Explore cave paintings in this 360 animated cave - Iseult Gillespie
Adults HistoryThe paintings of our ancestors have been preserved in caves all over the world; the oldest we've found were made up to 40,000 years ago. What do these images tell us about the ancient human mind and the lives of their creators? In this special 360 TED-Ed animation, explore an ancient cave and its surroundings as Iseult Gillespie shares a brief history of cave paintings.
How aspirin was discovered - Krishna Sudhir
Adults History4000 years ago, the ancient Sumerians made a surprising discovery: if they scraped the bark off a particular kind of tree and ate it, their pain disappeared. Little did they know that what they'd found was destined to influence the future course of medicine. Krishna Sudhir traces the history of aspirin.
A brief history of banned numbers - Alessandra King
Adults HistoryThey say the pen is mightier than the sword, and authorities have often agreed. From outlawed religious tracts and revolutionary manifestos to censored and burned books, we know the potential power of words to overturn the social order. But as strange as it may seem, some numbers have also been considered dangerous enough to ban. Alessandra King details the history behind illegal numbers.
The rise and fall of the Berlin Wall - Konrad H. Jarausch
Adults HistoryOn August 13, 1961, construction workers began tearing up streets and erecting barriers in Berlin. This night marked the beginning of one of history's most infamous dividing lines: the Berlin Wall. Construction continued for a decade as the wall cut through neighborhoods, separated families, and divided not just Germany, but the world. Konrad H. Jarausch details the history of the Berlin Wall.
The myth of Cupid and Psyche - Brendan Pelsue
Adults HistoryPsyche was born so beautiful that she was worshipped as a new incarnation of Venus, the goddess of love. But human lovers were too intimidated to approach her, and Apollo recommended her father abandon her on a crag where she would marry "a cruel and savage, serpent-like winged evil." But Psyche's story ended up being much more interesting. Brendan Pelsue shares the myth of Cupid and Psyche.
How does the Nobel Peace Prize work? - Adeline Cuvelier and Toril Rokseth
Adults HistoryAmong the top prestigious awards in the world, the Nobel Peace Prize has honored some of the most celebrated and revered international figures and organizations in history. But how does the nomination process work? And who exactly is eligible? Adeline Cuvelier and Toril Rokseth detail the specifics of the Nobel Peace Prize.
6 things in tech today that Bill Gates accurately predicted back in 1999
Adults HistoryThe Microsoft co-founder imagined much of the tech we use today before it even existed. He shared his thoughts in a 1999 book called "Business @ the Speed of Thought." Here's a quick look at 6 of his predictions that eventually came true, including a device you are probably holding in your hands right now.
The world's most mysterious book - Stephen Bax
Adults HistoryDeep 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.
Why people never smiled in old photos
Adults HistoryEarly portraits looked pretty grim. A lot of old photos from the 19th and early 20th century are fraught with doom and gloom-and on the occasion the literal dead face. That led to the popular belief that people just did not smile in old photographs. The common explanation is due to the limited technology at the time to capture a smile. Exposure times were long and the thinking was it's easier to hold a serious expression over a long period. Another theory included early photography being heavily influenced by painting (which meant no smiling).