TED Fellow Bahia Shehab is an Egyptian artist who, at TEDGlobal 2012, shared her love of the Arabic phrase “No and a thousand times no,” boldly revealing that she had been stenciling the words on the streets of Cairo following the revolution of 2011, saying “no to military rule,” “no to burning books,” and “no […]
In the past week, we’ve noticed some fascinating TED-related news. Here, some highlights. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has discontinued its iconic candy-hued metal admission tags. Museum director Thomas P. Campbell (watch his TED Talk) explains why to The New York Times — because of the rising cost of tin-plating. Angela Patton (watch her TED Talk) had a […]
[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/69568276 w=560&h=315] The weeks after TEDGlobal require serious debriefing. Throughout the course of the conference — which took place June 10 to 14 in Edinburgh, Scotland — the mind is crammed full of so many fascinating ideas that it takes some time to process them. As we look back on the conference, and continue […]
With the increased teaching of English around the globe, world languages are dying at a rate of one every 14 days. In her classic talk from TEDxDubai, Patricia Ryan — an English speaker who has lived and taught in Arabic countries for over 30 years — argues that the focus on English is limiting creative […]
At TED2013 this spring, 34 passionate speakers made it onto the program via a worldwide, 14-city, six-continent Talent Search. The theme of the conference was “The Young. The Wise. The Undiscovered,” and the speakers discovered through the Talent Search Tour gave talks that sent the conference crowd flying to their feet. See: Rose George, Phil […]
Hyeonseo Lee’s story is a tale bound to pull at your heartstrings. She’s a North Korean refugee — and while helping her family flee the country in 2009, Lee’s mother and brother were detained in a Laos prison. At TED2013, Lee described how it was an enormously generous gift from a stranger that helped her […]
This short post collects messages and reflections on Rita Pierson, who passed away Friday in Texas. If Dr. Pierson’s talk or work touched your life, please share in the comments below. So very sorry to have this terrible news. I only met Dr. Pearson on the day of the recording and was deeply impressed as […]
Your life’s turning point — whether it happens in an instant or is the culmination of gradual change — could occur tomorrow. Would you be ready for it? How would you reconcile your former self with the person you’ve become? In this week’s TED Radio Hour, we hear from TED speakers forever changed by major and […]
Audience members at TEDxWWU, an event at Western Washington University, played a cathartic game of Jenga. The TEDx’ers built and broke down structures made of Jenga blocks on which they had written ideas for how they would like to “renovate” their lives. The theme of this event in Bellingham, WA: “Renovations: Building Our Future.” This […]
In the past week, vast protests sparked by a bus-fare increase have rocked Brazil, taking its leaders – and the world – by surprise. TED Fellow and conservation biologist Juliana M Ferreira offers an insider’s perspective on what led to this transformational moment. With all the eyes of the world on Brazil due to the […]
By Logan Smalley Everyone fantasizes about what it would be like to lift a building, run faster than a speeding bullet, or temporarily turn on their invisibility. However, not everyone takes the time to consider the scientific ramifications of utilzing such spectacular gifts. For instance, did you know that being invisible would render you blind? The […]
The past two weeks have seen some fascinating TED-related news items. Below, highlights. As the mayor of Tirana, Albania, Edi Rama transformed his city into a multi-colored explosion of geometric pattern. (Watch his TED Talk.) The leader of Albania’s opposition Socialist Party, Rama has now been named the nation’s new Prime Minister following his party’s commanding win in […]
The image above is classic Liu Bolin — the artist painted exactingly to blend in with the scene behind him. (Watch his talk from TED2013, “The invisible man.”) But if you look closely, you will see that the man in the picture is not actually Bolin—the tell-tale Ray-Bans reveal that this is JR, the artist […]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhD_rCGjqUM%5DA year ago, political scientist Tarig Hilal captivated the audience at TEDxKhartoum with the story of the Sudan he saw — not a place of violent strife, political unrest or pervasive poverty, but a country of beautiful natural landscapes, a rich history and a hopeful generation of changemakers ready to turn a new chapter […]
Installed in the middle of the social spaces during TEDGlobal 2013 two weeks ago, three visual scribes kept busy throughout the conference drawing, capturing and sometimes deconstructing the content of every talk on giant whiteboards. David Christie, Fernanda de Uriarte and Tom Oswald, of the London firm Innovation Arts, turned the ideas expressed by the speakers on […]
Before TEDGlobal 2013, director Bruno Giussani reached out to the giant community of TEDx organizers around the world to ask for some comic relief. He asked them, “What are the funniest videos from your event?” And, as usual, TEDx’ers came through — with wild enthusiasm. Below, the 5 hilarious TEDx Talks Giussani selected to show at […]