In the late 13th century, Osman I established a small principality sandwiched between a crumbling Byzantine Empire and a weakened Sultanate of the Seljuk of Rum, in what is now Turkey. In just a few generations, this territory had...

We're not going to end violence by telling people that it's morally wrong, says Jamila Raqib, executive director of the Albert einstein Institution. Instead, we must find alternative ways to conduct conflict that are equally powerful and...

Farida Nabourema has dedicated her life to fighting the military regime in Togo, Africa's oldest autocracy. She's learned two truths along the way: no country is destined to be oppressed -- and no country is immune to dictatorship. But...

"What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" asks Regina Dugan, then director of DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. In this breathtaking talk she describes some of the extraordinary projects -- a...

In politics, it seems counterintuitive to engage in dialogue with violent groups, with radicals and terrorists, and with the states that support them. But Jonas Gahr Støre, the foreign minister of Norway, makes a compelling case for open...

Wes Moore joined the US Army to pay for college, but the experience became core to who he is. In this heartfelt talk, the paratrooper and captain -- who went on to write "The Other Wes Moore" -- explains the shock of returning home from...

Pepper spray, Tasers, tear gas, rubber bullets -- these "non-lethal" weapons are being used by more and more local police forces, as well as military forces brought in to control civilian crowds and other situations. Despite their name,...

In 1972, Thomas Sankara was swept into the revolution seeking to wrest control of Madagascar from France’s lingering colonial rule. The protests inspired the West African native to read works by socialist leaders and seek wisdom from...

Sebastian Junger has seen war up close, and he knows the impact that battlefield trauma has on soldiers. But he suggests there's another major cause of pain for veterans when they come home: the experience of leaving the tribal closeness...

This week Craig looks at the expressed powers of the President of the United States - that is the ones you can find in the Constitution. From appointing judges and granting pardons, to vetoing laws and acting as the nation’s chief...

Military leaders have known for millennia that the time to prepare for a challenge is before it hits you, says scientist and retired US Navy officer David Titley. He takes us from the humanitarian catastrophe in Syria to the icy shores...

Imagine global security driven by collaboration -- among agencies, government, the private sector and the public. That's not just the distant hope of open-source fans, it's the vision of James Stavridis, a US Navy Admiral. Stavridis...

Before he fought in the galactic battles of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Adam Driver was a united States Marine with 1/1 Weapons Company. He tells the story of how and why he became a Marine, the complex transition from soldier to...

What makes a great leader? Management theorist Simon Sinek suggests, it’s someone who makes their employees feel secure, who draws staffers into a circle of trust. But creating trust and safety — especially in an uneven economy — means...

In which John Green teaches you about Nationalism. Nationalism was everywhere in the 19th century, as people all over the world carved new nation-states out of old empires. Nationalist leaders changed the way people thought of themselves...

What would happen if one day all of humanity's artificial satellites suddenly disappeared? Within hours, most of the planet's traffic would grind to a halt, the world economy would shut down, and most countries would declare a state of...

Why do arguments change people's minds in some cases and backfire in others? Hugo Mercier explains how arguments are more convincing when they rest on a good knowledge of the audience, taking into account what the audience believes, who...

Fabric brighteners can liven up your old, faded clothing. But they don’t actually clean your clothes, and they’re often banned in the military!

Before there was Google, there were encyclopedias. The very idea of these vast collections of knowledge can be credited to Pliny The Elder. So who was he, and why does he seem to pop up everywhere from Alchemy to Zoology? Hank has the...

In the 1960s, the USA almost put a ring around the Earth by launching hundreds of millions of tiny copper needles into space in an attempt to create a reliable boost for their communications systems.

Deborah Sampson, born in 1760, disguised herself as a man to fight in the Revolutionary War. Facing early financial struggles, she educated herself and enlisted as Robert Shurtleff. For over 18 months, she served in the military,...

Welcome back to the Fluctus Channel, as we explore the advanced aviation systems used to battle modern wildfires, from MAFFS equipped C130 air tankers and high-altitude NASA ER2 mapping aircraft. Fluctus is a website and YouTube channel...

Welcome back to the Fluctus Channel, as we explore how modern amphibious and airborne assaults are conducted. Fluctus is a website and YouTube channel dedicated to sea geeks. Whenever you are curious or an incorrigible lover of this...

What were the Knights Templar ACTUALLY doing? #history