TED Courses

How I Found a Mythical Boiling River in the Amazon

Geoscientist Andrés Ruzo shares his journey to discover a legendary boiling river in the Amazon, challenging our assumptions about unexplored wonders and the boundaries between myth and scientific reality.

• YouTube
• 16 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Conference Talk

Should You Be Able to Patent a Human Gene?

Explore the legal battle against patenting human genes, from initial challenges to a landmark Supreme Court case, and its impact on patient care and biomedical innovation.

• YouTube
• 18 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Conference Talk

Capitalism Will Eat Democracy - Unless We Speak Up

Economist Yanis Varoufakis explores the shift of power from politics to economics, discussing the impact of mega-rich and corporations on democracy, and proposing a vision for a more balanced economic system.

• YouTube
• 20 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Conference Talk

The Unheard Story Behind the Sistine Chapel

Explore the hidden stories and artistic innovations of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel frescoes, challenging traditional religious iconography and inviting personal reflection on life's grand theater.

• YouTube
• 18 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Conference Talk

How Frustration Can Make Us More Creative

Discover how challenges and obstacles can fuel creativity, illustrated through the surprising story behind a best-selling piano album. Learn to embrace mess and turn frustration into innovation.

• YouTube
• 16 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Conference Talk

Refugees Have the Right to Be Protected

António Guterres discusses the global refugee crisis, its historical causes, and proposes solutions. He emphasizes acceptance, respect, and multilateral cooperation to counter anti-refugee propaganda and address resettlement challenges.

• YouTube
• 20 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Conference Talk

The Exhilarating Peace of Freediving

World champion freediver Guillaume Néry shares the physical and emotional journey of diving deep into the ocean, revealing the hidden poetry and tranquility of the underwater world.

• YouTube
• 19 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Conference Talk

How America Fails New Parents and Their Babies

Jessica Shortall advocates for national paid leave for new working mothers in America, highlighting economic, physical, and psychological costs of current practices and urging recognition of this critical issue.

• YouTube
• 16 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Conference Talk

An Art Made of Trust, Vulnerability and Connection

Marina Abramović explores boundary-pushing art, emphasizing trust and vulnerability. She discusses her groundbreaking work "The Artist Is Present" and her vision for an innovative art institute focused on mindful experimentation.

• YouTube
• 16 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Conference Talk

What Are Animals Thinking and Feeling

Explore animal cognition and emotions through ecology, biology, and behavioral science. Discover similarities between humans and other species in thinking, feeling, and tool use.

• YouTube
• 19 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Conference Talk

The Chilling Aftershock of a Brush with Death

War correspondent Jean-Paul Mari explores post-traumatic stress disorder, sharing his personal encounter with death in Baghdad and examining the psychological impact of trauma on soldiers and journalists.

• YouTube
• 16 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Conference Talk

A Boat Carrying 500 Refugees Sunk at Sea - The Story of Two Survivors

Powerful account of refugee survival at sea, highlighting human resilience and the global refugee crisis through personal stories of two survivors from a shipwreck of 500 people.

• YouTube
• 19 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Conference Talk

The Enchanting Music of Sign Language

Christine Sun Kim explores the visual language of sign, revealing its musical qualities and inviting us to experience sound beyond hearing, challenging perceptions of deafness and communication.

• YouTube
• 15 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Conference Talk

Social Services Are Broken - How We Can Fix Them

Hilary Cottam explores the inefficiencies in social services and proposes innovative solutions to build supportive relationships between providers and those in need, aiming to effectively address complex social problems.

• YouTube
• 17 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Conference Talk

How CRISPR Lets Us Edit Our DNA

Geneticist Jennifer Doudna explains CRISPR-Cas9, a revolutionary gene-editing technology, its potential for treating genetic diseases, and the ethical considerations surrounding its use in human DNA modification.

• YouTube
• 16 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Conference Talk