When former accountant Sanga Moses ran into his sister on a far-from-home road carrying firewood on what was supposed to be a school day, his life changed. He knew that Uganda’s rapidly disappearing forests had big implications for the environment, but he hadn’t recognized the day-to-day effect it was having on the lives of his […]Read more
This week, over at the TEDx blog, we got really into oceans and all the fascinating creatures that hang out there. (Especially sea turtles. We’re obsessed.) We explored how baby sea turtles survive the great wide world, how dolphins blow bubble rings for underwater play, and how divers feel swimming with some of the world’s […]
In today’s talk, Jason Pontin asks a bold question: Why hasn’t technological innovation brought solutions to the world’s biggest problems — curing cancer, feeding everyone on the planet, creating truly clean energy, etc. In this talk, Pontin hopes aloud that technology will help us with some of these seemingly-intractable issues , and gives insight into […]
Over the past week, we’ve noticed a lot of fascinating TED-related news items. Here, some highlights: Explorer Ben Saunders (watch either of his two TED Talks) is about to set off for his biggest expedition yet — a trek to the South Pole, entirely on foot. The Telegraph reports that he and Tarka L’Herpenière are making […]
As you can likely tell from this profile of her life and work, Gabriella Gomez-Mont is one connected lady. Ask her for a list of some of the places she likes in her home of Mexico City, and receive a “who’s who” of people doing super-interesting things in cool and unexpected ways. We asked the […]
“For many years, travel was probably the most important component of my life. Every time I could throw a little pebble far away and run across the world to pick it up, the more distance I could put between myself and Mexico City, the happier I was. When I was back in the city, I […]
In today’s TED Talk, Fabian Oefner shares breathtaking images at the nexus of art and science, which beautifully capture unique moments of physical and chemical drama. Formally trained in art and design, Oefner says that he has always been interested in science. Though he can’t pinpoint the exact moment when he became interested in pairing […]
The glowing, neon green lamp you see above is the invention of French biochemist Pierre Calleja, who had the crazy idea of using algae to power otherworldly, tube-shaped streetlamps that double as homes for this growing gloop. In a talk at TEDxLausanneChange, he explains the process behind the invention. You may remember photosynthesis from biology class — if not, Wikipedia will […]
Bjorn Lomborg gave a mind-blowing talk at TED2005 on making big decisions about our global priorities. In it, he asked the question: If you had $50 billion, enough to solve either climate change or AIDS — which would you pick? A redditor who discovered the video just last week commented: “Um… isn’t there any opinion […]
“Economic development is of the people, by the people and for the people,” declared entrepreneur and economist Iqbal Quadir on the TED stage back in 2005. In his talk, he offered a bold vision for bottom-up development and shared a searing critique of foreign aid — that it actually does more harm than good. His […]
When yet another romantic relationship came “burning down in a spectacular fashion,” Amy Webb sought the advice of her friends and family, including her grandmother. “She said, ‘Stop being so picky. True love will find you when you least expect it,’” Webb recalls in her TED Talk. This advice struck Webb, who works with data for […]
The funerals I’ve attended have all been very much the same. Relatives and friends arrive in all black and take seats in the church or synagogue pews for a somber ceremony where prayers are said, memories are shared and tears are shed. The attendees walk slowly out to their cars and form a single file […]
[ted id=1638] In December 2012, Planet Money co-host Adam Davidson stopped by the TED office to talk about the fiscal cliff. At the time, the U.S. Congress was weeks away from a deadline to set a course on federal debt, and head-butting was at a fever pitch. As Davidson explained, the disagreement was simple: Democrats […]