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The top 10 most popular TED-Ed Original animated videos from 2016

By Laura McClure on December 15, 2016 in News + Updates, TED-Ed Lessons

TED-Ed Blog image top 10

TED-Ed Originals are short, award-winning animated videos about ideas. Three times a week, you can watch a brand new TED-Ed Original designed to spark your curiosity. Ready to catch up on the latest riddles? In a binge-watching mood? Start with this list of the top 10 most popular TED-Ed Originals released in 2016:

1. Can you solve the temple riddle?

Your expedition finally stands at the heart of the ancient temple. But as you study the inscriptions in the darkness, two wisps of green smoke burst forth. The walls begin to shake. The giant sandglass begins flowing with less than an hour before it empties, and a rumbling tells you that you don’t want to be around when that happens. Can you use math to escape the temple? Dennis E. Shasha shows how. Watch this TED-Ed Original below.

2. Can you solve the locker riddle?

Your rich, eccentric uncle just passed away, and you and your 99 nasty relatives have been invited to the reading of his will. He wanted to leave all of his money to you, but he knew that if he did, your relatives would pester you forever. Can you solve the riddle he left for you and get the inheritance? Lisa Winer shows how. Watch this TED-Ed Original below.

3. Can you solve the frog riddle?

You’re stranded in a rainforest, and you’ve eaten a poisonous mushroom. To save your life, you need an antidote excreted by a certain species of frog. Unfortunately, only the female frog produces the antidote. The male and female look identical, but the male frog has a distinctive croak. Derek Abbott shows how to use conditional probability to make sure you lick the right frog and get out alive. Watch this TED-Ed Original below.

4. Can you solve the passcode riddle?

In a dystopian world, your resistance group is humanity’s last hope. Unfortunately, you’ve all been captured by the tyrannical rulers and brought to the ancient coliseum for their deadly entertainment. Will you be able to solve the passcode riddle and get everyone out safely? Ganesh Pai shows how. Watch this TED-Ed Original below.

5. What would happen if you didn’t drink water?

Water is essentially everywhere in our world, and the average human is composed of between 55 and 60% water. So what role does water play in our bodies, and how much do we actually need to drink to stay healthy? Mia Nacamulli details the health benefits of hydration. Watch this TED-Ed Original below.

6. Can you solve the prisoner boxes riddle?

Your favorite band is great at playing music…but not so great at being organized. They keep misplacing their instruments on tour, and it’s driving their manager mad. Can you solve the brain-numbing riddle their manager assigns them and make sure the band stays on their label? Yossi Elran shows how. Watch this TED-Ed Original below.

7. Why do cats act so weird?

They’re cute, they’re lovable, and judging by the 26 billion views on over 2 million YouTube videos of them, one thing is certain: cats are very entertaining. But their strange feline behaviors, both amusing and baffling, leave many of us asking: Why do cats do that? Tony Buffington explains the science behind some of your cat’s strangest behaviors. Watch this TED-Ed Original below.

8. The psychology of narcissism

Narcissism isn’t just a personality type that shows up in advice columns; it’s actually a set of traits classified and studied by psychologists. But what causes it? And can narcissists improve on their negative traits? W. Keith Campbell describes the psychology behind the elevated and sometimes detrimental self-involvement of narcissists. Watch this TED-Ed Original below.

9. Can you solve the control room riddle?

As your country’s top spy, you must infiltrate the headquarters of the evil syndicate, find the secret control panel, and deactivate their death ray. But your reconnaissance team is spotty, and you have only limited information about the control panel’s whereabouts. Can you solve the control room riddle and deactivate their weapon in time? Dennis Shasha shows you how. Watch this TED-Ed Original below.

10. How did Hitler rise to power?

Decades after the fall of the Third Reich, it feels impossible to understand how Adolf Hitler, the tyrant who orchestrated one of the largest genocides in human history, could ever have risen to power in a democratic country. So how did it happen, and could it happen again? Alex Gendler and Anthony Hazard dive into the history and circumstances that allowed Hitler to become Führer of Germany. Watch this TED-Ed Original below.

On behalf of everyone here at TED-Ed, thanks for learning with us this year!

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