In George Ayittey’s classic TED Talk from 2007, he describes two factions in Africa toggling for control — the “hippo generation,” the ruling elites riddled with corruption and inaction, and the “cheetah generation,” the fast-moving entrepreneurial leaders with the ability to create change. This session — guest hosted by TED Fellows Adrian Hong (who works […]
“Democracy is in trouble,” announces political theorist Benjamin Barber as he makes his way onto the TEDGlobal stage. He continues: “We live in a 21st-century world of interdependence and brutal interdependent problems. Yet when we look for solutions in politics and democracy, we are faced with political institutions designed 400 years ago.” What can one do […]
“I started writing songs to be heard, to get attention. In life, being understood is really important to me,” says Lissie in a near-whisper into the microphone. “I write songs to process my emotions, and when we tour it’s cool to see other people process their emotions with my songs.” And with that, she and […]
Johan Rockström returns to the TEDGlobal three years after his talk on environmental development to talk about the — hopeful! — future of our environment in crisis. Life in the Holocene is full of problems, but it’s not without unexpected turns of resilience and promise. Rockström grasps a piece of metal on stage, explaining that […]
You have a choice: You can read this blog post, or not. Simple. Or you can read one of 80 other blog posts from this conference. Which to choose? At TED we’re no strangers to the paradox of choice, but today Slovene philosopher Renata Salecl takes a different look at choice, chance and how they […]
Born in Shanghai in 1968, at the height of the Cultural Revolution, Eric X. Li grew up hearing a story: All human societies develop in linear progression, beginning with primitive society, moving through capitalism to socialism and, finally, Communism. Sooner or later, all of humanity, regardless of creed or culture, will reach that final stage […]
TEDGlobal Fellow, and author of Sex and the Citadel, Shereen El Feki comes on stage to tell us about Faiza, a woman she met on a recent trip to Casablanca. Unmarried, and a new mother, Faiza proudly told El Feki her story as she showed off her young son. “It was a remarkable tale, but Faiza saved […]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyC2rGOCiOg&w=560&h=315] In this playful introduction to session 8 of TEDGlobal 2013, State of the Nations, dancing animations of famous national buildings introduce talks about serious political issues. This video from Japanese director Akinori Oishi delivers a lighthearted tone, backed by childlike music and the noises of giggling and whistling. Oishi was born in Japan and is […]
The world order of centuries past is deeply in flux. Western nations no longer sit comfortably atop the power pyramid, with democracy a gleaming ideal. And no longer is it the leader of nations who wield the most influence, as it may be local leaders who hold the key to change. In this session, a […]
The second day of mainstage talks at TEDGlobal 2013 offered four densely packed sessions full of the possibility for natural, geopolitical, social and artistic change, both improvised and well-considered — and more than one magic moment. Here are just a few of the best. Brain soup. Suzana Herculano-Houzel figured out how to count the number […]
The brothers who make up Le Trio Joubran are part of a long line of oud makers and players. What’s an oud, you ask? Why, it’s a beautiful, lute-like stringed instrument, of course. Accompanied by Youssef Hbeisch on percussion, Samir, Wissam, and Adnan Joubran captivate the TED audience with their intricately picked tunes. Communicating with each […]
Photographer Fabian Oefner wants to show us in still images what sound waves look like, the magic of a soap bubble at the moment of bursting, the forces of magnetism, how fire burns through alcohol. Oefner considers himself an artist, but he is also a scientist. To him, these disciplines should not be mutually exclusive. […]
Mark Kendall has a new medical invention that will make anyone with a fear of needles very happy: the Nanopatch, a tiny square (smaller than a postage stamp) that can deliver a dose of vaccine. But beyond solving needle-phobia, the Nanopatch could solve many other problems that now keep vaccines from being completely effective. Kendall, a […]
Molly Stevens would like to introduce you to the first blue tooth. No literally, a blue tooth made out of shell. In the days of the ancient Mayans, when a tooth was lost, it would be replaced with bit of blue shell. The chemistry and architecture of this shell worked beautifully as a tooth replacement, […]
Grégoire Courtine is the head of the Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute of the Life Science School at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL). He starts his TED Talk with a story of a mentor of his, the late Christopher Reeve, who spent the last years of his life in a wheelchair after a paralyzing spinal […]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFSp1R2F3Qg&w=560&h=315] In the center of a black screen, a circle of white appears and slowly twirls through different colors, increasing in both brightness and size. This mystical shape finally settles down to become the “o” in the word “Regeneration,” leaving us with an echo of thoughts and desires. This visually teasing opening to session 7 […]