27 June 2008

TEDTalks turn 2!

Two years ago today, TED.com posted its first six TEDTalks. It was a radical notion to share these powerful talks and ideas with the world -- but it looks like it was the right notion. This week, TEDTalks notched its 50 millionth view, and we moved to a daily publishing schedule to keep up with the demand for more great talks, performances and conversations.

Celebrate with us by suggesting your favorite TEDTalks over the past two years. Count down the Top 10 TEDTalks in a special Theme page, where you can discuss the talks and suggest your own hidden gems from the archive.

Watch the first six TEDTalks, posted two years ago today:
Al Gore on 15 ways to avert a climate crisis
David Pogue says "Simplicity sells"
Majora Carter's tale of greening the ghetto
Ken Robinson asks, Do schools kill creativity?
Tony Robbins talks about why we do what we do
Hans Rosling shows the best stats you've ever seen

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26 June 2008

Counting down the Top 10 TEDTalks

With 50 million views since we debuted online two years ago, TED talks have become a powerful cultural force.

To celebrate this milestone, we're releasing a never-before-seen list: the Top 10 TED talks of all time, as of June 2008.

With speakers like neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor and global health expert Hans Rosling, the list proves one of the compelling ideas behind TEDTalks: that an unknown speaker with a powerful idea can reach -- and move -- a global audience. Links to all 10 talks are found below -- or browse through our Top 10 TED Talks Theme. Even if you've seen all the talks, the highlights video is darn fun.

Download the Top 10 TED Talks highlights video:
Video to iTunes (MP4)
Video to desktop (Zipped MP4)
Hi-def video (480p)

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Download the Top 10 TED Talks highlights video:
Video to iTunes (MP4)
Video to desktop (Zipped MP4)
Hi-def video (480p)

Top 10 TED Talks of all time
1. Jill Bolte Taylor: My stroke of insight
2. Jeff Han: Touchscreen demo foreshadows the iPhone
3. David Gallo: Underwater astonishments
4. Blaise Aguera y Arcas: Jaw-dropping Photosynth demo
5. Arthur Benjamin: Lightning calculation and other "Mathemagic"
6. Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?
7. Hans Rosling: The best stats you've ever seen
8. Tony Robbins: Why we do what we do, and how we can do it better
9. Al Gore: 15 ways to avert a climate crisis
10. Johnny Lee: Creating tech marvels out of a $40 Wii Remote

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12 October 2007

Inspired by Al Gore: TEDTalks

The TEDTalks archive is rich in proof that Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore, speaking at TED and elsewhere, truly has the power to inspire action. Producer and activist Jeff Skoll heard one of Gore's PowerPoint lectures and started the ball rolling on An Inconvenient Truth -- a film and website that became an incredibly effective way to share the message on climate change.

John Doerr, the Silicon Valley financier, talks about a mind-changing conversation (like many of us had after An Inconvenient Truth) -- sitting with friends at a dinner party asking, "What can we do about what Al Gore has told us?" Doerr, it turns out, is doing quite a lot.

Speaker Tony Robbins was moved by the way Gore -- after the legendary disappointment of that 2000 presidential race -- rebounded and found his passion. Look for the moment when Gore and Robbins share a high-five down in the front row.

Majora Carter, meanwhile, offers new ways for Gore to share his passion -- by working with the thousands of people who are cleaning up the environment, starting in their own neighborhoods.

And after hearing Al Gore's first talk at TED, Jill Sobule sat backstage and learned a new song.

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27 June 2006

Introducing TEDTalks

Today, for the first time ever, we're thrilled to present some of the most remarkable talks from TEDs past. We launch with six from this year's conference — Al Gore, Tony Robbins, David Pogue, Majora Carter, Hans Rosling and Ken Robinson — with more coming weekly. All the talks are downloadable as audio or video, searchable and free.

It's a big moment for us: Until now, the TED experience has been limited to 1,000 people each year. But we believe passionately that these talks deserve a much wider audience. Now — thanks to the maturation of online video and podcasting, and a visionary sponsorship from BMW — we can share them for the first time.

TEDTalks are designed to fit into your life: You can subscribe, to easily receive updates each week. There's an audio series (produced with WNYC/New York Public Radio) that commutes well, as well as the video series, offered on this blog and TED.com, and downloadable through iTunes. Plus, the talks are fully searchable, so you can always find exactly what you're looking for.

Our intention here isn't to draw attendees (TED2007 already has a long waiting list), but simply to share these profound talks — which have had such great impact on us — with the widest possible audience. They're ideas worth spreading. So whether you're a TED veteran or virgin, we encourage you to clear your schedule and watch at least three talks, back to back. They have a cumulative effect ... — Chris

Posted by June Cohen | Permalink

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