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How aspirin was discovered - Krishna Sudhir

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TEDEd Animation

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4000 years ago, the ancient Sumerians made a surprising discovery: if they scraped the bark off a particular kind of tree and ate it, their pain disappeared. Little did they know that what they’d found was destined to influence the future course of medicine. Krishna Sudhir traces the history of aspirin.

Many pharmaceuticals have their origins in plant products. What are some other medicines that were developed or derived from a botanical source?

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About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Krishna Sudhir
  • Director Outis
  • Script Editor Emma Bryce
  • Associate Producer Jessica Ruby
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Narrator Addison Anderson

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