Human growth has strained the Earth’s resources, but as Johan Rockstrom reminds us, our advances also give us the science to recognize this and change behavior. His research has found nine “planetary boundaries” that can guide us in protecting our planet’s many overlapping ecosystems. (Recorded at TEDGlobal 2010, July 2010 in Oxford, UK. Duration: 18:11) […]
Guest piece from TEDster Katy Klassman, via the TED Prize blog: “I wish for your help to create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families tocook again and empower people everywhere to fight obesity.” –- Jamie Oliver As I sat in the audience listening to Jamie Oliver make his wish, […]
Statistician Nic Marks asks why we measure a nation’s success by its productivity — instead of by the happiness and well-being of its people. He introduces the Happy Planet Index, which tracks national well-being against resource use (because a happy life doesn’t have to cost the earth). Which countries rank highest in the HPI? You […]
Jeremy Rifkin on “the empathic civilization” In this talk from RSA Animate, bestselling author Jeremy Rifkin investigates the evolution of empathy and the profound ways it has shaped human development and society. Watch now »
This Saturday’s TEDTalks playlist is about animals with a nasty sting or a deadly bite — but as our speakers reveal, these creatures have more to fear from humankind than we have to fear from them. Romulus Whitaker is smitten with snakes, and fearful for their future. He urges us to protect the river systems […]
Physics and marketing don’t seem to have much in common, but Dan Cobley is passionate about both. He brings these unlikely bedfellows together using Newton’s second law, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, the scientific method and the second law of thermodynamics to explain the fundamental theories of branding. (Recorded at TEDGlobal 2010, July 2010 in Oxford, UK. […]
Michelle Borkin’s 3-D imaging work uses tools from astronomy to help doctors visualize patients’ hearts. She makes fluid flow visualization pop with 3-D modeling, helping everyone from geophysicists to architects see their data in new ways. You have your fingers in a lot of different pots. What are you up to these days? I’m working […]
Congratulations to Francesca Cianfarini of Leftloft, designer of the poster at left (see it at larger here), which celebrates one of the Millennium Development Goals — an audacious set of goals for improving the world, set in September 2000 by the UN. Cianfarini’s winning poster focuses on MDG #4: Reduce child mortality. Some aspects of […]
In the Gulf oil spill’s aftermath, Lisa Margonelli says drilling moratoriums and executive ousters make for good theater, but distract from the issue at its heart: our unrestrained oil consumption. She shares her bold plan to wean America off of oil — by confronting consumers with its real cost. (Recorded at TEDxOilSpill, June 2010 in […]
Food Revolution hero Ann Cooper recently re-launched her new and improved website for The Lunch Box — a collection of scalable recipes, resources and general information to turn any school lunch system into a healthy, balanced diet for kids. One of the most exciting initiatives of this revamp is the Great American Salad Project (GASP) […]
Cartoonist Jim Toomey created the comic strip Sherman’s Lagoon, a wry look at underwater life starring Sherman the talking shark. As he sketches some of his favorite sea creatures live onstage, Toomey shares his love of the ocean and the stories it can tell. (Recorded on Mission Blue Voyage, April 2010 in the Galapagos Islands. […]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs1cC9Pec8k] On September 20, live in New York and webcast around the world, TEDxChange will examine the UN’s Millennium Development Goals, or MDGs. (Watch TEDxDubai’s video, above, for a preview.) Established 10 years ago in September 2000, the eight MDGs are an audacious set of goals for changing the world — with an equally audacious […]
Science columnist Lee Hotz describes a remarkable project at WAIS Divide, Antarctica, where a hardy team are drilling into ten-thousand-year-old ice to extract vital data on our changing climate. (Recorded at TEDGlobal 2010, July 2010 in Oxford, UK. Duration: 9:45) [ted id=938] Watch Lee Hotz’ talk on TED.com where you can download it, rate it, […]
David McCandless turns complex data sets like worldwide military spending, media buzz, Facebook status updates and more into beautiful yet simple diagrams. He proposes design as the tool we use to navigate today’s information glut, finding unique patterns and connections that may just change the way we see the world. (Recorded at TEDGlobal 2010, July […]
Diane J. Savino: The case for same-sex marriage Hours before New York lawmakers rejected a key marriage equality bill (38-24), State Senator Diane J. Savino made the passionate case for a government that recognizes and administers same-sex marriages. Here’s her fresh, thought-provoking perspective on one of the most contentious issues in US culture, religion and […]
By now, we’re used to letting Facebook and Twitter capture our social lives on the web — building a “social layer” on top of the real world. At TEDxBoston, Seth Priebatsch looks at the next layer in progress: the “game layer,” a pervasive net of behavior-steering game dynamics that will reshape education and commerce. (Recorded […]