TED Playlists are designed to give you deep dive into the topics that fascinate you— like “Re-imagining school,” “The future of medicine,” and “How to live with robots.” To celebrate our billionth video view earlier this month, we also asked some incredible personalities in the areas of technology, entertainment and design — from Bill Gates to Daryl Hannah — to curate lists of their favorite TED Talks for the section. Today we offer up a brand new playlist, created by Björk.

The Icelandic songstress has, over the years, starred in a musical that turned a factory into a space for song and created an “app album” to give deeper resonance to her compositions about nature and science. So we’re not too surprised that her favorite TED Talks have a delightfully quirky edge to them. Head to TED Playlists to hear her favorite talks, from a mushroom burial suit to a choir composed of 2,000 people » 

Oh, and the photo that accompanies her list? It’s a still from her video for ”Mutual Core.”

Steve Case — who became a highly esteemed entrepreneur as the co-founder of America Online — is proof of the success of innovation. Case has been attending TED for almost two decades and feels very proud of its growth.

He writes, “What started as a ‘dinner party for a hundred of the world’s greatest minds’ (which is how founder Richard Saul Wurman initially conceived of TED) has now evolved to be a global platform for ‘ideas worth spreading.’ The decision by Chris Anderson to launch TED.com and make the talks available to the world has made TED all the more impactful, not just for the ideas, but for the people sharing them. Ken Robinson, for example, was respected for his views on education, but after his TED Talk was downloaded 14 million times, he became a global icon for creativity, virtually overnight. It has been amazing to watch TED’s transition from party to platform, and from a small gathering for the benefit of a few in Monterey, California to a massive global movement. Choosing my favorite TED talks after so many years was no easy task, but here goes…” Head to the playlist section to watch his picks >>

Brandon Boyd, lead singer of the band Incubus, is a big TED fan. He writes, “Although I have yet to attend TED, the web database has offered me consistent inspiration for years now. I see it as a beacon of both intellectual and spiritual light that speaks to the best of what we do, who we are and where we are heading. I’ve watched some of these presentations and at times felt at ease with the notion of an alien intelligence looking in on us from another locale. I mention that because there have been times in the not so distant past wherein I was nervous about a Pop Phenomena or a TV show’s signal drifting out into open space, and a quasi-irritable species passing by hearing it and deciding in a brief moment of weakness that these couldn’t be the voices of a species in ascendance and perhaps this ‘Planet Earth’ place isn’t worth all the hubbub. Death Ray activated! Zoinks! Splat! Poof…Then in the vertical blink of an advanced alien eye socket, no more Earth. Thanks a lot, Baha Men. But I digress, TED continues to inspire and evoke! I hope to one day perform live music on the moon and perhaps if all goes according to plan we can make a TED Talk out of it! If that doesn’t happen, I’ll fall back on my plan B: developing invisible deflector shields for incoming planet destroying laser beams. Thanks TED, you’re a cool cat.” Head to the playlist section to watch his favorites >>

And a bonus TED-Ed lesson that Boyd adores: John Lloyd: An animated tour of the invisible

Data visionary Hans Rosling has given nine TED Talks over the years, focusing on global trends in health, economics and population growth. His favorite talks, naturally, keep an eye toward these global themes — from business in Africa to youth culture in China. See his selections in the playlist section >>

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A big, huge thank you to Mashable and iTunes for helping us share these playlists around the world. Head to iTunes to download these lists as limited-edition podcasts and to Mashable to 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 a talk that deeply resonated with you — using the hashtag #topTED.

To celebrate our billionth video view, we reached out to 24 incredible people in the fields of technology, entertainment and design, asking them to create playlists of the TED Talks that most resonated with them. Their lists are housed in a brand new section of our site: Playlists: Collections for curious minds. Check out the notable names who shared their lists last week. And today, we offer up new playlists from television superstar Damon Lindelof, acclaimed author Elif Shafak and open source enthusiast Tim O’Reilly.

Damon Lindelof, the co-creator of Lost, didn’t need long to find his favorite TED Talks. He explains, “These are the ones that stayed with me. That I watched more than once. That I felt were truly original, impactful, entertaining and emotional. I have forwarded these talks to friends with hopes of not only expanding their own horizons, but in stimulating future conversation and, yes, debate!” Head to the playlist section to see his picks »

A best-selling author in both Turkey and the United States, Elif Shafak champions in her TED Talk, “The politics of fiction,” the idea that stories can transcend identity politics. Transcendence appears to be the theme that links together the talks that Shafak calls her favorites.

Shafak explains, “I have chosen these speakers because even long after I listened to their talks I noticed I was carrying their words with me wherever I traveled. I usually like the kind of talks that combine the intellectual and the emotional, the mind and the heart. In all of these talks there is a desire to expand, to transcend the boundaries of the Self, to understand and connect, to debunk clichés and stereotypes, and a curiosity combined with a compassion towards one’s fellow human beings. These also happen to be multi-layered talks. They have an eye-opening, intriguing main theme, but when you listen closely, there are also powerful sub-themes. I can listen to these speakers again and again, hearing something new each time. I love their intelligence, as well as their chutzpah. “ Find her selections in TED Playlists »

Tim O’Reilly founded O’Reilly Media with the long-term vision of changing the world by spreading the knowledge of tech innovators. It’s a mission that very much dovetails with TED’s. Head to the playlist section, where O’Reilly picks his favorite TEDTalks and give notes about why each one had an impact on him »

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Stay tuned to the TED Blog tomorrow for playlists from Daryl Hannah, Philippe Starck and Alexis Ohanian. 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 to 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.

TED Talks have now been viewed more than a billion times around the world. To celebrate this occasion, we reached out to 24 incredible talents in the areas of technology, entertainment and design, asking them create playlists of the talks that resonated most with them. Over the past three days, we’ve revealed about half of those lists, from superstars ranging from Bono to Isaac Mizrahi. Today we offer up new playlists from author Dave Eggers, designer Stefan Sagmeister and musician Ryuichi Sakamoto.

After breaking onto the literary scene with his book A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers established the non-profit 826 Valencia to encourage kids to flex their writing muscles. In his 2008 TED Prize speech, Eggers called for us all to engage with local public schools and students. Naturally, the talks that mean the most to him speak to this wish. Eggers explains, “The best TED talks make sense of complicated ideas and trends, and have an elegant simplicity to them — that’s why the talks only need to be 18 minutes long. It’s plenty of time to get across a clear and bold idea.” Head to the playlist section for Egger’s notes on four great talks >>

Graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister is world-renowned for his ability to translate joy into creativity. And he is no stranger to TED, having given four of his own TEDTalks on topics ranging from the “Happiness by design” to “The power of time off.” As Sagmeister rounded up his favorite talks, giving us a glimpse of what sparks his imagination, he explained, “I find watching TED talks the most brilliant alternative to watching TV, especially with someone else while stopping and going and stopping and discussing it all.” Head to TED Playlists to watch his selections >>

Musician Ryuichi Sakamoto has fans all around the globe. Just as they would praise his compositions, Sakamoto gives immense credit to eight TED speakers. He says, “Each talk expresses a vision no one else can have. They’re a triumph of uniqueness and originality.”  Check out Ryuichi’s guest-curated playlist >>

And two bonus talks that Ryuichi would like to make sure you watch: Hiroshi Ishii’s talk from TEDxTokyo, “The last farewell” and Scott Rickard’s talk from TEDxMIA, “The beautiful math behind the ugliest music.”

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On Monday, stay tuned TED Blog for new playlists from Damon Lindelof, Elif Shafak and Tim O’Reilly. Special thanks to Mashable and iTunes for helping us share these playlists with the world. Head to iTunes to download these lists as limited-edition podcasts and to Mashable to 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.

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.

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.