TED speaker Paola Antonelli (watch her TED 2007 talk) has been promoted to senior curator of the New York Museum of Modern Art’s department of architecture and design. The promotion was announced by MoMA‘s director Glenn Lowry. Paola is currently preparing “Design and the Elastic Mind“, an exhibition on science, design and innovation that will […]
Frank Gehry wanted to be a scientist when he grew up. But after blowing up a part of his house, at age 14, he decided against it. He’s gone on to create some mindblowing buildings, including the Guggenheim at Bilbao and LA’s Walt Disney Concert Hall. This wildly entertaining conversation with Richard Saul Wurman (then […]
After more than 20 happy, but increasingly crowded years in Monterey, the TED conference is moving … We scoured the entire U.S. for a new location that would give us some breathing room, while retaining all the qualities that made Monterey so special. To our surprise and delight, we found the place we’re looking for… […]
Paola Antonelli, design curator at New York’s MOMA, wants to spread an appreciation of design, in all shapes and forms — and to remove any stigma of it being considered mere decoration. She leads a quick tour of some design exhibitions she has organized, including “Mutant Materials,” “Workspheres” and “Safe.” (Recorded March 2007 in Monterey, […]
Five people who met at TEDGlobal Africa have joined to build Ushahidi.com, a website that gives Kenyans a way to report incidents of violence in this post-election crisis — over the web or by SMS. The idea was inspired by blogger Ory Okolloh, who wrote: For the reconciliation process to occur at the local level, […]
David Gallo shows jaw-dropping footage of amazing sea creatures, including a shape-shifting cuttlefish, a pair of fighting squid, and a mesmerizing gallery of bioluminescent fish that light up the blackest depths of the ocean. (Recorded March 2007 in Monterey, California. Duration: 5:21.) Watch David Gallo’s talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate […]
Filmmaker J.J. Abrams traces his love of the unseen mystery — the heart of Alias, Lost and the upcoming Cloverfield — back to its own magical beginnings, which may or may not include an early obsession with magic, the love of a supportive grandfather, or his own unopened Mystery Box. (Recorded March 2007 in Monterey, […]
View the interactive TED2008 Conference Program >>Download a PDF of the TED2008 schedule >> Slated to appear at TED2008: memeticist Susan Blackmore (top) addresses the question “What is life?” Singer and activist Vusi Mahlasela (middle) asks, “How can we change the world?” Designer Yves Behar (bottom) asks, “How do we create?” Many people come to […]
Armed with a few students, a backhoe and a handful of markers, Deborah Gordon digs up ant colonies in the Arizona desert. She asks: How do these chitinous creatures get down to business — and even multitask when they need to — with no language, memory or visible leadership? Her answers could lead to a […]
Investor and prankster Yossi Vardi delivers a careful lecture on the dangers of blogging. Specifically, um, for men. (Recorded March 2007 in Monterey, California. Duration: 6:15.) Watch Yossi Vardi’s talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances. Read more about Yossi Vardi on […]
In one of the most beloved talks from TED2007, novelist Isabel Allende talks about writing, women, passion, feminism. She tells the stories of powerful women she has known, some larger-than-life (listen for a beauty tip from Sophia Loren), and some simply living with grace, dignity and ingenuity in a world that, in too many ways, […]
Gever Tulley, founder of the Tinkering School, talks about our drive to overprotect our children — and spells out 5 dangerous things you should let your kids do. Allowing kids the freedom to explore, he says, will make them stronger and smarter and actually safer. This talk comes from TED University 2007, a pre-conference program […]
Lakshmi Pratury talks about letter-writing, and shares a series of notes her father wrote her before he died. This short talk may inspire you to set pen to paper too. (Recorded March 2007 in Monterey, California. Duration: 4:09.) Watch Lakshmi Pratury’s talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it […]
Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, asks why we aren’t more compassionate more of the time. Through psychological experiments and a story of the Santa Cruz Strangler, he shows how we are all born with the capacity for empathy — but we sometimes choose to ignore it. (Recorded March 2007 in Monterey, California. Duration: 13:13.) […]
In a lively performance, “mathemagician” Arthur Benjamin races a team of calculators to figure out 3-digit squares in his head, performs a massive mental calculation, and guesses a few birth days. How does he do it? He’ll be happy to tell you. (Recorded February 2005 in Monterey, California. Duration: 15:14.) Watch Arthur Benjamin’s performance […]
Wielding laypeople’s terms and a sense of humor, Nobel Prize winner Murray Gell-Mann drops some knowledge about particle physics, asking questions like, Are elegant equations more likely to be right than inelegant ones? Can the fundamental law, the so-called “theory of everything,” really explain everything? His answers will surprise you. (Recorded March 2007 in Monterey, […]