TED2010 photographer Duncan Davidson took this happy shot outside on the Plaza this morning -- and recalled the sad fate of last year's balloon, which flew off in a storm and was never heard from again. "I actually saw it as it started to rip off," he remembers, "but then I turned my back on it, so I didn't see it fly away." This year, it stays firmly anchored. Photo TED / James Duncan Davidson.]]>
Watch Peter Eigen's talk from TEDxBerlin on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 600+ TEDTalks.
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Above: TED banners have started flying over Long Beach in preparation for next week's TED2010. (More banners here.)
Below, on the Plaza, crews are assembling a geodesic dome -- it'll house a Simulcast Lounge and some amazing exhibits and toys. Also on the Plaza, there's also a huge Bedouin tent (for the Global Village social space, where TED Fellows will be hanging out when they're not in session) and another tented structure for the Eco Village social space.
And inside the Terrace Theater, our gorgeous speaker posters are going up. Yes, it's almost time for TED ...
Watch Tom Shannon's talk on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 600+ TEDTalks.
]]>Watch David Agus' talk from TEDMED on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 600+ TEDTalks.
]]>The TED Prize is unique among global honors. Winners receive not only recognition for their past achievements and a handsome cash prize, but are, more important, granted something extraordinary: “One Wish to Change the World.” Each winner develops a wish project that draws on the passion and engagement of the TED community to produce a powerful, long-lasting result.
Next Wednesday, we will celebrate our 2010 TED Prize winner, Jamie Oliver, and all previous winners -- whose wishes are still very vital.
Those who've followed the TED Prize in recent years will know that in prior years we've announced three winners, not one. For 2010, the fifth-year anniversary of the launch of the prize, we're doing things differently.
When we created the prize, we envisioned supporting projects that could be completed in 12 months. But our winners have dreamed up wishes more powerful, more wonderful than we ever could have imagined, and we've found that we simply don't want to stop that quickly! Members of the community are getting passionately engaged in these projects, and they're not shy to tell us that changing the world can take more than a year. To effect real impact, it's right to stay involved and sustain the effort.
We agree. And that means it would be a mistake to add three brand-new wishes every year. There are already more than a dozen TED Prize projects, and at least half of them still require our engagement. Adding too many more risks dilution of effort.
Therefore, after discussion with various wise souls in the community, we are moving to a new format of one new winner every year. At the same time, we're increasing our capacity to facilitate your amazing efforts on the existing wishes ...
... Like the Charter for Compassion, from Karen Armstrong's 2008 wish. It launched late last year, but which can create a ripple effect for years to come.
... Like Sylvia Earle's campaign for marine protected areas, for which we have exciting news to announce shortly.
... Like JIll Tarter's plan to make SETI data publicly available so that millions can join the search for extraterrestial intelligence.
... Like José Antonio Abreu's dream to see his visionary El Sistema music program flourish in America via a fellows program
... Like Neil Turok's NextEinstein project to build science and math academies in Africa; like Cameron Sinclair's Open Architecture Network, Dave Eggers' OnceUponASchool and EO Wilson's Encyclopedia of Life ...
There has been exciting progress on all these projects, and we can see that there's much more to come.
It's incredibly exciting to welcome Jamie Oliver to join our lineup of change catalysts. And exciting too to know that our existing winners are going to stay at the heart of the TED community as we continue working to realize their inspirational visions for a better future.
]]>Watch George Whitesides' talk on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 600+ TEDTalks.
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The TED Associate Membership allows you to watch next week's TED conference live as it happens -- and to do so in the company of friends, family or colleagues. It's a category of TED membership that is relatively little known; we're bringing it to your attention because we're extraordinarily excited about next week's program.
So what is an Associate Membership? Well, it allows a group of up to 10 people to gather and watch the TED conference together, using a high-quality live stream over the Internet. We charge $995 for the experience. At first glance, that may seem pricey. But with 10 people watching, it works out at $100 per person for four days of intense learning and inspiration (as compared with the $6000 people spend to attend live). The Associate Membership also entitles you to a year of the TED Book Club, access to the full conference livestream archive soon after the event, and DVDs containing conference highlights.
We offer this type of membership permitting group viewing, because we think it doesn't make sense to try to watch a four-day conference alone or in a casual, partial-attention way. But if you make arrangements to gather with others and really commit to the time, it can be unforgettable. Here's what Associate Members wrote us after last year's event.
"To be able to watch it at home AND share it with a few friends - truly amazing. My wife said to me at the end of the first day - 'now I understand why you come back from TED a little wrecked.'" - KT
"A group of five friends and colleagues gathered at my house this year to watch, tweet, and discuss the conference. We got to know each other better while engaging deeply with the content. I couldn't be more pleased." - Mark Gibson
"I shared some of TED2009 with friends, but I also lived it solo, from my architecture studio cubicle most of the time, and that was like going on a journey to different worlds in every 18 minutes. I laughed, dropped tears and applauded just like any other participants." - Salim Bamakhrama
"The experience of watching TED2009 live was like being a kid in a candy store -- candy for your brain! Getting up at 2AM (in Australia) and watching it through the night was not easy, but doing it with a couple of my closest entrepreneurial friends was worth every second." - Igor Vainshtein
"Watching the videos from the TED website one at a time is just not the same as watching the live feed of the conference. You get into the rhythm of the quick pace of the sessions, feel the energy of the live performances. It's very exciting to know that you are part of the first group of people to hear these talks." - HB
TED2010 is being held Feb. 10-13, with the theme "What the World Needs Now ..." Take a look at the program lineup: From the bigger names (Bill Gates, Daniel Kahneman, Stephen Wolfram, David Byrne, Temple Grandin, Benoit Mandelbrot, Jamie Oliver, Sir Ken Robinson, Sarah Silverman) to the under-the-radar delights, it's a pretty special list.
Read more about Associate Membership benefits >>
Read more about technical requirements >>
Questions? Email associates@ted.com.
We hope you and your family, friends and/or colleagues will consider joining us for an inspiring conference and amazing social experience.
And if this isn't for you, please know that many talks from TED2010 will be posted on TED.com in the coming weeks and months. Either way, you're in for a treat.
]]>Twitter URL: http://on.ted.com/87Am
Watch Jamie Heywood's talk on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 600+ TEDTalks.
]]>Watch Sendhil Mullainathan's talk on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 600+ TEDTalks.
]]>This year, I tweeted about it, and got many requests to share the list. And so, here they are ...
Pre-TED reads 1/9: Denialism, by Michael Specter @specterm. How fear of science is preventing progress. Powerful. Loved.
Pre-TED reads 2/9: The Art Instinct, by Denis Dutton (of @aldaily) Beautiful prose arguing that art is a human universal.
Pre-TED reads 3/9: Connected, by Nicholas Christakis @connected_book The shocking proof of how deeply we're affected by our friends' friends.
Pre-TED reads 4/9: The Wisdom of Whores, by @ElizabethPisani How POORLY we spend billions of $ trying to prevent AIDS
Pre-TED reads 5/9: I Am an Emotional Creature, by Eve Ensler. Embrace your inner girl!
Pre-TED reads 6/9: Whole Earth Discipline, by Stewart Brand. Environmentalism reconsidered, for the realities of a new era. Or: Why nuclear power, GM foods & squatter cities are green.
Pre-TED reads 7/9: No Small Matter: Science on the Nanoscale, by George Whitesides. Tiny, lovely things in image & prose
Pre-TED reads 8/9: This Will Change Everything, edited by John Brockman @edge. Short, sharp essays by who's who of TED world. I think one could safely call this "brain candy."
Pre-TED reads 9/9: Fair Game, by Valerie Plame Wilson, the 'outed' CIA agent, who'll talk at TED about the need for nuclear disarmament. I'm fascinated by this woman!
And, finally, pre-TED listening: Natalie Merchant's 1st studio album in 7 yrs. Soon-to-be released: Leave Your Sleep Love, love, love.
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Here's the remarkable story behind a TEDx event held this month: Despite opposition from village elders, a swine flu outbreak and huge logistical issues, TEDxShekhavati organizer Masarat Daud pulled off an amazing event, attracting over 1,000 attendees. Daud was determined to bring TEDx to her hometown of Fatehpur, a tiny village in the Shekhavati region of central India, and let nothing stand in her way.
The idea for TEDxShekhavati was born when Daud spoke at TEDxDubai. She was there to talk about her 8-Day Academy -- a series of workshops she began in 2009 to improve literacy levels in villages in India. Inspired by the other speakers, she began planning a TEDx that would focus on people from the small villages and towns of India with amazing success stories.
However, Daud ran into her first problem when she booked a community school as the location. The all-male board that manages the school was not enthusiastic about the concept. Daud explained, “Some of the men in this cabinet decided that TEDxShekhavati was a threat to the village culture and should not be allowed. They also found it un-Islamic for a girl to be single-handedly organizing this, for her to be on stage in front of many people and to be talking.” Next, came a swine flu scare -- four deaths occurred within a week in Fatehpur. Her parents cancelled their plans to attend and her cousins in Fatehpur advised her not to come.
Instead of giving up, Daud stocked up on hand sanitizer and face-masks and pushed forward. She convinced her parents to come anyway and when the men of the village refused to help her, she asked her father and his friends to talk to them instead. She moved the venue to a Hindu school and planned for an even bigger turnout.
Posters were printed and distributed in the bazaars. People were talking. On the day of the event, banners were put up in the neighborhood, buses were booked for easy transportation. Daud said, “The educated men in the community supported the event and praised it as a big positive change led by ‘the daughter of the village”
More than 1,000 people attended -- 800 in chairs, another 250 sitting on the ground and about 100 more standing. The projector stopped working. Instead of showing TEDTalks videos, Daud took the stage and began telling the audience about TED and TEDx. TEDxShekhavati was on.
Samar Singh Jodha talked about the importance of exploring unusual careers and supporting talent. Aman Nath spoke about preserving the heritage of Shekhavati. Anwar Ali explained how telemedicine is changing lives. Amrita Choudhary praised the courage of the ordinary woman. Mehmood Khan showed how education and business opportunities could empower villages. Shrot Katewa proposed that outsourcing might bridge the urban and rural divide. Daud also gave a talk, stressing the importance of educating girls and explaining how her 8-Day Academy is changing lives through education.
A few quotes that Daud gathered from the audience:
“This is the start to bigger community change in Fatehpur.”
“You have raised the bar for all the girls. Now, the women community is very inspired and parents will educate their girls.”
“A very proud thing for all of us that first TEDx in Rajasthan took place in our Shekhavati area.”
“It was such an educational event. Beyond any of our expectations. We never knew such people came out of our villages!”
But, her favorite moment happened in quick conversation with five boys. Daud explained, “There were five street children who came with one school teacher (who is their relative) and those boys were so happy, so inspired. They told me that at next TEDxShekhavati, they will be standing on stage. I told them I would be honored.”
To read the full story in Daud’s own words, see Chris Anderson’s blog post here >>
JK Rowling: The fringe benefits of failure
At her Harvard University commencement speech, "Harry Potter" author JK Rowling offers some powerful, heartening advice to dreamers and overachievers, including one hard-won lesson that she deems "worth more than any qualification I ever earned."
Watch JK Rowling's talk now >>
We're delighted to announce that registration for TED2011 is open. Next year's theme takes us right to the core what so many people love about their TED experience: "The Rediscovery of Wonder." For 2011, we are assembling a cast of characters that will stir the imagination: explorers, storytellers, photographers, scientific pioneers, visionaries and provocateurs from all parts of the globe.
Join us in Long Beach or at TEDActive in Palm Springs -- breathtaking scientific discovery and mind-bending creativity will be on display as never before.
TED2011 will run February 28-March 4, 2011. (By popular demand, we're moving one day earlier in the week to a Monday-Friday format.) More about the program and schedule here >>
]]>Watch Derek Sivers' talk on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 600+ TEDTalks.
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