Discover Resources
Browse curated homeschool resources from the community
Why Rumors About Vaccines Spread and How to Rebuild Trust Heidi Larson
Why do people distrust vaccines? Anthropologist Heidi Larson explores how medical rumors originate, spread and fuel resistance to vaccines worldwide. While vaccines cannot escape the "political and social turbulence" that surrounds them, she says, the first step to stopping the spread of disease is to talk to people, listen and build trust.
Conserving Our Spectacular Vulnerable Coral Reefs Joshua Drew
How do coral reef conservationists balance the environmental needs of the reefs with locals who need the reefs to survive? Joshua Drew draws on the islands of Fiji and their exemplary system of protection, called "connectivity," which also keep the needs of fishermen in mind.
How Small Are We in the Scale of the Universe Alex Hofeldt
In 1995, scientists pointed the Hubble Telescope at an area of the sky near the Big Dipper. The location was apparently empty, and the whole endeavor was risky – what, if anything, was going to show up? But what came back was nothing short of spectacular: an image of over 1,500 galaxies glimmering in a tiny sliver of the universe. Alex Hofeldt helps us understand the scale of this image.
BrainPOP Art
BrainPOP offers animated videos about art history, techniques, and famous artists designed for learners of various ages
Building the World s Largest and Most Controversial Power Plant Alex Gendler
In 2018, a single power plant produced more energy than the world’s largest coal-powered and gas-powered plants combined. China’s Three Gorges Dam relies on running water, and is capable of producing more energy than any other power plant on Earth. So what allows Three Gorges to generate all this power? And how do hydroelectric plants work in the first place? Alex Gendler investigates.
Why Are There Two Tides a Day Elise Cutts
In the 17th century, Isaac Newton offered the first gravitational explanation of tides. As he correctly identified, tides are choreographed by the motions of celestial objects, and Earth’s tides in particular are mostly driven by the Moon. But the precise nature of this relationship is actually quite nuanced. Elise Cutts explains how the Sun and Moon are responsible for the tides.
How Does the Rorschach Inkblot Test Work Damion Searls
For nearly a century, ten inkblots have been used as an almost mystical personality test. Long kept confidential for psychologists and their patients, the mysterious images were said to draw out the workings of a person’s mind. But what can inkblots really tell us, and how does this test work? Damion Searls details how the Rorschach Test can help us understand the patterns of our perceptions.
Pizza Physics New York Style Colm Kelleher
People love eating pizza, but every style of pie has a different consistency. If "New York-style" -- thin, flat, and large -- is your texture of choice, then you've probably eaten a slice that was as messy as it was delicious. Colm Kelleher outlines the scientific and mathematical properties that make folding a slice the long way the best alternative ... to wearing a bib.
How I Fell in Love with a Fish Dan Barber
Chef Dan Barber squares off with a dilemma facing many chefs today: how to keep fish on the menu. With impeccable research and deadpan humor, he chronicles his pursuit of a sustainable fish he could love and the foodie's honeymoon he's enjoyed since discovering an outrageously delicious fish raised using a revolutionary farming method in Spain.
Why I Must Speak Out About Climate Change James Hansen
Top climate scientist James Hansen tells the story of his involvement in the science of and debate over global climate change. In doing so he outlines the overwhelming evidence that change is happening and why that makes him deeply worried about the future.
Can You Outsmart the Fallacy That Fooled a Generation of Doctors Elizabeth Cox
It’s 1843, and a debate is raging about one of the most common killers of women: childbed fever— no one knows what causes it. One physician has observed patients with inflammation go on to develop childbed fever, and therefore believes the inflammation causes the fever. What's the problem with this argument? Elizabeth Cox explores the false cause fallacy and how to dissect claims with skepticism.
Can You Solve the Dark Matter Fuel Riddle Daniel Finkel
It’s an incredible discovery: an abandoned alien space station filled with precursor technology. Now every species in the galaxy is in a mad dash to get there first, but you’ve got a problem. Your ship can’t hold enough fuel to get you there unless you vent caches of it into space at precise points and then come back for the fuel later. Can you reach the alien space station? Dan Finkel shows how.
Why Elephants Never Forget Alex Gendler
It’s a common saying that elephants never forget. But the more we learn about elephants, the more it appears that their impressive memory is only one aspect of an incredible intelligence that makes them some of the most social, creative, and benevolent creatures on Earth. Alex Gendler takes us into the incredible, unforgettable mind of an elephant.
Questioning the Universe Stephen Hawking
Professor Stephen Hawking asks some Big Questions about our universe -- How did the universe begin? How did life begin? Are we alone? -- and discusses how we might go about answering them.