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Browse curated homeschool resources from the community
Inside the Minds of Animals Bryan B Rasmussen
Do animals think? It’s a question that has intrigued scientists for thousands of years, inspiring them to come up with different methods and criteria to measure the intelligence of animals. Bryan B Rasmussen navigates through this controversial question, showing how determining intelligence often says more about how humans think than about anything else.
Could We Build a Miniature Sun on Earth George Zaidan
Stars have cores hot and dense enough to force atomic nuclei together, forming larger, heavier nuclei in a process known as fusion. In this process, the mass of the end products is slightly less than the mass of the initial atoms. But that “lost” mass doesn’t disappear — it’s converted to energy ... a lot of energy. So, can we harness this energy to power the world? George Zaidan investigates.
How to Make Smart Decisions More Easily
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.
Building a Dinosaur from a Chicken Jack Horner
Renowned paleontologist Jack Horner has spent his career trying to reconstruct a dinosaur. He's found fossils with extraordinarily well-preserved blood vessels and soft tissues, but never intact DNA. So, in a new approach, he's taking living descendants of the dinosaur (chickens) and genetically engineering them to reactivate ancestral traits — including teeth, tails, and even hands — to make a "Chickenosaurus."
How Whales Breathe Communicate and Fart with Their Faces Joy Reidenberg
Comparative anatomist Joy Reidenberg studies the body structure of many different animals in the hope of adapting their unique qualities for human applications. Her favorite? Whales. In this TEDYouth Talk, Reidenberg explains how these majestic, awe-inspiring mammals "fart with their face" (a process more formally known as echolocation) to send their unique sounds through the water.
Can 100 Renewable Energy Power the World Federico Rosei and Renzo Rosei
Every year, the world uses 35 billion barrels of oil. This massive scale of fossil fuel dependence pollutes the earth, and it won’t last forever. On the other hand, we have abundant sun, water and wind, which are all renewable energy sources. So why don’t we exchange our fossil fuel dependence for an existence based only on renewables? Federico Rosei and Renzo Rosei describe the challenges.
Erin Mckean Redefines the Dictionary
Is the beloved paper dictionary doomed to extinction? In this infectiously exuberant talk, leading lexicographer Erin McKean looks at the many ways today's print dictionary is poised for transformation. As the CEO and co-founder of new online dictionary Wordnik, Erin McKean is reshaping not just dictionaries but how we interact with language itself.
Mysteries of Vernacular Hearse Jessica Oreck
Today, we recognize the word hearse as a vehicle that carries a coffin to a funeral. Jessica Oreck explains how this word has, at various times, described a wolf, a rake, and a frame, eventually landing at its meaning today.
Is Life Meaningless and Other Absurd Questions Nina Medvinskaya
Albert Camus grew up surrounded by violence. His homeland of Algeria was mired in conflict. He lost his father in World War I. Seeing World War II's devastation, Camus grew despondent. What was the meaning behind all this endless bloodshed and suffering? And if the world was meaningless, could our individual lives still hold value? Nina Medvinskaya explores Camus’ philosophy of the absurd.
The Incredible Evolution of Fish Bodies Lauren Sallan
In tropical seas, flying fish leap out of the water, gliding for up to 200 meters, before dipping back into the sea. In the Indo-Pacific, a hunting sailfish swims up to 110 kilometers per hour. These feats are made possible by a fish’s form—which in most species is a smooth, long body, fins, and a tail. Lauren Sallan explains why these features are so common, and what it reveals about fish.
How One Teenager Unearthed Baseball s Untold History Cam Perron
Teenager Cam Perron loved baseball, so he began writing letters to the veteran players on his baseball cards. He only wanted autographs, but eventually acquired something even richer: the often unsung history of the Negro leagues. After hearing the stories, Cam took it upon himself to help former Negro leaguers get the recognition, reimbursement and reconnection to the game that they deserved.
Can You Survive the Creation of the Universe by Solving This Riddle James Tanton
It’s moments after the Big Bang and you’re still reeling. You’re a particle of matter, amidst a chaotic stew of forces, fusion, and annihilation. If you’re lucky and avoid being destroyed by antimatter, you’ll be the seed of a future galaxy. Can you ensure that you’re the last particle standing? James Tanton shows how.
What Aristotle and Joshua Bell Can Teach Us About Persuasion Conor Neill
Imagine you are one of the world’s greatest violin players, and you decide to conduct an experiment: play inside a subway station and see if anyone stops to appreciate when you are stripped of a concert hall and name recognition. Joshua Bell did this, and Conor Neill channels Aristotle to understand why the context mattered.
The Chinese Myth of the White Snake and the Meddling Monk Shunan Teng
Xu Xian had just received an invitation to the opening ceremony of a new temple. His wife, Bai Su Zhen, warned him not to attend, but Xu Xian, a devout Buddhist, felt obligated to make an appearance. What they didn’t know was that these invitations had come from Fa Hai, the monk determined to separate them. Can the young lovers ever escape the monk’s meddling? Shunan Teng shares this Chinese myth.
What Are Stem Cells Craig a Kohn
Is personalized medicine for individual bodies in our future? Possibly -- with the use of stem cells, undifferentiated cells with the power to become any tissue in our bodies. Craig A. Kohn describes the role of these incredible, transforming cells and how scientists are harnessing their medical potential.
Why Does Hitting Your Funny Bone Feel so Horrible Cella Wright
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.