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TED-Ed

How one scientist averted a national health crisis - Andrea Tone

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4,899 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

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In 1960, Frances Kelsey was one of the Food and Drug Administration’s newest recruits. Before the year was out, she would begin a fight that would save thousands of lives — though no one knew it at the time. Andrea Tone explains how Kelsey was able to prevent a massive national public health tragedy by privileging facts over opinions, and patience over shortcuts.

Watch the video and finish the Think section to complete the lesson.


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Meet The Creators

Educator
Andrea Tone
Director
Lisa LaBracio
Narrator
Pen-Pen Chen
Designer
Lisa LaBracio
Animator
Sara Zarul Azham
Composer
M. Tomihisa
Sound Designer
Weston Fonger
Content Producer
Gerta Xhelo
Editorial Producer
Alex Rosenthal
Associate Producer
Bethany Cutmore-Scott, Elizabeth Cox
Script Editor
Elizabeth Cox
Fact-Checker
Francisco Diez

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