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  • Particles and waves: The central mystery of quantum mechanics - Chad Orzel

    View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/particles-and-waves-the-central-mystery-of-quantum-mechanics-chad-orzel

    Uploaded 15-09-14

    One of the most amazing facts in physics is that everything in the universe, from light to electrons to atoms, behaves like both a particle and a wave at the same time. But how did physicists arrive at this mind-boggling conclusion? Chad Orzel recounts the string of scientists who built on each other’s discoveries to arrive at this ‘central mystery’ of quantum mechanics.

    Lesson by Chad Orzel, animation by Joana Bartolomeu.



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    7 min
  • Are droids taking our jobs? - Andrew McAfee

    Robots and algorithms are getting good at jobs like building cars, writing articles, translating -- jobs that once required a human. So what will we humans do for work? Andrew McAfee walks through recent labor data to say: We ain't seen nothing yet. But then he steps back to look at big history, and comes up with a surprising and even thrilling view of what comes next. (Filmed at TEDxBoston.)

    Uploaded 29-08-13

    Talk by Andrew McAfee.



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    18 min
  • The downfall of the House of Cadmus - Iseult Gillespie

    Get to know the Greek myth of Cadmus, who unknowingly killed Ares’ serpent and faced the wrath and retribution of the gods.

    --

    When Cadmus walked the Earth, just a few generations separated him from his divine ancestors. From atop Mount Olympus, they scrutinized and meddled with mortals like himself. Cadmus was a skilled warrior and heir to the Phoenician throne, but he wouldn’t stay in the gods’ favor for long— a critical mistake would seal his tragic fate. Iseult Gillespie details the Greek myth of the serpent’s curse.

    Lesson by Iseult Gillespie, directed by Adriana Monteforte Lahera.

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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-myth-of-the-serpent-s-curse-iseult-gillespie
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    Animator's website: https://adrianamonteforte.myportfolio.com
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    7 min
  • How to rehabilitate a rainforest - Willie Smits

    By piecing together a complex ecological puzzle, biologist Willie Smits believes he has found a way to re-grow clearcut rainforest in Borneo, saving local orangutans -- and creating a thrilling blueprint for restoring fragile ecosystems. UPDATE: December 2012: The core content of this talk has been challenged on a number of grounds. For details, and for Willie Smits' response to these criticisms, please see this page: https://www.ted.com/pages/791

    Talk by Willie Smits.

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    27 min
  • The genes you don't get from your parents (but can't live without) - Devin Shuman

    Dig into the essential role that mitochondrial DNA played in the evolution of living things on Earth, and find out why it’s still evolving.

    Uploaded 05-10-21

    --

    Inside our cells, each of us has a second set of genes completely separate from our 23 pairs of chromosomes. And this isn’t just true for humans— it’s true of every animal, plant, and fungus on Earth. This second genome belongs to our mitochondria, an organelle inside our cells. So why are they so different from anything else in our bodies? Devin Shuman explores the purpose of mitochondrial DNA.

    Lesson by Devin Shuman, directed by Luísa M H Copetti, Hype CG.

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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-genes-you-don-t-get-from-your-parents-but-can-t-live-without-devin-shuman
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    Animator's website: https://www.luisacopetti.com and https://www.hype.cg
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    7 min
  • This thought experiment will help you understand quantum mechanics - Matteo Fadel

    Can you win a game of quantum foosball— using a giant electron instead of a ball? Explore how to use quantum mechanics to your advantage.

    Uploaded 14-12-20

    --

    After a long day working on the particle accelerator, you and your friends head to the arcade to unwind. The lights go out for a second, and when they come back, there before you gleams a foosball table. Always game, you insert your coins. And quantum foosball begins— instead of a ball, you’ll be playing with a giant electron. Matteo Fadel shows how to use quantum mechanics to your advantage.

    Lesson by Matteo Fadel, directed by Artrake Studio.

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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/can-you-win-a-game-of-quantum-foosball-matteo-fadel
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    7 min
  • Why don’t we cover the desert with solar panels? - Dan Kwartler

    Explore what would happen if we covered the Sahara Desert in solar panels, and the possibility of it solving our energy crisis.

    Uploaded 18-10-21

    --

    Stretching over roughly nine million square kilometers and with sands reaching temperatures of up to 80° Celsius, the Sahara Desert receives about 22 million terawatt hours of energy from the Sun every year. That’s well over 100 times more energy than humanity consumes annually. So, could covering the desert with solar panels solve our energy problems? Dan Kwartler digs into the possibility.

    Lesson by Dan Kwartler, directed by Christoph Sarow, AIM Creative Studios.

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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-don-t-we-cover-the-desert-with-solar-panels-dan-kwartler
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    Animator's website: http://aimcreativestudios.com
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    8 min
  • How Benjamin Button Obtained His Face - Ed Ulbrich

    View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-benjamin-button-got-his-face-ed-ulbrich

    Ed Ulbrich, the digital-effects guru from Digital Domain, explains the Oscar-winning technology that allowed his team to digitally create the older versions of Brad Pitt's face for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

    Talk by Ed Ulbrich.

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    23 min
  • The dangerous race for the South Pole - Elizabeth Leane

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    Uploaded 10-12-18

    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-dangerous-and-daring-race-for-the-south-pole-elizabeth-leane

    By the early 1900’s, nearly every region of the globe had been visited and mapped, with only two key locations left: the North and South Poles. After two Americans staked claim to reaching the North Pole, a Norwegian explorer and a British naval officer each set out for the last unmapped region in what newspapers called a “Race to the Pole.” Elizabeth Leane sets the scene for their journeys south.

    Lesson by Elizabeth Leane, directed by WOW-HOW Studio.

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    7 min
  • Why does whacking your funny bone feel so dreadful? - Cella Wright

    Explore the complex anatomy of the elbow, and find out why hitting your funny bone causes such an odd and painful sensation.

    --

    It's something we've all experienced: the back of your elbow smacks against a hard surface and the impact sends a sensation so distinctly disquieting shooting down your arm that it takes several moments to regain composure. So, why does hitting this spot on your elbow— commonly known as the funny bone— feel so weird? Cella Wright explains one of the most complicated joints in the body.

    Lesson by Cella Wright, directed by Anton Bogaty.

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    View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-does-hitting-your-funny-bone-feel-so-horrible-cella-wright
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    Animator's website: https://antonbogaty.com
    Music: https://www.campstudio.co
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    7 min

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