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Behind-the-scenes at TED2015: The midway point

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The Truth and Dare stairs at the entrance of TED2015. Photo: Ryan Lash/TED

The Truth and Dare stairs at the entrance of TED2015. Photo: Ryan Lash/TED

Bill Gates speaks on what we learned from the ebola epidemic—and how we can actually be prepared for the next one. Read about this session. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

Bill Gates talks about what we learned from the Ebola epidemic — and how we can actually be prepared for the next one. Read about this session. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

TED Fellow Camille Seaman signs her book Melting Away, about the personality of glaciers. Book signings took place throughout the week at the TED Bookstore. Photo: Ryan Lash/TED

TED Fellow Camille Seaman signs her book Melting Away, about the personality of glaciers. Book signings took place throughout the week at the TED Bookstore. Photo: Ryan Lash/TED

For Marina Abramović's TED Talk, she had the audience wear blindfolds for a full five minutes. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

For Marina Abramović’s TED Talk, the audience wore blindfolds for the first three minutes as she told a harrowing story from her performance art career. Read our Q&A with her. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

Dave Isay of StoryCorps shared his TED Prize Wish in Session 5: to take his oral history project global with an app. Read Isay's journal. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

Dave Isay of StoryCorps shared his TED Prize Wish in Session 5: to take his oral history project global with an app. Read Isay’s journal. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

At the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation The Culture of Health Café, attendees rethink healthcare. Photo: Ryan Lash/TED

At the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Culture of Health Café, attendees rethink healthcare. Photo: Ryan Lash/TED

David Eagleman asked the question: Can we expand our perception? Watch this first talk released from TED2015. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

David Eagleman asked the question: Can we expand our perception? Watch this first talk released from TED2015. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

An attendee takes a ride on a Harmonograph Swingset. Read more about it. Photo: James Duncan Davidson/TED

An attendee takes a ride on the Harmonograph Swingset. Read more about it. Photo: James Duncan Davidson/TED

TED Fellow Aomawa Shields . Photo: Ryan Lash/TED

TED Fellow Aomawa Shields talks about the hunt for other planets where life might exist. Read more about the Fellows talks. Photo: Ryan Lash/TED

Car2Go teamed up with students at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design to wrap vehicles with art inspired by TED2015’s theme, Truth and Dare. These cars shuttled attendees to events. Photo: James Duncan Davidson/TED

Car2Go teamed up with students at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design to wrap vehicles with art inspired by TED2015’s theme, Truth and Dare. These cars shuttled attendees to events. Photo: James Duncan Davidson/TED

Adventurer Chuck Berry spoke about the impact of wearable sports cameras, while wearing two on the TED stage. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

Adventurer Chuck Berry spoke about the impact of wearable sports cameras, while wearing two on the TED stage. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

Attendees chat at a TED prize dinner, celebrating Dave Isay. Photo: Ryan Lash/TED

Attendees chat at the TED prize dinner celebrating Dave Isay. Photo: Ryan Lash/TED

An attendee listens to a StoryCorps story at Citi's The Art of Listening exhibit. Photo: TED

And an attendee listens to a StoryCorps story at Citi’s Art of Listening exhibit. Photo: TED

Daniel Kish demonstrates how humans can use echolocation. Read our interview with Kish. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

Daniel Kish demonstrates how humans can use echolocation. Read our interview with Kish. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

At a booth designed by TED engineer Josh Warchol lets attendees snap a candid with the TED letters. Photo: Ryan Lash/TED

At a booth designed by TED engineer Josh Warchol, attendees can snap a candid with the TED letters. Photo: Ryan Lash/TED

The audience hops to its feet for a standing ovation. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

The audience hops to its feet for a standing ovation. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

Attendees explore Osmo by Loop.pH, a map of more than 3,000 stars and planets etched into a membrane. Photo: TED

Attendees explore Osmo by Loop.pH, a map of more than 3,000 stars and planets etched into a membrane. Photo: TED

Fei-Fei Li talks about the quest to teach computers to understand what they see. Read why it's so hard. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

Fei-Fei Li talks about the quest to teach computers to understand what they see. Read why it’s so hard. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

One of the treats at TED2015? Miniature ice cream cones. Photo: Ryan Lash/TED

One of the treats at TED2015? Miniature ice cream cones. Photo: Ryan Lash/TED

Fred Jansen, manager of the Rosetta mission, reveals all that was involved with landing on a comet. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

Fred Jansen, manager of the Rosetta mission, reveals all that was involved with landing on a comet. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

Laura Schulz talks about how science draws conclusions from small samples—a task that humans learn to do quite well as infants. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

Laura Schulz talks about how science draws conclusions from small samples—a task that humans learn to do quite well as infants. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

TED Fellow Joshua Roman on his cello. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

TED Fellow Joshua Roman on his cello. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

Martine Rothblatt (right) and wife Bina Aspen  (left) on how they hope that their love story will carry on — thanks to a mind clone. Read more about this talk. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

Martine Rothblatt (right) and wife Bina Aspen (left) on how they hope that their love story will carry on — thanks to a mind clone. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

June Cohen hosts a session on space, called "Out of This World." Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

June Cohen hosts a session on space, called “Out of This World.” Read a recap. Photo: Bret Hartman/TED

Neil Gaiman asked four science fiction writers to share stories of what the future will be like. Photo: Ryan Lash/TED

Neil Gaiman asked four science fiction writers to share stories of what the future will be like. Photo: Ryan Lash/TED

Alan Eustace demonstrates a clever feature on his stratosphere suit, a cord that forms a tube as it's pulled. This little design feature made sure he didn't get tangled in his parachute as he beat Felix Baumgartner's record. Photo: James Duncan Davidson/TED

Alan Eustace demonstrates a clever feature on his stratosphere suit, a cord that forms a tube as it is pulled. This little design feature made sure he didn’t get tangled in his drogue parachute as he beat Felix Baumgartner’s space jump record. Photo: James Duncan Davidson/TED

At TEDActive, attendees watch the conference program on bean bags, amidst a host of other activities. Photo: Marla Aufmuth/TED

At TEDActive, attendees watch the conference program on beanbags, amid a host of other activities. Photo: Marla Aufmuth/TED