On January 17, 2009, at 3:24pm, Flight 1549 took off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport as normal. Five minutes later, it had crash-landed in the Hudson River. While the heroic landing of Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger has become the stuff of aviation legend, during the white-knuckle landing his passengers had no idea whether they would survive or die on impact. Ric Elias was sitting in the first row of the plane, and at TED2011 he shared for the first time the thoughts that went through his mind in those minutes — both the terrifying and mundane — and how the event changed his life forever.

The latest TED Weekends feature on the Huffington Post examines the lessons learned in near-death experiences. Below, some of the TED Weekends essays on this theme.

June Cohen: What we can learn from near-death experiences

TED’s own June Cohen shares a playlist of talks that explore big questions that, perhaps, we can only face when up against a non-negotiable deadline:

“Ric’s TED Talk has proven so compelling, because he answers the question so many of us have: When my life draws to a close, will I look back with regret? Or satisfaction? What will I wish I had done? What will matter most? It’s a gift, in some ways, to come so close to death, because it teaches us something essential about how to live. And this is a theme that many TED speakers have explored…”

Browse her playlist >>

Ben Thomas: Be proud to be wrong

Ben Thomas explores one memorable sentence in Ric’s talk. Post-crash, Ric tells us, “I haven’t had a fight with my wife in over two years, [because] I’m no longer trying to be right.” Ben asks us, what would we do if we let go of being right all the time?

“But isn’t learning an actual truth more important than defending an ego? Can’t it be just as thrilling to learn we’ve been wrong — to become, as Jonathan Swift once said, ‘wiser today than yesterday?’”

Read Ben’s essay >>

A great comment on Ben’s piece:

“To answer the question, I want to be wiser. That’s why, I want to thank you for that great article which reminds us [of] that simple idea, we should not be scared of being wrong! But of course, we need to learn from the mistakes. — Brygida Biedro”

We in the TED office still cannot quite believe that our website has seen a billion video views. To celebrate this milestone, we reached out to 24 top personalities in the fields of technology, entertainment and design, asking them to curate a playlist of the TED Talks they want the world to watch, stat. So far we’ve shared lists from Bill Gates, Glenn Close, Reggie Watts, Ben Affleck, Jill Bolte Taylor, Bono, Bobak Ferdowsi of NASA, Isaac Mizrahi, and Chinese newscaster Wang Lifen. Today, we have playlists from Peter Gabriel, Mikko Hypponen, and Barbra Streisand, who made her picks along with Dr. C. Noel Bairey Merz of the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center.

In 2006, Peter Gabriel stepped on the TED stage to share why he co-founded the human rights watchdog group WITNESS, which empowers everyday people to film and document rights abuses and which highlights the work of citizen journalists around the globe. It’s a very powerful talk.

Considering how thrilling the video for “Sledgehammer” still feels, it’s hard to believe that it’s been more than 25 years since Gabriel’s classic album, So, was released. So we were curious: what TED Talks does Gabriel think will still be making waves in 25 years? Head to the playlist section to see his choices, from printing a human kidney to reinventing education >>

And two more talks Gabriel wants to make sure you watch: Steve Jobs’ “How to live before you die” and “John Lloyd inventories the invisible.”

Cybersecurity expert and two-time TED speaker Mikko Hypponen has spent his career fighting computer viruses. While most of his favorite talks seem very in line with his work, one stands out. Hypponen explains, “The talks I chose for my playlist are about technology, security or privacy. Because geeks. Then I added the talk from Dan Barber. Because fish.” Head to the playlist section to see his picks >>

Barbra Streisand may be an 8-time Grammy winner and notable actress, but she is also an advocate for women’s health who helped establish the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center. At TEDxWomen 2011, Streisand introduced the center’s director, Dr. C. Noel Bairey Merz.

Dr. Merz writes, “Over the years, Barbra Streisand and I have partnered to help raise awareness about the need for gender-specific heart research and care. We were honored to participate at TEDxWomen to convey what we believe is the biggest health threat women face. Now, Barbra and I have partnered to share a selection of our favorite TED Talks, which shed light on cutting-edge advances in science and medicine and celebrate strong women who are making a positive impact in their communities and beyond. Additionally, Barbra has chosen some of her favorite talks, which highlight some of the issues she cares deeply about. We hope that you enjoy these talks by talented and inspiring individuals who encourage all of us to answer their call to action.” Head to the playlist section to watch their selections >>

And one other bonus talk that got Streisand and Merz very excited: Hillary Rodham Clinton’s surprise appearance at TEDWomen.

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Stay tuned to the TED Blog tomorrow for playlists from Dave Eggers, Stefan Sagmeister and Japanese musician Ryuchi Sakamoto. Special thanks to Mashable and iTunes for helping us share these playlists. Head to iTunes to download these lists as limited-edition podcasts and to Mashable see their exclusive additional lists from tech superstars.

And as always, we want to hear about the talks you love. This week, tweet a favorite playlist — or the name of talk that deeply resonated with you — using the hashtag #topTED.

Carroll has long been a TED favorite because of his knack for explaining complex scientific phenomena in digestible form. So we will definitely be checking out this book, about the so-called “God Particle.” The Particle at the End of the Universe not only explains the much-hyped discovery, which is believed to be the key to understanding why mass exists and how atoms are possible in the first place, but also looks at how it took $9 billion, decades of work, and six thousand researchers at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland to get there.

“With his trademark wit and lucidity, Carroll delivers the story of the search for the elusive Higgs boson,” writes Publishers Weekly of the book. “Carroll’s clarity and unbridled enthusiasm reveal the pure excitement of discovery as much as they illuminate the facts.”

After the jump, watch Carroll’s TED Talks.

Sean Carroll: Distant time and the hint of a multiverse
In this talk from TEDxCaltech, Carroll gives a highly entertaining look at a seemingly simple question: why does time exist?

And do not miss his two-part talk, filmed at the University of Sydney, Sean Carroll on the arrow of time (Part 1) and Sean Carroll on the arrow of time (Part 2).

To celebrate our billionth video view, we reached out to 24 top personalities in the fields of technology, entertainment and design, asking them to curate a playlist of the TED Talks they just can’t get out of their head. Yesterday, Bill Gates, Glenn Close, Reggie Watts, Ben Affleck and Jill Bolte Taylor gave their selections. Today we bring you fresh playlists from Bono, Bobak Ferdowsi of NASA, Isaac Mizrahi, and Chinese newscaster Wang Lifen.

When Bono accepted the TED Prize in 2005, he offered this wish: that aid to Africa not be thought of as a celebrity cause but instead be considered a global necessity. Head to the playlist section where Bono has picked 8 talks that express equally powerful ideas, and shares why each needs to be spread >>

Bono also wants to make sure you watch Kate Coleman’s TEDxDublin talk, “Eradicating needless blindness.” Writes Bono, “Kate Coleman is the quietest storm that ever blew into town. Gorgeous, dulcet tones take you through some tough and innovative thinking on how to quickly eradicate the scourge of needless blindness.” 

NASA engineer Bobak Ferdowsi captured our hearts during the landing of Curiosity rover, thanks to his meme-worthy mohawk.  A speaker at this weekend’s upcoming TEDYouth, Ferdowsi says he is fascinated by talks that explore our understanding of the world around us. He says, “This list represents a small set of some of the talks that speak to me about our home in the universe.” Head to the playlist section, where he gives his thoughts on his favorite talks >>

Bobak also highly recommends “Bobby McFerrin – plays…the audience.” He explains, “While I love science and math, music strikes me as the ultimate of human expression that speaks to us all.”

Designer Isaac Mizrahi gets inspiration from children’s books, from ‘50s calendar pinups, even from randomly chasing people down the streets of New York City. This he revealed in his TED Talk, “On fashion and creativity.” Head to the playlist section where Mizrahi gives notes on six TED Talks that are each a source of inspiration for him, too >>

A top newscaster in China, Wang Lifen has played a part in the CCTV shows “EasternHorizon,” “Dialogue,” “Economic News,” “First Time,” and “Half Hour on Economy.” However, with her newest venture, Umiwi.com, she’s calling on the youth of China to make their own media. Head to the playlist section where she picks five TEDTalks she loves to quote >>

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Stay tuned to the TED Blog tomorrow for playlists from Barbra Streisand, Mikko Hyppönen, and Peter Gabriel. Special thanks to Mashable and iTunes for helping us share these playlists. Head to iTunes to download these lists as limited-edition podcasts and to Mashable see their exclusive additional lists from tech superstars.

And as always, we want to hear about the talks you love. This week, tweet a favorite playlist — or the name of talk that deeply resonated with you — using the hashtag #topTED.

One billion. That’s a thousand millions. In other words, the number of seconds contained in 31 and a half years. The population of the continent of Africa, as of 2011. The number of inches that would stretch halfway across the Earth. And the number of users of Facebook hit in October.

Our curator Chris Anderson says of this milestone, “The spread of TED Talks across languages and borders suggests that intellectual curiosity is demonstrably alive and well.  Maybe the Internet isn’t dumbing us down after all.”

To mark this event, we’d love to hear from you. Below, two hashtags currently gaining steam on Twitter: #TEDBillion and #topTED.

#TEDBillion

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With this hashtag, share the TED Talk that has just never quite gotten out of your head. Has a TED Talk ever changed your life? Have you seen a TED Talk impact a community or individual? What’s the one talk you want everyone to watch next?

My personal fav, a fellow public health nerd: Elizabeth Pisani: Sex, drugs and HIV -- let's get rational #TEDBillion ted.com/talks/elizabet…

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Mubnii Morshed (@mubnii) November 13, 2012

My top one : ) Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story bit.ly/pCzi6 #TEDBillion

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  (@anagoelzer) November 13, 2012

2 #TEDBillion talks that remain with me - 1) #JJAbrams (the first one I ever saw) and 2) #SirKenRobinson (schools/creativity?) #watch

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Jon Gill (@OnTheSuperFly) November 13, 2012

Most powerful TED Talk I've seen: "What if your student comes at you with scissors?" by @DenaSimmons youtu.be/BmvOh8jx6ro #TEDBillion

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John Cary (@johncary) November 13, 2012

Karen Armstrong - Charter for Compassion. My first ever @TEDTalks video. on.ted.com/gExF #TEDBillion

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Imandeep Kaur (@ImmyKaur) November 13, 2012

@TEDchris The one by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, "why we have too few women leaders." #TEDBillion #LoveTedTalks

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Renee Deserae (@Renee_Deserae) November 13, 2012

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#topTED

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With this hashtag, talk about our newly launched Playlists section. Is there a topic playlist that’s calling your name? Or is one of our guest-curated playlists piquing your interest? You can make a playlist of your own by giving speakers names or, as always, share your favorite talk.

RTing so I can watch later :) “@mashable: Bill Gates: 13 Talks That Expanded My Worldview on.mash.to/TXEqda #TOPTED”

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Gabrielle Scrimshaw (@GabScrimshaw) November 13, 2012

#TopTED Favorite music: Andrew Bird, Imogen Heap, and of course Reggie Watts

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Matthew Makeshift (@MatthewTonner) November 13, 2012

Been watching the TED playlist "How to Live With Robots" for the past 35 minutes. The ultimate procrastination. ted.com/playlists/17/h… #topTED

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Kate Torgovnick (@TheKateBook) November 13, 2012

Reggie Watts: The 10 Talks That Most Boggled My Mind dlvr.it/2TMFHK #Uncategorized #reggiewatts #topted

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Bert Fentress (@GeekInfoNow) November 13, 2012

have seen some, looks like good set, will watch rest! Bill Gates: 13 Talks That Expanded My Worldview on.mash.to/TXEqda #TOPTED

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Blair MacIntyre (@blairmacintyre) November 13, 2012

According to our best estimates, TED has surpassed a billion video views! Our most recent metrics show that TED Talks are being viewed at a rate of 1.5 million times a day — which means that a new viewing commences 17 times a second. We in the TED office cannot thank you enough for helping us reach this milestone of 1,000,000,000 views — nine wonderful zeroes.

In 2006, when we first posted six TED Talks online as an experiment, internet video was a new form. No one knew if people would take 18 minutes to watch “taped lectures” online, and none of us could possibly have predicted the way in which TED Talks would take off over the next few years. What does this tell us? That people want to learn. That people want be inspired. That people are hungry for ideas, and that there’s a bubbling desire not to let the unfortunate truths of our world remain the status quo, but to look for creative solutions. The fact that you — and your fellow curious minds around the globe — keep coming back for talks day after day is truly astounding. Consider us humbled.

Take some time to play with the “Great Moments in TED Talks” interactive graph above. Overall, it shows the reach TED has developed over the past six years, all thanks to you.

To celebrate our billionth view, today we are launching a brand new section on our site: Playlists. These collections of great talks take the topics you’ve consistently shown the most interest in, and aim to give you a panoramic picture by offering many different slices of the view. When you find a playlist that piques your interest, start watching and feel free come back at any time — if you’re signed in to TED.com (register anytime), we’ll be able to show you exactly where you left off when you return. And yes, these playlists are fully sharable with your friends.

For this section, we also reached out to 24 incredible personalities in the fields of technology, entertainment and design, asking them to create their own playlists. Each of these guest-curated playlists contains the author’s favorite talks — the ones that wowed them, the ones that most inspired them, the ones they want the rest of the world to watch, stat. Every day for the next week, we’ll be unveiling several new guest-curated playlists. Today, enjoy lists from Ben Affleck, Jill Bolte Taylor, Reggie Watts, Bill Gates and Glenn Close. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, Mashable and iTunes are helping us share these playlists far and wide, iTunes offering them as limited-edition downloadable podcasts and Mashable hosting additional lists from tech superstars.

Ben Affleck’s new movie Argo — which he both directs and stars in — is getting great reviews. The Los Angeles Times writes, “Argo takes you back. Not just to the dark days of the 1979-81 Iranian hostage crisis but to a brighter, earlier time, when Hollywood regularly turned out smart and engaging films that crackled with energy and purpose.” This made us wonder: what TEDTalks would Affleck give rave reviews? Head to the playlist section to watch his eight picks and read his director’s note on each >>

Nearly 10 million viewers have watched Jill Bolte Taylor’s talk, “Stroke of insight.” So which talks most move her? Taylor explains, “I love talks that contribute to the overall well-being of who we are as humanity — that deal with how we can explore ourselves as individuals, as well as people in relationship with one another, and then ultimately, how we relate ourselves to the sustainability of this beautiful planet. And, of course, I always love interesting science told well in story form.” Head to the playlist section to watch her 10 picks >>

And a bonus talk that Jill Bolte Taylor absolutely adores: Hedy Schleifer’s talk from TEDxTelAviv, “The power of connection”

Musician slash comedian Reggie Watts is known for creating improvised, one-of-a kind performances. In his TED Talk “Reggie Watts disorients you in the most entertaining way,” he bends sound and language to glorious effect. Now, Watts shares his favorite talks, from how mushrooms can change the world to the power of laughing with strangers. Head to the playlist section to watch Watts’ selections >>

And a bonus talk that Reggie Watts wants to make sure you watch, if you haven’t already: Steve Jobs’ “How to live before you die”

To stress the importance of malaria research, Bill Gates famously unleashed mosquitos on the audience in the first of his three TED Talks. So which talks jolted him into action? When we asked Gates to curate a list of his favorites, his response was, “There are too many to pick, really.” Head to the playlist section to see how he whittled his choices down >>

Actress Glenn Close has earned 3 Tonys, 3 Emmys and 6 Oscar nominations during her chameleon-like career. But even she sometimes needs inspiration. Head to the playlist section as Close shares 5 TED Talks that had a lasting effect on her, as well as why each struck a chord >>

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But since you TED fans are our ultimate celebrities, we want to hear about the talks that have stayed stuck in your mind since you first heard them. Has a TED Talk ever changed your life? Have you seen a TED Talk impact a community or individual? Tweet #TEDBillion to share.

And tomorrow, tune back to the TED Blog for playlists created by Isaac Mizrahi, Bobak Ferdowsi of NASA, Bono and Chinese TV personality Wang Lifen.

Imagine a book club for TED Talks … and you’ll know why we’re excited to launch TEDWeekends, a new way to explore ideas on the Huffington Post.

Each weekend, we’ll take one great TED Talk and surround it with a range of reactions. Look for essays from the speakers themselves, Huffington Post bloggers — and you! Because ideas are not set in stone. When exposed to thoughtful people, discussed and reacted to, they morph and adapt and become ever more potent.

Check it out now: huffingtonpost.com/TEDWeekends

We’re excited to watch ideas develop in real time through your voice. As TED’s Curator, Chris Anderson, describes it:

Here’s our plan. Every weekend for the next year, we’ll introduce a theme, anchored to a TEDTalk we think has at its core a powerful and timely concept. But rather than simply offering it up as is, we’re opening it up to you to write your own post about it, leave comment behind, and help refine it, asking questions like:

- how is this relevant now?
- what are its real-world implications?
- how might this idea be used to shape the future?
- what are the main criticisms that could be leveled at it?
- how can it be improved?
- how can it be spread?

If you’d like to contribute to future TEDWeekend themes as a blogger, write to tedweekends@huffingtonpost.com

Explore TEDWeekends on the Huffington Post: huffingtonpost.com/TEDWeekends

And catch up on all 18 great ideas — with original essays from the speakers (and friends) that bring their ideas right up to date at the end of a turbulent, fascinating year. From world politics to new technologies, from education to psychology, recap the ideas that we think (and we hope!) will shape the coming decade.

See the full #18Ideas countdown on the Huffington Post >>

Watch Karen Tse’s talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 1,000+ TEDTalks.

Watch Sheila Nirenberg‘s talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 1,000+ TEDTalks.

Learn more about our content partner TEDMED >>

Watch more talks from our friends at TEDMED on TED.com >>