TED-Ed
English
The epic Nordic legend of the monster slayer - Iseult Gillespie
Explore the classic poem, “Beowulf,” which follows a heroic prince as he fights to free a kingdom from the monster Grendel. -- An epic written in Old English, “Beowulf” is known for
The murderous medieval king who inspired "Macbeth" - Benjamin Hudson
Dig into the history that inspired Shakespeare’s tragedy, “Macbeth,” and find out just how much of the play is based on real events. -- Of all Shakespeare’s plays, perhaps none is
History vs. Russia’s most infamous empress - Carolyn Harris
Catherine the Great presided over a golden age of Russian expansion — but was she a dedicated ruler or a ruthless oppressor? -- Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia for over three decades
Can humans be trusted with control over genetics? - Michael Vazquez and Raye Ploeger
Puzzle through this classic ethical dilemma and decide: should parents be able to choose genetic traits for their children? -- Andre and Leslie are a deaf couple who have decided to have
Can you figure out the savanna mystery? - Cella Wright
Explore how big-headed ants have changed an entire ecosystem in Kenya, from its insects and plants to its biggest predators. -- In the early 2000s, one of the world’s most widespread invasive
What caused the fall of one of the most influential empires in history? - Mostafa Minawi
Trace the fall of the Ottoman Empire, which lasted nearly 600 years until their defeat in World War I as part of the Central Powers. -- Under cover of darkness in 1909, Sultan Abdulhamid
The Greek myth of the Fates’ prophecy - Iseult Gillespie
Dig into the Greek myth of Meleager, who set out to end a boar’s destruction of his city along with Greece’s best warriors. -- The night of her son's birth, the queen of Calydon was visited
How do fireflies create light? - Emily A. Geest
Dig into the science of how and why fireflies glow, and how their bioluminescent signals differ between males and females. -- The first firefly is thought to have lived over 100 million years
The Greek tragedy of Oedipus' daughter - Stephen Esposito
Get to know the story of Antigone, daughter of Oedipus, who was determined to give her slain brother Polyneices a proper burial. -- The gods watched as Oedipus’ daughter, Antigone, stole
You might be surprised by what you'd find in your pores - M. Alejandra Perotti
Meet the microscopic arachnids that live on your face, and find out why Demodex mites are part of the human microbiome. -- Two species of Demodex mites specifically inhabit human follicles
How did detectives solve the case of the bloody fingerprints? - Theodore E. Yeshion
Learn more at -- In 1902, detectives arrived at a grisly murder scene and found a shard of broken glass with several bloody fingerprints. They painstakingly searched
How much would it cost to buy the Sun? - Cella Wright
Dig into the monetary value of the Sun and how important it is as our energy source as Daedalus contemplates buying it. -- Daedalus hasn’t been the same since losing Icarus. Suddenly, he
