| TEDTalks (video) |
Each year, the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference hosts some of the world's most fascinating people: Trusted voices and convention-breaking mavericks, icons and geniuses. These podcasts (also available in audio format) capture the most extraordinary presentations delivered from the TED stage.
Episode
Description
Negative images of Africa dominate the news: famine and disease, conflict and corruption. But Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the former Finance Minister of Nigeria, says there's a less-told story unfolding in many African nations: one of reform, econ...
Using photos of oft-snapped subjects (like Notre Dame) scraped from around the Web, Photosynth creates breathtaking multidimensional spaces with zoom and navigation features that outstrip all expectation. Its architect, Blaise Aguera y Arca...
"I don't think we're going to make it," John Doerr proclaims, in an emotional talk about climate change and investment. Spurred on by his daughter, who demanded he fix the mess the world is heading for, he and his partners at Kleiner Perkin...
Marine biologist Tierney Thys asks the audience to step into the open ocean, for a visit to the world of the Mola mola, or giant ocean sunfish. Basking, eating jellyfish, and getting massages, this behemoth offers clues to life in the open ...
To date, there hasn't been an overarching theory of how the human brain really works, Jeff Hawkins argues in this compelling talk. That's because we still haven't defined intelligence accurately. But one thing's for sure, he says: The brain...
Satirist Tom Rielly delivers a wicked parody of the 2006 TED conference, taking down the $100 laptop, the plight of the polar bear, and people who mention, one too many times, that they work at Harvard. Watch for a very special moment betwe...
Pilobolus dance company members Otis Cook and Jennifer Macavinta perform the sensuous duet "Symbiosis." Does it trace the birth of a human relationship, or the co-evolution of a pair of symbiotic species? That's left for you to decide. Gorg...
Analyzing a list of things that have made him happy, graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister realized that almost half of the items were in some way related to design. In this intensely personal talk, he shares the details of some of those momen...
Rural villages worldwide are being deserted, as billions of people flock to cities, to live in teeming squatter camps and slums. And Stewart Brand says this is a good thing. Why? It'll take you 3 minutes to find out. Music: Brian Eno, "Just...
With 3.8 billion years of research and development on its side, nature has already solved problems that human designers and engineers still struggle with. In this inspiring talk, Janine Benyus provides fascinating examples of biomimicry -- ...
Architect and designer William McDonough asks what our buildings and products would look like if designers took into account "All children, all species, for all time." A tireless proponent of absolute sustainability (with a deadpan sense of...
Artist Vik Muniz delights in subverting the expected. He creates images from wire, thread, sugar, chocolate, even dust and clouds that simultaneously comment on art and are art. In a charming talk, he describes how growing up in Brazil turn...
Low-key and thoughtful, IDEO founder David Kelley seems the antithesis of the "design star" -- and indeed, he says that product design, within the past two decades, has become much less about the design and more about the user who'll be exp...
Musician Nora York gives a stunning performance of "What I Want," her song about "ceaseless yearning and never-ending want." She begins by reciting a few lines from Sir Thomas Wyatt the Elder: "I find no peace, and all my war is done / I fe...
Musician Nora York gives a stunning performance of "What I Want," her song about "ceaseless yearning and never-ending want." She begins by reciting a few lines from Sir Thomas Wyatt the Elder: "I find no peace, and all my war is done / I fe...
It's a classic problem in theology: How can the existence of evil be reconciled with a God who is supposed to be all-loving, all-knowing and all-powerful? Many Christian thinkers have attempted answers to this question. In the days followin...
It's a classic problem in theology: How can the existence of evil be reconciled with a God who is supposed to be all-loving, all-knowing and all-powerful? Many Christian thinkers have attempted answers to this question. In the days followin...
ike nearly everyone at TED2006, Jill Sobule was stirred by Al Gore's spectacular speech on the clear and present danger of climate change. The time for action is now, Jill thought. And so she wrote a song. But since everyone else was so dow...
Oxford philosopher and transhumanist Nick Bostrom examines the future of humankind, and asks whether we can -- or should -- alter our fundamental nature to solve our intrinsic problems. He asks us to reconsider three "inevitable" features o...
Featuring the vocals and mischievous bell-playing of accordionist and singer Rachelle Garniez, the TED House Band -- led by Thomas Dolby on keyboard -- delivers this delightful rendition of the Edith Piaf standard "La Vie en Rose" with orga...
Thom Mayne doesn't see architecture as the means to build a readily imaginable structure. Rather, it's a starting point for new kinds of building -- and thus new kinds of landscapes and environments. This mind-bending talk takes us on a whi...
Savage-Rumbaugh asks whether uniquely human traits, and other animals' behaviors, are hardwired by species. Then she rolls a video that makes you think: maybe not. The bonobo apes she works with understand spoken English. One follows her in...
UC Berkeley biologist Sheila Patek gives a wide-ranging talk on the effort to measure the hyperfast movements of peacock mantis shrimp heels using high-speed video cameras recording at 20,000 frames per second. She and her team slowed down ...
In a world of too many options and too little time, our obvious choice is to ignore the ordinary stuff. Marketing guru Seth Godin spells out why, when it comes getting our attention, bad or bizarre ideas are more successful than boring ones...
The bird is the word, and everyone gets heard, as Rives recaps the most memorable moments of TED2006, with a fantastical Mockingbird lullaby. Mixing the personal with the universal in free-spirited rhyming verse, he imagines using mockingbi...
In James Howard Kunstler's view, public spaces should be inspired centers of civic life and the physical manifestation of the common good. Instead, he argues, what we have in America is a nation of places not worth caring about. Reengineeri...
Showing a series of inspiring, unusual and playful products, British branding and design guru Paul Bennett explains that design doesn't have to be about grand gestures, but can solve small, universal and overlooked problems. Ideo creative d...
Scientific discoveries, Juan Enriquez notes, demand a shift in code. The shift from cave paintings to hieroglyphics made possible the rise of Egyptian society, the pyramids, and the conquest of other peoples. The shift to binary code brough...
The dot-com boom-and-bust is often compared to the 1849 Gold Rush, and Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos offers historical evidence showing how similar they were: from the riches made by pioneers to the media hype that attracted luckless specul...
Traveling from Ecuador to Africa, Dr. Jane Goodall takes the audience on an ecological journey, discussing highlights and low points of her experiences in the jungle. She shows how progress is helping research (DNA analysis) and hurting the...
Nobel laureate James Watson opens TED2005 with the frank and funny story of how he and his partner, Francis Crick, discovered the structure of DNA. The tale is full of colorful details: How Watson had planned to be an ornithologist until Sc...
n this soaring demonstration, deaf percussionist Evelyn Glennie leads the audience through an exploration of music not as notes on a page, but as an expression of the human experience. Playing with sensitivity and nuance informed by a soul-...
What happens when a black man visits Aspen? Singer/songwriter Stew is about to let you know, with the arch humor and clever asides that characterize all his work ("Get taken for men we don't resemble in the least / It's a winter wonderland ...
After sweetly confessing that he never meant to be a performance artist, Golan Levin explains that his art is all about the quest to find a personal way to use a computer. His performance of a work called "Scribble" demonstrates what he's t...
In this stunning slideshow, nature photographer Frans Lanting presents The LIFE Project, a collection that tells the story of our planet, from its eruptive beginnings to its present diversity. Hoping for a glimpse of the world the way it wa...
Singer/songwriter Eddi Reader performs "What You Do With What You've Got," a meditation on a very TED theme: how to use your gifts and talents to make a difference. "What's the use of strength and muscle // if you only push and shove?" She'...
Innovator Dean Kamen lays out his argument for the Segway shortly after its official unveiling. As he loops gracefully around the stage, his fact- and figure-reeling betrays his intensity: 50 percent of the world population lives in cities;...
Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin offer a peek inside the Google machine, sharing tidbits about international search patterns and the philanthropic Google Foundation project (which soon became Google.org). They talk about how th...
Philosopher Dan Dennett makes a compelling argument that not only don't we understand our own consciousness, but that half the time our brains are actively fooling us. As he puts it, our bodies are made up of 100 trillion little robots, non...
Genomics pioneer Craig Venter takes a break from his epic round-the-world expedition to talk about the millions of genes his team has discovered so far, in their quest to map the ocean's hidden biodiversity. (Quite a task, when you consider...
American designer Chris Bangle explains his philosophy that car design is an art form in its own right, with an engaging account of the BMW Group's Deep Blue project, intended to create the SUV of the future. Sending a team of German design...
Backed by Thomas Dolby, who uses the synthesizer here to create vocal layers in real time, Natalie MacMaster performs traditional reels, jigs and even some simultaneous step dancing in a performance that combines the traditional with the hi...
Caroline Lavelle plays the cello like a sorceress casting a spell, occasionally hiding behind her wild mane of blond hair as she sings of pastoral themes. Her alluring style is reminiscent of Sarah MacLaughlin -- ?The sea it freezes over to...
Worldchanging.com founder Alex Steffen offers a fast-paced round-up of radical (but possible) answers to our planet?s greatest challenges, ranging from green cities and buildings, to digital collaboration tools, to ingenious tools for the d...
Al Seckel, a cognitive neuroscientist and master of visual illusions, explores some of the perceptual illusions that fool our eyes and our brains. Running through example after example of images that buck our expectations, he asks why such ...
Chris Anderson, the editor of WIRED, explores the four key stages of any viable technology: setting the right price, gaining market share, displacing an established technology and, finally, becoming ubiquitous. To demonstrate this trajector...
Accepting his 2007 TED Prize, Bill Clinton says he's trying to build a better world to hand to his daughter. Unequal, unstable and unsustainable, our world must correct its course, and private citizens ("like me") can be powerful forces for...
Accepting his 2007 TED Prize, Bill Clinton says he's trying to build a better world to hand to his daughter. Unequal, unstable and unsustainable, our world must correct its course, and private citizens ("like me") can be powerful forces for...
Accepting his 2007 TED Prize, James Nachtwey talks about his decades as a photojournalist. A slideshow of his photos, beginning in 1981 in Northern Ireland, reveals two parallel themes in his work. First, as he says: "The frontlines of cont...
Accepting his 2007 TED Prize, James Nachtwey talks about his decades as a photojournalist. A slideshow of his photos, beginning in 1981 in Northern Ireland, reveals two parallel themes in his work. First, as he says: "The frontlines of cont...
As E.O. Wilson accepts his 2007 TED Prize, he makes a plea on behalf of his constituents, the insects and small creatures, to learn more about our biosphere. We know so little about nature, he says, that we're still discovering tiny organis...
As E.O. Wilson accepts his 2007 TED Prize, he makes a plea on behalf of his constituents, the insects and small creatures, to learn more about our biosphere. We know so little about nature, he says, that we're still discovering tiny organis...
Before the dance company Pilobolus performs, Director Robby Barnett sets the stage: ?I?d like to introduce you to Pilobolus crystallinus, a dung-loving fungus,? Barnett says, framing the acclaimed dance company?s evolution in true Pilobolus...
Actor Anna Deavere-Smith brings the TED audience to their feet as she brings to life a series of quintessential Americans. The chameleon-like Deveare-Smith transforms herself in and out of character, as she embodies legendary author Studs...
Actor Anna Deavere-Smith brings the TED audience to their feet as she brings to life a series of quintessential Americans. The chameleon-like Deveare-Smith transforms herself in and out of character, as she embodies legendary author Studs...
In this off-the-cuff talk, Charles Leadbeater weaves a tight argument that innovation isn't just for professionals anymore. From open-source software to mountain biking to astronomy, passionate non-professionals are harnassing digital tech...
In this off-the-cuff talk, Charles Leadbeater weaves a tight argument that innovation isn't just for professionals anymore. From open-source software to mountain biking to astronomy, passionate non-professionals are harnassing digital tech...
Author Steven Johnson takes us on a 10-minute tour of The Ghost Map, telling the story of a cholera outbreak in 1854 London, and the famous map that physician John Snow made of the disease?s path ? a map that not only convinced the world th...
Author Steven Johnson takes us on a 10-minute tour of The Ghost Map, telling the story of a cholera outbreak in 1854 London, and the famous map that physician John Snow made of the disease?s path ? a map that not only convinced the world th...
Author Robert Wright argues that history has an arrow: That humans have continued to evolve ? if not biologically, than culturally and technologically ? toward greater complexity and intelligence. He also explains the concept behind his boo...
Author Robert Wright argues that history has an arrow: That humans have continued to evolve ? if not biologically, than culturally and technologically ? toward greater complexity and intelligence. He also explains the concept behind his boo...
UK Astronomer Royal Sir Martin Rees speaks first as an astronomer, and then as "a concerned member of the human race." With stunning imagery and simulations, he places the earth in its cosmic context, shedding light on the birth, and (ongoi...
UK Astronomer Royal Sir Martin Rees speaks first as an astronomer, and then as "a concerned member of the human race." With stunning imagery and simulations, he places the earth in its cosmic context, shedding light on the birth, and (ongoi...
In this stunning talk, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Wade Davis celebrates the extraordinary diversity of the world's indigenous cultures, many of which are disappearing, as ancestral land is lost and languages die. (50 percent ...
In this stunning talk, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Wade Davis celebrates the extraordinary diversity of the world's indigenous cultures, many of which are disappearing, as ancestral land is lost and languages die. (50 percent ...
Photographer Phil Borges displays his remarkable portraits, documenting the world's disappearing cultures, from persecuted monks in Tibet to embattled tribes in the Ecuadorian Amazon. He also shares inspiring results from his digital-storyt...
Photographer Phil Borges displays his remarkable portraits, documenting the world's disappearing cultures, from persecuted monks in Tibet to embattled tribes in the Ecuadorian Amazon. He also shares inspiring results from his digital-storyt...
Three minutes of fast-paced, whip-smart wordsmithing from spoken-word artist Rives, who has some unconventional ideas about how the Internet should be run. By turn provocative, touching and flat-out hilarious, Rives is one of the most origi...
Three minutes of fast-paced, whip-smart wordsmithing from spoken-word artist Rives, who has some unconventional ideas about how the Internet should be run. By turn provocative, touching and flat-out hilarious, Rives is one of the most origi...
Economist Bjorn Lomborg makes a persuasive case for prioritizing the world's biggest problems, asking "If we had $50 billion to spend over the next four years to do good in the world, where should we spend it?" His recommendations ? based o...
Economist Bjorn Lomborg makes a persuasive case for prioritizing the world's biggest problems, asking "If we had $50 billion to spend over the next four years to do good in the world, where should we spend it?" His recommendations ? based o...
Author Robert Neuwirth takes us on a tour of the world's squatter cities, where a billion people make their homes, after migrating from the countryside. Far from wringing his hands, Neuwirth exhalts these self-built cities as vital centers ...
Author Robert Neuwirth takes us on a tour of the world's squatter cities, where a billion people make their homes, after migrating from the countryside. Far from wringing his hands, Neuwirth exhalts these self-built cities as vital centers ...
In a rare public appearance, photographer Gregory Colbert shares an astounding film from his exhibit, "Ashes and Snow," and announces his new initiative, the Animal Copyright Foundation, which aims to collect royalties from companies using ...
In a rare public appearance, photographer Gregory Colbert shares an astounding film from his exhibit, "Ashes and Snow," and announces his new initiative, the Animal Copyright Foundation, which aims to collect royalties from companies using ...
Musician and activist Peter Gabriel explains the personal motivation behind his work with human-rights watchdog Witness, which gives video cameras to ordinary citizens to document human-rights abuses, so the perpetrators may be brought to j...
Musician and activist Peter Gabriel explains the personal motivation behind his work with human-rights watchdog Witness, which gives video cameras to ordinary citizens to document human-rights abuses, so the perpetrators may be brought to j...
Skeptic Magazine founder Michael Shermer takes us on a hilarious romp through the strange claims we humans put forth as truth - from alien encounters to Virgin Mary sightings on pizza pies, to hidden messages revealed while playing "Stairwa...
Skeptic Magazine founder Michael Shermer takes us on a hilarious romp through the strange claims we humans put forth as truth - from alien encounters to Virgin Mary sightings on pizza pies, to hidden messages revealed while playing "Stairwa...
Statistician Peter Donnelly explores the common mistakes humans make in interpreting statistics, and the devastating impact these errors can have on the outcome of criminal trials. Donnelly is a statistics professor at Oxford University wh...
Statistician Peter Donnelly explores the common mistakes humans make in interpreting statistics, and the devastating impact these errors can have on the outcome of criminal trials. Donnelly is a statistics professor at Oxford University wh...
Medical inventor Robert Fischell accepts the 2005 TEDPrize, and unveils his three wishes: To finalize the design on an invention to treat migraine headaches without drugs; to discover new cures for brain disorders; and to create a Brain Tru...
Medical inventor Robert Fischell accepts the 2005 TEDPrize, and unveils his three wishes: To finalize the design on an invention to treat migraine headaches without drugs; to discover new cures for brain disorders; and to create a Brain Tru...
Photographer Ed Burtynsky accepts the 2005 TEDPrize, and presents a stunning slideshow of his work, which explores human impact on the natural world in eerily beautiful large-scale landscapes. He also unveils his three wishes: To use his ar...
Photographer Ed Burtynsky accepts the 2005 TEDPrize, and presents a stunning slideshow of his work, which explores human impact on the natural world in eerily beautiful large-scale landscapes. He also unveils his three wishes: To use his ar...
Rock star and activist Bono accepts the 2005 TEDPrize with a riveting talk about our moral obligation (and economic incentive) to help lift Africa out of poverty. He unveils his TEDPrize wishes by challenging the TED community to help build...