Archive for month: July, 2023

Is it really hotter now than any time in 100,000 years?

As scorching heat grips large swaths of the Earth, a lot of people are trying to put the extreme temperatures into context and asking: When was it ever this hot before? Globally, 2023 has seen some of the hottest days in modern measurements, but [...]

16 planet-friendly gift ideas, recommended by TED speakers

Sustainable gift-giving is on the rise. From digital subscriptions to gifting experiences rather than stuff, buying secondhand, and more, changing how you gift can reduce waste and help the planet. In 2021, the world saw the biggest increase in ship emissions in [...]

These 8 cities are putting their focus on biking and walking — not cars

Even though cities have been centers of culture, ideas and industry since the Neolithic Revolution 12,000 years ago (!), today’s urban-centric global civilization is just a couple of hundred years old. In 1800, six percent of humans were city dwellers; even in 1970, only New [...]

How one student found purpose in the chaos of 2020

For nine years of school, I was bullied due to my unique interest in STEM and my body weight. I was often classified as the unwanted kid and the class weirdo, thus being cut off from social groups. In those [...]

The steep price we pay for cheap chocolate

Thousands of years ago, the Maya people of Central America believed that chocolate was the food of the gods. The Maya — who helped pioneer cultivation of the cocoa tree, along with the Toltec and Aztec peoples — even used [...]

Earth School launched to keep students connected to nature

Today, over 1.5 billion children are unable to go to school. Coronavirus’ impact goes beyond the health and economic crisis; it is also jeopardizing the education of students around the world. Teachers are scrambling to offer students lessons online and [...]

5 TED-Ed Lessons about water

Access to clean drinking water is a fundamental human right. But just why is it so important? To learn all about water and how it affects the human body, watch this playlist of original animated videos, curated just for you. [...]