In the final days of 2012, as Congress worked to hammer out a last-minute deal to avoid the fiscal cliff, it was difficult to turn on any American news source and not see political finger-pointing. Words like “extremist,” “angry” and “sharply divided” floated in the ether. Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt has long been interested in […]
. What makes a great designer? According to IDEO founder David Kelley, who gave the TED Talks “Human-centered design” and “How to build your creative confidence,” being an incredible designer isn’t necessarily about having a great aesthetic sensibility or coming up with out-of-the-box ideas. No, Kelley says that the key characteristic is empathy. “Be empathetic,” […]
TED playlists are collections of talks around a topic, built for you in a thoughtful sequence to illuminate ideas in context. This weekend, two new playlists are available: The quest to end poverty and Might you live a great deal longer? The quest to end poverty Ending poverty sounds like a lofty goal, but the […]
Enjoy a sampling of the stories from around the internet that captured our interest this week: Our new favorite Tumblr photographer, Christopher Moloney, takes images of street scenes made famous in classic movies. The twist? He holds an image of the actors in the center of the cityscape. [The Atlantic Cities] . A roundup of […]
Award-winning Canadian photographer Ed Ou fell into photojournalism as a teenager, while studying political science in Jerusalem. Since then, he has blazed a trail of cinematic images covering the Egyptian revolution, the Somali Civil War, victims of radiation poisoning in the Soviet Union, and beyond, capturing moments of beauty and humanity in the midst of […]
[ted id=1639 width=560 height=315]“Movies have proved to be the ultimate medium for magic,” says Don Levy in today’s talk. A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and former senior vice president of marketing and communications at Sony Pictures, Levy has always been fascinated by the sleights of hand that filmmakers use […]
Music comes in all shapes and sizes, as these talks illustrate. From an electric drum suit called “thunderwear” to an ancient stringed wheel to an arresting rare organ, the instruments featured in these talks reshape our soundscape and offer inspiration in the cacophonous world around us. [ted id=413 width=560 height=315]David Holt plays mountain music In […]
[ted id=1641 width=560 height=315]The world’s most dangerous animal isn’t the lion, tiger or bear. It’s actually the mosquito. “Mosquitos have killed more humans than any other creature in human history,” says Haydn Parry in today’s talk. “The mosquito has killed more humans than wars and plague.” Every year, about a million and a half people […]
[ted id=1637 width=560 height=315]By Marianna Torgovnick It’s the story that inspired Moby Dick. In 1819, the crewmembers of the whaleship Essex watched in horror as their boat was struck by a sperm whale and began to flood. Forced into small boats with little food or water, they had three options: they could head to the […]
TED Talks often get 100 or more comments — a mixed bag of kudos, critiques and questions. Looking back on the year, here are a few comments that wowed us. Our speakers want to hear from you! If something in the talk was unclear or you’re wondering where the research will go next, don’t be […]
Happy New Year! To celebrate the closing of the year, we asked people around the TED office what talks have inspired them to make a New Year’s resolution. Below, check out their answers. Hint: many found aspirations hidden in unexpected talks. And several might help you formulate the perfect resolution. [ted id=1569 width=560 height=315] One answer that popped up again […]
[ted id=1290 width=560 height=315] This talk from TEDxBrussels felt like a breath of fresh stage. A collaboration among science writer John Bohannon, choreographer Carl Flink and the dance troupe Black Label Movement, the talk is illustrated with dance, not slides. “I think that bad PowerPoint presentations are a serious threat to the global economy,” Bohannon […]
TED Talks often get 100 or more comments — a mixed bag of kudos, critiques and questions. Looking back on the year, here are a few comments that wowed us. Every video on TED.com is carefully selected, but not every TEDster will like every talk. Disagree with a speaker’s logic, methods or sources? We want […]
[ted id=1614 width=560 height=315] 2012 was the year of radical openness at TED. In that spirit, while our office is closed for winter break, TED’s editorial staffers have selected their favorite talks of the year … giving you a peek into both our process and our personalities. We hope you enjoy. I’m impressed and intimidated by people […]
TED Talks often get 100 or more comments — usually a mixed bag of kudos, critiques and questions. Looking back on the year, we’d like to share a few comments that wowed us. These intelligent, observant contributions took the talks beyond their 18 minutes and into an ongoing conversation. Every speaker appreciates a “Great job!” […]
[ted id=1583 width=560 height=315] Vicki Arroyo’s hometown is New Orleans, and after Hurricane Katrina struck, she knew firsthand the looming threat of climate change. In this eye-opening talk from TEDGlobal 2012, “Let’s prepare for our new climate,” Arroyo reveals the startling truths about droughts, rising water levels and natural disasters — that they may only […]