Dan Gilbert is a psychology professor at Harvard, and author of Stumbling on Happiness. In this memorable talk, filmed at TED2004, he demonstrates just how poor we humans are at predicting (or understanding) what will make us happy. (Recorded February 2004 in Monterey, CA. Duration: 22:02) Get TED delivered: Subscribe to the TEDTalks video […]
Barry Schwartz is a sociology professor at Swarthmore and author of The Paradox of Choice. In this talk, he persuasively explains how and why the abundance of choice in modern society is actually making us miserable. (Recorded July 2005 in Oxford, UK. Duration: 20:22) Get TED delivered: Subscribe to the TEDTalks video podcast via […]
Malcolm Gladwell is a staff writer for The New Yorker, and best-selling author of The Tipping Point and Blink. In this talk, filmed at TED2004, he explains what every business can learn from spaghetti sauce. (Recorded February 2004 in Monterey, CA. Duration: 18:15) Get TED delivered: Subscribe to the TEDTalks video podcast via RSS […]
Richard Dawkins is Oxford University’s “Professor for the Public Understanding of Science.” Author of the landmark 1976 book, The Selfish Gene, he’s a brilliant (and trenchant) evangelist for Darwin’s ideas. In this talk, titled “Queerer Than We Suppose: The strangeness of science,” he suggests that the true nature of the universe eludes us, because the […]
Legendary physicist David Deutsch is author of The Fabric of Reality and the leading proponent of the multiverse intrepretation of quantum theory — the astounding idea that our universe is constantly spawning countless numbers of parallel worlds. In this rare (and delightfully engaging) public appearance, he weaves a complex and captivating argument placing the study […]
At TED2006, Helen Fisher delivered an unforgettable talk (now available online) focusing largely on love: Its evolution, its vital importance to human society, and the science behind the stages of lust, infatuation, and long-term attachment. Inspired by Fisher — and, well, slightly disturbed by the biochemical basis of it all — singer/songwriter Jill Sobule penned […]
Helen Fisher is an anthropologist with Rutgers University, specializing in gender differences and the evolution of human emotions. Her most recent book is Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love. In this wide-ranging talk, she outlines the bio-chemical foundations of love (and lust), and discusses the natural talents of women, and their […]
Eve Ensler is the playwright of The Vagina Monologues and The Good Body, and founder of the global movement V-Day, which is working to end violence against women and girls. In this presentation, from TED2004, she performs an excerpt from “The Vagina Monologues” and explains how the show took on a life of its own. […]
Ze Frank rose to Internet fame in 2001 with his viral video How to Dance Properly, and has been a purveyor of imaginative online comedy ever since. His latest experiment, the show, is posted daily at zefrank.com. In this performance, drawn from the TED2004 archive, he offers the signature blend of comedy, technology and social […]
Mena Trott is the 28-year-old founder of leading blog software company Six Apart (Creators of Typepad, Movable Type, LiveJournal and Vox). In this talk, she explores the personal side of blogging. (Recorded February 2006 in Monterey, CA. Duration: 17:30) Get TED delivered: Subscribe to the TEDTalks video podcast via RSS >> Subscribe to the […]
Richard Baraniuk is a Rice University professor with a giant vision: to create a free, global online education system. In this presentation, he introduces Connexions, the open-access publishing system that’s changing the landscape of education by providing free coursework and educational materials to everyone in the world. (Recorded February 2006 in Monterey, CA. Duration: 19:18) […]
Jimmy Wales is founder of Wikipedia, the self-organizing, self-correcting, ever-expanding, and thoroughly addictive encyclopedia of the future. In this presentation, he explains how Wikipedia’s collaborative system works, and why it succeeds. (Recorded July 2005 in Oxford, UK. Duration: 20:47) Get TED delivered: Subscribe to the TEDTalks video podcast via RSS >> Subscribe to the […]
Ross Lovegrove is an industrial designer, best known for his work on the Sony Walkman and Apple iMac. In this highly visual presentation, he presents his recent work — from furniture to water bottles — which is organic in form and inspired by nature. (Recorded February 2005 in Monterey, CA. Duration: 20:14) Get TED […]
MIT engineer Amy Smith designs ingenious low-cost devices to tackle tough problems in developing countries. She received a MacArthur “Genius” Grant in 2004, and was the first woman to win MIT’s famed Lemelson Prize. In this talk, she explains the vision behind her inventions, which include eco-friendly charcoal and a laboratory incubator that doesn’t require […]
Jennifer Lin is an extraordinary young concert pianist, 14 years old when she appeared at TED. In this performance, she plays Joseph Hoffman’s “Kaleidoscope,” Robert Schumann’s “Abegg Variations” and Jack Fina’s “Bumble Boogie,” as well as a dazzling improvisation based on a few notes chosen by a well-known audience member. (Recorded February 2004 in Monterey, […]
Sirena Huang started violin lessons at four, and made her professional solo debut at age nine, with the Taiwan Symphony Orchestra. Now 11, she has won top prizes in numerous international competitions, delighting audiences worldwide with her virtuosity and musical imagination. In this TEDTalk, she gives a technically brilliant and emotionally nuanced performance. In a […]