# What does the world's largest machine do?

- Institution: TED
- Department: TED-Ed
- Speaker: Henry Richardson
- Year: 2022
- Level: For everyone
- Language: English
- Subjects: Earth and environment, Teaching and learning
- Source: [TED](https://www.ted.com/talks/henry_richardson_what_does_the_world_s_largest_machine_do)
- Licence: [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) (Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions.)
- Who can watch: Tweens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

In 1967, Homer Loutzenheuser flipped a switch and connected the power grids of the United States, forming one interconnected machine. Today, the US power grid is the world's largest machine, containing more than 7,300 electricity-generating plants. So how exactly do these power plants work? Henry Richardson digs into the delicate balancing act of how power grids supply us energy. \[Directed by Anna Benner, narrated by Jack Cutmore-Scott, music by Raphael Tschernuth\].

## Lectures

1. [What does the world's largest machine do?](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/ted/henry_richardson_what_does_the_world_s_largest_machine_do/b4e8bd2b5b0f), 5 min (TED's player)