Today, Gever Tulley, founder of the Tinkering School and the man behind today’s TEDTalk, agreed to answer any question that our TED Facebook fans proposed. Here are his answers, accompanied by a personal note: I thank you all for your excellent and thought-provoking questions. Since Tinkering School is itself being tinkered with, it is always […]
Gever Tulley uses engaging photos and footage to demonstrate the valuable lessons kids learn at his Tinkering School. When given tools, materials and guidance, these young imaginations run wild and creative problem-solving takes over to build unique boats, bridges and even a rollercoaster! (Recorded at TED University 2009, February 2009 in Long Beach, California. Duration: […]
Someone always asks the math teacher, “Am I going to use calculus in real life?” And for most of us, says Arthur Benjamin, the answer is no. He offers a bold proposal on how to make math education relevant in the digital age. (Recorded at TED@PalmSprings 2009, February 2009 in Palm Springs, California. Duration: 2:59) […]
In this uplifting talk, Katherine Fulton sketches the new future of philanthropy — one where collaboration and innovation allow regular people to do big things, even when money is scarce. Giving five practical examples of crowd-driven philanthropy, she calls for a new generation of citizen leaders. (Recorded at TED2007, March 2007 in Monterey, California. Duration: […]
Long conflict can wreck a country, leaving behind poverty and chaos. But what’s the right way to help war-torn countries rebuild? At TED@State, Paul Collier explains the problems with current post-conflict aid plans, and suggests 3 ideas for a better approach. (Recorded at TED@State, at the US State Department, June 2009, in Washington, DC. Duration: […]
Update, June 24: After digging further into the issues surrounding this talk, we’ve decided to withdraw it altogether. It wowed, but also misled. Our apologies to those upset by this episode. Our thanks to those who alerted us to the problem. Meanwhile, we’re on the look out for a new, better way to showcase this […]
Organ virtuoso Qi Zhang plays her electric rendering of “Ridiculous Fellows” from Prokofiev’s “The Love for Three Oranges” orchestral suite. This exhilarating performance from TEDx USC features the Yamaha Electone Stagea, a rare, imported instrument specially programmed by Qi herself. (Recorded at TEDx USC, February 2009, in Los Angeles, California. Duration: 3:05) The TED Blog […]
We’re excited to announce the launch of TEDx, a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. As you know, nearly three years ago, we starting posting our TEDTalks freely online. Ever since then, hundreds of people have been sharing TEDTalks in independently organized group settings — in private […]
In his typically candid style, Richard St. John reminds us that success is not a one-way street. He uses the story of his business’ rise and fall to illustrate a valuable lesson — when we stop trying, we fail. (Recorded at TED U 2009, February 2009, in Long Beach, California. Duration: 3:58) Watch Richard St. […]
Because you asked: TED’s embeddable video player now has subtitles built right into the player. So wherever you’ve embedded a TEDTalk, you can now see English subtitles and any languages into which the talk has been translated. Check out the effect below: (You may need to refresh your browser once, to see the new embed […]
[ted id=161] Today, Erin McKean realized the idea that forms the base of her 2007 TED Talk with the launch of Wordnik.com, a dictionary that evolves as language does. On Wordnik, users can add new words and meanings, tag words with related expressions, see real-time search results for words from Twitter and Flickr, discover how many […]
Media big shot Felix Dennis roars his fiery, funny, sometimes racy original poetry, revisiting haunting memories and hard-won battle scars from a madcap — yet not too repentant — life. Best enjoyed with a glass of wine. (Recorded at TED2004, February 2004, in Monterey, California. Duration: 17:24) Watch Felix Dennis’ talk from TED2004 on TED.com, […]
Hans Rosling is a data rock star. Pulling health and social data from worldwide collections, he uses his brilliant bubble-making software, Gapminder, to stand our preconceived notions on their heads. Watch one of his three TEDTalks (in 2006, 2007 and 2009) and get ready to re-examine everything you think you know about the developing world. […]
Jacqueline Novogratz founded and leads Acumen Fund, a nonprofit that takes a businesslike approach to improving the lives of the poor, by investing in entrepreneurs who bring necessary goods and services — water, bread, healthcare — to communities that need it, and who would otherwise depend on traditional charity. In her new book, The Blue […]
Economist Paul Collier studies the political and economic problems of the very poorest countries: 50 societies, many in sub-Saharan Africa, that are stagnating or in decline, and taking a billion people down with them. His book The Bottom Billion identifies the four traps that keep such countries mired in poverty, and outlines ways to help […]
Zap Mama — a musical entity centered around the gorgeous voice of Marie Daulne — walked regally onstage, just three women and three microphones (and three exercise balls). Looping their voices, they wove their vocal lines into a web of mysteriously cool sound. Echoing and repeating, these three voices contained multitudes. Zap Mama’s new album, […]