How do viruses jump from animals to humans? – TED Ed

Discover the science of how viruses can jump from one species to another and the deadly epidemics that can result from these pathogens.

How a long-forgotten virus could help us solve the antibiotics crisis – TED Talk

Viruses have a bad reputation — but some of them could one day save your life, says biotech entrepreneur Alexander Belcredi. In this fascinating talk, he introduces us to phages, naturally-occurring viruses that hunt and kill harmful bacteria with deadly precision, and shows how these once-forgotten organisms could provide new hope against the growing threat of antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

 

The Science of Anti-Vaccination

Fewer children in the United States are getting vaccinated. That’s bad news for those kids, and also for public health in general. Often, the response is to argue and debate and get angry at people who are we see as making terrible, irrational decisions. Instead of doing that, let’s use science to understand why this is happening in the first place.

How do vaccines work? – TED-Ed

The first ever vaccine was created when Edward Jenner, an English physician and scientist, successfully injected small amounts of a cowpox virus into a young boy to protect him from the related (and deadly) smallpox virus. But how does this seemingly counterintuitive process work? Kelwalin Dhanasarnsombut details the science behind vaccines.

HIV Part 2

In the second video of our two-part series on HIV and AIDS, we look at the challenges that have kept scientists from developing a cure, and the treatments that have still managed to improve the outlook for those infected. We’re conducting a survey of our viewers!

The Rise of HIV

In the first video in our two part series on HIV and AIDS, we explain how scientists figured out what HIV is, when the infection morphs into AIDS, and where they think the virus originated.

Why do you need to get a flu shot every year? – TED-Ed

All year long, researchers at hospitals around the world collect samples from flu patients and send them to top virology experts with one goal: to design the vaccine for the next flu season. But why do we need a new one every year?

How a few scientists transformed the way we think about disease

For several centuries, people though diseases were caused by wandering clouds of poisonous vapor.