By Jenny Groza Habana, Cuba, which was called “the rich man’s playground” before World War II, now evokes an air of mystery—a giant question mark. Are there still midcentury cars roaming the streets? Blighted neighborhoods with broken windows and collapsing roofs? Citizens eking out a living after years of oppression? These, says Andres Levin, the […]Read more
Many unusual things have happened on the TED stage over the years. Our incredible speakers have done everything from perform magic tricks to attempt to set themselves on fire, all in the name of spreading their ideas. Although far from a complete list, here are some of the weirdest TED moments that we still haven’t […]
TEDsters have been busy, as always, during the last two weeks. Below, just a few of the members of our global community with news to share. Innovations poised to make a difference. Our friends over at Mashable created an excellent roundup of “14 innovations that improved the world in 2014.” It includes several innovations shared […]
Picture a spillway gate that doesn’t just release water from an overflowing river, but manipulates sediments to create new streams, islands and wetlands. And imagine that the gate does this autonomously, guided by ecological data and shifting needs — essentially allowing nature to “evolve.” Computational landscape architect Bradley Cantrell is figuring how to do this by applying […]
The biggest billboard in Times Square right now belongs to Google, announcing the new Nexus Player. A hockey puck-size device, it runs Android TV, which plays movies, TV and music — as well as games, apps and, ahem, TED Talks — on your television screen. Hence why, on this massive billboard, you can see our […]
Kid President warms hearts anytime he speaks. So what happens when he gives a “KID Talk”? A great opening line, tiny top hats for dogs and, of course, a dance. This talk gets a standing ovation from us—and we have a feeling it will send you off to the weekend in the right spirit. Watch Kid President’s […]
We all lead lives that move 1,000 miles per minute. In his TED Book, The Art of Stillness, Pico Iyer posits a bold idea: that in our chaotic time, the greatest luxury is actually the ability to go nowhere and do nothing. To Iyer, it’s this time for quiet, inward, still reflection that snaps all […]
The only way to get things done—set your eyes on the goal, tilt forward, start running, and build momentum. That is the wisdom behind the theme for TEDWomen 2015: Momentum. TEDWomen 2015 will be held May 27-29, 2015, in Monterey, California, and will bring together a community of thinkers, doers and dreamers from around the […]
“The world has a new mania — a mania for learning English,” said Jay Walker on the TED stage in 2009. English is accepted as a shared language of science, a language of global business and the language of the Internet, with at least 1.5 billion students learning it worldwide. So the TED Distribution team […]
Before Jackie Hodges arrived for orientation at Tufts University School of Medicine, she got a gift from her soon-to-be med school: a free download of the e-book The Upstream Doctors by Rishi Manchanda. In this book, Manchanda — who has worked for a decade as a doctor in community clinics around South Central Los Angeles […]
Buying gifts? It is HARD. Especially when so many gift guides offer up ideas for what to get your dad, co-worker or sister without taking into account what actually interests those specific people in your life. A better way to locate the perfect gift? Think about what captures a person’s curiosity, and then seek ideas […]
TEDActive is for the thinkers, doers and dreamers of the world. An action-packed event that runs parallel to the annual TED conference, TEDActive is meant for people who want to hear new ideas — then create ripple effects of action around them. TEDActive 2015 will take place March 16-20 in Whistler, British Columbia, and explore […]
Stella Young — comedian, activist, TEDx speaker, awesome person — died on December 6, 2014. She wished to be no one’s inspiration. YMMV.