This week, rediscover the lost art of democratic debate, hear the novel way one man is protecting endangered animals, and learn why exploratory science pays for itself.

	In his home of Namibia, John Kasaona is working on a new way to protect endangered animals: giving nearby villagers (including former poachers) responsibility for caring for them. Watch now >>
	Democracy thrives on civil debate, Michael Sandel says -- but we're shamefully out of practice. He leads a fun refresher, with TEDsters sparring over a recent US Supreme Court case. Watch now >>
	The band OK Go dreamed up the idea of a massive Rube Goldberg machine for their next music video -- and Adam Sadowsky's team was charged with building it. He explains how they did it. Watch now >>
	In tough economic times, our exploratory science programs -- from space probes to the LHC -- are first to suffer budget cuts. Brian Cox explains how curiosity-driven science pays for itself. Watch now >>
	The founder of 4chan, a controversial online imageboard, describes its subculture. The talk raises questions about the power -- and price -- of anonymity. Watch now >>

Join The Conversation

		Noan Fesnoux on Brian Cox: Why we need the explorers
		Exploration of the unknown is one commonality that can bind humankind together. While nations may compete to become the first ones to discover something, I think you find more collaboration and symbiosis in this venture than most others humans undertake. Aside from the direct scientific benefits it may provide, perhaps we can learn more about living harmoniously through exploration."
		Pierfranco Fasola on Michael Sandel: The lost art of democratic debate
		'One thing the world needs is a better way of conducting our political debates. We need to rediscover the lost art of democratic argument.' What a great statement. I would subscribe to that anytime. Michael Sandel is a brilliant lecturer and a wonderful teacher. He's really a pioneer of open education, and the idea to extend this kind of conversation worldwide, to explore cultural differences and promote a richer kind of democratic debate, is an awesome project. I hope he finds the means to realize it."