Nathan Myhrvold talks about a few of his latest fascinations — animal photography, archeology, BBQ and generally being an eccentric genius multimillionaire. Listen for wild stories from the (somewhat raunchy) edge of the animal world. (Recorded February 2008 in Monterey, California. Duration: 19:28.) Watch Nathan Myhrvold’s talk on TED.com, where you can download it, […]
Susan Blackmore studies memes: ideas that replicate themselves, passing from brain to brain like a physical virus. At TED2008, Blackmore makes a bold new argument: Humanity has spawned a new category of meme, the “teme,” which spreads itself via technology — and invents brand-new ways to keep itself alive. (Recorded February 2008 in Monterey, California. […]
Around the world right now, one billion people are trapped in poverty by a simple piece of bad luck: being born in a poor country. What makes countries chronically poor? How can we help raise living standards for the “bottom billion” who live there? Economist Paul Collier lays out a bold, compassionate plan for closing […]
If you’ve seen Wade Davis’s unforgettable 2004 TED Talk — where he evokes the magic of the world’s cultural diversity, and speaks so eloquently about the alarming rate with which cultures and languages are dying — then you might find this photo as heart-stopping as I did. It’s so surreal, I thought at first it […]
Dr. Seyi Oyesola takes a searing look at health care in underdeveloped countries. His photo tour of a Nigerian teaching hospital — all low-tech hacks and donated supplies — drives home the challenge of doing basic health care there. (Recorded February 2002 in Monterey, California. Duration: 15:44.) Watch Seyi Oyesola’s talk on TED.com, where […]
Sculptor and engineer Arthur Ganson talks about his kinetic art — which explores deep philosophical ideas and is gee-whiz fun (and surprisingly moving) to view. (Recorded February 2002 in Monterey, California. Duration: 15:44.) Watch Arthur Ganson’s talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and […]
Designer Yves Behar digs up his creative roots and discusses some of the iconic objects he’s created (the Leaf lamp, the Jawbone headset). Then he turns to the witty, surprising, elegant things he’s working on now — including the “$100 laptop” (whose next-gen redesign was announced yesterday) and a groovy new water bottle. (Recorded February […]
Dave Eggers, winner of the 2008 TED Prize, wished to collect 1,000 stories of private citizens engaged in their area public schools. He called upon every adult to bring their time, skill, and energy to bear on the lives of students. In collaboration with teachers and schools around the world, people are making his wish […]
Legendary ocean explorer Robert Ballard (he found Titanic) takes us on a mindbending trip to hidden worlds underwater, where he and other researchers are finding unexpected life, resources, even new mountains. He makes a case for serious exploration and mapping — Google Ocean, anyone? (Recorded February 2008 in Monterey, California. Duration: 18:19.) Watch Robert […]
Since it began in 2005, the TED Prize has been making wishes that call on the power of the global TED community. Here’s a roundup of current TED Prize wishes that you can get involved in — in large or small ways, with money, ideas, time or skills: + In 2007, biologist E.O. Wilson wished […]
From Chris Anderson, Curator of TED, and Emeka Okafor, TEDAfrica director: Regretfully, we’re having to suspend plans for our TEDAfrica event scheduled for the end of September 2008 in Cape Town, South Africa. We sought to have this event launched under the control of a local team operating under a license. The goal was to […]
In this fiery and funny talk from the 2007 EG (Entertainment Gathering) conference, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman weighs in on what’s wrong with the way we eat now (too much meat, too few plants; too much fast food, too little home cooking), and why it’s putting the entire planet at risk. (Recorded […]
Alisa Miller, head of Public Radio International, talks about why — though we want to know more about the world than ever — the US news media is actually showing less. Eye-opening stats and graphs. (Recorded March 2008 in Monterey, California. Duration: 4:29.) Watch Alisa Miller’s talk on TED.com, where you can download it, […]
Hacker and writer Joshua Klein is fascinated by crows. (Notice the gleam of intelligence in their little black eyes?) After a long amateur study of corvid behavior, he’s come up with an elegant machine that may form a new bond between animal and human. (Recorded March 2008 in Monterey, California. Duration: 10:16.) Watch Joshua […]
Michael Moschen puts on a quietly mesmerizing show of elegant, even artistic juggling. Don’t think juggling is an art? You might just change your mind after watching Moschen in motion. (Recorded March 2002 in Monterey, California. Duration: 37:02.) Watch Michael Moschen’s talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it […]
Evolutionary biologist Paul Ewald drags us into the sewer to discuss germs. Why are some germs more harmful than others? How could we make the harmful ones benign? Searching for answers, he examines a disgusting, fascinating case: diarrhea. (Recorded February 2007 in Monterey, California. Duration: 17:52.) Watch Paul Ewald’s talk on TED.com, where you […]