In his legendary presentation “Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics (About TEDTalks),” stats head Sebastian Wernicke breaks down the phrases that make up the highest- and lowest-rated TEDTalks — offering a foolproof blueprint for creating a can’t-possibly-fail TED moment of your own.
To celebrate TED video’s 5th birthday, he’s updated his research to include the first 970 TEDTalks published. Above: note the new optimal duration for your TEDTalk, sorted by keyword. Below: The list of top 10 “good” and “bad” words, based on the highest- and lowest-rated 50 talks in the 970-talk archive. Next, the previous version of this analysis, containing the best and worst possible sentences to say onstage based on the first 525 talks posted to the site. And at bottom, the optimized sentences now.
Pingback: What Do We Value? « Joyous Crybaby
Pingback: Sebastian Wernicke and the Perfect TED Talk | TED-Talking (SS 12)
Peter Kaczkowski commented on Mar 22 2012
Well, I think we’ve gone beyond the utility of single-word statistics, and need to consider the more complicated two-word combinations. I think that we’ll get even more insight from allowing higher order correlations and arrangements, and phrases, so that we can compile poetry that is not so much fridge magnet random association but inspiring and emotionally probing art … seems more and more like mental masturbation, however, and a good project for retirement but not so much for folks with deadlines and young children.
Kevin Parcell commented on Jan 10 2012
Happiness and success are your romantic brain’s mystery – French to the people who game the dimensions of imagination.
Kevin Parcell commented on Jan 10 2012
Coffee?
Pingback: About Ted Talks « Ramblings from yet another Librarian