TEDTalks (audio)

TEDTalks : Katherine Fulton: You are the future of philanthropy - Katherine Fulton (2007)

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:00:00 -0500

In this uplifting talk, Katherine Fulton sketches the new future of philanthropy -- one where collaboration and innovation allow regular people to do big things, even when money is scarce. Giving five practical examples of crowd-driven philanthropy, she calls for a new generation of citizen leaders.

TEDTalks : Robert Full: Learning from the gecko's tail - Robert Full (2009)

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Biologist Robert Full studies the amazing gecko, with its supersticky feet and tenacious climbing skill. But high-speed footage reveals that the gecko's tail harbors perhaps the most surprising talents of all.

TEDTalks : Nancy Etcoff on the surprising science of happiness - Nancy Etcoff (2004)

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Cognitive researcher Nancy Etcoff looks at happiness -- the ways we try to achieve and increase it, the way it's untethered to our real circumstances, and its surprising effect on our bodies.

TEDTalks : John La Grou plugs smart power outlets - John La Grou (2009)

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:00:00 -0500

John La Grou unveils an ingenious new technology that will smarten up the electrical outlets in our homes, using microprocessors and RFID tags. The invention, Safeplug, promises to prevent deadly accidents like house fires -- and to conserve energy.

TEDTalks : Pete Alcorn on the world in 2200 - Pete Alcorn (2009)

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:00:00 -0500

In this short, optimistic talk from TED2009, Pete Alcorn shares a vision of the world of two centuries from now -- when declining populations and growing opportunity prove Malthus was wrong.

TEDTalks : Publisher Felix Dennis' odes to vice and consequences - Felix Dennis (2004)

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:11:00 -0500

Media big shot Felix Dennis roars his fiery, funny, sometimes racy original poetry, revisiting haunting memories and hard-won battle scars from a madcap -- yet not too repentant -- life. Best enjoyed with a glass of wine.

TEDTalks : Liz Coleman's call to reinvent liberal arts education - Liz Coleman (2009)

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Bennington president Liz Coleman delivers a call-to-arms for radical reform in higher education. Bucking the trend to push students toward increasingly narrow areas of study, she proposes a truly cross-disciplinary education -- one that dynamically combines all areas of study to address the great problems of our day.

TEDTalks : Kaki King rocks out to "Pink Noise" - Kaki King (2008)

Fri, 29 May 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Kaki King, the first female on Rolling Stone's "guitar god" list, rocks out to a full live set at TED2008, including her breakout single, "Playing with Pink Noise." Jaw-dropping virtuosity meets a guitar technique that truly stands out.

TEDTalks : Mary Roach: 10 things you didn't know about orgasm - Mary Roach (2009)

Wed, 20 May 2009 01:00:00 -0500

"Bonk" author Mary Roach delves into obscure scientific research, some of it centuries old, to make 10 surprising claims about sexual climax, ranging from the bizarre to the hilarious. (This talk is aimed at adults. Viewer discretion advised.)

TEDTalks : Dan Ariely asks, Are we in control of our own decisions? - Dan Ariely (2008)

Tue, 19 May 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Behavioral economist Dan Ariely, the author of Predictably Irrational, uses classic visual illusions and his own counterintuitive (and sometimes shocking) research findings to show how we're not as rational as we think when we make decisions.

TEDTalks : Nandan Nilekani's ideas for India's future - Nandan Nilekani (2009)

Thu, 14 May 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Nandan Nilekani, the visionary co-founder of outsourcing pioneer Infosys, explains four brands of ideas that will determine whether India can continue its recent breakneck progress.

TEDTalks : How to feed the whole world (the case for white bread) - Louise Fresco (2009)

Thu, 07 May 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Louise Fresco shows us why we should celebrate mass-produced, supermarket-style white bread. She says environmentally sound mass production will feed the world, yet leave a role for small bakeries and traditional methods.

TEDTalks : Alarming new slides depict a worsening climate crisis - Al Gore (2009)

Thu, 07 May 2009 01:00:00 -0500

At TED2009, Al Gore presents updated slides from around the globe to make the case that worrying climate trends are even worse than scientists predicted, and to make clear his stance on "clean coal."

TEDTalks : A bold vision for teaching arts and sciences -- together - Mae Jemison (2002)

Tue, 05 May 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Mae Jemison is an astronaut, a doctor, an art collector, a dancer ... Telling stories from her own education and from her time in space, she calls on educators to teach both the arts and sciences, both intuition and logic, as one -- to create bold thinker

TEDTalks : The mathematics of war - Sean Gourley (2009)

Mon, 04 May 2009 01:00:00 -0500

By analyzing raw data on violent incidents in the Iraq war and others, Sean Gourley and his team claim to have found a surprisingly strong mathematical relationship linking the fatality and frequency of attacks.

TEDTalks : Comics that tell the little stories of a big city - Ben Katchor (2002)

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:51:00 -0500

In this captivating talk from the TED archive, cartoonist Ben Katchor reads from his comic strips. These perceptive, surreal stories find the profound hopes and foibles of history (and modern New York) preserved in objects like light switches and signs.

TEDTalks : How texting and GoogleMaps helped Kenyans survive crisis - Erik Hersman (2009)

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:00:00 -0500

At TEDU 2009, Erik Hersman presents the remarkable story of Ushahidi, a GoogleMap mashup that allowed Kenyans to report and track violence via cell phone texts following the 2008 elections, and has evolved to continue saving lives in other countries.

TEDTalks : The beautiful math that links coral, crochet and hyperbolic geometry - Margaret Wertheim (2009)

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Margaret Wertheim leads a project to re-create the creatures of the coral reefs using a crochet technique invented by a mathematician -- celebrating the amazements of the reef, and deep-diving into the hyperbolic geometry underlying coral creation.

TEDTalks : Hang in there! 9 life lessons from rock climbing - Matthew Childs (2009)

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 01:00:00 -0500

In this talk from TED University 2009, veteran rock climber Matthew Childs shares nine pointers for rock climbing. These handy tips bear on an effective life at sea level, too.

TEDTalks : How to feel like the Incredible Hulk - Tim Ferriss (2008)

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:43:00 -0500

From the EG conference: Productivity guru Tim Ferriss' fun, encouraging anecdotes show how one simple question -- "What's the worst that could happen?" -- is all you need to learn to do anything.

TEDTalks : Tour the AlloSphere, a stunning new way to see scientific data - JoAnn Kuchera-Morin (2009)

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 01:00:00 -0500

JoAnn Kuchera-Morin demos the AlloSphere, a new way to see, hear and interpret scientific data. Dive into the brain, feel electron spin, hear the music of the elements ... and detect previously unseen patterns that could lead to new discoveries.

TEDTalks : A bold plan for mass adoption of electric cars - Shai Agassi (2009)

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Forget about the hybrid auto -- Shai Agassi says it's electric cars or bust if we want to impact emissions. His company, Better Place, has a radical plan to take entire countries oil-free by 2020.

TEDTalks : Busted! The sneaky moves of antisocial smartphone users - Renny Gleeson (2009)

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 08:47:00 -0500

In this funny (and actually poignant) 3-minute talk, social strategist Renny Gleeson breaks down our always-on social world -- where the experience we're having right now is less interesting than what we'll tweet about it later.

TEDTalks : Discovering bacteria's amazing communication system - Bonnie Bassler (2009)

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Bonnie Bassler discovered that bacteria "talk" to each other, using a chemical language that lets them coordinate defense and mount attacks. The find has stunning implications for medicine, industry -- and our understanding of ourselves.

TEDTalks : Three predictions on the future of Iran, and the math to back it up - Bruce Bueno de Mesquita (2009)

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Bruce Bueno de Mesquita uses mathematical analysis to predict (very often correctly) such messy human events as war, political power shifts, Intifada ... After a crisp explanation of how he does it, he offers three predictions on the future of Iran.

TEDTalks : Military robots and the future of war - P.W. Singer (2009)

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 01:00:00 -0500

In this powerful talk, P.W. Singer shows how the widespread use of robots in war is changing the realities of combat. He shows us scenarios straight out of science fiction -- that now may not be so fictitious.

TEDTalks : Restyling the classic Airstream trailer - Christopher C. Deam (2002)

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 01:00:00 -0500

In this low-key, image-packed talk from 2002, designer Christopher C. Deam talks about his makeover of an American classic: the Airstream travel trailer.

TEDTalks : Fulfilling the dream of flight in a high-tech wingsuit - Ueli Gegenschatz (2009)

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Wingsuit jumping is the leading edge of extreme sports -- an exhilarating feat of almost unbelievable daring, where skydivers soar through canyons at over 100MPH. Ueli Gegenschatz talks about how (and why) he does it, and shows jawdropping film.

TEDTalks : Can design save the newspaper? - Jacek Utko (2009)

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Jacek Utko is an extraordinary Polish newspaper designer whose redesigns for papers in Eastern Europe not only win awards, but increase circulation by up to 100%. Can good design save the newspaper? It just might.

TEDTalks : A jungle search for the next pandemic virus - Nathan Wolfe (2009)

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:00:00 -0500

Virus hunter Nathan Wolfe is outwitting the next pandemic by staying two steps ahead: discovering deadly new viruses where they first emerge -- passing from animals to humans among poor subsistence hunters in Africa -- before they claim millions of lives.

TEDTalks : From a Nairobi slum, a tale of hope - Jacqueline Novogratz (2009)

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Jacqueline Novogratz tells a moving story of an encounter in a Nairobi slum with Jane, a former prostitute, whose dreams of escaping poverty, of becoming a doctor and of getting married were fulfilled in an unexpected way.

TEDTalks : How to grow your own fresh air - Kamal Meattle (2009)

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Researcher Kamal Meattle shows how an arrangement of three common houseplants, used in specific spots in a home or office building, can result in measurably cleaner indoor air.

TEDTalks : Why we think it's OK to cheat and steal (sometimes) - Dan Ariely (2009)

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Behavioral economist Dan Ariely studies the bugs in our moral code: the hidden reasons we think it's OK to cheat or steal (sometimes). Clever studies help make his point that we're predictably irrational -- and can be influenced in ways we can't grasp.

TEDTalks : Cute, sexy, sweet and funny -- an evolutionary riddle - Dan Dennett (2009)

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Why are babies cute? Why is cake sweet? Philosopher Dan Dennett has answers you wouldn't expect, as he shares evolution's counterintuitive reasoning on cute, sweet and sexy things (plus a new theory from Matthew Hurley on why jokes are funny).

TEDTalks : How my legs give me super-powers - Aimee Mullins (2009)

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:00:00 -0500

Athlete, actor and activist Aimee Mullins talks about her prosthetic legs -- she's got a dozen amazing pairs -- and the superpowers they grant her: speed, beauty, an extra 6 inches of height ... Quite simply, she redefines what the body can be.

TEDTalks : Unveiling the "Sixth Sense," game-changing wearable tech - Pattie Maes / Pranav Mistry (2009)

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 01:00:00 -0500

This demo -- from Pattie Maes' lab at MIT, spearheaded by Pranav Mistry -- was the buzz of TED. It's a wearable device with a projector that paves the way for profound interaction with our environment. Imagine "Minority Report" and then some.

TEDTalks : Striking chords to rock the jazz world - Eric Lewis (2009)

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 01:00:00 -0600

Eric Lewis, an astonishingly talented crossover jazz pianist -- seen by many for the first time at TED2009 -- sets fire to the keys with his shattering rendition of Evanescence's chart-topper, "Going Under."

TEDTalks : Unveiling the beautiful, fragile world of rainforest treetop ecosystems - Nalini Nadkarni (2009)

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 01:00:00 -0600

A unique ecosystem of plants, birds and monkeys thrives in the treetops of the rainforest. Nalini Nadkarni explores these canopy worlds -- and shares her findings with the world below, through dance, art and bold partnerships.

TEDTalks : A 20-year tale of hope: How we re-grew a rainforest - Willie Smits (2009)

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 01:00:00 -0600

By piecing together a complex ecological puzzle, biologist Willie Smits has found a way to re-grow clearcut rainforest in Borneo, saving local orangutans -- and creating a thrilling blueprint for restoring fragile ecosystems.

TEDTalks : How Twitter's spectacular growth is being driven by unexpected uses - Evan Williams (2009)

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 01:00:00 -0600

In the year leading up to this talk, the web tool Twitter exploded in size (up 10x during 2008 alone). Co-founder Evan Williams reveals that many of the ideas driving that growth came from unexpected uses invented by the users themselves.

TEDTalks : Sailing the Great Pacific Garbage Patch - Charles Moore (2009)

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 01:00:00 -0600

Capt. Charles Moore of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation first discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch -- an endless floating waste of plastic trash. Now he's drawing attention to the growing, choking problem of plastic debris in our seas.

TEDTalks : How Benjamin Button got his face - Ed Ulbrich (2009)

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 01:00:00 -0600

Ed Ulbrich, the digital-effects guru from Digital Domain, explains the Oscar-winning technology that allowed his team to digitally create the older versions of Brad Pitt's face for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

TEDTalks : Here's how to protect the blue heart of the planet (TED Prize winner!) - Sylvia Earle (2009)

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 01:00:00 -0600

Legendary ocean researcher Sylvia Earle shares astonishing images of the ocean -- and shocking stats about its rapid decline -- as she makes her TED Prize wish: that we will join her in protecting the vital blue heart of the planet.

TEDTalks : Help me bring music to kids worldwide (TED Prize winner!) - Jose Antonio Abreu (2009)

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 01:00:00 -0600

Jose Antonio Abreu is the charismatic founder of a youth orchestra system that has transformed thousands of kids' lives in Venezuela. Here he shares his amazing story and unveils a TED Prize wish that could have a big impact in the US and beyond.

TEDTalks : Beyond the crisis, mindboggling science and the arrival of Homo evolutis - Juan Enriquez (2009)

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:02:00 -0600

Even as mega-banks topple, Juan Enriquez says the big reboot is yet to come. But don't look for it on your ballot -- or in the stock exchange. It'll come from science labs, and it promises keener bodies and minds. Our kids are going to be ... different.

TEDTalks : The real crisis? We stopped being wise - Barry Schwartz (2009)

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 08:27:00 -0600

Barry Schwartz makes a passionate call for "practical wisdom" as an antidote to a society gone mad with bureaucracy. He argues powerfully that rules often fail us, incentives often backfire, and practical, everyday wisdom will help rebuild our world.

TEDTalks : Siftables, the toy blocks that think - David Merrill (2009)

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 09:35:00 -0600

MIT grad student David Merrill demos Siftables -- cookie-sized, computerized tiles you can stack and shuffle in your hands. These future-toys can do math, play music, and talk to their friends, too. Is this the next thing in hands-on learning?

TEDTalks : How we are deceived by our own miscalculations of the future - Dan Gilbert (2005)

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 07:32:00 -0600

Dan Gilbert presents research and data from his exploration of happiness -- sharing some surprising tests and experiments that you can also try on yourself. Watch through to the end for a sparkling Q&A with some familiar TED faces.

TEDTalks : Healing and other natural wonders - Dean Ornish (2004)

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 01:00:00 -0500

Dean Ornish talks about simple, low-tech and low-cost ways to take advantage of the body's natural desire to heal itself.

TEDTalks : A brief digression on matters of lost time - John Hodgman (2008)

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 01:00:00 -0500

Humorist John Hodgman rambles through a new story about aliens, physics, time, space and the way all of these somehow contribute to a sweet, perfect memory of falling in love.

TEDTalks : Creativity, fulfillment and flow - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (2004)

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 01:00:00 -0500

Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi asks, "What makes a life worth living?" Noting that money cannot make us happy, he looks to those who find pleasure and lasting satisfaction in activities that bring about a state of "flow."

TEDTalks : Chalking it up to the blank slate - Steven Pinker (2003)

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:00:00 -0500

Steven Pinker's book The Blank Slate argues that all humans are born with some innate traits. Here, Pinker talks about his thesis, and why some people found it incredibly upsetting.

TEDTalks : The real difference between liberals and conservatives - Jonathan Haidt (2008)

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 01:00:00 -0500

Psychologist Jonathan Haidt studies the five moral values that form the basis of our political choices, whether we're left, right or center. In this eye-opening talk, he pinpoints the moral values that liberals and conservatives tend to honor most.

TEDTalks : What positive psychology can help you become - Martin Seligman (2004)

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:28:00 -0500

Martin Seligman talks about psychology -- as a field of study and as it works one-on-one with each patient and each practitioner. As it moves beyond a focus on disease, what can modern psychology help us to become?

TEDTalks : Technology, faith and human shortcomings - Billy Graham (1998)

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 01:00:00 -0500

Speaking at TED in 1998, Rev. Billy Graham marvels at technology's power to improve lives and change the world -- but says the end of evil, suffering and death will come only after the world accepts Christ. A legendary talk from TED's archives.

TEDTalks : The brain in love - Helen Fisher (2008)

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:00:00 -0500

Why do we crave love so much, even to the point that we would die for it? To learn more about our very real, very physical need for romantic love, Helen Fisher and her research team took MRIs of people in love -- and people who had just been dumped.

TEDTalks : Classical music with shining eyes - Benjamin Zander (2008)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 01:00:00 -0500

Benjamin Zander has two infectious passions: classical music, and helping us all realize our untapped love for it -- and by extension, our untapped love for all new possibilities, new experiences, new connections.

TEDTalks : Institutions vs. collaboration - Clay Shirky (2005)

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 06:30:00 -0500

In this prescient 2005 talk, Clay Shirky shows how closed groups and companies will give way to looser networks where small contributors have big roles and fluid cooperation replaces rigid planning.

TEDTalks : How ordinary people become monsters ... or heroes - Philip Zimbardo (2008)

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 01:00:00 -0500

Philip Zimbardo knows how easy it is for nice people to turn bad. In this talk, he shares insights and graphic unseen photos from the Abu Ghraib trials. Then he talks about the flip side: how easy it is to be a hero, and how we can rise to the challenge.

TEDTalks : 4 ways to improve the lives of the "bottom billion" - Paul Collier (2008)

Wed, 28 May 2008 15:00:00 -0500

Around the world right now, one billion people are trapped in poor or failing countries. How can we help them? Economist Paul Collier lays out a bold, compassionate plan for closing the gap between rich and poor.

TEDTalks : Exploring the ocean's hidden worlds - Robert Ballard (2008)

Tue, 20 May 2008 04:00:00 -0500

Ocean explorer Robert Ballard takes us on a mindbending trip to hidden worlds underwater, where he and other researchers are finding unexpected life, resources, even new mountains. He makes a case for serious exploration and mapping. Google Ocean, anyone?

TEDTalks : The amazing intelligence of crows - Joshua Klein (2008)

Tue, 13 May 2008 07:27:00 -0500

Hacker and writer Joshua Klein is fascinated by crows. (Notice the gleam of intelligence in their little black eyes?) After a long amateur study of corvid behavior, he's come up with an elegant machine that may form a new bond between animal and human.

TEDTalks : 6 ways mushrooms can save the world - Paul Stamets (2008)

Tue, 06 May 2008 04:00:00 -0500

Mycologist Paul Stamets lists 6 ways the mycelium fungus can help save the universe: cleaning polluted soil, making insecticides, treating smallpox and even flu ... Read more.

TEDTalks : An inside tour of the world's biggest supercollider - Brian Cox (2008)

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:47:00 -0500

"Rock-star physicist" Brian Cox talks about his work on the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Discussing the biggest of big science in an engaging, accessible way, Cox brings us along on a tour of the massive project.

TEDTalks : Your genes are not your fate - Dean Ornish (2008)

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 01:00:00 -0500

Dean Ornish shares new research that shows how adopting healthy lifestyle habits can affect a person at a genetic level. For instance, he says, when you live healthier, eat better, exercise, and love more, your brain cells actually increase.

TEDTalks : The universe on a string - Brian Greene (2005)

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:50:00 -0500

Physicist Brian Greene explains superstring theory, the idea that minscule strands of energy vibrating in 11 dimensions create every particle and force in the universe.

TEDTalks : Where does creativity hide? - Amy Tan (2008)

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:38:00 -0500

Novelist Amy Tan digs deep into the creative process, looking for hints of how hers evolved.

TEDTalks : Open-source economics - Yochai Benkler (2005)

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 01:30:00 -0500

Yochai Benkler explains how collaborative projects like Wikipedia and Linux represent the next stage of human organization.

TEDTalks : New thinking on the climate crisis - Al Gore (2008)

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 01:27:00 -0500

In this brand-new slideshow (premiering on TED.com), Al Gore presents evidence that the pace of climate change may be even worse than scientists recently predicted. He challenges us to act.

TEDTalks : 2008 TED Prize wish: Charter for Compassion - Karen Armstrong (2008)

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 01:00:00 -0500

People want to be religious, says scholar Karen Armstrong; we should act to help make religion a force for harmony. She asks the TED community to help her build a Charter for Compassion -- to help restore the Golden Rule as the central global religious do

TEDTalks : 2008 TED Prize wish: Once Upon a School - Dave Eggers (2008)

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 01:59:00 -0500

Accepting his 2008 TED Prize, author Dave Eggers asks the TED community to personally, creatively engage with local public schools. With spellbinding eagerness, he talks about how his 826 Valencia tutoring center inspired others around the world to open

TEDTalks : 2008 TED Prize wish: An African Einstein - Neil Turok (2008)

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:26:00 -0500

Accepting his 2008 TED Prize, physicist Neil Turok speaks out for talented young Africans starved of opportunity: by unlocking and nurturing the continent's creative potential, we can create a change in Africa's future.

TEDTalks : My stroke of insight - Jill Bolte Taylor (2008)

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 01:10:00 -0500

Jill Bolte Taylor got a research opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: She had a massive stroke, and watched as her brain functions -- motion, speech, self-awareness -- shut down one by one. An astonishing story.

TEDTalks : Theremin, the untouchable music - Pamelia Kurstin (2002)

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 02:40:00 -0600

Virtuoso Pamelia Kurstin performs and discusses her theremin, the not-just-for-sci-fi electronic instrument that is played without being touched. Songs include "Autumn Leaves," "Lush Life" and David Mash’s "Listen, Words Are Gone."

TEDTalks : Way-new collaboration - Howard Rheingold (2005)

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 02:39:00 -0600

Howard Rheingold talks about the coming world of collaboration, participatory media and collective action -- and how Wikipedia is really an outgrowth of our natural human instinct to work as a group.

TEDTalks : The omnivore's next dilemma - Michael Pollan (2007)

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 01:04:00 -0600

What if human consciousness isn't the end-all and be-all of Darwinism? What if we are all just pawns in corn's clever strategy game to rule the Earth? Author Michael Pollan asks us to see the world from a plant's-eye view.

TEDTalks : The story of a passionate life - Ben Dunlap (2007)

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 03:45:00 -0600

Wofford College president Ben Dunlap tells the story of Sandor Teszler, a Hungarian Holocaust survivor who taught him about passionate living and lifelong learning.

TEDTalks : The mystery box - J.J. Abrams (2007)

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 06:00:00 -0600

J.J. Abrams traces his love for the unseen mystery –- a passion that’s evident in his films and TV shows, including Cloverfield, Lost and Alias -- back to its magical beginnings.

TEDTalks : Tales of passion - Isabel Allende (2007)

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 06:00:00 -0600

Author and activist Isabel Allende discusses women, creativity, the definition of feminism -- and, of course, passion -- in this talk.

TEDTalks : Why aren't we all Good Samaritans? - Daniel Goleman (2007)

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:38:00 -0600

Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, asks why we aren't more compassionate more of the time.

TEDTalks : Why design? - Philippe Starck (2007)

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 06:30:00 -0600

Designer Philippe Starck -- with no pretty slides to show -- spends 18 minutes reaching for the very roots of the question "Why design?" Listen carefully for one perfect mantra for all of us, genius or not.

TEDTalks : Beauty and truth in physics - Murray Gell-Mann (2007)

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 09:00:00 -0600

Armed with a sense of humor and laypeople's terms, Nobel winner Murray Gell-Mann drops some knowledge on TEDsters about particle physics, asking questions like, Are elegant equations more likely to be right than inelegant ones?

TEDTalks : Habits of happiness - Matthieu Ricard (2004)

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 01:42:00 -0500

What is happiness, and how can we all get some? Biochemist turned Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard says we can train our minds in habits of well-being, to generate a true sense of serenity and fulfillment.

TEDTalks : Our cell phones, ourselves - Jan Chipchase (2007)

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:05:00 -0500

Nokia researcher Jan Chipchase's investigation into the ways we interact with technology has led him from the villages of Uganda to the insides of our pockets. He's made some unexpected discoveries along the way.

TEDTalks : A journey to the center of your mind - Vilayanur Ramachandran (2007)

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 08:15:00 -0500

Vilayanur Ramachandran tells us what brain damage can reveal about the connection between celebral tissue and the mind, using three startling delusions as examples.

TEDTalks : The illustrated woman - Maira Kalman (2007)

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 01:50:00 -0500

Author and illustrator Maira Kalman talks about her life and work, from her covers for The New Yorker to her books for children and grown-ups. She is as wonderful, as wise and as deliciously off-kilter in person as she is on paper.

TEDTalks : Life at 30,000 feet - Richard Branson (2007)

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 06:17:00 -0500

Richard Branson talks to TED's Chris Anderson about the ups and the downs of his career, from his multibillionaire success to his multiple near-death experiences -- and reveals some of his (very surprising) motivations.

TEDTalks : Fly me to the moons of Saturn - Carolyn Porco (2007)

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 05:23:00 -0500

Planetary scientist Carolyn Porco shows images from the Cassini voyage to Saturn, focusing on its largest moon, Titan, and on frozen Enceladus, which seems to shoot jets of ice.

TEDTalks : Simplicity patterns - John Maeda (2007)

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 08:38:00 -0500

The MIT Media Lab's John Maeda lives at the intersection of technology and art, a place that can get very complicated. Here he talks about paring down to basics.

TEDTalks : Making movies that make change - Jeff Skoll (2007)

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 16:09:00 -0500

Film producer Jeff Skoll (An Inconvenient Truth) talks about his film company, Participant Productions, and the people who've inspired him to do good.

TEDTalks : 10 ways the world could end - Stephen Petranek (2002)

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 03:07:00 -0500

How might the world end? Stephen Petranek lays out the challenges that face us in the drive to preserve the human race. Will we be wiped out by an asteroid? Eco-collapse? How about a particle collider gone wild?

TEDTalks : The stuff of thought - Steven Pinker (2005)

Sun, 09 Sep 2007 14:56:00 -0500

In an exclusive preview of his book The Stuff of Thought, Steven Pinker looks at language and how it expresses what goes on in our minds -- and how the words we choose communicate much more than we realize.

TEDTalks : A brief history of violence - Steven Pinker (2007)

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 10:55:00 -0500

Steven Pinker charts the decline of violence from Biblical times to the present, and argues that, though it may seem illogical and even obscene, given Iraq and Darfur, we are living in the most peaceful time in our species' existence.

TEDTalks : Redefining the dictionary - Erin McKean (2007)

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 07:30:00 -0500

Is the beloved paper dictionary doomed to extinction? In this infectiously exuberant talk, leading lexicographer Erin McKean looks at the many ways today's print dictionary is poised for transformation.

TEDTalks : Tackling poverty with "patient capital" - Jacqueline Novogratz (2007)

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 15:00:00 -0500

Jacqueline Novogratz shares stories of how "patient capital" can bring sustainable jobs, goods, services -- and dignity -- to the world's poorest.

TEDTalks : Educating a new generation of African leaders - Patrick Awuah (2007)

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 08:29:00 -0500

Patrick Awuah makes the case that a liberal arts education is critical to forming true leaders.

TEDTalks : Cheetahs vs. Hippos for Africa's future - George Ayittey (2007)

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 10:32:00 -0500

Ghanaian economist George Ayittey unleashes a torrent of controlled anger toward corrupt leaders in Africa -- and calls on the “Cheetah generation” to take back the continent.

TEDTalks : Toys that make worlds - Will Wright (2007)

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 10:22:00 -0500

In a friendly, high-speed presentation, Will Wright demos his newest game, Spore, which promises to dazzle users even more than his previous masterpieces.

TEDTalks : How do ants know what to do? - Deborah Gordon (2003)

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:26:00 -0600

With a dusty backhoe, a handful of Japanese paint markers and a few students in tow, Deborah Gordon digs up ant colonies in the Arizona desert in search of keys to understanding complex systems.

TEDTalks : The Web's secret stories - Jonathan Harris (2007)

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 20:14:00 -0500

Jonathan Harris wants to make sense of the emotional world of the Web. With deep compassion for the human condition, his projects troll the Internet to find out what we're all feeling and looking for.

TEDTalks : What do we really know about the spread of AIDS? - Emily Oster (2007)

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 06:19:00 -0500

Emily Oster re-examines the stats on AIDS in Africa from an economic perspective and reaches a stunning conclusion: Everything we know about the spread of HIV on the continent is wrong.

TEDTalks : Why can't we grow new body parts? - Alan Russell (2006)

Wed, 04 Jul 2007 10:45:00 -0500

Alan Russell studies regenerative medicine -- a breakthrough way of thinking about disease and injury, using a process that can signal the body to rebuild itself.

TEDTalks : Journey to the center of the Earth ... and beyond! - Bill Stone (2007)

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 10:50:00 -0500

Bill Stone, a maverick cave explorer who has plumbed Earth’s deepest abysses, discusses his efforts to mine lunar ice for space fuel and to build an autonomous robot for studying Jupiter’s moon Europa.

TEDTalks : Becoming Buddha -- on the Web - Bob Thurman (2006)

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 10:31:00 -0500

In our hyperlinked world, we can know anything, anytime. And this mass enlightenment, says Buddhist scholar Bob Thurman, is our first step toward Buddha nature.

TEDTalks : Seeking salvation and profit in greentech - John Doerr (2007)

Sun, 27 May 2007 11:54:00 -0500

"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.

TEDTalks : Swim with giant sunfish in the open ocean - Tierney Thys (2003)

Mon, 21 May 2007 15:59:00 -0500

Marine biologist Tierney Thys asks us to step into the water to visit 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 sea.

TEDTalks : The tragedy of suburbia - James Howard Kunstler (2004)

Sat, 12 May 2007 08:20:00 -0500

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.

TEDTalks : "Black Men Ski" - Stew (2006)

Mon, 07 May 2007 13:44:00 -0500

What happens when a black man visits Aspen? Singer/songwriter Stew and his band are about to let you know.

TEDTalks : Inside the Google machine - Sergey Brin and Larry Page (2004)

Thu, 03 May 2007 17:51:00 -0500

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin offer a peek inside the Google machine, sharing tidbits about international search patterns, the philanthropic Google Foundation, and the company's dedication to innovation and employee happiness.

TEDTalks : Technology's Long Tail - Chris Anderson (Wired) (2004)

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 00:11:00 -0500

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.

TEDTalks : An atheist's call to arms - Richard Dawkins (2002)

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 02:07:00 -0500

Richard Dawkins urges all atheists to openly state their position -- and to fight the incursion of the church into politics and science. A fiery, funny, powerful talk.

TEDTalks : How could God have allowed the tsunami? - Tom Honey (2005)

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 01:55:00 -0500

In the days following the tragic South Asian tsunami of 2004, the Rev. Tom Honey pondered the question, "How could a loving God have done this?" Here is his answer.

TEDTalks : After the gold rush, there's innovation ahead - Jeff Bezos (2003)

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 23:43:00 -0500

The dot-com boom and bust is often compared to the Gold Rush. But Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos says it’s more like the early days of the electric industry.

TEDTalks : How to listen to music with your whole body - Evelyn Glennie (2003)

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 17:51:00 -0500

In this soaring demonstration, deaf percussionist Evelyn Glennie illustrates how listening to music involves much more than simply letting sound waves hit your eardrums.

TEDTalks : Can we know our own minds? - Dan Dennett (2003)

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 10:33:00 -0500

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.

TEDTalks : The universe is queerer than we can suppose - Richard Dawkins (2005)

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 00:11:00 -0500

Biologist Richard Dawkins makes a case for "thinking the improbable" by looking at how the human frame of reference limits our understanding of the universe.

TEDTalks : Why are we happy? Why aren't we happy? - Dan Gilbert (2004)

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:11:00 -0500

Dan Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness, challenges the idea that we’ll be miserable if we don’t get what we want. Our "psychological immune system" lets us feel truly happy even when things don’t go as planned.

TEDTalks : Why we do what we do, and how we can do it better - Tony Robbins (2006)

Tue, 27 Jun 2006 20:38:00 -0500

Tony Robbins discusses the "invisible forces" that motivate everyone's actions -- and high-fives Al Gore in the front row.

TEDTalks : What separates us from the apes? - Jane Goodall (2002)