The magnificent sixteenth-century Emperor's Carpet from Safavid Iran was acquired by the Metropolitan Museum in 1941, but its condition was so fragile that it was only displayed for public twice over the next sixty years. This video documents the ambitious three-year conservation program that was launched in 2006 to stabilize the condition of the carpet so its lustrous wools and dazzling colors can be displayed the Museum on a regular basis. Related lesson plan: http://www.metmuseum.org/learn/for-educators/lesson-plans-and-pre-visit-guides/venice-and-the-islamic-world

A three-hundred year old painting required a lot of attention before it was ready for visitors to experience in the gallery. Learn about the techniques used to repair and clean the Virgin of Guadalupe to prepare it for the exhibition in "Sacred Spain: Art & Belief in the Spanish World", as conservator Christina O'Connell walks through each step of the process undertaken in the Conservation Lab at the IMA.

Flowers in a Glass Vase is a beautiful still life painted by the Dutch artist Jacob van Walscapelle in 1667 — the earliest known signed work by this artist. We don't believe that the painting has been treated since it was bequeathed to the V&A in 1900. Over time, the oil paint has started to flake, and the natural varnish has become discoloured. The painting is now undergoing thorough conservation work, which includes carefully reattaching paint flakes, removing discoloured varnish, applying new varnish and retouching. Transformed, the painting will go on display in Room 81 of the V&A Paintings Galleries. https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/paintings.

John Constable, The Hay Wain (Landscape: Noon), 1821, oil on canvas, 130.2 x 185.4 cm (The National Gallery, London). Speakers: Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris.

John Constable, View on the Stour near Dedham, 1822, oil on canvas, 51 x 74 inches (The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, San Marino, CA) Speakers: Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker. Created by Beth Harris and Steven Zucker.

This art history video discussion examines John Constable"s "The Hay Wain", 1821. Oil on canvas, 51 1/4" x 73" (130.2 x 185.4 cm) (The National Gallery, London).

An interesting case of price elasticity of demand is a demand curve with a constant unit elasticity. Explore what such a demand curve would look like in this video. Created by Sal Khan.

In 1787, the Framers of the US Constitution came together to create a stronger central government. In this video, Kim discusses how the Framers compromised over the plan for the legislative branch of government, combining the Virginia Plan and New Jersey Plan to form the House of Representatives and the Senate.

In 1787, the Framers of the US Constitution came together to create a stronger central government. In this video, Kim discusses how the Framers compromised over the plan for the legislative branch of government, combining the Virginia Plan and New Jersey Plan to form the House of Representatives and the Senate.

During the Constitution Convention, the Framers made several compromises, including the method for counting enslaved Africans for the purposes of population (the Three-Fifths Compromise) and the end of the international slave trade.

In this video David explains what constructive and destructive interference means as well as how path length differences and pi shifts affect the interference. Created by David SantoPietro.

In this video, we introduce the concept of consumer surplus as the difference between marginal benefit and price paid. Created by Sal Khan.

Thinking about a consumption function where taxes are also a function of income (which is more realistic than constant taxes). Created by Sal Khan.

Review of the difference uses of the words contango, backwardation, contango theory and theory of normal backwardation. Created by Sal Khan.

What a trader means when they say that a market is in contango. Created by Sal Khan.

Latex, chocolate, soap, and video game software are just a few of the non-traditional materials that have inspired contemporary artists. While they embrace the modern, synthetic and technologically advanced world in which we live, some of materials present significant conservation problems for museum conservators. Gwynne Ryan, a conservator at the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden discusses the challenges museums face with this issue: Should we keep art locked away to make it last? Or let it be experienced as it was intended while accelerating its natural degradation? For more information about the Hirshhorn's conservation program, visit: http://hirshhorn.si.edu/educate/page.asp?key=205&subkey=75.

Why did Islam emerge and spread when and where it did? Why was it so rapid?