TEDTalks (hd)

TED: Erik Johansson: Impossible photography - Erik Johannson (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:01:27 +0000

Erik Johansson creates realistic photos of impossible scenes -- capturing ideas, not moments. In this witty how-to, the Photoshop wizard describes the principles he uses to make these fantastical scenarios come to life, while keeping them visually plausible.

TED: Jack Horner: Shape-shifting dinosaurs - Jack Horner (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:59:58 +0000

Where are the baby dinosaurs? In a spellbinding talk from TEDxVancouver paleontologist Jack Horner describes how slicing open fossil skulls revealed a shocking secret about some of our most beloved dinosaurs.

TED: Sheikha Al Mayassa: Globalizing the local, localizing the global - Sheikha Al Mayassa (2010)

TEDTalks — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:28:15 +0000

Sheikha Al Mayassa, a patron of artists, storytellers and filmmakers in Qatar, talks about how art and culture create a country's identity -- and allow every country to share its unique identity with the wider world. As she says: "We don't want to be all the same, but we do want to understand each other."

TED: Stephen Coleman: The moral dangers of non-lethal weapons - Stephen Coleman (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:08:24 +0000

Pepper spray and tasers are in increasing use by both police and military, and more exotic non-lethal weapons such as heat rays are in the works. At TEDxCanberra, ethicist Stephen Coleman explores the unexpected consequences of their introduction and asks some challenging questions.

TED: Neil Burgess: How your brain tells you where you are - Neil Burgess (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:58:59 +0000

How do you remember where you parked your car? How do you know if you're moving in the right direction? Neuroscientist Neil Burgess studies the neural mechanisms that map the space around us, and how they link to memory and imagination.

TED: Mike deGruy: Hooked by an octopus - Mike deGruy (2010)

TEDTalks — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 08:14:00 +0000

Underwater filmmaker Mike deGruy has spent decades looking intimately at the ocean. A consummate storyteller, he takes the stage at Mission Blue to share his awe and excitement -- and his fears -- about the blue heart of our planet.

TED: Danny Hillis: Back to the future (of 1994) - Danny Hillis (1994)

TEDTalks — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:06:37 +0000

From deep in the TED archive, Danny Hillis outlines an intriguing theory of how and why technological change seems to be accelerating, by linking it to the very evolution of life itself. The presentation techniques he uses may look dated, but the ideas are as relevant as ever.

TED: Erica Frenkel: The universal anesthesia machine - Erica Frenkel (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:28:27 +0000

What if you're in surgery and the power goes out? No lights, no oxygen -- and your anesthesia stops flowing. It happens constantly in hospitals throughout the world, turning routine procedures into tragedies. Erica Frenkel demos one solution: the universal anesthesia machine.

TED: Shawn Achor: The happy secret to better work - Shawn Achor (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:09:38 +0000

We believe that we should work to be happy, but could that be backwards? In this fast-moving and entertaining talk from TEDxBloomington, psychologist Shawn Achor argues that actually happiness inspires productivity.

TED: Bill Doyle: Treating cancer with electric fields - Bill Doyle (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:01:14 +0000

Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are the best-known methods for treating cancer. At TEDMED, Bill Doyle presents a new approach, called Tumor Treating Fields, which uses electric fields to interrupt cancer cell division. Still in its infancy -- and approved for only certain types of cancer -- the treatment comes with one big benefit: quality of life.

TED: Peter van Uhm: Why I chose a gun - Peter van Uhm (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:51:45 +0000

Peter van Uhm is the Netherlands’ chief of defense, but that does not mean he is pro-war. At TEDxAmsterdam he explains how his career is one shaped by a love of peace, not a desire for bloodshed -- and why we need armies if we want peace.

TED: Gayle Tzemach Lemmon: Women entrepreneurs, example not exception - Gayle Tzemach Lemmon (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:06:45 +0000

Women aren’t micro--so why do they only get micro-loans? At TEDxWomen reporter Gayle Tzemach Lemmon argues that women running all types of firms-- from home businesses to major factories-- are the overlooked key to economic development.

TED: Brian Goldman: Doctors make mistakes. Can we talk about that? - Brian Goldman (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:50:19 +0000

Every doctor makes mistakes. But, says physician Brian Goldman, medicine's culture of denial (and shame) keeps doctors from ever talking about those mistakes, or using them to learn and improve. Telling stories from his own long practice, he calls on doctors to start talking about being wrong.

TED: Diana Nyad: Extreme swimming with the world's most dangerous jellyfish - Diana Nyad (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:23:09 +0000

In the 1970s, Diana Nyad set long-distance swim records that are still unbroken. Thirty years later, at 60, she attempted her longest swim yet, from Cuba to Florida. In this funny, powerful talk at TEDMED, she talks about how to prepare mentally to achieve an extreme dream, and asks: What will YOU do with your wild, precious life?

TED: Lisa Harouni: A primer on 3D printing - Lisa Harouni (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:17:50 +0000

2012 may be the year of 3D printing, when this three-decade-old technology finally becomes accessible and even commonplace. Lisa Harouni gives a useful introduction to this fascinating way of making things -- including intricate objects once impossible to create.

TED: Sheena Iyengar: How to make choosing easier - Sheena Iyengar (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:46:06 +0000

We all want customized experiences and products -- but when faced with 700 options, consumers freeze up. With fascinating new research, Sheena Iyengar demonstrates how businesses (and others) can improve the experience of choosing.

TED: Clay Shirky: Why SOPA is a bad idea - Clay Shirky (2012)

TEDTalks — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:47:31 +0000

What does a bill like PIPA/SOPA mean to our shareable world? At the TED offices, Clay Shirky delivers a proper manifesto -- a call to defend our freedom to create, discuss, link and share, rather than passively consume.

TED: Mikko Hypponen: Three types of online attack - Mikko Hypponen (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:54:24 +0000

Cybercrime expert Mikko Hypponen talks us through three types of online attack on our privacy and data -- and only two are considered crimes. "Do we blindly trust any future government? Because any right we give away, we give away for good."

TED: Alain de Botton: Atheism 2.0 - Alain de Botton (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:05:04 +0000

What aspects of religion should atheists (respectfully) adopt? Alain de Botton suggests a "religion for atheists" -- call it Atheism 2.0 -- that incorporates religious forms and traditions to satisfy our human need for connection, ritual and transcendence.

TED: Sonaar Luthra: Meet the Water Canary - Sonaar Luthra (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:33:25 +0000

After a crisis, how can we tell if water is safe to drink? Current tests are slow and complex, and the delay can be deadly, as in the cholera outbreak after Haiti's earthquake in 2010. TED Fellow Sonaar Luthra previews his design for a simple tool that quickly tests water for safety -- the Water Canary.

TED: Morley sings "Women of Hope" - Morley (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:11:53 +0000

Inspired by Aung San Suu Kyi’s call to action, “If you’re feeling helpless, help someone,” Morley composed this song. She sings it at TEDxWomen in her gorgeous, warm voice.

TED: Drew Berry: Animations of unseeable biology - Drew Berry (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:51:26 +0000

We have no ways to directly observe molecules and what they do -- Drew Berry wants to change that. At TEDxSydney he shows his scientifically accurate (and entertaining!) animations that help researchers see unseeable processes within our own cells.

TED: Jonas Gahr Støre: In defense of dialogue - Jonas Gahr Støre (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:18:23 +0000

In politics, it seems counterintuitive to engage in dialogue with violent groups, with radicals and terrorists, and with the states that support them. But Jonas Gahr Støre, the foreign minister of Norway, makes a compelling case for open discussion, even when values diverge, in an attempt to build greater security for all.

TED: Award-winning teen-age science in action - Lauren Hodge / Shree Bose / Naomi Shah (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:10:16 +0000

In 2011 three young women swept the top prizes of the first Google Science Fair. At TEDxWomen Lauren Hodge, Shree Bose and Naomi Shah described their extraordinary projects-- and their route to a passion for science.

TED: Sebastian Wernicke: 1000 TEDTalks, 6 words - Sebastian Wernicke (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:30:34 +0000

Sebastian Wernicke thinks every TEDTalk can be summarized in six words. At TEDxZurich, he shows how to do just that -- and less.

TED: Paddy Ashdown: The global power shift - Paddy Ashdown (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:04:54 +0000

Paddy Ashdown claims that we are living in a moment in history where power is changing in ways it never has before. In a spellbinding talk at TEDxBrussels he outlines the three major global shifts that he sees coming.

TED: Jane Fonda: Life's third act - Jane Fonda (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:18:58 +0000

Within this generation, an extra 30 years have been added to our life expectancy -- and these years aren’t just a footnote or a pathology. At TEDxWomen, Jane Fonda asks how we can think about this new phase of our lives.

TED: A.J. Jacobs: How healthy living nearly killed me - A.J. Jacobs (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:20:02 +0000

For a full year, A.J. Jacobs followed every piece of health advice he could -- from applying sunscreen by the shot glass to wearing a bicycle helmet while shopping. Onstage at TEDMED, he shares the surprising things he learned.

TED: Alberto Cairo: There are no scraps of men - Alberto Cairo (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 15:02:17 +0000

Alberto Cairo's clinics in Afghanistan used to close down during active fighting. Now, they stay open. At TEDxRC2 (the RC stands for Red Cross/Red Crescent), Cairo tells the powerful story of why -- and how he found humanity and dignity in the midst of war.

TED: Karen Tse: How to stop torture - Karen Tse (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:57:15 +0000

Political prisoners aren't the only ones being tortured -- the vast majority of judicial torture happens in ordinary cases, even in 'functioning' legal systems. Social activist Karen Tse shows how we can, and should, stand up and end the use of routine torture.

TED: Daniel Goldstein: The battle between your present and future self - Daniel Goldstein (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:33:51 +0000

Every day, we make decisions that have good or bad consequences for our future selves. (Can I skip flossing just this one time?) Daniel Goldstein makes tools that help us imagine ourselves over time, so that we make smart choices for Future Us.

TED: Sheila Nirenberg: A prosthetic eye to treat blindness - Sheila Nirenberg (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:08:37 +0000

At TEDMED, Sheila Nirenberg shows a bold way to create sight in people with certain kinds of blindness: by hooking into the optic nerve and sending signals from a camera direct to the brain.

TED: Antonio Damasio: The quest to understand consciousness - Antonio Damasio (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:02:38 +0000

Every morning we wake up and regain consciousness -- that is a marvelous fact -- but what exactly is it that we regain? Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio uses this simple question to give us a glimpse into how our brains create our sense of self.

TED: Ramona Pierson: An unexpected place of healing - Ramona Pierson (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:37:28 +0000

When Ramona Pierson was 22, she was hit by a drunk driver and spent 18 months in a coma. At TEDxDU she tells the remarkable story of her recovery -- drawing on the collective skills and wisdom of a senior citizens' home.

TED: Homaro Cantu + Ben Roche: Cooking as alchemy - Homaro Cantu / Ben Roche (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:27:09 +0000

Homaro Cantu and Ben Roche come from Moto, a Chicago restaurant that plays with new ways to cook and eat food. But beyond the fun and flavor-tripping, there's a serious intent: Can we use new food technology for good?

TED: Pavan Sukhdev: Put a value on nature! - Pavan Sukhdev (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:22:56 +0000

Every day, we use materials from the earth without thinking, for free. But what if we had to pay for their true value: would it make us more careful about what we use and what we waste? Think of Pavan Sukhdev as nature's banker -- assessing the value of the Earth's assets. Eye-opening charts will make you think differently about the cost of air, water, trees ...

TED: Quyen Nguyen: Color-coded surgery - Quyen Nguyen (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:03:30 +0000

Surgeons are taught from textbooks which conveniently color-code the types of tissues, but that's not what it looks like in real life -- until now. At TEDMED Quyen Nguyen demonstrates how a molecular marker can make tumors light up in neon green, showing surgeons exactly where to cut.

TED: Monika Bulaj: The hidden light of Afghanistan - Monika Bulaj (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:07:05 +0000

Photographer Monika Bulaj shares powerful, intimate images of Afghanistan -- of home life, of ritual, of men and women. Behind the headlines, what does the world truly know about this place?

TED: Stefon Harris: There are no mistakes on the bandstand - Stefon Harris (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:13:24 +0000

What is a mistake? By talking through examples with his improvisational Jazz quartet, Stefon Harris walks us to a profound truth: many actions are perceived as mistakes only because we don't react to them appropriately.

TED: Yoav Medan: Ultrasound surgery -- healing without cuts - Yoav Medan (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:28:08 +0000

Imagine having a surgery with no knives involved. At TEDMED, Yoav Medan shares a technique that uses MRI to find trouble spots and focused ultrasound to treat such issues as brain lesions, uterine fibroids and several kinds of cancerous growths.

TED: Cheryl Hayashi: The magnificence of spider silk - Cheryl Hayashi (2010)

TEDTalks — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:50:05 +0000

Cheryl Hayashi studies spider silk, one of nature's most high-performance materials. Each species of spider can make up to 7 very different kinds of silk. How do they do it? Hayashi explains at the DNA level -- then shows us how this super-strong, super-flexible material can inspire.

TED: Luis von Ahn: Massive-scale online collaboration - Luis von Ahn (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:39:04 +0000

After re-purposing CAPTCHA so each human-typed response helps digitize books, Luis von Ahn wondered how else to use small contributions by many on the Internet for greater good. At TEDxCMU, he shares how his ambitious new project, Duolingo, will help millions learn a new language while translating the Web quickly and accurately -- all for free.

TED: Kathryn Schulz: Don't regret regret - Kathryn Schulz (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:50:10 +0000

We're taught to try to live life without regret. But why? Using her own tattoo as an example, Kathryn Schulz makes a powerful and moving case for embracing our regrets.

TED: Charles Limb: Building the musical muscle - Charles Limb (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:15:56 +0000

Charles Limb performs cochlear implantation, a surgery that treats hearing loss and can restore the ability to hear speech. But as a musician too, Limb thinks about what the implants lack: They don't let you fully experience music yet. (There's a hair-raising example.) At TEDMED, Limb reviews the state of the art and the way forward.

TED: Annie Murphy Paul: What we learn before we're born - Annie Murphy Paul (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:31:26 +0000

Pop quiz: When does learning begin? Answer: Before we are born. Science writer Annie Murphy Paul talks through new research that shows how much we learn in the womb -- from the lilt of our native language to our soon-to-be-favorite foods.

TED: Damon Horowitz: Philosophy in prison - Damon Horowitz (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:22:47 +0000

Damon Horowitz teaches philosophy through the Prison University Project, bringing college-level classes to inmates of San Quentin State Prison. In this powerful short talk, he tells the story of an encounter with right and wrong that quickly gets personal.

TED: Britta Riley: A garden in my apartment - Britta Riley (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:18:14 +0000

Britta Riley wanted to grow her own food (in her tiny apartment). So she and her friends developed a system for growing plants in discarded plastic bottles -- researching, testing and tweaking the system using social media, trying many variations at once and quickly arriving at the optimal system. Call it distributed DIY. And the results? Delicious.

TED: Joe Sabia: The technology of storytelling - Joe Sabia (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:11:04 +0000

iPad storyteller Joe Sabia introduces us to Lothar Meggendorfer, who created a bold technology for storytelling: the pop-up book. Sabia shows how new technology has always helped us tell our own stories, from the walls of caves to his own onstage iPad.

TED: Péter Fankhauser: Meet Rezero, the dancing ballbot - Péter Fankhauser (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:03:37 +0000

Onstage at TEDGlobal, Péter Fankhauser demonstrates Rezero, a robot that balances on a ball. Designed and built by a group of engineering students, Rezero is the first ballbot made to move quickly and gracefully -- and even dance.

TED: Phil Plait: How to defend Earth from asteroids - Phil Plait (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:57:42 +0000

What's six miles wide and can end civilization in an instant? An asteroid -- and there are lots of them out there. With humor and great visuals, Phil Plait enthralls the TEDxBoulder audience with all the ways asteroids can kill, and what we must do to avoid them.

TED: Robin Ince: Science versus wonder? - Robin Ince (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:03:20 +0000

Does science ruin the magic of life? In this grumpy but charming monologue, Robin Ince makes the argument against. The more we learn about the astonishing behavior of the universe -- the more we stand in awe.

TED: Cynthia Kenyon: Experiments that hint of longer lives - Cynthia Kenyon (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:03:54 +0000

What controls aging? Biochemist Cynthia Kenyon has found a simple genetic mutation that can double the lifespan of a simple worm, C. elegans. The lessons from that discovery, and others, are pointing to how we might one day significantly extend youthful human life.

TED: Yves Rossy: Fly with the Jetman - Yves Rossy (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:59:54 +0000

Strapped to a jet-powered wing, Yves Rossy is the Jetman -- flying free, his body as the rudder, above the Swiss Alps and the Grand Canyon. After a powerful short film shows how it works, Rossy takes the TEDGlobal stage to share the experience and thrill of flying.

TED: Alexander Tsiaras: Conception to birth -- visualized - Alexander Tsiaras (2010)

TEDTalks — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:34:40 +0000

Image-maker Alexander Tsiaras shares a powerful medical visualization, showing human development from conception to birth and beyond. (Some graphic images.)

TED: Charlie Todd: The shared experience of absurdity - Charlie Todd (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:14:51 +0000

Charlie Todd causes bizarre, hilarious, and unexpected public scenes: Seventy synchronized dancers in storefront windows, "ghostbusters" running through the New York Public Library, and the annual no-pants subway ride. At TEDxBloomington he shows how his group, Improv Everywhere, uses these scenes to bring people together.

TED: Allan Jones: A map of the brain - Allan Jones (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:02:50 +0000

How can we begin to understand the way the brain works? The same way we begin to understand a city: by making a map. In this visually stunning talk, Allan Jones shows how his team is mapping which genes are turned on in each tiny region, and how it all connects up.

TED: Ben Kacyra: Ancient wonders captured in 3D - Ben Kacyra (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:54:01 +0000

Ancient monuments give us clues to astonishing past civilizations -- but they're under threat from pollution, war, neglect. Ben Kacyra, who invented a groundbreaking 3D scanning system, is using his invention to scan and preserve the world's heritage in archival detail. (Watch to the end for a little demo.)

TED: Aparna Rao: High-tech art (with a sense of humor) - Aparna Rao (2012)

TEDTalks — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:32:44 +0000

Artist and TED Fellow Aparna Rao re-imagines the familiar in surprising, often humorous ways. With her collaborator Soren Pors, Rao creates high-tech art installations -- a typewriter that sends emails, a camera that tracks you through the room only to make you invisible on screen -- that put a playful spin on ordinary objects and interactions.

TED: Martin Hanczyc: The line between life and not-life - Martin Hanczyc (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:00:39 +0000

In his lab, Martin Hanczyc makes "protocells," experimental blobs of chemicals that behave like living cells. His work demonstrates how life might have first occurred on Earth ... and perhaps elsewhere too.

TED: Marco Tempest: Augmented reality, techno-magic - Marco Tempest (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:41:17 +0000

Using sleight-of-hand techniques and charming storytelling, illusionist Marco Tempest brings a jaunty stick figure to life onstage at TEDGlobal.

TED: Daniel Wolpert: The real reason for brains - Daniel Wolpert (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:55:30 +0000

Neuroscientist Daniel Wolpert starts from a surprising premise: the brain evolved, not to think or feel, but to control movement. In this entertaining, data-rich talk he gives us a glimpse into how the brain creates the grace and agility of human motion.

TED: Anna Mracek Dietrich: A plane you can drive - Anna Mracek Dietrich (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:22:05 +0000

A flying car -- it's an iconic image of the future. But after 100 years of flight and automotive engineering, no one has really cracked the problem. Pilot Anna Mracek Dietrich and her team flipped the question, asking: Why not build a plane that you can drive?

TED: Paul Zak: Trust, morality -- and oxytocin - Paul Zak (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:53:41 +0000

What drives our desire to behave morally? Neuroeconomist Paul Zak shows why he believes oxytocin (he calls it "the moral molecule") is responsible for trust, empathy and other feelings that help build a stable society.

TED: Hasan Elahi: FBI, here I am! - Hasan Elahi (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:15:48 +0000

After he ended up on a watch list by accident, Hasan Elahi was advised by his local FBI agents to let them know when he was traveling. He did that and more ... much more.

TED: Béatrice Coron: Stories cut from paper - Béatrice Coron (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 14:50:56 +0000

With scissors and paper, artist Béatrice Coron creates intricate worlds, cities and countries, heavens and hells. Striding onstage in a glorious cape cut from Tyvek, she describes her creative process and the way her stories develop from snips and slices.

TED: Jay Bradner: Open-source cancer research - Jay Bradner (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:24:40 +0000

How does cancer know it's cancer? At Jay Bradner's lab, they found a molecule that might hold the answer, JQ1 -- and instead of patenting JQ1, they published their findings and mailed samples to 40 other labs to work on. An inspiring look at the open-source future of medical research.

TED: Malcolm Gladwell: The strange tale of the Norden bombsight - Malcolm Gladwell (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:21:28 +0000

Master storyteller Malcolm Gladwell tells the tale of the Norden bombsight, a groundbreaking piece of World War II technology with a deeply unexpected result.

TED: Richard Wilkinson: How economic inequality harms societies - Richard Wilkinson (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:05:36 +0000

We feel instinctively that societies with huge income gaps are somehow going wrong. Richard Wilkinson charts the hard data on economic inequality, and shows what gets worse when rich and poor are too far apart: real effects on health, lifespan, even such basic values as trust.

TED: Nathalie Miebach: Art made of storms - Nathalie Miebach (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:17:54 +0000

Artist Nathalie Miebach takes weather data from massive storms and turns it into complex sculptures that embody the forces of nature and time. These sculptures then become musical scores for a string quartet to play.

TED: Todd Kuiken: A prosthetic arm that "feels" - Todd Kuiken (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:09:49 +0000

Physiatrist and engineer Todd Kuiken is building a prosthetic arm that connects with the human nervous system -- improving motion, control and even feeling. Onstage, patient Amanda Kitts helps demonstrate this next-gen robotic arm.

TED: Guy-Philippe Goldstein: How cyberattacks threaten real-world peace - Guy-Philippe Goldstein (2010)

TEDTalks — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:27:46 +0000

More and more, nations are waging attacks with cyber weapons -- silent strikes on another country's computer systems that leave behind no trace. (Think of the Stuxnet worm.) At TEDxParis, Guy-Philippe Goldstein shows how cyberattacks can leap between the digital and physical worlds to prompt armed conflict -- and how we might avert this global security hazard.

TED: Justin Hall-Tipping: Freeing energy from the grid - Justin Hall-Tipping (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:48:59 +0000

What would happen if we could generate power from our windowpanes? In this moving talk, entrepreneur Justin Hall-Tipping shows the materials that could make that possible, and how questioning our notion of 'normal' can lead to extraordinary breakthroughs.

TED: Bunker Roy: Learning from a barefoot movement - Bunker Roy (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:08:51 +0000

In Rajasthan, India, an extraordinary school teaches rural women and men -- many of them illiterate -- to become solar engineers, artisans, dentists and doctors in their own villages. It's called the Barefoot College, and its founder, Bunker Roy, explains how it works.

TED: Jae Rhim Lee: My mushroom burial suit - Jae Rhim Lee (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:15:32 +0000

Here's a powerful provocation from artist Jae Rhim Lee. Can we commit our bodies to a cleaner, greener Earth, even after death? Naturally -- using a special burial suit seeded with pollution-gobbling mushrooms. Yes, this just might be the strangest TEDTalk you'll ever see ...

TED: Pamela Meyer: How to spot a liar - Pamela Meyer (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:34:53 +0000

On any given day we're lied to from 10 to 200 times, and the clues to detect those lie can be subtle and counter-intuitive. Pamela Meyer, author of Liespotting, shows the manners and "hotspots" used by those trained to recognize deception -- and she argues honesty is a value worth preserving.

TED: Ian Ritchie: The day I turned down Tim Berners-Lee - Ian Ritchie (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:17:11 +0000

Imagine it's late 1990, and you've just met a nice young man named Tim Berners-Lee, who starts telling you about his proposed system called the World Wide Web. Ian Ritchie was there. And ... he didn't buy it. A short story about information, connectivity and learning from mistakes.

TED: Richard Seymour: How beauty feels - Richard Seymour (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:12:48 +0000

A story, a work of art, a face, a designed object -- how do we tell that something is beautiful? And why does it matter so much to us? Designer Richard Seymour explores our response to beauty and the surprising power of objects that exhibit it.

TED: Alison Gopnik: What do babies think? - Alison Gopnik (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 15:12:56 +0000

"Babies and young children are like the R&D division of the human species," says psychologist Alison Gopnik. Her research explores the sophisticated intelligence-gathering and decision-making that babies are really doing when they play.

TED: Charles Hazlewood: Trusting the ensemble - Charles Hazlewood (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:25:56 +0000

Conductor Charles Hazlewood talks about the role of trust in musical leadership -- then shows how it works, as he conducts the Scottish Ensemble onstage. He also shares clips from two musical projects: the opera "U-Carmen eKhayelitsha" and the ParaOrchestra.

TED: Mike Biddle: We can recycle plastic - Mike Biddle (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:10:03 +0000

Less than 10% of plastic trash is recycled -- compared to almost 90% of metals -- because of the massively complicated problem of finding and sorting the different kinds. Frustrated by this waste, Mike Biddle has developed a cheap and incredibly energy efficient plant that can, and does, recycle any kind of plastic.

TED: Graham Hill: Less stuff, more happiness - Graham Hill (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:08:50 +0000

Writer and designer Graham Hill asks: Can having less stuff, in less room, lead to more happiness? He makes the case for taking up less space, and lays out three rules for editing your life.

TED: Christoph Adami: Finding life we can't imagine - Christoph Adami (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:31:14 +0000

How do we search for alien life if it's nothing like the life that we know? At TEDxUIUC Christoph Adami shows how he uses his research into artificial life -- self-replicating computer programs -- to find a signature, a 'biomarker,' that is free of our preconceptions of what life is.

TED: Yang Lan: The generation that's remaking China - Yang Lan (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:03:21 +0000

Yang Lan, a journalist and entrepreneur who's been called "the Oprah of China," offers insight into the next generation of young Chinese citizens -- urban, connected (via microblogs) and alert to injustice.

TED: Danielle de Niese: A flirtatious aria - Danielle de Niese (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:50:29 +0000

Can opera be ever-so-slightly sexy? The glorious soprano Danielle de Niese shows how, singing the flirty "Meine Lippen, sie küssen so heiss." Which, translated, means, as you might guess: "I kiss so hot." From Giuditta by Frans Lehár; accompanist: Ingrid Surgenor.

TED: Ben Goldacre: Battling bad science - Ben Goldacre (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:20:49 +0000

Every day there are news reports of new health advice, but how can you know if they're right? Doctor and epidemiologist Ben Goldacre shows us, at high speed, the ways evidence can be distorted, from the blindingly obvious nutrition claims to the very subtle tricks of the pharmaceutical industry.

TED: Jarreth Merz: Filming democracy in Ghana - Jarreth Merz (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:13:24 +0000

Jarreth Merz, a Swiss-Ghanaian filmmaker, came to Ghana in 2008 to film the national elections. What he saw there taught him new lessons about democracy -- and about himself.

TED: Geoff Mulgan: A short intro to the Studio School - Geoff Mulgan (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:18:07 +0000

Some kids learn by listening; others learn by doing. Geoff Mulgan gives a short introduction to the Studio School, a new kind of school in the UK where small teams of kids learn by working on projects that are, as Mulgan puts it, "for real."

TED: Abraham Verghese: A doctor's touch - Abraham Verghese (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 13:40:05 +0000

Modern medicine is in danger of losing a powerful, old-fashioned tool: human touch. Physician and writer Abraham Verghese describes our strange new world where patients are merely data points, and calls for a return to the traditional one-on-one physical exam.

TED: Sunni Brown: Doodlers, unite! - Sunni Brown (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 13:43:20 +0000

Studies show that sketching and doodling improve our comprehension -- and our creative thinking. So why do we still feel embarrassed when we're caught doodling in a meeting? Sunni Brown says: Doodlers, unite! She makes the case for unlocking your brain via pad and pen.

TED: Elizabeth Murchison: Fighting a contagious cancer - Elizabeth Murchison (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 15:18:02 +0000

What is killing the Tasmanian devil? A virulent cancer is infecting them by the thousands -- and unlike most cancers, it's contagious. Researcher Elizabeth Murchison tells us how she's fighting to save the Taz, and what she's learning about all cancers from this unusual strain. Contains disturbing images of facial cancer.

TED: Amy Lockwood: Selling condoms in the Congo - Amy Lockwood (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:24:41 +0000

HIV is a serious problem in the DR Congo, and aid agencies have flooded the country with free and cheap condoms. But few people are using them. Why? "Reformed marketer" Amy Lockwood offers a surprising answer that upends a traditional model of philanthropy. (Some NSFW images.)

TED: What we learned from 5 million books - Jean-Baptiste Michel / Erez Lieberman Aiden (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:38:56 +0000

Have you played with Google Labs' Ngram Viewer? It's an addicting tool that lets you search for words and ideas in a database of 5 million books from across centuries. Erez Lieberman Aiden and Jean-Baptiste Michel show us how it works, and a few of the surprising things we can learn from 500 billion words.

TED: Niall Ferguson: The 6 killer apps of prosperity - Niall Ferguson (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:07:04 +0000

Over the past few centuries, Western cultures have been very good at creating general prosperity for themselves. Historian Niall Ferguson asks: Why the West, and less so the rest? He suggests half a dozen big ideas from Western culture -- call them the 6 killer apps -- that promote wealth, stability and innovation. And in this new century, he says, these apps are all shareable.

TED: Lauren Zalaznick: The conscience of television - Lauren Zalaznick (2010)

TEDTalks — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 15:12:27 +0000

TV executive Lauren Zalaznick thinks deeply about pop television. Sharing results of a bold study that tracks attitudes against TV ratings over five decades, she makes a case that television reflects who we truly are -- in ways we might not have expected.

TED: Richard Resnick: Welcome to the genomic revolution - Richard Resnick (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:32:07 +0000

In this accessible talk from TEDxBoston, Richard Resnick shows how cheap and fast genome sequencing is about to turn health care (and insurance, and politics) upside down.

TED: Kate Hartman: The art of wearable communication - Kate Hartman (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:02:32 +0000

Artist Kate Hartman uses wearable electronics to explore how we communicate, with ourselves and with the world. In this quirky and thought-provoking talk, she shows the "Talk to Yourself Hat", the "Inflatable Heart", the "Glacier Embracing Suit", and other unexpected devices.

TED: Misha Glenny: Hire the hackers! - Misha Glenny (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:45:59 +0000

Despite multibillion-dollar investments in cybersecurity, one of its root problems has been largely ignored: who are the people who write malicious code? Underworld investigator Misha Glenny profiles several convicted coders from around the world and reaches a startling conclusion.

TED: Yasheng Huang: Does democracy stifle economic growth? - Yasheng Huang (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:44:18 +0000

Economist Yasheng Huang compares China to India, and asks how China's authoritarian rule contributed to its astonishing economic growth -- leading to a big question: Is democracy actually holding India back? Huang's answer may surprise you.

TED: Raghava KK: Shake up your story - Raghava KK (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:27:37 +0000

Artist Raghava KK demos his new children's book for iPad with a fun feature: when you shake it, the story -- and your perspective -- changes. In this charming short talk, he invites all of us to shake up our perspective a little bit.

TED: Lee Cronin: Making matter come alive - Lee Cronin (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:05:37 +0000

Before life existed on Earth, there was just matter, inorganic dead "stuff." How improbable is it that life arose? And -- could it use a different type of chemistry? Using an elegant definition of life (anything that can evolve), chemist Lee Cronin is exploring this question by attempting to create a fully inorganic cell using a "Lego kit" of inorganic molecules -- no carbon -- that can assemble, replicate and compete.

TED: Sarah Kaminsky: My father the forger - Sarah Kaminsky (2010)

TEDTalks — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 01:01:00 +0000

Sarah Kaminsky tells the extraordinary story of her father Adolfo and his activity during World War II -- using his ingenuity and talent for forgery to save lives.

TED: Edward Tenner: Unintended consequences - Edward Tenner (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 14:37:23 +0000

Every new invention changes the world -- in ways both intentional and unexpected. Historian Edward Tenner tells stories that illustrate the under-appreciated gap between our ability to innovate and our ability to foresee the consequences.