TEDTalks (audio)

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 : "Mother of Pearl" and "If I Had You" - Nellie McKay (2008)

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 06:00:00 -0500

The wonderful Nellie McKay sings "Mother of Pearl" (with the immortal first line "Feminists don't have a sense of humor") and "If I Had You" from her sparkling set at TED2008.

TEDTalks : Telling stories of our shared humanity - Chris Abani (2008)

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:00:00 -0500

Chris Abani tells stories of people: People standing up to soldiers. People being compassionate. People being human and reclaiming their humanity. It's "ubuntu," he says: the only way for me to be human is for you to reflect my humanity back at me.

TEDTalks : "Clonie" - Nellie McKay (2008)

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 01:00:00 -0500

Singer-songwriter Nellie McKay performs the semi-serious song "Clonie" -- about creating the ultimate companion.

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 : A life of fascinations - Nathan Myhrvold (2007)

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 01:00:00 -0500

Nathan Myhrvold talks about a few of his latest fascinations -- animal photography, archeology, BBQ and generally being an eccentric genius multimillionaire. Listen for wild stories from the (somewhat raunchy) edge of the animal world.

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 : The power to connect the world - Hector Ruiz (2007)

Thu, 01 May 2008 05:00:00 -0500

Hector Ruiz, the executive chair of AMD, wants to give Internet access to everyone. In this talk, he shares his extraordinary life story and describes AMD's 50x15 initiative that calls for connecting 50 percent of the world by 2015.

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. In 22 minutes, she revisits her childhood, shares her family history and delves into the worlds of physics and chance. It’s a wild ride with a surprise ending.

TEDTalks : Bringing world-class health care to the poorest - Ernest Madu (2007)

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 01:25:00 -0500

Dr. Ernest Madu runs the Heart Institute of the Caribbean in Kingston, Jamaica, where he proves that -- with careful design, smart technical choices, and a true desire to serve -- it's possible to offer world-class healthcare in the developing world.

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 : 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 : Sing a song of sustainable cities - Jaime Lerner (2007)

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 01:42:00 -0600

Jaime Lerner reinvented urban space in his native Curitiba, Brazil. Along the way, he changed the way city planners worldwide see what’s possible in the metropolitan landscape.

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 : Treating design as art - Paola Antonelli (2007)

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 03:20:00 -0600

Paola Antonelli, design curator at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, wants to spread her appreciation of design -- in all shapes and forms -- around the world.

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 : 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 : "All the Answers" and "Tembererana" - Raul Midon (2007)

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 01:22:00 -0600

Singer/guitarist Raúl Midón performs “All the Answers” in a world premiere at TED2007, followed by the sprightly "Tembererana."

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 : Scenes from "The War Tapes" - Deborah Scranton (2007)

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 07:00:00 -0500

Filmmaker Deborah Scranton talks about and shows clips from her documentary The War Tapes, which puts cameras in the hands of soldiers fighting in Iraq.

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 : Finding the origins of humanity - Zeresenay Alemseged (2007)

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 07:00:00 -0500

Paleoanthropologist Zeresenay Alemseged looks for the roots of humanity in Ethiopia's badlands. Here he talks about finding the oldest skeleteon of a humanoid child -- and how Africa holds the clues to our humanity.

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 : Let's take a new look at African aid - Andrew Mwenda (2007)

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 05:37:00 -0500

In this provocative talk, journalist Andrew Mwenda asks us to reframe the "African question" -- to look beyond the media's stories of poverty, civil war and helplessness and see the opportunities for creating wealth and happiness throughout the continent.

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 : Learning the stories of Africa - Chris Abani (2007)

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 08:10:00 -0500

In this deeply personal talk, Nigerian writer Chris Abani says that “what we know about how to be who we are” comes from stories. He searches for the heart of Africa through its poems and narrative, including his own.

TEDTalks : Africa as an investment - Euvin Naidoo (2007)

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 15:24:00 -0500

South African investment banker Euvin Naidoo explains why investing in Africa can make great business sense.

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 : 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 : How to help Africa? Do business there - Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (2007)

Wed, 30 May 2007 02:12:00 -0500

We know the negative images of Africa -- famine and disease, conflict and corruption. But, says Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, there's another, less-told story happening in many African nations: one of reform, economic growth and business opportunity.

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 : A mockingbird remix of TED2006 - Rives (2006)

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 23:59:00 -0500

Rives recaps the most memorable moments of TED2006 in the free-spirited rhyming verse of a fantastical mockingbird lullaby.

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 : Nice building. Then what? - Frank Gehry (2002)

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:11:00 -0600

In a wildly entertaining discussion with Richard Saul Wurman, architect Frank Gehry gives TEDsters his take on the power of failure, his recent buildings, and the all-important “Then what?” factor.

TEDTalks : Apes that write, start fires and play Pac-Man - Susan Savage-Rumbaugh (2004)