Has the red tape of the political process gotten you down? In the step-by-step handbook Citizen Advocate: Get Government to Move Mountains and Change the World, Omar Ahmad, the former mayor of San Carlos, California, explains what it takes to move a great idea down the often-confusing path from hope to law. Written before Ahmad’s […]
The 2012 Paralympic Games are underway in London, and several TED speakers are right there on the front lines. During Wednesday night’s dazzling Opening Ceremony, theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking took the stage to expound on the evening’s theme of Enlightenment. “What is it,” he asked, as the performers around him brought Big Bang imagery to life, “that […]
As we crisscrossed the globe to find you fresh perspectives for TED2013 in our worldwide Talent Search, a common theme emerged: cultural heritage in the 21st century. The tangible, intangible and natural elements that define our ways of life touch every aspect of our existence — from language to landscapes to religion to architecture. And they […]
Grab your new backpack and sharpen your pencils. It’s back to school time, and here is my playlist of six talks about the essentials. Work your way through the classic school day, as told in TEDTalks. No finals required. [ted id=670] 1st period: Math Marcus du Sautoy: Symmetry, reality’s riddle Mathematician Marcus du Sautoy takes […]
Why does the time we spend cramming for life’s most trying tests always escape us before our focus is shifted to battling a more complex problem? During the college years, an unforeseen dichotomy develops where rushing becomes a normal state, whether it be to register for classes or to get through your last semester. But, […]
As humans, we fail to think of ourselves as incorporated into the animal kingdom, But with these eight talks, you might see how we factor into the food chain. From extinct species, to warding off growing ones, these speakers from the 14-city TED Talent Search have seen it all, so listen to their stories of […]
With summer dwindling to its last few days, it’s time to put away the beach reads and get the mind back in gear with heartier fare. Why not start with some of the amazing books written by recent TED speakers? Here, some picks. Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer Retells the tale of a forgetful […]
I’m an anthropology major gearing up for my senior year and all that comes with it — job applications, extracurricular responsibilities and my senior honors thesis. After a semester abroad, I’m looking forward to returning to the familiarity and challenges that my college, the University of Pennsylvania, presents while incorporating the new perspectives I gained […]
From now until August 31, anyone in the TED community — from speakers to fans — can nominate a leader with a wish to inspire the word for the 2013 TED Prize. To nominate a mentor, colleague, family member or friend — even yourself — visit the TED Prize nominations page for all the appropriate […]
For those of you who depend on your iPad, Android or iPhone for your daily dose of TED, get ready to hit the update button. To make your on-the-go TED experience that much more thought inspiring, we’ve made some wonderful updates to our apps. Android owners, here’s what’s new for you with version 1.1 For […]
TED is dedicated to ideas worth spreading. And that leaves many wondering exactly which ideas have been spread the most widely in the six years that TEDTalks videos have been available online. Here, a list of the 20 most-watched talks on all the platforms we track: TED.com, YouTube, iTunes, embed and download, Hulu and more, […]
As unusual seasonal effects raze our global ideas on sustainable practices, TED set out on a tour of 14 cities on six continents to find fresh perspectives for the TED2013 conference. While the 293 speakers who participated in this global Talent Search came from wildly different backgrounds, we couldn’t help but notice sweeping themes emerge […]
How long do you want to live, and why? These are the questions that bestselling author and science writer David Ewing Duncan asks as he surveys the emerging science of radical life extension — from genetics and regeneration to machine solutions. In When I’m 164: The New Science of Radical Life Extension and What Happens If […]
This spring, TED headed on the road, visiting 14 cities across six continents on the hunt for untapped talent. The idea behind the sweeping search: to let you, the TED community, weigh in and vote on which speakers you’d like to see ascend the stage at TED2013. After holding one-night salons in Amsterdam, Bangalore, Doha, […]
JR’s art isn’t meant to be hung in an ornate frame in a museum or gallery. For more than a decade, the street artist has printed poster-sized photographs and pasted them on city walls to dramatic effect, always with a social point in mind. JR has pasted images of the teens living in housing projects […]
[ted id=1544] Jon Ronson got by with a little help from two friends at TED2012 as he told the story of Tony, a man who faked insanity when facing jail time after a fight — but did it far too well, ending up in a psychiatric hospital for 14 years under the label of “a […]