Linguist and psychologist Steven Pinker’s talk at the end of TED2018 Session 1 argued enthusiastically that humanity has, as a whole, made remarkable progress toward prosperity, peace and happiness — backing up his assertions with charts that showed an optimistic trajectory. But is that the whole story? A roundtable of TED Fellows — including scientists […]
There’s a particular occupational hazard associated with covering TED conferences: having your mind blown. University of Pennsylvania physicist and applied engineer Aaswath Raman does just that with his rethinking of air-conditioning. Now, as anyone who’s ever escaped to the movies on a scorching day can attest, sitting in a room that has been artificially chilled […]
Session 5, hosted by TED Curator Chris Anderson and astrophysicist and TED Fellow Jedidah Isler, is called “space to dream.” As Isler points out, we’re not just talking about outer space — it’s also about “the right to take up space, to dream, to do.” Seven dreamers, doers and designers offer a variety of ways […]
Three stellar main stage sessions of talks — including the launch of the Audacious Project — plus workshops, exhibits and TED Unplugged, a session of talks given by audience members, made for a jam-packed day 2 at TED2018. Here are some of the themes we heard echoing through the opening day, as well as some […]
The lights go down. A voice emerges — strong and hopeful. It’s Laurene Powell Jobs, the founder of philanthropic powerhouse Emerson Collective. “Among the many things I love about TED is the simplicity and clarity of its mission — to spread ideas,” she says. “But in order to create lasting change at scale, we need […]
“This is a little different than the mainstage at TED, in a sense that this is a little more relaxed,” says our host, the poet and TED speaker Clint Smith. “These are speakers who have not been selected specifically for the mainstage, but they’re just as talented, just as brilliant, and just as important.” A […]
For the Session 3 of the conference, TED Head of Curation Helen Walters says, “We’re throwing off all pretense of cool.” Seven speakers are queued up to discuss the latest advances in their fields of technology. And while the gadgets do all different things, they share one crucial function: the power to make jaws drop. […]
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, says TED Curator Chris Anderson as he opens Session 2, “we used to think that democratically-powered capitalism was supposed to take over the world.” Political scientist Francis Fukuyama famously called it the “end of history.” So now what happens? Five TED speakers come to the stage to talk […]
TED2018, themed “The Age of Amazement,” kicked off Tuesday with two eye-opening sessions of talks from this year’s TED Fellows — with tech and science demos, music, dance and comedy — as well as the opening of exhibits and, of course, a memorable Session 1 full of bold ideas, tough truths and jaw-dropping creative visions. […]
Let it be noted, says co-host Chris Anderson, that this year’s TED started with a roaring cheer and with a scream of anguish. Our job this week is to explore what’s amazing, in every sense of the word, from the jaw-droppingly wonderful to the shocking and urgent. So Chris and co-host Helen Walters have decided […]
To commence TED Fellows Session 2, multi-hyphenate Paul Rucker takes the stage with his cello. (Spoiler alert: you will see him later in this writeup showcasing another artform.) Inspired by his mother, who learned to play the organ through a mail-order course, Rucker taught himself how to play this instrument. But right here on the […]
Forget those miserly folk who hoard their best for the last — TED believes in starting strong. Kicking off TED2018 is Session 1 of the TED Fellows, who count among their ranks artists, activists, scientists, researchers, conservationists, thinkers and changemakers of all kinds. The Fellows program now total 453 individuals from 96 countries. In this […]
VANCOUVER, BC (April 10, 2018) – TED, the New York-based nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, opens its annual flagship conference here today under the theme The Age of Amazement. TED2018 will host 1,500 attendees from 57 countries for a five-day program of more than 100 speakers and performers, including talks from this year’s 20 […]
This year, TED is using Facebook and Instagram to give our online audience behind-the-scenes access to the ideas we’re discussing at TED2018: The Age of Amazement. New for 2018, our online community will be able to join the conference via the Facebook Watch show TED: Backstage Pass. Throughout the week, we’ll offer exclusive interviews, live TED Talks, behind-the-scenes photos, and more. This […]
Tomorrow, the theater doors open to kick off TED2018: The Age of Amazement. But setting the stage for amazement is hard work. These photos celebrate the dedicated workers who are assembling the David Rockwell-designed theater, organizing and placing hundreds of signs and directional markers, and setting up exhibits around the outside of the theater itself. […]
NEW YORK – APRIL 5, 2018 – Univision Communications Inc. (UCI), the leading media company serving Hispanic America, and TED, the nonprofit devoted to ideas worth spreading, announced today they have joined forces to launch TED en Español, TED’s first non-English podcast. The TED en Español podcast will make Spanish-language TED Talks available to the […]