Sometime last week, TEDTalks notched our 250 millionth video view! Thanks to everyone who’s a part of this big round number. By watching, sharing and commenting on a TEDTalk since our launch in June 2006, by sparking new conversations in real life and online, you’re all part of spreading great ideas. Looking for a lot […]
In a brilliantly tongue-in-cheek analysis, Sebastian Wernicke turns the tools of statistical analysis on TEDTalks, to come up with a metric for creating “the optimum TEDTalk” based on user ratings. How do you rate it? “Jaw-dropping”? “Unconvincing”? Or just plain “Funny”? (Recorded at TEDActive 2010, February 2010 in Palm Springs, CA. Duration: 5:59) [ted id=846 […]
Roz Savage has just begun the third and final leg of her epic solo row across the Pacific. Yesterday we posted Roz’s TEDTalk from Mission Blue Voyage, where she attempts to answer the question: Why? In this email interview with the TED Blog, completed just days before she set out from Kiribati to row to […]
Simplicity: We know it when we see it — but what is it, exactly? In this funny, philosophical talk, George Whitesides chisels out an answer. (Recorded at TED2010, February 2010 in Long Beach, CA. Duration: 18:35) Watch George Whitesides’ talk on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find […]
Five years ago, Roz Savage quit her job to become an ocean rower. She’s crossed the Atlantic solo, and just started the third leg of a Pacific solo row, the first for a woman. Why does she do it? Hear her reasons, both deeply personal and urgently activist. (Recorded on the Mission Blue Voyage, April […]
Stephen Wolfram, creator of Mathematica, talks about his quest to make all knowledge computational — able to be searched, processed and manipulated. His new search engine, Wolfram Alpha, has no lesser goal than to model and explain the physics underlying the universe. (Recorded at TED2010, February 2010 in Long Beach, CA. Duration: 19:58) Watch Stephen […]
What does an empowered woman look like? Can she wear a burqa, a hijab, a sari? Kavita Ramdas talks about three remarkable women who celebrate their cultural heritage — while working to reform its oppressive traditions. (Recorded at TEDIndia, November 2009 in Mysore, India. Duration: 6:08) Watch Kavita Ramdas’ talk on TED.com, where you can […]
Politicians are strange creatures, says California politician Omar Ahmad. And the best way to engage them on your pet issue is a handwritten letter. He shows why old-fashioned correspondence is more effective than email, phone or even writing a check, and breaks down the four simple steps to writing a letter that works. (Recorded at […]
Tom Wujec presents his research into the “marshmallow problem” — a simple team-building exercise that involves dry spaghetti, one yard of tape and a marshmallow. Who can build the tallest tower with these ingredients? And why does a surprising group always beat the average? (Recorded at TED University 2010, February 2010 in Long Beach, CA. […]
Hans Rosling writes: So it did happen! Just hours ago World Bank president did completely change the World Bank data policy. This story shows the power of Ideas worth spreading. The story runs in 5 acts: 1. My TED2006 talk yielded Google’s acquisition of software from Gapminder. 2. Tim Berners-Lee add pressure for free data […]
Drugs alone can’t stop disease in sub-Saharan Africa: We need diagnostic tools to match. TED Senior Fellow Frederick Balagadde shows how we can multiply the power and availability of an unwieldy, expensive diagnostic lab — by miniaturizing it to the size of a chip. (Recorded at TED University 2010, February 2010 in Long Beach, CA. […]
“There will be very little volcano talk tonight,” said TED’s European Director Bruno Giussani, kicking off Monday night’s TED Salon at the Unicorn Theatre in London. The theme of the evening: “Different by Design.” Like most events in London, the Salon — organized with TEDGlobal partner frog design — had been disrupted by the Icelandic […]
TED BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Speaking at Sunday’s impromptu TEDxVolcano, Peter Greenberg, travel editor for CBS News, lays out the sobering realities of post-volcano travel. Listen for tips on how to get the truth out of an airlines reservation agent — and insight into when and why the planes will start flying again, ready or not. (Recorded […]
This February in Long Beach, the band Ozomatli played a legendary set at TED2010’s Wednesday-night block party. As a keepsake from that fabulous night, check out the video above for “Malagasy Shock,” from Ozomatli’s new album, Fire Away. Fire Away drops today as the band celebrates its 15-year anniversary — April 23, in fact, is […]
(Photo: TED / Asa Mathat) SETI Institute, an interdisciplinary scientific organization that explores the nature of life throughout the universe, announced that starting today it will make large quantities of astronomical radio telescope data accessible to astronomers and other scientists as part of an effort to build a global community of searchers for evidence of […]
Some 80 to 90 percent of undersea creatures make light — and we know very little about how or why. Deep-sea biologist Edith Widder explores this glowing, sparkling, luminous world, sharing glorious images and surprising insight into the unseen depths (and brights) of the ocean. (Recorded on the Mission Blue Voyage, April 2010 on the […]