I know this has been proven for high school students as well. There have been some interesting studies about starting times and standardized testing as well. Check out the study
"Examining the Impact of Later High School Start Times on the Health and Academic Performance of High School Students: A Multi-Site Study"
I would argue that the value of Ted Talks is their ability to spark conversation, and introduce people to new ideas. The quality of Ted Talks varies greatly, but on that wide spectrum, there are definitely a few things to learn. Is the science always infallible? Of course not, but I do think most Ted Talks provide a platform for learning.