Get curated editors’ picks, peeks behind the scenes, film recommendations and more.
The word ‘jester’ is often synonymous with medieval European court entertainers donning floppy, bell-adorned hats. But, as this short from TED-Ed reveals, the concept of a jokester or performer with some licence to challenge rulers and the nobility spans both centuries and the globe, with the earliest known instance occurring in China in the 7th century BCE. With an appropriately waggish animation style, the video introduces viewers to some notable historical jesters from around the world while exploring the many roles, responsibilities and degrees of influence they possessed.
video
Making
On the Norwegian coast, a tree is transformed into a boat the old-fashioned way
6 minutes
video
Animals and humans
One man’s quest to save an orphaned squirrel, as narrated by David Attenborough
14 minutes
video
Computing and artificial intelligence
A future in which ‘artificial scientists’ make discoveries may not be far away
9 minutes
video
History
Hags, seductresses, feminist icons – how gender dynamics manifest in witches
13 minutes
video
War and peace
Two Ukrainian boys’ summer unfolds just miles from the frontlines
22 minutes
video
Nature and landscape
California’s landscapes provide endless inspiration for a woodcut printmaker
10 minutes
video
Love and friendship
Never marry a man you love too much, and other views on romance in Sierra Leone
5 minutes
video
Engineering
Can monumental ‘ice stupas’ help remote Himalayan villages survive?
15 minutes
video
History of technology
Curious singles and tech sceptics – what ‘computer dating’ looked like in 1966
6 minutes