TED-Ed

102 Cards across 11 Sources·Added to Korva by @theoalden, @evanhollis, @juneselby and others

The history of tea - Shunan Teng11 Cards

Early tea was eaten as a vegetable or cooked into grain porridge instead of brewed as a drink.

@theoalden added

The British East India company stole Chinese tea plants and skilled workers, then relocated them to India.

@theoalden added

The science of spiciness - Rose Eveleth10 Cards

Capsaicin and piperine stay mostly in your mouth, while mustard, horseradish, and wasabi compounds reach your sinuses.

@ninabrier added

The Scoville scale measures how far capsaicin-containing food must be diluted before humans stop detecting its heat.

@ninabrier added

The Silk Road: Connecting the ancient world through trade - Shannon Harris Castelo10 Cards

The Silk Road helped undermine itself. The magnetic compass made maritime routes more competitive, while political changes reduced Chinese participation in international trade.

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Chinese silk reached Rome, drained gold from the empire, and prompted a Roman ban. Roman glassware became prized in China.

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How humanity got hooked on coffee - Jonathan Morris10 Cards

People first used coffee leaves as tea, mixed berries with butter and salt, then roasted the cherries into a drink.

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London had more than 80 coffeehouses by 1663, despite King Charles II’s failed attempt to ban them in 1675.

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Why the octopus brain is so extraordinary - Cláudio L. Guerra9 Cards

An octopus brain stores behaviors, not body maps. Detecting food triggers a generalized grab command.

@juneselby added

Each of an octopus’s eight arms has enough neural autonomy to function as if it thinks for itself.

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How does money laundering work? - Delena D. Spann9 Cards

Al Capone’s empire generated nearly $100 million annually, about $1.4 billion today, yet prosecutors convicted him only for tax evasion.

@leahormond added

The United States made money laundering a federal crime in 1986, enabling confiscation based on concealment without first proving another crime.

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How sugar affects the brain - Nicole Avena9 Cards

Sugar receptors in your gut, separate from taste buds, signal fullness and help regulate insulin when sugar arrives.

@ninabrier added

Sugar releases dopamine, an unusual response among foods. Alcohol, nicotine, and heroin trigger it more violently, while broccoli does not.

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A day in the life of a Roman soldier - Robert Garland9 Cards

A first watch meant guarding baggage animals while staying alert for ambushes instead of sleeping.

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A Roman legionary marched carrying over 20 kilograms of armor and weapons before adding his backpack.

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The benefits of a good night's sleep - Shai Marcu9 Cards

For formulas, sleep three hours after memorizing. For scales, sleep one hour after practicing.

@evanhollis added

H.M. could not form new long-term declarative memories after hippocampal removal, yet repetition still taught him physical skills.

@evanhollis added

The chemistry of cookies - Stephanie Warren8 Cards

A 350°F oven is below caramelization’s starting point: sugar caramelization begins at 356°F and continues to 390°F.

@ninabrier added

At 92°F, butter melts, releasing water that turns to steam and pushes cookie dough outward.

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Why is biodiversity so important? - Kim Preshoff8 Cards

Losing one species may barely shake a diverse ecosystem, yet removing one crucial component can make the whole system fail.

@juneselby added

An ecosystem can look permanent, then collapse or transform dramatically without any catastrophe.

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