system.

    Uploaded 15-10-20

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    History’s first empire rose out of a hot, dry landscape, without rainfall to nourish crops, without trees or stones for building. In spite of all this, its inhabitants built the world’s first cities, with monumental architecture and large populations— and they built them entirely out of mud. Soraya Field Fiorio details the rise and fall of the Sumerian empire.

    Lesson by Soraya Field Fiorio, directed by Tomás Pichardo-Espaillat.

    Animator's website: http://www.tomatico.net/
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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-rise-and-fall-of-history-s-first-empire-soraya-field-fiorio

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    8 min
  • How to create cleaner coal - Emma Bryce

    View full lesson here: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-create-cleaner-coal-emma-bryce

    Uploaded 09-12-14

    It takes a lot of fuel to heat our homes, preserve our food, and power our gadgets. And for 40 percent of the world, cheap, plentiful coal gets the job done. But coal also releases pollutants into the air, causing environmental damage like acid rain and serious health problems. Can we create a cleaner version of coal? Emma Bryce details the three ways we might strip coal of its foul forces.

    Lesson by Emma Bryce, animation by Artrake Studio.



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    8 min

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