Would you sell your kidney for $100,000?

Ada imagines how society would change if governments paid living organ donors. Should we receive compensation for our organs?
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This is episode 2 of the animated series, “Ada.” This 5-episode narrative follows the young library assistant Ada as she juggles two worlds: her daily mundane reality and the future she vividly imagines for all humanity. Traveling through her visions of potential futures, Ada grapples with the ethical and social implications of new technologies and how they could shape the world.
Written by Elizabeth Cox, directed by Elizabeth Cox & Kirill Yeretsky.
This video was produced by Should We Studio.
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Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Roberto Chena, Oliver Koo, Luke Pisano, Andrea Gordon, Aleksandar Donev, Nicole Klau Ibarra, Jesse Lira, Ezekiel Raui, Petr Vacek, Dennis, Olivia Fu, Kari Teffeau, Cindy Lai, Rajath Durgada Manjunath, Dan Nguyen, Chin Beng Tan, Tom Boman, Karen Warner, Iryna Panasiuk, Aaron Torres, Eric Braun, Sonja Worzewski, Michael Clement, Adam Berry, Ghaith Tarawneh, Nathan Milford, Tomas Beckett, Alice Ice, Eric Berman, Kurt Paolo Sevillano, Jennifer Heald, Megulo Abebe, isolwi, Kate Sem, Ujjwal Dasu, Angel Alberici, Minh Quan Dinh, Sylvain, Terran Gimpel, Talia Sari, Katie McDowell, Allen, Mahina Knuckles, Charmaine Hanson, Thawsitt, Jezabel, Abdullah Abdulaziz, Xiao Yu, Melissa Suarez, and Brian A. Dunn.

[@TEDEd]

This is the second episode in the 5-episode animated series, “Ada.” A new episode will be published every week! In the next episode, Ada will be contemplating what would happen if we eliminated birth. Make sure to subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss a moment of her story: bit.ly/TEDEdSubscribe

[@Speedrunner.007]

Great to see fresh content!

[@Just_a_depressed_boy]

It's been so long since you've uploaded a puzzle video. It was really fun. 😊

[@jayl5032]

Definitely do more of these. They are edu-tainment gold.

[@RidireOiche]

@@TEDEd Eliminate birth in what sense? The act of giving birth? The potential for birth? Or the need for birth? If an artificial clone child finishes marinating in an amniotic pod and gets taken out, that would still technically be considered a birth when the baby is taken out, might have some lingering attachment issues aswell. Or is the episode going to focus on finding ways to avoid the painfully unenviable event women go through to birth a child? Maybe explore going back along to the evolutionary line to when we were laying eggs. Ah sure nevermind I'll find out next week. Keep up the good work, this series is great.

[@anggua]

Give the animators a raise

[@michaelwinter742]

Give them a kidney!

[@acounttemporary5017]

Nah...Buy their Kidneys!😏​@@michaelwinter742

[@natachuuu]

@@michaelwinter742or 12

[@nancywinner]

college isn't gonna pay for itself

[@YoloYester94]

So true.

[@Vermontswanicesu]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@dannycc1313]

Right !! Why would a system design to help you get money pay for itself 😅 we are all fools that want the impossible

[@eowynmoonlight]

*laughing in European free public university system*

[@bmx666bmx666]

only in US...

[@jayl5032]

You guys should expand and make this a staple series. You said only 5 episodes, but the potential here is huge. There are so many topics you could cover.

[@ShirShe27]

Agreed!

[@SyonSen-Handley]

I second this.

[@tangytablets5150]

It is pretty great idea to extend it but we have to remember there are people who work hard behind the scenes on every episode and that work deserves to be paid for. The fact that we're getting at least 5 free episodes means that somebody paid for the work and effort that went into them. If they wanted to expand the series with voice actors and proper writing and animation, the funds have to come from somewhere.

[@gethinshaji]

Completely agree

[@SimonBrill-vs9yx]

I like when Ada's hair gets frickin massive in 2D but Is normal in 3D.

[@harmonetheanimationaddict4419]

And how the bun on her head in the last episode was just floating on top.

[@Joel-ep1bi]

⁠And how she has a bandage on her hair in this one

[@higztv1166]

it's all 3D

[@Petch85]

What.... The animation of this video is insane. It is closer to a animated show than a explainer video. I hope a lot of people watches this.

[@andrewkaylor2416]

Do donors get to be placed on a priority list if they also become in need of a donation later?

[@raptorjesus6398]

They do, top of the registry

[@danielburleson563]

Do you have a source for this information? Or citation​@@raptorjesus6398

[@private-information-gfy]

Miserable populations that don't have universal health care are subject to this, in very poor nations. I believe this is a thing in US too.

[@Royce16727]

Why am I suddenly invested in Desmond and Ada's relationship? Lol In all seriousness, this is a complicated issue. The United States is one of only a few countries on planet Earth that allow its citizens to sell their blood product, which sometimes incentivizes companies to pressure the most vulnerable members of our population to sell their blood. And, at the same time, offering to pay for blood actually makes it a lot less likely that people will donate, OR sell their blood at all. If you commodify something, suddenly it has a tangible value that can be compared to the costs and benefits of Other activities. 🤷 if you can sell your blood, then suddenly you can decide whether or not the discomfort of selling blood is worth the price you will receive. As opposed to the intangible, subjective pleasure of donating blood.

[@private-information-gfy]

Miserable populations that don't have universal health care are subject to this, in very poor nations. I believe this is a thing in US too.

[@CinePhile_Girl_Mahira]

A nephrologist friend (not in the US) once told me that while highly illegal and frowned upon, it happens. He said he's heard they get around (the equivalent of) US$20k. The arrangement takes place before the "normal" procedure, then they go trough the legal channels, as a regular donation. Word of mouth, usually. Dunno. Dunno.

[@Hjahaiainai]

I like how this series focuses distinctly more on spectating and observation rather than the classic contenders for education as the lecture-esque style we all are familiar with and love. Plus, it derives its realism by demonstrating the internal thought process of an actual individual pondering and the discussion of organ transplantation. Hope to see more interesting topics!

[@Speedrunner.007]

Damn what is this new format? Its cool, keep em coming!

[@mimumi3723]

This is a masterpiece. Completely different from usual ted-ed videos, yet gets the point across even better. Love to see it!

[@BuildinWings]

You could sell this as a half-hour 13-episode annual series to a network.

[@O-MindScript]

The animator did a great job here

[@manuelsilva8528]

I thought this subject was pretty straight forward and never understood why one can't sell their organs, but having your organs as collateral in case of default on your debts is a pretty big deal. I wouldn't want my kidneys removed against my will to pay a debt on a car or something like that.

[@andronaristy3144]

"It's not like they can be seized to pay a debt or something" Repo, The Genetic Opera: allow me to introduce myself Real talk, love this. Animation is gorgeous, and a fascinating topic!

[@ThrillSeeker3524]

Wouldn't it be better to create a more sustainable supply of ethically produced tissues and organs as opposed to asking other people for theirs?

[@celestialtimesquid]

that's called organ harvesting and it's illegal in most countries, unless you're doing lab-grown organs, which is currently extremely difficult

[@ThrillSeeker3524]

​@@celestialtimesquidI meant production in labs, sorry

[@cuppajoe2]

yes but the technology isnt there for that yet.

[@dhruvsavla]

That's a lot u ask for

[@hazzmati]

You say that like it's already possible

[@tangytablets5150]

Definitely has a few twisty turns on the moral and sustainable road. Like sure we'd get more kidneys to save a life if the government paid for them, but in this economy and of the state of medical care, who knows what might happen with a sudden influx of donation organs. Meanwhile people are too scared to donate their viable organs because there is little to gain from losing. and that's understandable, because we're literally losing a part of ourselves, no matter how normal we would still feel or be without it. It's sad that these people can't get help, but at the same time there is no tip in the scales to help move things along.

[@creative_brush]

Love this Ada series! Keep em coming ted!!!!! Please 🙏🏻

[@anonymous-sf3ul]

oh wow ted ed is moving from 2d to 3d animation

[@MarinusMakesStuff]

I know I would. With 100k I could afford to buy healthier and more ethically produced food which is all I really want. And better healthcare for some ongoing issues.

[@MobSnek]

A 10 min video from TedEd? Fun thing to watch while having dinner. Thank you

[@3ckm]

the animation is amazing.

[@CiCodiCadno]

I'm from the UK so don't have to worry about medical expenses like Americans do. But I'm not willing to sell my kidney, either. If any of my family needed it and I'd already donated it to someone else, I'd be devastated.

[@CCB249]

Maybe $1,000,000. Nothing less.

[@Quantum-Bullet]

Depends where one lives I guess.

[@kurtlindner]

$40,000 immediately to donors, the difference is automatically invested for a period of time. You can only donate outside of your own family once, you are only compensated for a single donation ever. A major health insurance rebate also works.

[@johnliem7786]

Loving this new series, great avenue for exploring hypotheticals that we think of often. Hope we see more!

[@ZeR0daRkSaiyan]

I really enjoy this style of storytelling.... Please could you do more in the future

[@RaskylC]

i love this story telling format. its really engaging for me.

[@shivadityameduri9973]

This animation style is really cool!

[@NareMabeba]

Ted's creativity when coming to animation is something else

[@nikkiewhite476]

My bro in-law has polycystic kidney disease, PKD. His kidneys were so full of cysts they were approximately 75% cysts. A week before his removal was scheduled one cyst that was the size of a normal kidney burst. He nearly bled to death before they got the bleeding stopped. When they removed both kidneys the left one was so big they had to cut it in half to get it out of his body cavity. He waited on the list for a kidney for 8 years, this was despite his son in-law being a match. The requirements to become a live donor are extremely strict. He had gone through tests for 2 years before he was disqualified because there is a small history of type two diabetes in his family. Please, please, please become an organ donor after death. You will save the life of so many people and if you agree to other tissue donation you could restore sight to people blinded by certain diseases and many other types can make someone's life worth living. Sign up to be an organ donor today, please.

[@christianweibrecht6555]

Let’s be real for a moment Platitude and praise will never convince enough people to donate We should be open minded about the prospect of people selling their own organs, plenty of problems while we must admit, it would eliminate the shortage

[@PramkLuna]

I hope we get a follow up episode about Desmond's mom, I hope she's ok

[@kunal9346]

Loved it ! So many different angles explored in just 10 minutes ... really left me thinking hard about this problem

[@mahroosh1077]

Loving the new artstyle!

[@Freud_Sigmund]

I feel like im watching an anime. This is PEAK KZbin

[@EricCoop]

Life wouldn't necessarily be "completely unchanged" with one kidney. In the U.S., having one kidney precludes military service.

[@dinolin1654]

As the Hulk once said: “I see this as an absolute win.”

[@kockorzo]

Not as bad as I thought it'll be, those are real arguments people make for and against after all. Some represented in more a biased way than others and the producers certainly have their own agendas, but better than I thought it'll be. Well done for sowing the seeds of curiosity.

[@z3ejay]

Personally, some of the ideas seem strange to me, like trading your organs for education or health care, which should be available to everyone as the basic infrastructure of a civilisation.

[@preciousrandy6282]

This is fantabulous

[@poenpotzu2865]

What I fear is what happens to the systems when they become privatized. History has shown people are morr motivated by greed and self interest. It would not be too much of a surprise corporations being able to legally kill a person to seize their assets/organs. We already comodify everything else do we really trust our current systems to legally comodify humans and their organs?

[@generalalduin9548]

Me in google after this: "How do i safely extract my kidney?"

[@adritabhattacharjee7255]

This episode was a good one and raised some important questions about the way we define value or price.

[@_joanrios]

Wow, congrats on the style!!

[@havocc_1777]

the animation, facial expression and voice overs are top notch!

[@Someguy1722]

9:42 it takes on greedy government to come along and decided public praise is enough

[@ayugitabhagawanti5095]

Yo! This girl’s series got me hooked ✨ brilliant storytelling

[@mateuszcielas3362]

in normal countries is free and donor gets benefits

[@hamedhosseini4938]

Lol and waiting time is?

[@mateuszcielas3362]

@@hamedhosseini4938 same, few months to years

[@mateuszcielas3362]

@@hamedhosseini4938 and still you have no normal prices

[@mateuszcielas3362]

@@hamedhosseini4938 same few months to years

[@lorelai2980]

I live your videos and whoever animated this needs a raise cause this is PHENOMENAL.

[@A-yi2tl]

I really liked that the clip had no music, it created a beautiful and relaxing feeling! 😊

[@Kayzewolf]

This is some pretty insane quality for an explainer video.

[@thanos879]

100,000?? Lets go. Ill flip that and have enough to buy another kidney 😂

[@KronosKethu]

I think what Ada doesn't take into consideration is the price of kidneys over time will decrease as it becomes the norm to sell them off.

[@aayushhegde6738]

This new storytelling format is sick!

[@estelaplateada4]

Please extend this to more than 5 episodes. PLEASE!!

[@trouble4179]

I love this animation style it’s the best

[@RidireOiche]

Same problem as having an organ donor card. How could you ever be sure a doctor really tried to save your loved ones when all those healthy organs could be sold to rich people. The idea of someone else deciding your organs, you are still using, could be better served elsewhere is vile. Would you be comfortable with the idea your loved one died to prolong the life of a monster, all because financal incentive overshadowed your doctor's judgement. If the organ sale taboo were to be eroded and normalised, governments around the world would waste no time rigging the system to farm the organs of disadvantaged people they themselves disadvantaged. Exploiting the underpriviledged to exclusively benefit the rich.

[@vincenturquhart1370]

the doctor would not get paid for your organs

[@RidireOiche]

@vincenturquhart1370 someone would

[@bag3lmonst3r72]

Heck İ wouldn't sell it for a million. Health before wealth.

[@OchreOctopus]

Who’s waiting for the episode where the person she’s talking to has an existential crisis.

[@invox9490]

If they really paid 100 thousand dollars for kidneys, they would very quickly go down in price since the suply would surpass the demand.

[@MissNessaBless]

while the begining of this video really just jump straight to the animation and didn't give breathing room for the intro. But...the animation is well done and I like it give a story of what the characters thought and solution. I like it very well done.

[@evanrosman9226]

People who only have one kidney would not do that even if they were offered 1,000,000 dollars.

[@willwilliam4996]

Obviously you be dead

[@dirkxen9369]

I wonder why🤔🙄😱🥺🤯🤯🤯

[@alanarmstrong3186]

What if their parents raised them, “brainwashing” them in order to sell their organs when they are of age?

[@namegoeshere197]

Depends... when I was depressed I would had said yes if it was allowed. I mean all the money go to my family so that would had being more useful than me alive... or atleast that was my minde set back when, not anymore

[@Kriusis]

​@@namegoeshere197That little smile you had when you saw something uplifting is where life lies dear

[@darksoals]

This is very beautiful but there’s a lot of misinformation in the video too so please do your own research. It watches more like propaganda than information. This video makes it seem like there’s 0 risks or problems with losing body parts. Yeah no. You can indeed live with one kidney and regrow a liver (if you even want to call hypertrophy regrowing), but you’re compromised and will have to tailor your life to meet the needs of your damaged body parts. Please properly look into this first.

[@leakenny1125]

As someone who's family is currently dealing with this.....felt

[@Theguyoverthere603]

Holy heck the animators went all out on this one

[@august6281]

i will sell 1 if i'm on the poverty or below poverty line. $100,000 is 6million in our country. This will be enough for a passable life. And i still have another kidney. Just needed to be cautious and healthy.

[@Speedrunner.007]

Just one suggestion, this story telling is a bit slow paced compared to your usual videos, so if that is fixed in upcoming episodes it might be better I guess.

[@kanedafx]

Allow it and set up charities for people that can't afford it.

[@YoloYester94]

This is so well animated. What was the budget?

[@yousifky]

A kidney

[@ThrillSeeker3524]

Didn't Law and Order: SVU tackle this problem once?

[@fernandotapia8906]

hey, do you remember the particular episode and season? I would love to rewatch it

[@mlgcactus1035]

The production value really blew with this one!

[@YusriVanna]

That brand new computer isn't going to pay for itself.

[@UniqueOne777]

Absolutely fantastic animation/explanation! Bravo!

[@makaan1932]

Why do conversations always seem awkward in American Media? Why does every conversation need to be THAT awkward?

[@o2Tenka]

Great animation and information!

[@heiskanbuscadordelaverdad8709]

3:56 A public healthcare system should pay

[@praetorxak5361]

Is the voice actor for Ada the same as Jinx?

[@stan6273]

They basically do you have to raise money because they consider a electoral surgery people are given to organs but you have to pay for your surgery and there's so it sure seems like you're paying for it

[@LordFarquaaddd]

Insane animations and voice acting

[@BassBoosted33]

yes

[@VaibhavGajelly]

Thanks now i can buy iPhone to flex

[@bryantechno4704]

We are getting 4k cinema with this one 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️

[@sociologica4247]

US and its heath system is frustrating!!! come to europe and we have universal healthcare, now you just need to get in the transplant list, the is the major problem since the rest is covered. I do have a friend who had 2 kidney transplants though, no cost for that we pay our taxes, human life is above all under our laws and morals. but we donate for free, no one "can buy in". Bad actors are always the problem... it is very frustrating they exist :(

[@samuelvieira9748]

Loving the new format ❤

[@TomisinAk_music]

I love this new series

[@strivingforsuccess88]

The animation is..beautiful! 💖

[@vincenturquhart1370]

I don't see why hearts other vital organs can't be sold too. people could either be paid in advance in return for there organs when they die or they could leave there organs in the will to their relatives to sell and keep the money afterwards. like a form of life insurance

[@ChristianDall-p2j]

Was she gonna donate her organ to his mom, in Exchange for his, or was she recomending that he donated it to an actual stranger who was messing an organ in Exchange for his? Upon reflection, I Think its the latter!

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

My father had one failed kidney and he never had any normal life until he died while undergoing dialysis during the 2020 pandemic.

[@starbeam4574]

My favourite channel on KZbin ❤

[@abijithp92]

Absence of background music has made this animation better

[@user-ob9zo9cr4c]

yes, why asking? but I can do it for 200K

[@anitha998]

Excellent video! I encourage more of these ❤

[@cloverhunter8083]

If i can live without it,i will

[@zonevii4045]

Eyo the animator should have a raise!!

[@Dave-mb7kb]

Two questions: 1. Why should taxpayers be the ones paying? 2. Why is it the donor (or their surviving family) is the only one who doesn't get paid when organs are donated?

[@koharu_idk]

i was literally just talking to my siblings about selling theirs and this video pops up 💀💀

[@UserOO7YT200]

Ada is planning something…

[@UserOO7YT200]

And I fear it

[@REN-t1x]

I love this series and Ada. More please 😊