That’s absurd!
5 quirky talks remind us that life is funny, weird, sweet, absurd. Watch talks by Improv Everywhere’s Charlie Todd and Postsecret’s Frank Warren, and more.

Spoken-word fireworks
7 brave and beautiful expressions from some of the world’s most talented spoken-word performers — like Anna Deavere Smith, Sarah Kay and Rives — who weave stories in words and gestures.

How does one describe TEDActive? If TED in Long Beach is like a really great book, then TEDActive is the same story told in brightly colored, pop-up form — with streamers and confetti. Centered around a simulcast of the TED Conference, TEDActive adds on new dimensions with participants hiking, creating, interacting, biking, making and, of course, dancing. The experience is hands-on and social — a cocktail of 700 movers and shakers from across the globe.

The warm, vibrant TEDActive experience is, at least in part, created by hosts Kelly Stoetzel and Rives — who make an effort to get to know each and every participant. Below, the pair chat Interview magazine-style about the changes they’re looking forward to at TEDActive 2013, themed “The Young. The Wise. The Undiscovered.”

Rives: It is time for our end-of-year/pre-TEDActive debriefing call. I thought we would do a little Q&A. I’ll do some Q’s and I’m looking for some A’s.

Kelly: I might throw in a Q or two too!

Rives: Fair enough! Let’s do this like a nice, official, grown-up journalist. Let’s do who-what-when-where-how. Let’s start with the ‘where,’ because that’s the big news. We’re moving.

Kelly: That is the big news. We’ve moved down the road just a bit. It’s still greater Palm Springs but it’s at the La Quinta Resort, in the town of La Quinta. It’s beautiful. You might remember that last year we had a party there on one of the evenings that was outdoors with that great band, Las Cafeteras. But, you didn’t get a chance to fully explore the property then. It’s big with a lot of grass. An old California-style venue. I think it makes us really think about what we can do differently as we put the conference together.

Rives: What are you most excited about?

Kelly: Really, I’m excited about what that property enables us to do. We’re going to be able to have lots of different layers of stuff happening at once, but not all right on top of each other. If you want to sit down and have a quiet conversation with someone, there’s space for that. If you want to collaborate and work through an idea together, there’s a space for that. And if you want to swim, there’s a space for that!

Rives: I do want to swim!

Kelly: Or play music. With more space, there’s a lot more that we can layer on top of the whole event. We can give a lot of choices without it feeling cluttered.

Rives: Nice. So, let’s do the ‘who.’ Who is coming to this desert oasis?

Kelly: You are going to be so excited about all the people coming!  Lots of friends — lots of familiar faces. The mix that we like to have is about half veterans and half newbies.

Rives: This is a more or less carefully calibrated formula to get people acclimated. Anyone who is a veteran of TEDActive knows how easy it is to meet people. So when we do that half-virgin, half-veteran thing, by the end of day zero — definitely by the end of day one — nobody’s a rookie anymore.

Kelly: Oh, that’s true for sure. You know, another interesting thing that I’m eager to figure out … Two years ago, we had 30 different countries represented, and last year we had 42 or 43 countries. This year, as I’ve seen the registration coming in, it’s been heavily, heavily international. I’m really excited to see how many different countries and cultures we have represented.

Rives: Let’s do a little question for people that haven’t been to Active before. The mix of people is what makes TEDActive active. There’s no typical Active-goer, but do you want to describe the vibe?

Kelly: There are so many different cultures, so many different types of people, so many different ages, so many different fields of work and study. That creates this amazing level playing field. Everyone there, the thing that unites them, is that they are really excited to connect around ideas. That starts happening from the moment that people step on the property. There’s this warmth and openness and curiosity among everyone. It’s exciting to be a part of.

Rives: What I’ve always liked about Active is that you literally can go up and talk to anybody. That is probably the most important part of the TEDActive culture. As a newcomer, you aren’t going to be left in a corner at a party. Like it or not, the person sitting next to you — possibly in a beanbag chair — during the sessions is going to lean over and not just start talking with you, but engage you in a conversation. I can say this on the record: at every TEDActive, I have met somebody who changed my life. I’m not talking in a big grandiose kind of way — not marrying someone new who I’ve met every year. But literally, my life would be different if I hadn’t met that person. Do you get that same feeling?

Kelly: That has definitely happened to me every single year. Just going up to someone and asking what their story is — that’s how I’ve met people that have changed my life. That’s where the magic happens.

Rives: A little caveat to any TEDActive virgin: one of us — you or me or possibly both of us in tandem — will roll up on you and ask you something. We try to meet everybody by the end of the conference.

Kelly: Yeah! We always try to meet everybody. Unless they are hiding.

Rives: So we’ve got the ‘where’ and we’ve got the ‘who’ — let’s do the ‘what.’ What are we going to do at TEDActive?

Kelly: I’ll tell you, but I’m not going to tell you everything because we like surprise. We’re going to take over the property and use it like a campus. We’re creating a hub around the main theater room. Then there will be another room we’re calling “The Lab,” where there will be lots of hands-on exhibits and also more simulcast seating — some great seating pods and workshops and things happening in there. We’re also building out the parking lot and creating a TEDActive world that’s going to be the center of everything. We are taking over a bunch of houses and have special things going on in them throughout the day, too. And there are a couple of big pools, too.

Rives: These are those badass cabanas that I saw?

Kelly: Yes. They are great.

Rives: And, of course, we’re watching every session live.

Kelly: Yes. We are going to watch every session like they do in Long Beach. And we’ll also have some speakers of our own. We are even going to set up a speaker’s corner like in Hyde Park — a place where anybody who wants to prepare a talk can go and give it to anybody who’s sitting around. All the time — during breaks and stuff.

Rives: When the sessions are over — when we sign off from Long Beach, or Long Beach signs off from us — then what happens? At night?

Kelly: Before the event starts, we’ve got a party that’s going to be lots of little groups grilling around the property and then meeting up for some music after that.

Rives: We’re grilling? We’re barbecuing?

Kelly: Yeah!

Rives: Nice.

Kelly: And then we’ve got different parties happening each night, with shuttles to take us into town. There are some surprises. And then of course, we’re going to have our famous last night party that is always the extra special evening.

Rives: Let’s see. We did ‘where,’ ‘who,’ and ‘what.’ Let’s do ‘when!’ Just so that folks know what to wear. I think it’s a surprise for people coming from other places to sunny California to note that it is freaking cold at night in Palm Springs!

Kelly: Yeah, it can get cold. Last year, when we had that party, it was windy. You’ve got to be prepared for anything with weather. The key is layering, because it could be 80 Fahrenheit during the day and 45 Fahrenheit during the evening.

Rives: It’s the high desert. I’ve gone swimming every single day of TEDActive. But you could also wear the coat that you thought you didn’t need when you came here from New York or Boston or wherever. If you’re not going to wear it, someone’s going to want to wrap it around their shoulders.

Kelly: The good news is, La Quinta is right up against the mountains. Knock on wood against rain — I’m feeling pretty optimistic.

Rives: I think it’s time for ‘how.’ Let’s go over the particulars.

Kelly: People can either fly into Los Angeles or Palm Springs. We’re going to give you transportation information and make arrangements with a shuttle to keep the cost down. It’s further from the airport than the Riviera [where we were last year].

Rives: On that note, this year, you’re going to want to stay at La Quinta. Before, if you didn’t have a room at the Riviera, you could stay in downtown Palm Springs. But La Quinta is out there and you’re going to want to stay on site.

Kelly: Because we have so much going on around the property, it just makes it easier to participate in all of it if you’re also staying there.

Rives: And let’s see — ‘who,’ ‘what,’ ‘when,’ ‘where.’ How about just ‘why?’ Why, why why?

Kelly: Because it rocks!

Rives: I can’t hear you, Kel.

Kelly: Because it ROCKS!

Rives: So, speaking of secrets, what are you excited about when it comes to TED at Long Beach. What’s going on with The Young. The Wise. The Undiscovered.?

Kelly: I’m excited about so much. For one thing, I’m excited about the speaker program. We did events in 14 countries to find a good portion of the speaker program — almost half of it. It was really ambitious and I feel really excited and proud of it too. Let me just say, we found some really exciting speakers that way. The rest of the program outside of that is more of “The Wise,” though there are some “Young” and “Undiscovered” too. I’m just really excited about the program.

Also, I’ve been so excited about this TEDActive move. There are a lot of things that we have been dreaming of that we haven’t been able to do because we were limited on space. We’ve have so many new ideas that we can bring into the mix. It’s going to appeal to lots of different types of people.

Rives: Got it. So you want to wrap it up then? Should we do our closing statements? I think the Senator from Pennsylvania should go first.

Kelly: I really think — all in all — this is going to be our best year yet. It’s going to have a really nice feel because we’re all trying it in this new place for the first time together, and that’s something special. I just can’t wait for the end of February to get here. I hope that for those of you who are coming, you all feel the same way too. For those of you who are not, maybe you should join us.

Rives: Wow, well, I can’t do any better than that, so that’s it.

Kelly: Of course you can!

Rives: Well, my closing statement would be: I agree with Kelly. We’ve been slowly hitting our stride and last year we surpassed it. The welcoming vibe was so strong. I mean, just being able to hang out for those 4, 5, 6 days with this astounding tribe of people who are willing to download their passions makes it a benchmark of gratitude for me through the year. I can’t wait to get back to it.

“War child” Emmanuel Jal tells the story of his amazing life in words and lyrics:

http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf

Helen Fisher studies the poetry of the brain in love:

http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf

And TED’s house poet, Rives, does 9 minutes of lyrical origami around the wee small hour of the morning:

http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf

Find all dozen-and-a-half TEDTalks about poetry >>

Kelly Stoetzel of TED and slam poet Rives are co-hosts.

Jill Sobule entertained the audience with her usual wit — and a selection of newly unveiled material.

Arthur Benjamin’s energetic presentation (above) was the perfect way to kick off TEDDIY on Day 1 of TED@PalmSprings. He used his lightning-fast mental calculations to transform a volunteer’s birth date (year, month, day) into a 4×4 magic square whose rows, columns, diagonals, corners and 2×2 components all added up to 42. The volunteer left the stage with this near-instantaneous magic square — the perfect souvenir from TED!

Photos: TED / Michael Brands

We missed this last week: Jennifer 8. Lee's hypothesis that Abraham Lincoln used emoticons.

See the results:

Watch Rives’ 2008 performance on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 300+ TEDTalks — including more talks about love.

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The Riviera has just about finished a top-to-bottom renovation, and we got a sneak preview of what to expect in February. Frankly, there’s no way to accurately describe its beauty in words (and if you’re coming, we want you to feel as awestruck as we did), so you’re going to have to trust us: it will rock. Imagine over-the-top high style from the Rat Pack era, mixed with modern gorgeousness. And there’s a massive pool surrounded by fire pits and cabanas for end-of-the-day fun. I put a few snapshots up on Flickr.

We’re planning a gorgeous, loungey Steelcase buildout, where we can watch the speakers simulcast live from TED in Long Beach in comfort and style. And Rives, Jill Sobule and a few TED surprises will usher in a new era of talent from the recently refreshed stage. We’ve got so many great things in store there, and that’s on top of the truly remarkable lineup of speakers we have for TED2009: The Great Unveiling.

If you’re not already signed up, there are still a few spots available, but we expect them to go fast. For more information, and to apply, click here >>

In the words of Rives: ring-a-ding!

The session opens with the projection of will.i.am’s "Yes We Can" viral video based on Barack Obama’s speech. The two producers are in the audience. The video has been seen millions of times, a demonstration of the power of individuals to inflect the political debate:

John Francis calls himself a "planetwalker". From 1983 to 2005, he
walked around North and Nouth America carrying a message of respect for
the Earth — and for 17 of those years, he did so without speaking (all
while learning a degree in environmental studies and a PhD in land
resources). (A profile of him in Sierra magazine).

I’ve been silent for 17 years. When I first spoke, I turned around to hear my own voice. I want to take you on this journey, even though this one is kind of unusual I want you to think of your own. My journey begain in 1971 when I witnessed two oil tankers collide under the Golden Gate bridge and half a million gallons of oil spilled out. It so disturbed me that I decided to give up driving cars — and that’s quite a big thing in California. People would ask me "What are you doing" and as I said that I was "walking for the environment" they said: "No, you’re just doing that to make us look bad, feel bad". I argued so much about that that on my 27th birthday I decided I would give it a rest, and stop talking for one day. It was very moving, because I began truly listening, and it was very sad for me because I realized that until then I had not really been learning. So I decided to do it for another day, and another day, until finally I promised myself that for one year I would keep quiet, and then on my birthday reassess what I had learned. That lasted 17 years. During that time I walked and played the banjo and wrote my journal and tried to study the environment by reading books and go to school. So I did, I walked to Oregon — 500 miles — and went into the registrar office and in two years I graduated with my first degree. And then I started walking again, to Washington, then to Montana. I’d written to the University of Montana two years earlier telling them that I would like to go to school there and I would be there in two years. They helped me, figuring out ways for me to get grades despite I didn’t have the money and I didn’t speak. I went on to the University of Wisconsin, and spent two years there writing about oil spills. And something happened: I was the only one in the US writing about oil spills. I went on, it took me 17 years and 1 day to walk around the US. My journey kept going on. I wrote for the US Coast Guard, I wrote oil spills regulations.
I started talking because I had studied environment at a formal level, but there was an informal level, about people, and what we do and how we are. And environment changed from being about species and trees to be about how we treat ourselves and each other. So I had to spread that message. I still didn’t ride motorized vehicles. In my heart I had become a prisoner. The prison I was in was the fact that I did not drive or use motorized vehicles. When I started it seemed very appropriate to me. But at every birthday I asked myself about silence, but I never asked myself about my decision to use my feet. I realized that I had a responsibility to more than just me, and I was gonna have to change — and was afraid to change, because I was so used to the guy who just walked, that I didn’t know who I would be. But I knew I needed to change. Alot of times we find ourselves in this wonderful place where we’ve gotten to, but there is another place we have to go to, and we have to leave behind the security of who we have become and go go the place of who we are becoming.

Designer Stefan Sagmeister gives a 3-minutes talk about  "Things I Have Learned in My Life So Far".

Psychologist Jonathan Haidt has written possibly one of the most
insightful books of the recent years. In "The Happiness Hypothesis", he
brings neuroscience and evolutionary psychology together with some of
the biggest ideas of philosophers and religious thinkers of the past,
trying to over come the idea that today we know better, and that those
great teachers had already discovered some of the true secrets of
happiness and of the meaning of life — and that they are quite
coherent with modern science.
He studies morality and emotion in the
context of culture: why did we evolve to have morals, and to have
different morals? And what about the moral foundations of politics?
Ideology and openness to experience is a discriminant of the way people behave.
What is morality and where does it come from? The worst idea in all psychology is that the mind is a blank slate at birth. Truth is that we come to life already knowing alot. Nature provides a first draft, which then experience revises. Five foundations of morality:

• Harm/care, that makes really bond with ohers, care for others
• Fairness/reciprocity
• Ingroup/loyalty, only among humans very large groups can join together and collaborate
• Authority/respect
• Purity/sanctity

If these are the five best candidates for what’s written in the first draft of our moral mind But as kids grow up, how is this first draft being modified? We’ve put a questionnaire online asking how people (conservatives and liberals) relate to these foundations of morality. Turns out that conservatives consider them very similarly; liberals are more attentive to the first two, less to the other three.
What makes Ingroup, Authority and Purity moral? Order tends to decay. Loyalty is not enough, you need some sort of punishment to get people to cooperate in large group. Traditional morality uses every tool in the toolbox (including suppressing carnality etc) to make people collaborate, seek a higher end. Liberal morality rejects I/A/P. Liberals want change and justice even at risk of chaos; conservatives speak for institutions and traditions, and want order even at some cost for those at the bottom. So both liberals and conservatives have something to offer. Are conservatives and liberals like Yin and Yang? "If you want the truth to stand clear before you, never be for or against. The struggle between for and against is the mind’s worst disease" (Sent-ts’an, c. 700 CE). Compare that to George Bush "with us or against us".
Our righteous minds were "designed" by evolution to unite us into teams, to divide us against other teams, and to blind us to the truth. As we heard from Samantha Power and her story of Sergio Vieira de Mello, we can’t just charge in. Alot of problems we have to solve require that we change other people, and if we want to change them, we need to understand our design, cultivate moral humility, and turn our understanding into a better future for us all.

British rockstar Bob Geldof is the closing speaker. In the late 1970s, Geldof was the leader of the Boomtown Rats, a British punk band. In the 1980s, he became a global activist, organizing Band Aid (to raise funds for the famine in Ethiopia), then, later, LiveAid. In 2005, he threw another giant global concert, Live8, trying to raise awareness for debt relief and poverty reduction. Since, he’s become active in alternative fuels and hybrid vehicles, and sees a link between fuel dependency and poverty-creating regimes. He calls TED "the Olympics of unreasonable people".
There can’t be evolution of thought without differences, without challenges. Society needs to constantly test itself in order to get that change. Science can take us only so far. In the modern age, people are made a fetish of progress almost as an antidote of nihilism; we must believe that we’re moving forward, but sometimes science only adds a twist to a normal madness. I encountered that normal madness back in 1984, millions of people dying of poverty and hunger. In Europe, we paid taxes to produce food that we would never eat, and to destroy it. Eight miles south of Europe lied Africa, and 30 million people were dying of want, most very young. I was shocked, and I just thought that it wasn’t enough to do the usual dollar-in-the-box- I travelled around Africa and then went on TV and said that dying of want in a world of surplus was morally repulsive and also economically illiterate.  The lingua franca of the planet is not English, it’s rock and roll, so we began that dialog in 1985. If the impulse of one human being to help another is not critical to the human spirit, then what is? The act of putting a dollar in the save-the-children box is a political act. It’s almost the political equivalent of the butterfly effect. If there are enough dollars, policy changes. If we are de-sensitized to the suffering of others something withers, something’s gone, some part of humanity is lost. But it drove me mad, there was no need for this to happen; poverty is an empirical condition.
Africa will transform itself through technology, and the tech that will do it is the mobile phone.
All of these things that happened to me are wrapped up in this idea: back in 1985 I trawled across the misery of others. I was in Niger. A politician told me: there were 300 separate languages here, and they’re gone. We can’t let that continue (see also Wade Davis’ speech). There is a great mapping of mankind to be undertaken, and that’s what I’m gonna do, with photos, music, film, text, and then we’re going to map the unfolding narrative of us, and we will watch ourselves unfold. Culture is the narrative of man, not politics. Human cultural diversity is as important to the life of the intellect as biological diversity is to nature. I want to build a Dictionary of Man, I want you to help me do so.

This is the last TED in Monterey. Final show of TED2008, live from TED@Aspen, with singer Jill Sobule and comedians Rives, Zé Frank and the Raspyni Brothers.

The next TEDs:

TEDAfrica: Cape Town, South Africa, 29 September – 1 October 2008. Theme: "What If?" Information and registration here.

TED2009: Long Beach, California, 4-7 February 2009. Theme: "The Great Unveiling". It’s already sold out.

TEDEurope: Oxford, UK, 22-24 July 2009. Theme: "The Substance of Things Not Seen". Registrations will open soon. The first TEDGlobal was held in Oxford in 2005.

TEDGlobal: Mumbai, India, November 2009. Details will follow.

What a week! Time to pack and off to SFO. Find all my posts from TED2008 here — and of course those of the other TED bloggers. Bye!