TED-Ed

Puzzle through a classic ethical dilemma and decide: can human existence be meaningful without its creativity and culture?

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Life on your planet depends entirely on Nuronium for normal cognition. Unfortunately, its source has been compromised and you are now at risk of extinction. Scientists have found an alternate energy source, Polixate, but it can’t sustain cognition and would mean the loss of people's creativity. So, what shall it be: extinction or life without culture? Douglas MacLean explores this classic dilemma.

Lesson by Douglas MacLean, directed by Asparuh Petrov, Compote Collective.

This video was produced in collaboration with the Parr Center for Ethics, housed within the renowned Philosophy Department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Parr Center is committed to integrating abstract work in ethical theory with the informed discussion of practical ethical issues, and prides itself on the development of innovative and inclusive approaches to moral and civic education.

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View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/ethical-dilemma-what-makes-life-worth-living-douglas-maclean
Dig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/ethical-dilemma-what-makes-life-worth-living-douglas-maclean#digdeeper

Animator's website: https://asipetrov.com
Music: https://www.soundscapers.org
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Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Ophelia Gibson Best, Paul Schneider, Joichiro Yamada, Henrique Cassús, Karthik Cherala, Clarence E. Harper Jr., Vignan Velivela, Ana Maria, Exal Enrique Cisneros Tuch, Tejas Dc, Khalifa Alhulail, Martin Stephen, Jose Henrique Leopoldo e Silva, Mandeep Singh, Abhijit Kiran Valluri, Morgan Williams, Devin Harris, Pavel Zalevskiy, Karen Goepen-Wee, Filip Dabrowski, Barbara Smalley, Megan Douglas, Tim Leistikow, Ka-Hei Law, Hiroshi Uchiyama, Mark Morris, Misaki Sato, EdoKun, SookKwan Loong, Bev Millar, Lex Azevedo, Michael Aquilina, Jason A Saslow, Yansong Li, Cristóbal Moenne, Dawn Jordan, Prasanth Mathialagan, Samuel Doerle, David Rosario, Dominik Kugelmann - they-them, Siamak Hajizadeh, Ryohky Araya, Mayank Kaul, Christophe Dessalles, Heather Slater, Sandra Tersluisen, Zhexi Shan, Bárbara Nazaré, Andrea Feliz and Victor E Karhel.

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View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-mystery-of-chronic-pain-elliot-krane

We think of pain as a symptom, but there are cases where the nervous system develops feedback loops and pain becomes a terrifying disease in itself. Starting with the story of a girl whose sprained wrist turned into a nightmare, Elliot Krane talks about the complex mystery of chronic pain and reviews the facts we're just learning about how it works and how to treat it.

Talk by Elliot Krane.

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Explore the psychology of decision fatigue, what kinds of choices lead us to this state and what we can do to fight it.

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Everything our bodies do— whether physical or mental— uses energy. Studies have found that many individuals seem to have a daily threshold for making decisions, and an extended period of decision-making can lead to cognitive exhaustion. So, what kinds of choices lead us to this state, and what can we do to fight fatigue? Explore the psychology of decision fatigue and ways you can avoid fatigue.

Directed by Jolene Tan.

This video made possible in collaboration with Character Lab
Learn more about how TED-Ed partnerships work: https://bit.ly/TEDEdPartner

A special thanks to Evan Polman who provided information and insights for the development of this video.

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View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-make-smart-decisions-more-easily
Dig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-make-smart-decisions-more-easily/digdeeper

Animator's website: https://www.fakejol.com
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Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Doreen Reynolds-Consolati, Manognya Chakrapani, Ayala Ron, Eunsun Kim, Phyllis Dubrow, Ophelia Gibson Best, Paul Schneider, Joichiro Yamada, Henrique Cassús, Karthik Cherala, Clarence E. Harper Jr., Vignan Velivela, Ana Maria, Exal Enrique Cisneros Tuch, Tejas Dc, Khalifa Alhulail, Martin Stephen, Jose Henrique Leopoldo e Silva, Mandeep Singh, Abhijit Kiran Valluri, Morgan Williams, Devin Harris, Pavel Zalevskiy, Karen Goepen-Wee, Filip Dabrowski, Barbara Smalley, Megan Douglas, Tim Leistikow, Ka-Hei Law, Hiroshi Uchiyama, Mark Morris, Misaki Sato, EdoKun, SookKwan Loong, Bev Millar, Lex Azevedo, Michael Aquilina, Jason A Saslow, Yansong Li, Cristóbal Moenne, Dawn Jordan, Prasanth Mathialagan, Samuel Doerle, David Rosario, Dominik Kugelmann - they-them, Siamak Hajizadeh, Ryohky Araya, Mayank Kaul, Christophe Dessalles and Heather Slater.

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View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/from-the-top-of-the-food-chain-down-rewilding-our-world-george-monbiot

Uploaded 13-03-14

Our planet was once populated by megafauna, big top-of-the-food-chain predators that played their part in balancing our ecosystems. When those megafauna disappear, the result is a "trophic cascade," where every part of the ecosystem reacts to the loss. How can we stay in balance? George Monbiot suggests rewilding: putting wolves, lions and other predators back on top -- with surprising results.

Lesson by George Monbiot, animation by Avi Ofer.



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Explore how werewolves have evolved in folklore, literature, and pop culture throughout history, and where these stories originated.

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Stories of werewolves have existed for thousands of years and continue to live on today. They’re especially prominent in European literature and folklore, and often found in cultures where the wolf is the largest natural predator. Over the years its image has continuously evolved, often reflecting the fears and prejudices of that time. Craig Thomson traces the history of werewolves.

Lesson by Craig Thomson, directed by Avi Ofer.

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View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-dark-history-of-werewolves-craig-thomson
Dig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-dark-history-of-werewolves-craig-thomson#digdeeper

Animator's website: https://aviofer.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! Jesús Bíquez Talayero, Chels Raknrl, Sai Pranavi Jonnalagadda, Stuart Rice, Jing Chen, 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 and Eddy.

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View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/jonathan-driori-the-beautiful-tricks-of-flowers

Uploaded 31-08-13

In this visually dazzling talk, Jonathan Drori shows the extraordinary ways flowering plants -- over a quarter million species -- have evolved to attract insects to spread their pollen: growing 'landing-strips' to guide the insects in, shining in ultraviolet, building elaborate traps, and even mimicking other insects in heat.

Talk by Jonathan Drori.



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Nothing comes easy, and behind every success are hours of plain hard work. Sounds intimidating, but Richard St. John proposes a simple shift in attitude to turn mediocre into incredible.

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View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/your-elusive-creative-genius-elizabeth-gilbert

Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses -- and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all of us "have" a genius. It's a funny, personal and surprisingly moving talk.

Talk by Elizabeth Gilbert.

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Uploaded 05-11-18

View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/is-fire-a-solid-a-liquid-or-a-gas-elizabeth-cox

Sitting around a campfire, you can feel its heat, smell the woody smoke, and hear it crackle. If you get too close, it burns your eyes and stings your nostrils. You could stare at the bright flames forever as they twist and flicker in endless incarnations… But what exactly are you looking at? Elizabeth Cox illuminates the science behind fire.

Lesson by Elizabeth Cox, directed by Héloïse Dorsan Rachet.

Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Vignan Velivela, Ibel Wong, Ahmad Hyari, eden sher, Travis Wehrman, Louisa Lee, Hoang Viet, Nathan A. Wright, Аркадий Скайуокер, Ashley Maldonado, Clarence E. Harper Jr., Bojana Golubovic, Karthik Cherala, haventfiguredout , Violeta Cervantes, Elaine Fitzpatrick, Lyn-z Schulte, cnorahs, Henrique Sorín' Cassús, Tim Robinson, Jun Cai, Paul Schneider, Amber Wood, Ophelia Gibson Best, Michelle Stevens-Stanford, Phyllis Dubrow, Andreas Voltios, Eunsun Kim, Philippe Spoden, Samantha Chow, Armando Ello, Ayala Ron, Manognya Chakrapani, Doreen Reynolds-Consolati, Melissa Sorrells, Antony Lee, Husain Mohammad, Côme Vincent, Astia Rizki Safitri, Alan Froese, alessandra tasso, Gerald Onyango, Katrina Harding, Ezgi Yersu, Katie Dean, Kin Lon Ma, Carsten Tobehn, Jeremy Fryd, Charlene You and Carolyn Corwin.



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How can you help kids get a good start? In this heartfelt and personal talk, Colin Powell, the former U.S. Secretary of State, asks parents, friends and relatives to support children from before they even get to primary school, through community and a strong sense of responsibility. (Filmed at TEDxMidAtlantic.)

Talk by Colin Powell.

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