S2017 E103 • Can you solve the counterfeit coin riddle? - Jennifer Lu

You’re the realm’s greatest mathematician, but ever since you criticized the Emperor’s tax laws, you’ve been locked in the dungeon. Luckily for you, one of the Emperor’s governors has been convicted of paying his taxes with a counterfeit coin, which has made its way into the treasury. Can you earn your freedom by finding the fake? Jennifer Lu shows how. Lesson by Jennifer Lu, animation by Artrake Studio.

Première diffusion : 3 janvier 2017

S2017 E119 • A brief history of numerical systems - Alessandra King

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9... and 0. With just these ten symbols, we can write any rational number imaginable. But why these particular symbols? Why ten of them? And why do we arrange them the way we do? Alessandra King gives a brief history of numerical systems. Lesson by Alessandra King, animation by Zedem Media.

Première diffusion : 19 janvier 2017

S2017 E126 • The myth behind the Chinese zodiac - Megan Campisi and Pen-Pen Chen

What’s your sign? In Western astrology, it’s a constellation determined by when your birthday falls in the calendar. But according to the Chinese zodiac (生肖), it’s your shuxiang, meaning the animal assigned to your birth year. Of the many myths explaining these animal signs and their arrangement, the most enduring one is that of The Great Race. Megan Campisi and Pen-Pen Chen recounts this classic myth. Lesson by Megan Campisi and Pen-Pen Chen, animation by Marta Prokopová.

Première diffusion : 26 janvier 2017

S2017 E213 • 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. Lesson by Alex Hofeldt, animation by Bliink. Hubble Deep Field Image Credit: R. Williams (STScI), the Hubble Deep Field Team, and NASA.

Première diffusion : 13 février 2017

S2017 E309 • Where do superstitions come from? - Stuart Vyse

Are you afraid of black cats? Would you open an umbrella indoors? How do you feel about the number 13? Whether or not you believe in them, you’re probably familiar with a few of these superstitions. But where did they come from? Stuart Vyse shares the weird and specific origins of some of our favorite superstitions. Lesson by Stuart Vyse, directed by TED-Ed, animation by Jérémie Balais and Jeff Le Bars.

Première diffusion : 9 mars 2017

S2017 E316 • The history of chocolate - Deanna Pucciarelli

If you can’t imagine life without chocolate, you’re lucky you weren’t born before the 16th century. Until then, chocolate only existed as a bitter, foamy drink in Mesoamerica. So how did we get from a bitter beverage to the chocolate bars of today? Deanna Pucciarelli traces the fascinating and often cruel history of chocolate. Lesson by Deanna Pucciarelli, animation by TED-Ed.

Première diffusion : 16 mars 2017

S2017 E403 • Can you solve the virus riddle? - Lisa Winer

Your research team has found a prehistoric virus preserved in the permafrost and isolated it for study. After a late night working, you’re just closing up the lab when a sudden earthquake hits and breaks all the sample vials. Will you be able to destroy the virus before the vents open and unleash a deadly airborne plague? Lisa Winer shows how. Lesson by Lisa Winer, animation by Artrake Studio.

Première diffusion : 3 avril 2017

S2017 E404 • Why do animals have such different lifespans? - Joao Pedro de Magalhaes

For the microscopic lab worm C. elegans, life equates to just a few short weeks on Earth. The bowhead whale, on the other hand, can live over two hundred years. Why are these lifespans so different? And what does it really mean to ‘age' anyway? Joao Pedro de Magalhaes explains why the pace of aging varies greatly across animals. Lesson by Joao Pedro de Magalhaes, animation by Sharon Colman.

Première diffusion : 4 avril 2017

S2017 E501 • Can you solve the pirate riddle? - Alex Gendler

It’s a good day to be a pirate. Amaro and his four mateys – Bart, Charlotte, Daniel, and Eliza have struck gold – a chest with 100 coins. But now, they must divvy up the booty according to the pirate code — and pirate code is notoriously complicated. Can you help come up with the distribution that Amaro should propose to make sure he lives to tell the tale? Alex Gendler shows how. Lesson by Alex Gendler, animation by Artrake Studio.

Première diffusion : 1 mai 2017

S2017 E509 • What is entropy? - Jeff Phillips

There’s a concept that’s crucial to chemistry and physics. It helps explain why physical processes go one way and not the other: why ice melts, why cream spreads in coffee, why air leaks out of a punctured tire. It’s entropy, and it’s notoriously difficult to wrap our heads around. Jeff Phillips gives a crash course on entropy. Lesson by Jeff Phillips, animation by Provincia Studio.

Première diffusion : 9 mai 2017

S2017 E516 • The history of tea - Shunan Teng

Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world after water –– and from sugary Turkish Rize tea to salty Tibetan butter tea, there are almost as many ways of preparing the beverage as there are cultures on the globe. Where did this beverage originate, and how did it become so popular? Shunan Teng details tea’s long history. Lesson by Shunan Teng, animation by Steff Lee.

Première diffusion : 16 mai 2017

S2017 E525 • The world’s most mysterious book - Stephen Bax

Deep inside Yale's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library lies a 240 page tome. Recently carbon dated to around 1420, its pages feature looping handwriting and hand drawn images seemingly stolen from a dream. It is called the Voynich manuscript, and it’s one of history’s biggest unsolved mysteries. The reason why? No one can figure out what it says. Stephen Bax investigates this cryptic work. Lesson by Stephen Bax, animation by TED-Ed.

Première diffusion : 25 mai 2017

S2017 E605 • Why don't perpetual motion machines ever work? - Netta Schramm

Perpetual motion machines — devices that can do work indefinitely without any external energy source — have captured many inventors’ imaginations because they could totally transform our relationship with energy. There’s just one problem: they don’t work. Why not? Netta Schramm describes the pitfalls of perpetual motion machines. Lesson by Netta Schramm, animation by TED-Ed.

Première diffusion : 5 juin 2017

S2017 E619 • The philosophy of Stoicism - Massimo Pigliucci

What is the best life we can live? How can we cope with whatever the universe throws at us and keep thriving nonetheless? The ancient Greco-Roman philosophy of Stoicism explains that while we may not always have control over the events affecting us, we can have control over how we approach things. Massimo Pigliucci describes the philosophy of Stoicism. Lesson by Massimo Pigliucci, animation by Compote Collective

Première diffusion : 19 juin 2017

S2017 E706 • How to spot a misleading graph - Lea Gaslowitz

When they’re used well, graphs can help us intuitively grasp complex data. But as visual software has enabled more usage of graphs throughout all media, it has also made them easier to use in a careless or dishonest way — and as it turns out, there are plenty of ways graphs can mislead and outright manipulate. Lea Gaslowitz shares some things to look out for. Lesson by Lea Gaslowit, animation by Mark Phillips.

Première diffusion : 6 juillet 2017

S2017 E1017 • How did Polynesian wayfinders navigate the Pacific Ocean? - Alan Tamayose and Shantell De Silva

Imagine setting sail from Hawaii in a canoe. Your target is a small island thousands of kilometers away in the middle of the Pacific Ocean — a body of water that covers more than 160 million square kilometers. For thousands of years, Polynesian navigators managed voyages like this without the help of modern navigational aids. How did they do it? Alan Tamayose and Shantell De Silva explain.

Première diffusion : 17 octobre 2017

S2017 E1107 • Can you solve the egg drop riddle? - Yossi Elran

The city has just opened its one-of-a-kind Faberge Egg Museum, with a single egg displayed on each floor of a 100-story building -- and the world’s most notorious jewel thief already has her eyes on the prize. Can you help the thief formulate a plan that will drop the most expensive egg she can get safely into her waiting truck? Yossi Elran shows how.

Première diffusion : 7 novembre 2017

S2017 E1109 • Why incompetent people think they're amazing - David Dunning

How good are you with money? What about reading people’s emotions? How healthy are you, compared to other people you know? Knowing how our skills stack up against others is useful in many ways. But psychological research suggests that we’re not very good at evaluating ourselves accurately. In fact, we frequently overestimate our own abilities. David Dunning describes the Dunning-Kruger effect.

Première diffusion : 9 novembre 2017

S2017 E1114 • The myth of Prometheus - Iseult Gillespie

Before the creation of humanity, the Greek gods won a great battle against a race of giants called the Titans. Most Titans were destroyed or driven to the eternal hell of Tartarus. But the Titan Prometheus, whose name means foresight, persuaded his brother Epimetheus to fight with him on the side of the Gods. Iseult Gillespie shares the myth of Prometheus.

Première diffusion : 14 novembre 2017

S2017 E1121 • What is the tragedy of the commons? - Nicholas Amendolare

Is it possible that overfishing, super germs, and global warming are all caused by the same thing? In 1968, a man named Garrett Hardin sat down to write an essay about overpopulation. Within it, he discovered a pattern of human behavior that explains some of history’s biggest problems. Nicholas Amendolare describes the tragedy of the commons.

Première diffusion : 21 novembre 2017