In February, Jay Walker lent TED a wall of priceless and geeky artifacts to serve as the stage set for TED2008. In the TEDTalks from this conference, behind the speakers (and inspiring them), you can see Walker’s Sputnik and his Enigma machine, his Star Wars stormtrooper helmet and his Gutenberg bible, and rows of manuscripts […]
Just returned from a visit to the amazing TED@Palm Springs venue, where I’ll be playing host along with the famous Rives as my co-host and wingman. It is being held at the iconic Riviera resort, playground to the stars — including Marilyn Monroe, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Elvis, the King himself. Many of them […]
Outside.in’s Steven Johnson says the Web is like a city: built by many people, completely controlled by no one, intricately interconnected and yet functioning as many independent parts. While disaster strikes in one place, elsewhere, life goes on. (Recorded February 2003 in Monterey, California. Duration: 16:36.) Watch Steven Johnson’s 2003 talk on TED.com, where you […]
Looking at vast political trends through the lens of a single story, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin talks about what we can learn from American presidents, including Abraham Lincoln and Lyndon Johnson. Listen for stories of decision, doubt and resolve, from people of great power and great character. To sum up, she shares a moving memory […]
Game designer David Perry says tomorrow’s videogames will be more than mere fun to the next generation of gamers. They’ll be lush, complex, emotional experiences — more involving and meaningful to some than real life. (Recorded February 2006 in Monterey, California. Duration: 21:06.) Watch David Perry’s 2006 talk on TED.com, where you can download […]
The Flickr set James Nachtwey Projections 2008 collects photos from last night’s worldwide photo event — projecting James Nachtwey’s powerful photos of XDR-TB in cities on all 7 continents. Nachtwey’s photos of the growing XDR-TB epidemic, a deadly new mutation of tuberculosis, are meant to raise awareness of this disease. Because awareness is precisely what […]
Photojournalist James Nachtwey sees his TED Prize wish come true, as we share his powerful photographs of XDR-TB, a drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis that’s touching off a global medical crisis. Learn 3 quick ways to help at XDRTB.org. (Duration: 5:52.) See James Nachtwey’s powerful photographs on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate […]
In this engrossing talk from the EG conference, architect Liz Diller shares her firm DS+R’s more unusual work, including the Blur Building, whose walls are made of fog, and the revamped Alice Tully Hall, which is wrapped in glowing wooden skin. (Recorded December 2007 in Los Angeles, California. Duration: 19:24.) Watch Liz Diller’s 2007 […]
Lawyer and Islam scholar Noah Feldman makes a searing case that both politics and religion — whatever their differences — are similar technologies, designed to efficiently connect and manage any group of people. Listen for his discussion of these ideas “about which people disagree in the deepest possible sense” — and a prophetic look at […]
Rockstar designer Stefan Sagmeister delivers a short, witty talk on life lessons, expressed through surprising modes of design (including … giant inflatable monkeys?). (Recorded February 2008 in Monterey, California. Duration: 04:45.) Watch Stefan Sagmeister’s 2008 short talk on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks […]
In this prophetic talk from 2003, roboticist Rodney Brooks talks about how robots are going to work their way into our lives — starting with toys and moving into household chores … and beyond. (Recorded February 2003 in Monterey, California. Duration: 18:47.) Watch Rodney Brooks’ 2003 talk on TED.com, where you can download this […]
TEDGlobal 2009, to be held in Oxford, UK, is titled “The Substance of Things Not Seen,” and will feature more than 40 remarkable speakers presenting over the course of four days, from July 21-24, 2009. “TEDGlobal is TED’s twin conference, with the same focus on identifying novel voices and bringing to the stage inspired ideas, […]
Steven Pinker‘s book The Blank Slate argues that all humans are born with some innate traits and abilities. Here, Pinker talks about why some people found this idea incredibly upsetting. (Recorded February 2003 in Monterey, California. Duration: 22:42.) Watch Steven Pinker’s 2003 talk on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment […]
Pleo the robot dinosaur acts like a living pet — exploring, cuddling, playing, reacting and learning. Inventor Caleb Chung (he’s the mind behind the Furby) talks about Pleo and his wild career in toys at EG07, on the week that Pleo shipped to stores for the first time. (Recorded February 2008 in Monterey, California. Duration: […]
In this deceptively simple 3-minute talk, Laura Trice muses on the power of the magic words “thank you” — to deepen a friendship, to repair a bond, to make sure another person knows what they mean to you. Try it. (Recorded February 2008 in Monterey, California. Duration: 03:34.) Watch Laura Trice’s 2008 talk on […]
Psychologist Philip Zimbardo knows how easy it is for nice people to turn bad. In this talk, he shares his insights — and graphic, unsettling, unseen photos — from the Abu Ghraib trials, where he served as an expert witness. But he also studies the flip side of this question — how easy it is […]