What makes a magnet work? How can AI be used in protein folding, and how are we able to navigate our environment? Big questions are not always easy to grasp but newly produced animated videos will inspire students and teachers to learn more about the Nobel Prizes and the laureates behind the prizes. The animations are the result of a new partnership between Nobel Prize Outreach and TED-Ed.
Nobel Prize Outreach is partnering with TED-Ed to develop a series of animations and educational resources about Nobel Prize-awarded achievements. The first animation “Sense of Direction” is launched on 10 September and it explains the science behind how we are able to navigate our environment. The film focuses on the work of May-Britt Moser, Edvard Moser and John O’Keefe who were awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries of cells that act like a GPS system for the brain.
Other films in the series will explore the mysteries of magnets, how researchers solved the protein folding problem using AI, and the laureates who first tried out their medical innovations on themselves.
“We’re always looking for new ways of showcasing Nobel Prize-awarded discoveries. TED-Ed is a great partner,” says Owen Gaffney, chief impact officer at Nobel Prize Outreach. “The team is committed to education, science and impact, which makes this is an important partnership to eventually build a large library of resources about the stories of Nobel Prize-awarded achievements.”
Six animations will be published throughout the autumn and translated into approximately ten other languages.
Publication schedule
- Sense of Direction, September, 2026. Laureates: May-Britt Moser, Edvard Moser, John O’Keefe
- Magnets, September, 2026. Laureates: John H. Van Vleck, Niels Bohr
- Retailer tricks, October, 2026. Laureate: Dan Kahneman
- Self-experimentation, November, 2026. Laureates: Werner Forssmann, Max Theiler, Tu Youyou, Barry Marshall
- Global poverty, December, 2026. Laureate: Amartya Sen
- Prions and AlphaFold, December, 2026. Laureates: Stanley Prusiner, Demis Hassabis, John Jumper
More facts
During the autumn, newly produced animated videos highlighting a selection of Nobel Prizes and Nobel Prize laureates will be presented on the Nobel Prize and TED-Ed official channels. Each animation will be accompanied by educational resources, including lessons, related content and links to further reading, all featured on a dedicated site (link to TED-Ed).
Pupils and students of all ages are the main audience. Teachers are also encouraged to use the material. But TED-Ed films are popular with people from all walks of life.
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is the funder behind the project.