In which John Green teaches you about railroads, and some of the ways they changed the world, and how they were a sort of microcosm for the Industrial Revolution as a whole. Prior to the invention of steam powered railroads, pretty much...

In which John Green talks about the methods of writing history by looking at some of the ways that history has been written about the rise of the West. But first he has to tell you what the West is. And then he has to explain the Rise of...

If you want to learn about a new topic, where do you start? In this episode of Crash Course Kids Literature, we synthesize information from two nonfiction books about a woman with an eye for insects: Maria...

If you want to learn about a new topic, where do you start? In this episode of Crash Course Kids Literature, we synthesize information from two nonfiction books about a woman with an eye for insects: Maria Merian. Topic: Synthesizing...

Today's experts often overwhelm parents and guardians with alarming warnings of treacherous roads ahead for their children, sometimes turning dedication into anxiety and obsessiveness. Instead of chasing trends, psychiatrist Mathilde H....

Profit, revenue, income, assets, cash flow -- all these words mean money, but they all have specific uses. In business, money is important to us and we want to describe it as accurately as possible.

Where Was The Big Bang

As a self-proclaimed radical street librarian, Storybook Maze makes books appear where they're scarce. Through initiatives like free, public book vending machines and street corner story times, she eliminates book deserts — or areas with...

When the world's problems have you weary, journalist and science fiction writer Annalee Newitz suggests a good dose of escapist fiction to refresh your perspective. Step into the whimsical world of science fiction, cosplay and...

In an ode to the Persian language, author Leili Anvar unfurls the work of 13th-century mystic poet Rumi and reflects on how poetry gives meaning to our lives.

With levity and profound insight, artist Maira Kalman reflects on life, death, dinner parties, not knowing the right answers, the joys of eating a hot dog from a street vendor and more. This talk, interwoven with her delightful...

One day in the fall, you called upon your friend, Sherlock Holmes, and found him in conversation with Jabez Wilson. Wilson had been working for the mysterious League of Red-Headed Men. Today, he arrived at work to find the group had...

Musty, with hints of vanilla, coffee, and maybe fresh cut grass-- why do old books smell the best?

Long before we had cameras scientists still needed visual documentation—enter the science illustrator!

William Faulkner is considered one of America's most remarkable and perplexing writers. He confused his audience intentionally, using complex sentences, unreliable narrators, and outlandish imagery. His body of work is shocking,...

In 1998, a school district removed one of American literature's most acclaimed works from its curriculum. Parents pushing for the ban said the book was both "sexually explicit" and "anti-white." The book at the center of this debate was...

In which John Green talks about the methods of writing history by looking at some of the ways that history has been written about the rise of the West. But first he has to tell you what the West is. And then he has to explain the Rise of...

The history of medicine is about two of our big questions: one, what is life? What makes it so special, so fragile, so… goopy!?

Two, how do we know what we know? Why should I take my doctor’s advice? Why are deep-fried Oreos bad...

Is art worth it? "Hell yeah," says graphic novelist R. Alan Brooks -- art has the power to scare dictators, inspire multitudes and change hearts and minds across the world. Reflecting on his journey to become an artist at a time when the...

English is a confusing language for many reasons. But the irregular verbs might be the most confusing part. Why is "told" the past tense of "tell" but "smold" isn't the past tense of "smell"? It turns out that the study of irregular...

In which John Green teaches you about Beloved by Toni Morrison. I'll warn you up front, this book is something of a downer. That's because it deals with subjects like slavery, the death of a child, a potential haunting, and a bunch of...

Reading and writing can be acts of courage that bring us closer to others and ourselves. Author Michelle Kuo shares how teaching reading skills to her students in the Mississippi Delta revealed the bridging power of the written word --...

Long before we had cameras scientists still needed visual documentation—enter the science illustrator! Chapters VITRUVIAN MAN Credit: Leonardo da Vinci 0:34 ANDREAS VESALIUS 1:25 DE HUMANI CORPORIS FABRICA 1:59 MARIA SIBYLLA MERIAN 2:39...

There are a multitude of books and motivational speakers that insist that anyone can think their way to happiness, but that advice really isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.