TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: How to Find the True Face of Leonardo
Mona Lisa is one of the best-known faces on the planet. But would you recognize an image of Leonardo da Vinci? Illustrator Siegfried Woldhek uses some thoughtful image-analysis techniques to find what he believes is the true face of...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: How Photography Connects Us
The photo director for National Geographic David Griffin knows the power of photography to connect us to our world. In a Talk filled with glorious images, he discusses how we all use photos to tell our stories. [14:56]
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Inside a Cartoonist's World
From cave drawings to the Sunday paper, artists have been visualizing ideas- cartoons- for centuries. New Yorker cartoonist Liza Donnelly walks us through the many stages every cartoon goes through, starting with an idea and turning into...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Why Should You Listen to Vivaldi's "Four Seasons"?
Light, bright, and cheerful, "The Four Seasons" by Antonio Vivaldi is some of the most familiar of all early 18th century music, featured in numerous films and television commercials. But what is its significance, and why does it sound...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: The History of African American Social Dance
Why do we dance? African-American social dances started as a way for enslaved Africans to keep cultural traditions alive and retain a sense of inner freedom. They remain an affirmation of identity and independence. In this electric...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: The Physics of the "Hardest Move" in Ballet
In the third act of "Swan Lake", the Black Swan pulls off a seemingly endless series of turns, bobbing up and down on one pointed foot and spinning around and around and around.. How is this move- which is called a fouette- even...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: The Origins of Ballet
Can you imagine a party where every movement and every visual detail were governed by a complex system of rules and procedures? For centuries, such rituals were commonplace for European nobility. And while they've gone out of fashion, we...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Group Theory 101: How to Play a Rubik's Cube Like a Piano
Mathematics explains the workings of the universe, from particle physics to engineering and economics. Math is even closely related to music, and their common ground has something to do with a Rubik's Cube puzzle. Michael Staff explains...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: A Poetic Experiment: Walt Whitman, Interpreted by Three Animators
Take a journey through Walt Whitman's poem 'A Noiseless Patient Spider' with the help of three animators who each used a different animation style to bring this beautiful poem to life. [3:28]
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: The Physics of Playing Guitar
Guitar masters like Jimi Hendrix are capable of bending the physics of waves to their wills, plucking melody from inspiration and vibration. But how do wood, metal, and plastic translate into rhythm, melody, and music? Oscar Fernando...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Why Tragedies Are Alluring
The story goes something like this: A royal, rich, or righteous individual makes a mistake that sends his or her life spiraling into ruin. It's the classic story arc for a Greek tragedy, and we love it so much that we continue to use it...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: The Battle of the Greek Tragedies
The world of modern theater owes its roots to the tragedians of Ancient Greece. As far back as the 5th Century BCE, actors and playwrights were entertaining the masses with intriguing stories. Melanie Sirof unveils the ancient theatrical...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: How Brass Instruments Work
What gives the trumpet its clarion ring and the tuba its gut shaking oompah-pah? And what makes the trombone so jazzy? Al Cannon shows how these answers lie not in the brass the instruments are made of, but in the journey that air takes...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Earworms: Those Songs That Get Stuck in Your Head
Have you ever been waiting in line at the grocery store, innocently perusing the magazine rack, when a song pops into your head? Not the whole song, but a fragment of it that plays and replays until you find yourself unloading the...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Rhythm in a Box: The Story of the Cajon Drum
Many modern musical instruments are complicated pieces of machinery with many moving parts. But the cajon is simply a drum and a stand and a seat all in one box. Paul Jennings explains the history behind the cajon and how it has become...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Did Shakespeare Write His Plays?
Some people question whether Shakespeare really wrote the works that bear his name- or whether he even existed at all. Could it be true that the greatest writer in the English language was as fictional as his plays? Natalya St. Clair and...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: A Different Way to Visualize Rhythm
In standard notation, rhythm is indicated on a musical bar line. But there are other ways to visualize rhythm that can be more intuitive. John Varney describes the 'wheel method' of tracing rhythm and uses it to take us on a musical...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Music and Math: The Genius of Beethoven
How is it that Beethoven, who is celebrated as one of the most significant composers of all time, wrote many of his most beloved songs while going deaf? The answer lies in the math behind his music. Natalya St. Clair employs the...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Why We Love Repetition in Music
How many times does the chorus repeat in your favorite song? How many times have you listened to that chorus? Repetition in music isn't just a feature of Western pop songs, either; it's a global phenomenon. Why? Elizabeth Hellmuth...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: How Playing an Instrument Benefits Your Brain
When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, that activity becomes more like a full-body brain workout. What's going on? Anita Collins explains the fireworks...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Music and Emotion Through Time
In this epic overview, Michael Tilson Thomas traces the development of classical music through the development of written notation, the record, and the re-mix. [20:13]
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: The Sweaty Teacher's Lament
In "Sweaty Teacher," a lively spoken word performance, Lamb defends the "geysers he calls armpits," reminding us that sweat isn't just a product of humidity- but of hard work, too. [3:11]
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Getting Started as a Dj: Mixing, Mashups and Digital Turntables
DJ and producer Cole Plante is only 17 years old, but he's already worked alongside industry superstars Skrillex, Avicii and Major Lazer. In this combination talk and DJ set, Plante shows off his mixing magic and gives tips to aspiring...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: How Architecture Helped Music Evolve
As his career grew, David Byrne went from playing CBGB to Carnegie Hall. He asks: Does the venue make the music? From outdoor drumming to Wagnerian operas to arena rock, he explores how context has pushed musical innovation. [16:00]