TEDTalks (audio)

TED: Alastair Parvin: Architecture for the people by the people - Alastair Parvin (2013)

TEDTalks — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:00:31 +0000

Architect Alastair Parvin presents a simple but provocative idea: what if, instead of architects creating buildings for those who can afford to commission them, regular citizens could design and build their own houses? The concept is at the heart of WikiHouse, an open source construction kit that means just about anyone can build a house, anywhere.

TED: Peter Singer: The why and how of effective altruism - Peter Singer (2013)

TEDTalks — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:23:20 +0000

If you're lucky enough to live without want, it's a natural impulse to be altruistic to others. But, asks philosopher Peter Singer, what's the most effective way to give? He talks through some surprising thought experiments to help you balance emotion and practicality -- and make the biggest impact with whatever you can share. NOTE: Starting at 0:30, this talk contains 30 seconds of graphic footage.

TED: Meg Jay: Why 30 is not the new 20 - Meg Jay (2013)

TEDTalks — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:08:23 +0000

Clinical psychologist Meg Jay has a bold message for twentysomethings: Contrary to popular belief, your 20s are not a throwaway decade. In this provocative talk, Jay says that just because marriage, work and kids are happening later in life, doesn’t mean you can’t start planning now. She gives 3 pieces of advice for how twentysomethings can re-claim adulthood in the defining decade of their lives.

TED: Ken Robinson: How to escape education's death valley - Ken Robinson (2013)

TEDTalks — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:08:52 +0000

Sir Ken Robinson outlines 3 principles crucial for the human mind to flourish -- and how current education culture works against them. In a funny, stirring talk he tells us how to get out of the educational "death valley" we now face, and how to nurture our youngest generations with a climate of possibility.

TED: Angela Lee Duckworth: The key to success? Grit - Angela Lee Duckworth (2013)

TEDTalks — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:59:48 +0000

Leaving a high-flying job in consulting, Angela Lee Duckworth took a job teaching math to seventh graders in a New York public school. She quickly realized that IQ wasn’t the only thing separating the successful students from those who struggled. Here, she explains her theory of “grit” as a predictor of success.

TED: John Legend: "True Colors" - John Legend (2013)

TEDTalks — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:57:29 +0000

In a heart-melting moment, TED Talks Education host John Legend sits at the piano to sing "True Colors," giving the lyrics a special meaning for kids and teachers. "So don't be afraid / to let them show / your true colors / are beautiful, like a rainbow."

TED: Geoffrey Canada: Our failing schools. Enough is enough! - Geoffrey Canada (2013)

TEDTalks — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:08:01 +0000

Why, why, why does our education system look so similar to the way it did 50 years ago? Millions of students were failing then, as they are now -- and it’s because we’re clinging to a business model that clearly doesn’t work. Education advocate Geoffrey Canada dares the system to look at the data, think about the customers and make systematic shifts in order to help greater numbers of kids excel.

TED: Malcolm London: “High School Training Ground” - Malcolm London (2013)

TEDTalks — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:06:00 +0000

Young poet, educator and activist Malcom London performs his stirring poem about life on the front lines of high school. He tells of the “oceans of adolescence” who come to school “but never learn to swim,” of “masculinity mimicked by men who grew up with no fathers.” Beautiful, lyrical, chilling.

TED: Pearl Arredondo: My story, from gangland daughter to star teacher - Pearl Arredondo (2013)

TEDTalks — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:05:00 +0000

Pearl Arredondo grew up in East Los Angeles, the daughter of a high-ranking gang member who was in and out of jail. Many teachers wrote her off as having a problem with authority. Now a teacher herself, she’s creating a different kind of school and telling students her story so that they know it's okay if sometimes homework isn’t the first thing on their minds.

TED: Ramsey Musallam: 3 rules to spark learning - Ramsey Musallam (2013)

TEDTalks — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:03:54 +0000

It took a life-threatening condition to jolt chemistry teacher Ramsey Musallam out of ten years of “pseudo-teaching” to understand the true role of the educator: to cultivate curiosity. In a fun and personal talk, Musallam gives 3 rules to spark imagination and learning, and get students excited about how the world works.

TED: Bill Gates: Teachers need real feedback - Bill Gates (2013)

TEDTalks — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:01:20 +0000

Until recently, many teachers only got one word of feedback a year: “satisfactory.” And with no feedback, no coaching, there’s just no way to improve. Bill Gates suggests that even great teachers can get better with smart feedback -- and lays out a program from his foundation to bring it to every classroom.

TED: ShaoLan: Learn to read Chinese ... with ease! - ShaoLan Hsueh (2013)

TEDTalks — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:13:31 +0000

For foreigners, learning to speak Chinese is a hard task. But learning to read the beautiful, often complex characters of the Chinese written language may be less difficult. ShaoLan walks through a simple lesson in recognizing the ideas behind the characters and their meaning -- building from a few simple forms to more complex concepts. Call it Chineasy.

TED: Juan Enriquez: Your online life, permanent as a tattoo - Juan Enriquez (2013)

TEDTalks — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:57:57 +0000

What if Andy Warhol had it wrong, and instead of being famous for 15 minutes, we’re only anonymous for that long? In this short talk, Juan Enriquez looks at the surprisingly permanent effects of digital sharing on our personal privacy. He shares insight from the ancient Greeks to help us deal with our new “digital tattoos.”

TED: Taylor Wilson: My radical plan for small nuclear fission reactors - Taylor Wilson (2013)

TEDTalks — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:01:22 +0000

Taylor Wilson was 14 when he built a nuclear fusion reactor in his parents' garage. Now 19, he returns to the TED stage to present a new take on an old topic: fission. Wilson, who has won backing to create a company to realize his vision, explains why he's so excited about his innovative design for small modular fission reactors -- and why it could be the next big step in solving the global energy crisis.

TED: Nilofer Merchant: Got a meeting? Take a walk - Nilofer Merchant (2013)

TEDTalks — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:00:49 +0000

Nilofer Merchant suggests a small idea that just might have a big impact on your life and health: Next time you have a one-on-one meeting, make it into a "walking meeting" -- and let ideas flow while you walk and talk.

TED: David Pogue: 10 top time-saving tech tips - David Pogue (2013)

TEDTalks — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:07:17 +0000

Tech columnist David Pogue shares 10 simple, clever tips for computer, web, smartphone and camera users. And yes, you may know a few of these already -- but there's probably at least one you don't.

TED: Jennifer Healey: If cars could talk, accidents might be avoidable - Jennifer Healey (2013)

TEDTalks — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:59:38 +0000

When we drive, we get into a glass bubble, lock the doors and press the accelerator, relying on our eyes to guide us -- even though we can only see the few cars ahead of and behind us. But what if cars could share data with each other about their position and velocity, and use predictive models to calculate the safest routes for everyone on the road? Jennifer Healey imagines a world without accidents. (Filmed at TED@Intel.)

TED: Erik Brynjolfsson: The key to growth? Race with the machines - Erik Brynjolfsson (2013)

TEDTalks — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:03:41 +0000

As machines take on more jobs, many find themselves out of work or with raises indefinitely postponed. Is this the end of growth? No, says Erik Brynjolfsson -- it’s simply the growing pains of a radically reorganized economy. A riveting case for why big innovations are ahead of us … if we think of computers as our teammates. Be sure to watch the opposing viewpoint from Robert Gordon.

TED: Robert Gordon: The death of innovation, the end of growth - Robert J. Gordon (2013)

TEDTalks — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:59:38 +0000

The US economy has been expanding wildly for two centuries. Are we witnessing the end of growth? Economist Robert Gordon lays out 4 reasons US growth may be slowing, detailing factors like epidemic debt and growing inequality, which could move the US into a period of stasis we can't innovate our way out of. Be sure to watch the opposing viewpoint from Erik Brynjolfsson.

TED: John McWhorter: Txtng is killing language. JK!!! - John McWhorter (2013)

TEDTalks — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:59:34 +0000

Does texting mean the death of good writing skills? John McWhorter posits that there’s much more to texting -- linguistically, culturally -- than it seems, and it’s all good news.

TED: Thomas Insel: Toward a new understanding of mental illness - Thomas Insel (2013)

TEDTalks — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:18:58 +0000

Today, thanks to better early detection, there are 63% fewer deaths from heart disease than there were just a few decades ago. Thomas Insel, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, wonders: Could we do the same for depression and schizophrenia? The first step in this new avenue of research, he says, is a crucial reframing: for us to stop thinking about “mental disorders” and start understanding them as “brain disorders.” (Filmed at TEDxCaltech.)

TED: Rose George: Let's talk crap. Seriously. - Rose George (2013)

TEDTalks — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:00:55 +0000

It's 2013, yet 2.5 billion people in the world have no access to a basic sanitary toilet. And when there's no loo, where do you poo? In the street, probably near your water and food sources -- causing untold death and disease from contamination. Get ready for a blunt, funny, powerful talk from journalist Rose George about a once-unmentionable problem.

TED: Laura Snyder: The Philosophical Breakfast Club - Laura Snyder (2012)

TEDTalks — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:59:24 +0000

In 1812, four men at Cambridge University met for breakfast. What began as an impassioned meal grew into a new scientific revolution, in which these men -- who called themselves “natural philosophers” until they later coined “scientist” -- introduced four major principles into scientific inquiry. Historian and philosopher Laura Snyder tells their intriguing story.

TED: Eric Dishman: Health care should be a team sport - Eric Dishman (2013)

TEDTalks — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:54:26 +0000

When Eric Dishman was in college, doctors told him he had 2 to 3 years to live. That was a long time ago. Now, Dishman puts his experience and his expertise as a medical tech specialist together to suggest a bold idea for reinventing health care -- by putting the patient at the center of a treatment team. (Filmed at TED@Intel)

TED: Dan Ariely: What makes us feel good about our work? - Dan Ariely (2012)

TEDTalks — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:59:59 +0000

What motivates us to work? Contrary to conventional wisdom, it isn't just money. But it's not exactly joy either. It seems that most of us thrive by making constant progress and feeling a sense of purpose. Behavioral economist Dan Ariely presents two eye-opening experiments that reveal our unexpected and nuanced attitudes toward meaning in our work. (Filmed at TEDxRiodelaPlata.)

TED: Keller Rinaudo: A mini robot -- powered by your phone - Keller Rinaudo (2013)

TEDTalks — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:00:15 +0000

Your smartphone may feel like a friend -- but a true friend would give you a smile once in a while. At TED2013, Keller Rinaudo demos Romo, the smartphone-powered mini robot who can motor along with you on a walk, slide you a cup of coffee across the table, and react to you with programmable expressions.

TED: Freeman Hrabowski: 4 pillars of college success in science - Freeman Hrabowski (2013)

TEDTalks — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:14:49 +0000

At age 12, Freeman Hrabowski marched with Martin Luther King. Now he's president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), where he works to create an environment that helps under-represented students -- specifically African-American, Latino and low-income learners -- get degrees in math and science. He shares the four pillars of UMBC's approach.

TED: Skylar Tibbits: The emergence of "4D printing" - Skylar Tibbits (2013)

TEDTalks — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:56:21 +0000

3D printing has grown in sophistication since the late 1970s; TED Fellow Skylar Tibbits is shaping the next development, which he calls 4D printing, where the fourth dimension is time. This emerging technology will allow us to print objects that then reshape themselves or self-assemble over time. Think: a printed cube that folds before your eyes, or a printed pipe able to sense the need to expand or contract.

TED: Lawrence Lessig: We the People, and the Republic we must reclaim - Lawrence Lessig (2013)

TEDTalks — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:54:40 +0000

There is a corruption at the heart of American politics, caused by the dependence of Congressional candidates on funding from the tiniest percentage of citizens. That's the argument at the core of this blistering talk by legal scholar Lawrence Lessig. With rapid-fire visuals, he shows how the funding process weakens the Republic in the most fundamental way, and issues a rallying bipartisan cry that will resonate with many in the U.S. and beyond.

TED: Sanjay Dastoor: A skateboard, with a boost - Sanjay Dastoor (2013)

TEDTalks — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:06:45 +0000

Imagine an electric vehicle that can get you to work -- or anywhere in a six-mile radius -- quickly, without traffic frustrations or gasoline. Now imagine you can pick it up and carry it with you. Yes, this souped-up skateboard could change the face of morning commutes.

TED: Kees Moeliker: How a dead duck changed my life - Kees Moeliker (2013)

TEDTalks — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 13:21:26 +0000

One afternoon, Kees Moeliker got a research opportunity few ornithologists would wish for: A flying duck slammed into his glass office building, died, and then … what happened next would change his life. [Note: Contains graphic images and descriptions of sexual behavior in animals.]

TED: Colin Camerer: Neuroscience, game theory, monkeys - Colin Camerer (2013)

TEDTalks — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 15:03:13 +0000

When two people are trying to make a deal -- whether they’re competing or cooperating -- what’s really going on inside their brains? Behavioral economist Colin Camerer shows research that reveals just how little we’re able to predict what others are thinking. And he presents an unexpected study that shows chimpanzees might just be better at it than we are. (Filmed at TEDxCalTech.)

TED: Richard Turere: My invention that made peace with lions - Richard Turere (2013)

TEDTalks — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:59:29 +0000

In the Masai community where 13-year-old Richard Turere lives, cattle are all-important. But lion attacks were growing more frequent. In this short, inspiring talk, the young inventor shares the solar-powered solution he designed to safely scare the lions away.

TED: Mark Shaw: One very dry demo - Mark Shaw (2013)

TEDTalks — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:00:23 +0000

Mark Shaw demos Ultra-Ever Dry, a liquid-repellent coating that acts as an astonishingly powerful shield against water and water-based materials. At the nano level, the spray covers a surface with an umbrella of air so that water bounces right off. Watch for an exciting two-minute kicker.

TED: Jessica Green: We're covered in germs. Let's design for that. - Jessica Green (2013)

TEDTalks — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 15:33:52 +0000

Our bodies and homes are covered in microbes -- some good for us, some bad for us. As we learn more about the germs and microbes who share our living spaces, TED Fellow Jessica Green asks: Can we design buildings that encourage happy, healthy microbial environments?

TED: Francis Collins: We need better drugs -- now - Francis Collins (2012)

TEDTalks — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:01:33 +0000

Today we know the molecular cause of 4,000 diseases, but treatments are available for only 250 of them. So what’s taking so long? Geneticist and physician Francis Collins explains why systematic drug discovery is imperative, even for rare and complex diseases, and offers a few solutions -- like teaching old drugs new tricks.

TED: Hyeonseo Lee: My escape from North Korea - Hyeonseo Lee (2013)

TEDTalks — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 14:59:48 +0000

As a child growing up in North Korea, Hyeonseo Lee thought her country was “the best on the planet.” It wasn't until the famine of the 90s that she began to wonder. She escaped the country at 14, to begin a life in hiding, as a refugee in China. Hers is a harrowing, personal tale of survival and hope -- and a powerful reminder of those who face constant danger, even when the border is far behind.

TED: Elon Musk: The mind behind Tesla, SpaceX, SolarCity ... - Elon Musk (2013)

TEDTalks — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:57:42 +0000

Entrepreneur Elon Musk is a man with many plans. The founder of PayPal, Tesla Motors and SpaceX sits down with TED curator Chris Anderson to share details about his visionary projects, which include a mass-marketed electric car, a solar energy leasing company and a fully reusable rocket.

TED: Bono: The good news on poverty (Yes, there's good news) - Bono (2013)

TEDTalks — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:58:42 +0000

Human beings have been campaigning against inequality and poverty for 3,000 years. But this journey is accelerating. Bono "embraces his inner nerd" and shares inspiring data that shows the end of poverty is in sight … if we can harness the momentum.

TED: Stewart Brand: The dawn of de-extinction. Are you ready? - Stewart Brand (2013)

TEDTalks — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:07:28 +0000

Throughout humankind's history, we've driven species after species extinct: the passenger pigeon, the Eastern cougar, the dodo ... But now, says Stewart Brand, we have the technology (and the biology) to bring back species that humanity wiped out. So -- should we? Which ones? He asks a big question whose answer is closer than you may think.

TED: Dan Pallotta: The way we think about charity is dead wrong - Dan Pallotta (2013)

TEDTalks — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:12:11 +0000

Activist and fundraiser Dan Pallotta calls out the double standard that drives our broken relationship to charities. Too many nonprofits, he says, are rewarded for how little they spend -- not for what they get done. Instead of equating frugality with morality, he asks us to start rewarding charities for their big goals and big accomplishments (even if that comes with big expenses). In this bold talk, he says: Let's change the way we think about changing the world.

TED: Shane Koyczan: "To This Day" ... for the bullied and beautiful - Shane Koyczan (2013)

TEDTalks — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:01:43 +0000

By turn hilarious and haunting, poet Shane Koyczan puts his finger on the pulse of what it's like to be young and … different. "To This Day," his spoken-word poem about bullying, captivated millions as a viral video (created, crowd-source style, by 80 animators). Here, he gives a glorious, live reprise with backstory and violin accompaniment by Hannah Epperson.

TED: Kakenya Ntaiya: A girl who demanded school - Kakenya Ntaiya (2012)

TEDTalks — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 16:02:27 +0000

Kakenya Ntaiya made a deal with her father: She would undergo the traditional Maasai rite of passage of female circumcision if he would let her go to high school. Ntaiya tells the fearless story of continuing on to college, and of working with her village elders to build a school for girls in her community. It’s the educational journey of one that altered the destiny of 125 young women. (Filmed at TEDxMidAtlantic.)

TED: Ron Finley: A guerilla gardener in South Central LA - Ron Finley (2013)

TEDTalks — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:06:58 +0000

Ron Finley plants vegetable gardens in South Central LA -- in abandoned lots, traffic medians, along the curbs. Why? For fun, for defiance, for beauty and to offer some alternative to fast food in a community where "the drive-thrus are killing more people than the drive-bys."

TED: Edith Widder: How we found the giant squid - Edith Widder (2013)

TEDTalks — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 15:56:42 +0000

Humankind has been looking for the giant squid (Architeuthis) since we first started taking pictures underwater. But the elusive deep-sea predator could never be caught on film. Oceanographer and inventor Edith Widder shares the key insight -- and the teamwork -- that helped to capture the squid on film for the first time.

TED: Allan Savory: How to fight desertification and reverse climate change - Allan Savory (2013)

TEDTalks — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:51:11 +0000

“Desertification is a fancy word for land that is turning to desert,” begins Allan Savory in this quietly powerful talk. And it's happening to about two-thirds of the world’s grasslands, accelerating climate change and causing traditional grazing societies to descend into social chaos. Savory has devoted his life to stopping it. He now believes -- and his work so far shows -- that a surprising factor can protect grasslands and even reclaim degraded land that was once desert.

TED: Jennifer Granholm: A clean energy proposal -- race to the top! - Jennifer Granholm (2013)

TEDTalks — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 22:06:41 +0000

Kicking off the TED2013 conference, Jennifer Granholm asks a very American question with worldwide implications: How do we make more jobs? Her big idea: Invest in new alternative energy sources. And her big challenge: Can it be done with or without our broken Congress?

TED: Wade Davis: Gorgeous photos of a backyard wilderness worth saving - Wade Davis (2012)

TEDTalks — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 17:10:21 +0000

Ethnographer Wade Davis explores hidden places in the wider world -- but in this powerful short talk he urges us to save a paradise in his backyard, Northern Canada. The Sacred Headwaters, remote and pristine, are under threat because they hide rich tar sands. With stunning photos, Davis asks a tough question: How can we balance society's need for fuels with the urge to protect such glorious wilderness?

TED: Bruce Feiler: Agile programming -- for your family - Bruce Feiler (2013)

TEDTalks — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:00:03 +0000

Bruce Feiler has a radical idea: To deal with the stress of modern family life, go agile. Inspired by agile software programming, Feiler introduces family practices which encourage flexibility, bottom-up idea flow, constant feedback and accountability. One surprising feature: Kids pick their own punishments.

TED: Michael Dickinson: How a fly flies - Michael Dickinson (2013)

TEDTalks — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:07:48 +0000

An insect's ability to fly is perhaps one of the greatest feats of evolution. Michael Dickinson looks at how a fruit fly takes flight with such delicate wings, thanks to a clever flapping motion and flight muscles that are both powerful and nimble. But the secret ingredient: the incredible fly brain. (Filmed at TEDxCaltech.)

TED: Keith Chen: Could your language affect your ability to save money? - Keith Chen (2012)

TEDTalks — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 16:02:12 +0000

What can economists learn from linguists? Behavioral economist Keith Chen introduces a fascinating pattern from his research: that languages without a concept for the future -- "It rain tomorrow," instead of "It will rain tomorrow" -- correlate strongly with high savings rates. Read more about Chen’s explorations »

TED: Esther Perel: The secret to desire in a long-term relationship - Esther Perel (2013)

TEDTalks — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:07:00 +0000

In long-term relationships, we often expect our beloved to be both best friend and erotic partner. But as Esther Perel argues, good and committed sex draws on two conflicting needs: our need for security and our need for surprise. So how do you sustain desire? With wit and eloquence, Perel lets us in on the mystery of erotic intelligence.

TED: Erik Schlangen: A "self-healing" asphalt - Erik Schlangen (2012)

TEDTalks — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 15:56:58 +0000

Paved roads are nice to look at, but they’re easily damaged and costly to repair. Erik Schlangen demos a new type of porous asphalt made of simple materials with an astonishing feature: When cracked, it can be “healed” by induction heating. (Filmed at TEDxDelft.)

TED: Lee Cronin: Print your own medicine - Lee Cronin (2012)

TEDTalks — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:02:29 +0000

Chemist Lee Cronin is working on a 3D printer that, instead of objects, is able to print molecules. An exciting potential long-term application: printing your own medicine using chemical inks.

TED: Cesar Kuriyama: One second every day - Cesar Kuriyama (2012)

TEDTalks — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 16:08:22 +0000

There are so many tiny, beautiful, funny, tragic moments in your life -- how are you going to remember them all? Director Cesar Kuriyama shoots one second of video every day as part of an ongoing project to collect all the special bits of his life.

TED: Zahra' Langhi: Why Libya's revolution didn't work -- and what might - Zahra' Langhi (2012)

TEDTalks — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 16:20:41 +0000

In Libya, Zahra' Langhi was part of the "days of rage" movement that helped topple the dictator Gaddafi. But -- then what? In their first elections, Libyans tried an innovative slate of candidates, the "zipper ballot," that ensured equal representation from men and women of both sides. Yet the same gridlocked politics of dominance and exclusion won out. What Libya needs now, Langhi suggests, is collaboration, not competition; compassion, not rage.

TED: Fahad Al-Attiya: A country with no water - Fahad Al-Attiya (2012)

TEDTalks — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 16:02:17 +0000

Imagine a country with abundant power -- oil and gas, sunshine, wind (and money) -- but missing one key essential for life: water. Infrastructure engineer Fahad Al-Attiya talks about the unexpected ways that the small Middle Eastern nation of Qatar creates its water supply.

TED: Leslie Morgan Steiner: Why domestic violence victims don't leave - Leslie Morgan Steiner (2012)

TEDTalks — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:06:00 +0000

Leslie Morgan Steiner was in “crazy love” -- that is, madly in love with a man who routinely abused her and threatened her life. Steiner tells the dark story of her relationship, correcting misconceptions many people hold about victims of domestic violence, and explaining how we can all help break the silence. (Filmed at TEDxRainier.)

TED: Colin Powell: Kids need structure - Colin Powell (2012)

TEDTalks — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:18:25 +0000

How can you help kids get a good start? In this heartfelt and personal talk, Colin Powell, the former U.S. Secretary of State, asks parents, friends and relatives to support children from before they even get to primary school, through community and a strong sense of responsibility. (Filmed at TEDxMidAtlantic.)

TED: Richard Weller: Could the sun be good for your heart? - Richard Weller (2012)

TEDTalks — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:18:41 +0000

Our bodies get Vitamin D from the sun, but as dermatologist Richard Weller suggests, sunlight may confer another surprising benefit too. New research by his team shows that nitric oxide, a chemical transmitter stored in huge reserves in the skin, can be released by UV light, to great benefit for blood pressure and the cardiovascular system. What does it mean? Well, it might begin to explain why Scots get sick more than Australians ...

TED: Ellen Jorgensen: Biohacking -- you can do it, too - Ellen Jorgensen (2012)

TEDTalks — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:01:15 +0000

We have personal computing, why not personal biotech? That’s the question biologist Ellen Jorgensen and her colleagues asked themselves before opening Genspace, a nonprofit DIYbio lab in Brooklyn devoted to citizen science, where amateurs can go and tinker with biotechnology. Far from being a sinister Frankenstein's lab (as some imagined it), Genspace offers a long list of fun, creative and practical uses for DIYbio.

TED: Angela Patton: A father-daughter dance ... in prison - Angela Patton (2012)

TEDTalks — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 15:59:11 +0000

At Camp Diva, Angela Patton works to help girls and fathers stay connected and in each others' lives. But what about girls whose fathers can't be there -- because they're in jail? Patton tells the story of a very special father-daughter dance. (Filmed at TEDxWomen)

TED: Andy Puddicombe: All it takes is 10 mindful minutes - Andy Puddicombe (2012)

TEDTalks — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:58:35 +0000

When is the last time you did absolutely nothing for 10 whole minutes? Not texting, talking or even thinking? Mindfulness expert Andy Puddicombe describes the transformative power of doing just that: Refreshing your mind for 10 minutes a day, simply by being mindful and experiencing the present moment. (No need for incense or sitting in uncomfortable positions.)

TED: Jonathan Haidt: How common threats can make common (political) ground - Jonathan Haidt (2012)

TEDTalks — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 16:07:12 +0000

If an asteroid were headed for Earth, we'd all band together and figure out how to stop it, just like in the movies, right? And yet, when faced with major, data-supported, end-of-the-world problems in real life, too often we retreat into partisan shouting and stalemate. Jonathan Haidt shows us a few of the very real asteroids headed our way -- some pet causes of the left wing, some of the right -- and suggests how both wings could work together productively to benefit humanity as a whole.

TED: Hadyn Parry: Re-engineering mosquitos to fight disease - Hadyn Parry (2012)

TEDTalks — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 16:04:24 +0000

In a single year, there are 200-300 million cases of malaria and 50-100 million cases of dengue fever worldwide. So: Why haven’t we found a way to effectively kill mosquitos yet? Hadyn Parry presents a fascinating solution: genetically engineering male mosquitos to make them sterile, and releasing the insects into the wild, to cut down on disease-carrying species.

TED: Karen Thompson Walker: What fear can teach us - Karen Thompson Walker (2012)

TEDTalks — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 16:13:25 +0000

Imagine you're a shipwrecked sailor adrift in the enormous Pacific. You can choose one of three directions and save yourself and your shipmates -- but each choice comes with a fearful consequence too. How do you choose? In telling the story of the whaleship Essex, novelist Karen Thompson Walker shows how fear propels imagination, as it forces us to imagine the possible futures and how to cope with them.

TED: Israel and Iran: A love story? - Ronny Edry (2012)

TEDTalks — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 16:08:02 +0000

When war between Israel and Iran seemed imminent, Israeli graphic designer Ronny Edry shared a poster on Facebook of himself and his daughter with a bold message: "Iranians ... we [heart] you." Other Israelis quickly created their own posters with the same message -- and Iranians responded in kind. The simple act of communication inspired surprising Facebook communities like "Israel loves Iran," "Iran loves Israel" and even "Palestine loves Israel."

TED: Adam Davidson: What we learned from teetering on the fiscal cliff - Adam Davidson (2012)

TEDTalks — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 16:09:04 +0000

At the end of 2012, the US political system was headed for the "fiscal cliff" -- a budget impasse that could only be solved with bipartisan agreement. Adam Davidson, cohost of "Planet Money," shares surprising data on how bipartisan we truly are -- and hints at the disconnect between representatives and the people they represent.

TED: Steven Addis: A father-daughter bond, one photo at a time - Steven Addis (2012)

TEDTalks — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 11:00:00 +0000

A long time ago in New York City, Steve Addis stood on a corner holding his 1-year-old daughter in his arms; his wife snapped a photo. The image has inspired an annual father-daughter ritual, where Addis and his daughter pose for the same picture, on the same corner, each year. Addis shares 15 treasured photographs from the series, and explores why this small, repeated ritual means so much.

TED: Molly Crockett: Beware neuro-bunk - Molly Crockett (2012)

TEDTalks — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 16:12:34 +0000

Brains are ubiquitous in modern marketing: Headlines proclaim cheese sandwiches help with decision-making, while a “neuro” drink claims to reduce stress. There’s just one problem, says neuroscientist Molly Crockett: The benefits of these "neuro-enhancements" are not proven scientifically. In this to-the-point talk, Crockett explains the limits of interpreting neuroscientific data, and why we should all be aware of them.

TED: Robin Chase: Excuse me, may I rent your car? - Robin Chase (2012)

TEDTalks — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 16:00:58 +0000

A decade ago, Robin Chase founded Zipcar in the US, now the largest car-sharing company in the world. Now she's exploring the next level of car-sharing: Buzzcar, a French startup that lets people rent their own cars to others. The details are fascinating (how does insurance work, exactly?), and the larger vision (she calls it Peers, Inc.) points to a new definition of ownership and entrepreneurship.