Today we present a fine 2006 reserve from physician, epidemiologist and TED Prize winner Larry Brilliant on stopping pandemics. Larry Brilliant’s background is admittedly “unconventional”, but it is precisely his avant-garde approach to life that formed the mise en scène for participating in extraordinary, world-changing projects. As a doctor in the early 1970s he joined […]
For the first in a new series of community-driven Q&As, TED and Reddit joined forces to ask creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson any question. TED fans converged on this article on Reddit to post their questions, and to vote on questions posed by others. Today, we asked Sir Ken the 10 questions with the most […]
While the media team is on holiday, we continue to bring you some of TED’s oldies but goodies. During the two week break, we will post noteworthy talks that contain ideas still worth spreading. Today we travel back to 2005 for Iqbal Quadir’s talk on how mobiles fight poverty. Iqbal Quadir explains his digression from […]
Today, we continue our schedule of archive gems as the media team continues their brief but necessary respite from the tough job of running TED.com. Over this two week break we are hand-picking vintage talks that are just as captivating as the day they were given, and sometimes more so, in context of our rapidly […]
For the next two weeks, while TED’s media team takes a much needed vacation, we will not be posting a new TEDTalk daily. However, to sate the appetites of our loyal viewers, we will be highlighting some of the choicest gems from our online archives. Over the next couple of weeks, expect to see talks […]
For five years, young Emmanuel Jal fought as a child soldier in the Sudan. Rescued by an aid worker, he’s become an international hip-hop star and an activist for kids in war zones. In words and lyrics, he tells the story of his amazing life. (Recorded at TEDGlobal 2009, July 2009 in Oxford, UK. Duration: […]
TED and Reddit are teaming up to give you the opportunity to ask creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson absolutely anything! Sir Ken, whose 2006 talk on rethinking education remains one of the most-watched in the TEDTalks series, has agreed to answer the TED and Reddit communities’ questions on any topic. If you have a burning […]
Janine Benyus has a message for inventors: When solving a design problem, look to nature first. There you’ll find inspired designs for making things waterproof, aerodynamic, solar-powered and more. Here she reveals dozens of new products that take their cue from nature with spectacular results. (Recorded at TEDGlobal 2009, July 2009 in Oxford, UK. Duration: […]
How can a struggling country break out of poverty if it’s trapped in a system of bad rules? Economist Paul Romer unveils a bold idea: “charter cities,” city-scale administrative zones governed by a coalition of nations. (Could Guantánamo Bay become the next Hong Kong?) (Recorded at TEDGlobal 2009, July 2009 in Oxford, UK. Duration: 18:30) […]
Too much of the world lacks access to clean drinking water. Engineer Michael Pritchard did something about it — inventing the portable Lifesaver filter, which can turn the most revolting water drinkable in seconds. An amazing demo from TEDGlobal 2009. (Recorded at TEDGlobal 2009, July 2009 in Oxford, UK. Duration: 09:32) Twitter URL: http://on.ted.com/29 Watch […]
Willard Wigan tells the story of how a difficult and lonely childhood drove him to discover his unique ability — to create art so tiny that it can’t be seen with the naked eye. His slideshow of figures, as seen through a microscope, can only be described as mind-boggling. (Recorded at TEDGlobal 2009, July 2009 […]
One of the two photographers who worked this year’s TEDGlobal, Duncan Davidson, shares his notes on TED photography. If you’re curious about some of the “people not seen” at TEDGlobal, the backroom elves who make things appear on the web by magic, read on: Let me tell you, I’ve seen my fair share of workflows […]
Elaine Morgan is a tenacious proponent of the aquatic ape hypothesis: the idea that humans evolved from primate ancestors who dwelt in watery habitats. Hear her spirited defense of the idea — and her theory on why mainstream science doesn’t take it seriously. (Recorded at TEDGlobal 2009, July 2009 in Oxford, UK. Duration: 17:13) Twitter […]
Golan Levin, an artist and engineer, uses modern tools — robotics, new software, cognitive research — to make artworks that surprise and delight. Watch as sounds become shapes, bodies create paintings, and a curious eye looks back at the curious viewer. (Recorded at TED2009, February 2009 in Long Beach, CA. Duration: 15:33) Twitter URL: http://on.ted.com/24 […]
TED blogger Matthew Trost stopped by TEDxBoston on Tuesday. Here, he shares his notes on the proceedings. Today’s automobile weighs 20 times its driver, MIT’s Ryan Chin said. It takes up valuable urban real estate. It’s designed to go 100 MPH, while its driver often needs only a quarter of that speed. The supply chain […]
Fresh from last week’s TEDGlobal 2009: Alain de Botton examines our ideas of success and failure — and questions the assumptions underlying these two judgments. Is success always earned? Is failure? He makes an eloquent, witty case to move beyond snobbery to find true pleasure in our work. (Recorded at TEDGlobal 2009, July 2009 in […]