Get curated editors’ picks, peeks behind the scenes, film recommendations and more.
The agricultural revolution that began around 10,000 years ago marks a turning point in human history: the dawn of civilisation. Farming enabled us to build communities and expand, but it also sowed the seeds of modern inequality and wreaked havoc on the environment through the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife. Today, farming faces the distinct challenge of feeding a growing global population while working with the environment, and not against it. Practices in countries from Costa Rica to Zambia point to new conservation-oriented approaches to farming that optimise food production; preserve biodiversity and forests; and cut down on harmful emissions. In this TED-Ed animation, colourful graphics paint a picture of what these future farms might look like, showcasing the potential for new technologies to help deliver food security while preserving – and even feeding – the ecosystem.
video
Meaning and the good life
Why Orwell urged his readers to celebrate the spring, cynics be damned
11 minutes
video
Computing and artificial intelligence
A future in which ‘artificial scientists’ make discoveries may not be far away
9 minutes
video
Earth science and climate
Images carved into film form a haunting elegy for a disappearing slice of Earth
3 minutes
video
Animals and humans
Join seabirds as they migrate, encountering human communities along the way
13 minutes
video
Food and drink
The passage of time is a peculiar thing in a 24-hour diner
14 minutes
video
Biology
‘Save the parasites’ may not be a popular rallying cry – but it could be a vital one
11 minutes
video
Evolution
The many ways a lizard tongue sticks, grasps, pinches and plops – in slo-mo
6 minutes
video
Biology
Starlings swoosh like brushstrokes across the sky in this dazzling short
3 minutes
video
Ecology and environmental sciences
The tree frog die-off that sparked a global mystery – and revealed a dark truth
15 minutes