TEDTalks (video)

TED: Shereen El-Feki: How to fight an epidemic of bad laws - Shereen El Feki (2012)

TEDTalks — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:00:01 +0000

There is an epidemic of HIV, and with it an epidemic of bad laws -- laws that effectively criminalize being HIV positive. At the TEDxSummit in Doha, TED Fellow Shereen El-Feki gives a forceful argument that these laws are not only based in stigma, but are helping the disease spread.

TED: Philippe Petit: The journey across the high wire - Philippe Petit (2012)

TEDTalks — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:02:11 +0000

Even a death-defying magician has to start somewhere. High-wire artist Philippe Petit takes you on an intimate journey from his first card trick at age 6 to his tightrope walk between the Twin Towers.

TED: Hans Rosling: Religions and babies - Hans Rosling (2012)

TEDTalks — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:00:56 +0000

Hans Rosling had a question: Do some religions have a higher birth rate than others -- and how does this affect global population growth? Speaking at the TEDxSummit in Doha, Qatar, he graphs data over time and across religions. With his trademark humor and sharp insight, Hans reaches a surprising conclusion on world fertility rates.

TED: Nathan Wolfe: What's left to explore? - Nathan Wolfe (2012)

TEDTalks — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:38:34 +0000

We've been to the moon, we've mapped the continents, we've even been to the deepest point in the ocean -- twice. What's left for the next generation to explore? Biologist and explorer Nathan Wolfe suggests this answer: Almost everything. And we can start, he says, with the world of the unseeably small.

TED: JR: One year of turning the world inside out - JR (2012)

TEDTalks — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:05:46 +0000

Street artist JR made a wish in 2011: Join me in a worldwide photo project to show the world its true face. Now, a year after his TED Prize wish, he shows how giant posters of human faces, pasted in public, are connecting communities, making change, and turning the world inside out. You can join in at insideoutproject.net

TED: Carl Schoonover: How to look inside the brain - Carl Schoonover (2012)

TEDTalks — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:01:29 +0000

There have been remarkable advances in understanding the brain, but how do you actually study the neurons inside it? Using gorgeous imagery, neuroscientist and TED Fellow Carl Schoonover shows the tools that let us see inside our brains.

TED: David Kelley: How to build your creative confidence - David Kelley (2012)

TEDTalks — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:30:52 +0000

Is your school or workplace divided into "creatives" versus practical people? Yet surely, David Kelley suggests, creativity is not the domain of only a chosen few. Telling stories from his legendary design career and his own life, he offers ways to build the confidence to create... (From The Design Studio session at TED2012, guest-curated by Chee Pearlman and David Rockwell.)

TED: Jean-Baptiste Michel: The mathematics of history - Jean-Baptiste Michel (2012)

TEDTalks — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:00:09 +0000

What can mathematics say about history? According to TED Fellow Jean-Baptiste Michel, quite a lot. From changes to language to the deadliness of wars, he shows how digitized history is just starting to reveal deep underlying patterns.

TED: Tali Sharot: The optimism bias - Tali Sharot (2012)

TEDTalks — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:10:53 +0000

Are we born to be optimistic, rather than realistic? Tali Sharot shares new research that suggests our brains are wired to look on the bright side -- and how that can be both dangerous and beneficial.

TED: Renny Gleeson: 404, the story of a page not found - Renny Gleeson (2012)

TEDTalks — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:08:25 +0000

Oops! Nobody wants to see the 404: Page Not Found. But as Renny Gleeson shows us, while he runs through a slideshow of creative and funny 404 pages, every error is really a chance to build a better relationship.

TED: Joshua Foer: Feats of memory anyone can do - Joshua Foer (2012)

TEDTalks — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:00:12 +0000

There are people who can quickly memorize lists of thousands of numbers, the order of all the cards in a deck (or ten!), and much more. Science writer Joshua Foer describes the technique -- called the memory palace -- and shows off its most remarkable feature: anyone can learn how to use it, including him.

TED: JP Rangaswami: Information is food - JP Rangaswami (2012)

TEDTalks — Tue, 08 May 2012 16:16:46 +0000

How do we consume data? At TED@SXSWi, technologist JP Rangaswami muses on our relationship to information, and offers a surprising and sharp insight: we treat it like food.

TED: Michael Tilson Thomas: Music and emotion through time - Michael Tilson Thomas (2012)

TEDTalks — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:59:44 +0000

In this epic overview, Michael Tilson Thomas traces the development of classical music through the development of written notation, the record, and the re-mix.

TED: Rory Sutherland: Perspective is everything - Rory Sutherland (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:07:48 +0000

The circumstances of our lives may matter less than how we see them, says Rory Sutherland. At TEDxAthens, he makes a compelling case for how reframing is the key to happiness.

TED: Gary Kovacs: Tracking the trackers - Gary Kovacs (2012)

TEDTalks — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:00:19 +0000

As you surf the Web, information is being collected about you. Web tracking is not 100% evil -- personal data can make your browsing more efficient; cookies can help your favorite websites stay in business. But, says Gary Kovacs, it's your right to know what data is being collected about you and how it affects your online life. He unveils a Firefox add-on to do just that.

TED: Reuben Margolin: Sculpting waves in wood and time - Reuben Margolin (2012)

TEDTalks — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:00:12 +0000

Reuben Margolin is a kinetic sculptor, crafting beautiful pieces that move in the pattern of raindrops falling and waves combining. Take nine minutes and be mesmerized by his meditative art -- inspired in equal parts by math and nature.

TED: Amory Lovins: A 40-year plan for energy - Amory Lovins (2012)

TEDTalks — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:30:30 +0000

In this intimate talk filmed at TED's offices, energy innovator Amory Lovins shows how to get the US off oil and coal by 2050, $5 trillion cheaper, with no Act of Congress, led by business for profit. The key is integrating all four energy-using sectors—and four kinds of innovation.

TED: Liz Diller: A giant bubble for debate - Liz Diller (2012)

TEDTalks — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:32:05 +0000

How do you make a great public space inside a not-so-great building? Liz Diller shares the story of creating a welcoming, lighthearted (even, dare we say it, sexy) addition to the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC. (From The Design Studio session at TED2012, guest-curated by Chee Pearlman and David Rockwell.)

TED: Nancy Lublin: Texting that saves lives - Nancy Lublin (2012)

TEDTalks — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:12:33 +0000

When Nancy Lublin started texting teenagers to help with her social advocacy organization, what she found was shocking -- they started texting back about their own problems, from bullying to depression to abuse. So she's setting up a text-only crisis line, and the results might be even more important than she expected.

TED: Eduardo Paes: The 4 commandments of cities - Eduardo Paes (2012)

TEDTalks — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:11:34 +0000

Eduardo Paes is the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, a sprawling, complicated, beautiful city of 6.5 million. He shares four big ideas about leading Rio -- and all cities -- into the future, including bold (and do-able) infrastructure upgrades and how to make a city "smarter."

TED: Michael Norton: How to buy happiness - Michael Norton (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:17:33 +0000

At TEDxCambridge, Michael Norton shares fascinating research on how money can, indeed buy happiness -- when you don't spend it on yourself. Listen for surprising data on the many ways pro-social spending can benefit you, your work, and (of course) other people.

TED: Brian Greene: Is our universe the only universe? - Brian Greene (2012)

TEDTalks — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:19:03 +0000

Is there more than one universe? In this visually rich, action-packed talk, Brian Greene shows how the unanswered questions of physics (starting with a big one: What caused the Big Bang?) have led to the theory that our own universe is just one of many in the "multiverse."

TED: Christina Warinner: Tracking ancient diseases using ... plaque - Christina Warinner (2012)

TEDTalks — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:13:02 +0000

Imagine what we could learn about diseases by studying the history of human disease, from ancient hominids to the present. But how? TED Fellow Christina Warinner is an achaeological geneticist, and she's found a spectacular new tool -- the microbial DNA in fossilized dental plaque.

TED: Laura Carstensen: Older people are happier - Laura Carstensen (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:25:42 +0000

In the 20th century we added an unprecedented number of years to our lifespans, but is the quality of life as good? Surprisingly, yes! At TEDxWomen psychologist Laura Carstensen shows research that demonstrates that as people get older they become happier, more content, and have a more positive outlook on the world.

TED: Taryn Simon: The stories behind the bloodlines - Taryn Simon (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:04:38 +0000

Taryn Simon captures the essence of vast, generation-spanning stories by photographing the descendants of people at the center of the narrative. In this riveting talk she shows a stream of these stories from all over the world, investigating the nature of genealogy and the way our lives are shaped by the interplay of many different forces.

TED: Drew Curtis: How I beat a patent troll - Drew Curtis (2012)

TEDTalks — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:00:43 +0000

Drew Curtis, the founder of fark.com, tells the story of how he fought a lawsuit from a company that had a patent, "...for the creation and distribution of news releases via email." Along the way he shares some nutty statistics about the growing legal problem of frivolous patents.

TED: Atul Gawande: How do we heal medicine? - Atul Gawande (2012)

TEDTalks — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:28:38 +0000

Our medical systems are broken. Doctors are capable of extraordinary (and expensive) treatments, but they are losing their core focus: actually treating people. Doctor and writer Atul Gawande suggests we take a step back and look at new ways to do medicine -- with fewer cowboys and more pit crews.

TED: Abigail Washburn: Building US-China relations ... by banjo - Abigail Washburn (2012)

TEDTalks — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:02:24 +0000

TED Fellow Abigail Washburn wanted to be a lawyer improving US-China relations -- until she picked up a banjo. She tells a moving story of the remarkable connections she's formed touring across the United States and China while playing that banjo and singing in Chinese.

TED: Tal Golesworthy: How I repaired my own heart - Tal Golesworthy (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:00:36 +0000

Tal Golesworthy is a boiler engineer -- he knows piping and plumbing. When he needed surgery to repair a life-threatening problem with his aorta, he mixed his engineering skills with his doctors' medical knowledge to design a better repair job.

TED: Melinda Gates: Let's put birth control back on the agenda - Melinda Gates (2012)

TEDTalks — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:02:06 +0000

Contraception. The topic has become controversial in recent years. But should it be? Melinda Gates believes that many of the world's social change issues depend on ensuring that women are able to control their rate of having kids. In this significant talk, she makes the case for the world to re-examine an issue she intends to lend her voice to for the next decade.

TED: Frans de Waal: Moral behavior in animals - Frans de Waal (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:10:42 +0000

Empathy, cooperation, fairness and reciprocity -- caring about the well-being of others seems like a very human trait. But Frans de Waal shares some surprising videos of behavioral tests, on primates and other mammals, that show how many of these moral traits all of us share.

TED: Frank Warren: Half a million secrets - Frank Warren (2012)

TEDTalks — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:08:11 +0000

"Secrets can take many forms -- they can be shocking, or silly, or soulful." Frank Warren, the founder of PostSecret.com, shares some of the half-million secrets that strangers have mailed him on postcards.

TED: Lucy McRae: How can technology transform the human body? - Lucy McRae (2012)

TEDTalks — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 15:40:36 +0000

TED Fellow Lucy McRae is a body architect -- she imagines ways to merge biology and technology in our own bodies. In this visually stunning talk, she shows her work, from clothes that recreate the body's insides for a music video with pop-star Robyn, to a pill that, when swallowed, lets you sweat perfume.

TED: Jack Choi: On the virtual dissection table - Jack Choi (2012)

TEDTalks — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:14:11 +0000

Onstage at TED2012, Jack Choi demonstrates a powerful tool for training medical students: a stretcher-sized multi-touch screen of the human body that lets you explore, dissect and understand the body's parts and systems.

TED: Chip Kidd: Designing books is no laughing matter. OK, it is. - Chip Kidd (2012)

TEDTalks — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:16:25 +0000

Chip Kidd doesn’t judge books by their cover, he creates covers that embody the book -- and he does it with a wicked sense of humor. In one of the funniest talks from TED2012, he shows the art and deep thought of his cover designs. (From The Design Studio session at TED2012, guest-curated by Chee Pearlman and David Rockwell.)

TED: Sherry Turkle: Connected, but alone? - Sherry Turkle (2012)

TEDTalks — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:09:09 +0000

As we expect more from technology, do we expect less from each other? Sherry Turkle studies how our devices and online personas are redefining human connection and communication -- and asks us to think deeply about the new kinds of connection we want to have.

TED: Marco Tempest: A magical tale (with augmented reality) - Marco Tempest (2012)

TEDTalks — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:00:30 +0000

Marco Tempest spins a beautiful story of what magic is, how it entertains us and how it highlights our humanity -- all while working extraordinary illusions with his hands and an augmented reality machine.

TED: Ayah Bdeir: Building blocks that blink, beep and teach - Ayah Bdeir (2012)

TEDTalks — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:00:05 +0000

Imagine a set of electronics as easy to play with as Legos. TED Fellow Ayah Bdeir introduces littleBits, a set of simple, interchangeable blocks that make programming as simple and important a part of creativity as snapping blocks together.

TED: Leymah Gbowee: Unlock the intelligence, passion, greatness of girls - Leymah Gbowee (2012)

TEDTalks — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:23:15 +0000

Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee has two powerful stories to tell -- of her own life's transformation, and of the untapped potential of girls around the world. Can we transform the world by unlocking the greatness of girls?

TED: Regina Dugan: From mach-20 glider to humming bird drone - Regina Dugan (2012)

TEDTalks — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:03:36 +0000

"What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" asks Regina Dugan, then director of DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. In this breathtaking talk she describes some of the extraordinary projects -- a robotic hummingbird, a prosthetic arm controlled by thought, and, well, the internet -- that her agency has created by not worrying that they might fail. (Followed by a Q&A with TED's Chris Anderson)

TED: Donald Sadoway: The missing link to renewable energy - Donald Sadoway (2012)

TEDTalks — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:19:45 +0000

What's the key to using alternative energy, like solar and wind? Storage -- so we can have power on tap even when the sun's not out and the wind's not blowing. In this accessible, inspiring talk, Donald Sadoway takes to the blackboard to show us the future of large-scale batteries that store renewable energy. As he says: "We need to think about the problem differently. We need to think big. We need to think cheap."

TED: Billy Collins: Everyday moments, caught in time - Billy Collins (2012)

TEDTalks — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:42:55 +0000

Combining dry wit with artistic depth, Billy Collins shares a project in which several of his poems were turned into delightful animated films in a collaboration with Sundance Channel. Five of them are included in this wonderfully entertaining and moving talk -- and don't miss the hilarious final poem!

TED: Taylor Wilson: Yup, I built a nuclear fusion reactor - Taylor Wilson (2012)

TEDTalks — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:08:19 +0000

Taylor Wilson believes nuclear fusion is a solution to our future energy needs, and that kids can change the world. And he knows something about both of those: When he was 14, he built a working fusion reactor in his parents' garage. Now 17, he takes the TED stage at short notice to tell (the short version of) his story.

TED: Noel Bairey Merz: The single biggest health threat women face - C. Noel Bairey Merz (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:30:12 +0000

Surprising, but true: More women now die of heart disease than men, yet cardiovascular research has long focused on men. Pioneering doctor C. Noel Bairey Merz shares what we know and don't know about women's heart health -- including the remarkably different symptoms women present during a heart attack (and why they're often missed).

TED: Myshkin Ingawale: A blood test without bleeding - Myshkin Ingawale (2012)

TEDTalks — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:01:37 +0000

Anemia is a major -- and completely preventable -- cause of deaths in childbirth in many places around the world, but the standard test is invasive and slow. In this witty and inspiring talk, TED Fellow Myshkin Ingawale describes how (after 32 tries) he and his team created a simple, portable, low-cost device that can test for anemia without breaking the skin.

TED: T. Boone Pickens: Let's transform energy -- with natural gas - T. Boone Pickens (2012)

TEDTalks — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:43:42 +0000

The US consumes 25% of the world's oil -- but as energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens points out onstage, the country has no energy policy to prepare for the inevitable. Is alternative energy our bridge to an oil-free future? After losing $150 million investing in wind energy, Pickens suggests it isn't, not yet. What might get us there? Natural gas. After the talk, watch for a lively Q&A with TED Curator Chris Anderson.

TED: Brené Brown: Listening to shame - Brené Brown (2012)

TEDTalks — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:16:54 +0000

Shame is an unspoken epidemic, the secret behind many forms of broken behavior. Brené Brown, whose earlier talk on vulnerability became a viral hit, explores what can happen when people confront their shame head-on. Her own humor, humanity and vulnerability shine through every word.

TED: Rob Reid: The $8 billion iPod - Rob Reid (2012)

TEDTalks — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:09:52 +0000

Comic author Rob Reid unveils Copyright Math (TM), a remarkable new field of study based on actual numbers from entertainment industry lawyers and lobbyists.

TED: Jonathan Haidt: Religion, evolution, and the ecstasy of self-transcendence - Jonathan Haidt (2012)

TEDTalks — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 15:04:35 +0000

Psychologist Jonathan Haidt asks a simple, but difficult question: why do we search for self-transcendence? Why do we attempt to lose ourselves? In a tour through the science of evolution by group selection, he proposes a provocative answer.

TED: A TED speaker's worst nightmare - Colin Robertson (2012)

TEDTalks — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:03:30 +0000

Colin Robertson had 3 minutes on the TED stage to tell the world about his solar-powered crowdsourced health care solution. And then...

TED: Jennifer Pahlka: Coding a better government - Jennifer Pahlka (2012)

TEDTalks — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:07:33 +0000

Can government be run like the Internet, permissionless and open? Coder and activist Jennifer Pahlka believes it can -- and that apps, built quickly and cheaply, are a powerful new way to connect citizens to their governments -- and their neighbors.

TED: James Hansen: Why I must speak out about climate change - James Hansen (2012)

TEDTalks — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:08:59 +0000

Top climate scientist James Hansen tells the story of his involvement in the science of and debate over global climate change. In doing so he outlines the overwhelming evidence that change is happening and why that makes him deeply worried about the future.

TED: Bryan Stevenson: We need to talk about an injustice - Bryan Stevenson (2012)

TEDTalks — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:18:50 +0000

In an engaging and personal talk -- with cameo appearances from his grandmother and Rosa Parks -- human rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson shares some hard truths about America's justice system, starting with a massive imbalance along racial lines: a third of the country's black male population has been incarcerated at some point in their lives. These issues, which are wrapped up in America's unexamined history, are rarely talked about with this level of candor, insight and persuasiveness.

TED: Susan Cain: The power of introverts - Susan Cain (2012)

TEDTalks — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 20:28:12 +0000

In a culture where being social and outgoing are prized above all else, it can be difficult, even shameful, to be an introvert. But, as Susan Cain argues in this passionate talk, introverts bring extraordinary talents and abilities to the world, and should be encouraged and celebrated.

TED: Vijay Kumar: Robots that fly ... and cooperate - Vijay Kumar (2012)

TEDTalks — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:34:51 +0000

In his lab at Penn, Vijay Kumar and his team build flying quadrotors, small, agile robots that swarm, sense each other, and form ad hoc teams -- for construction, surveying disasters and far more.

TED: Paul Gilding: The Earth is full - Paul Gilding (2012)

TEDTalks — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:30:00 +0000

Have we used up all our resources? Have we filled up all the livable space on Earth? Paul Gilding suggests we have, and the possibility of devastating consequences, in a talk that's equal parts terrifying and, oddly, hopeful.

TED: Peter Diamandis: Abundance is our future - Peter Diamandis (2012)

TEDTalks — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:30:00 +0000

Onstage at TED2012, Peter Diamandis makes a case for optimism -- that we'll invent, innovate and create ways to solve the challenges that loom over us. "I’m not saying we don’t have our set of problems; we surely do. But ultimately, we knock them down.”

TED: Daniel Pauly: The ocean's shifting baseline - Daniel Pauly (2010)

TEDTalks — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:45:21 +0000

The ocean has degraded within our lifetimes, as shown in the decreasing average size of fish. And yet, as Daniel Pauly shows us onstage at Mission Blue, each time the baseline drops, we call it the new "normal." At what point do we stop readjusting downward?

TED: Paul Snelgrove: A census of the ocean - Paul Snelgrove (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:13:41 +0000

Oceanographer Paul Snelgrove shares the results of a ten-year project with one goal: to take a census of all the life in the oceans. He shares amazing photos of some of the surprising finds of the Census of Marine Life.

TED: Kevin Allocca: Why videos go viral - Kevin Allocca (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:09:15 +0000

Kevin Allocca is YouTube's trends manager, and he has deep thoughts about silly web video. In this talk from TEDYouth, he shares the 4 reasons a video goes viral. (This is the first talk posted from an amazing TEDYouth event. Many others will come on line next month as part of our TED-Ed launch. We can't wait ...)

TED: Tan Le: My immigration story - Tan Le (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:59:37 +0000

In 2010, technologist Tan Le took the TEDGlobal stage to demo a powerful new interface. But now, at TEDxWomen, she tells a very personal story: the story of her family -- mother, grandmother and sister -- fleeing Vietnam and building a new life.

TED: Shlomo Benartzi: Saving for tomorrow, tomorrow - Shlomo Benartzi (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:40:23 +0000

It's easy to imagine saving money next week, but how about right now? Generally, we want to spend it. Economist Shlomo Benartzi says this is one of the biggest obstacles to saving enough for retirement, and asks: How do we turn this behavioral challenge into a behavioral solution?

TED: Shilo Shiv Suleman: Using tech to enable dreaming - Shilo Shiv Suleman (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:59:48 +0000

Has our technology -- our cell phones and iPods and cameras -- stopped us from dreaming? Young artist Shilo Shiv Suleman says no, as she demos "Khoya," her new storybook for iPad, which floats us through a magical world in 7 minutes of pure creativity.

TED: Chris Bliss: Comedy is translation - Chris Bliss (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:54:58 +0000

Every act of communication is, in some way, an act of translation. Onstage at TEDxRainier, writer Chris Bliss thinks hard about the way that great comedy can translate deep truths for a mass audience.

TED: Neil MacGregor: 2600 years of history in one object - Neil MacGregor (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:37:33 +0000

A clay cylinder covered in Akkadian cuneiform script, damaged and broken, the Cyrus Cylinder is a powerful symbol of religious tolerance and multi-culturalism. In this enthralling talk Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum, traces 2600 years of Middle Eastern history through this single object.

TED: Paul Conneally: Digital humanitarianism - Paul Conneally (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:08:55 +0000

The disastrous earthquake in Haiti taught humanitarian groups an unexpected lesson: the power of mobile devices to coordinate, inform, and guide relief efforts. At TEDxRC2, Paul Conneally shows extraordinary examples of social media and other new technologies becoming central to humanitarian aid.

TED: Simon Berrow: How do you save a shark you know nothing about? - Simon Berrow (2010)

TEDTalks — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:52:00 +0000

They're the second largest fish in the world, they're almost extinct, and we know almost nothing about them. At TEDxDublin, Simon Berrow describes the fascinating basking shark ("Great Fish of the Sun" in Irish), and the exceptional -- and wonderfully low-tech -- ways he's learning enough to save them.

TED: Lucien Engelen: Crowdsource your health - Lucien Engelen (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:07:52 +0000

You can use your smartphone to find a local ATM, but what if you need a defibrillator? At TEDxMaastricht, Lucien Engelen shows us online innovations that are changing the way we save lives, including a crowdsourced map of local defibrillators.

TED: Inara George sings 'Family Tree' - Inara George (2010)

TEDTalks — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:43:40 +0000

Singer Inara George and guitarist Mike Andrews play the quietly lovely love song "Family Tree."

TED: Jenna McCarthy: What you don't know about marriage - Jenna McCarthy (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:41:38 +0000

In this funny, casual talk from TEDx, writer Jenna McCarthy shares surprising research on how marriages (especially happy marriages) really work. One tip: Do not try to win an Oscar for best actress.

TED: Tyrone Hayes + Penelope Jagessar Chaffer: The toxic baby? - Tyrone Hayes / Penelope Jagessar Chaffer (2010)

TEDTalks — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:31:48 +0000

Filmmaker Penelope Jagessar Chaffer was curious about the chemicals she was exposed to while pregnant: Could they affect her unborn child? So she asked scientist Tyrone Hayes to brief her on one he studied closely: atrazine, a herbicide used on corn. (Hayes, an expert on amphibians, is a critic of atrazine, which displays a disturbing effect on frog development.) Onstage together at TEDWomen, Hayes and Chaffer tell their story.

TED: Erik Johansson: Impossible photography - Erik Johannson (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:01:27 +0000

Erik Johansson creates realistic photos of impossible scenes -- capturing ideas, not moments. In this witty how-to, the Photoshop wizard describes the principles he uses to make these fantastical scenarios come to life, while keeping them visually plausible.

TED: Jack Horner: Shape-shifting dinosaurs - Jack Horner (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:59:58 +0000

Where are the baby dinosaurs? In a spellbinding talk from TEDxVancouver paleontologist Jack Horner describes how slicing open fossil skulls revealed a shocking secret about some of our most beloved dinosaurs.

TED: Sheikha Al Mayassa: Globalizing the local, localizing the global - Sheikha Al Mayassa (2010)

TEDTalks — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:28:15 +0000

Sheikha Al Mayassa, a patron of artists, storytellers and filmmakers in Qatar, talks about how art and culture create a country's identity -- and allow every country to share its unique identity with the wider world. As she says: "We don't want to be all the same, but we do want to understand each other."

TED: Stephen Coleman: The moral dangers of non-lethal weapons - Stephen Coleman (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:08:24 +0000

Pepper spray and tasers are in increasing use by both police and military, and more exotic non-lethal weapons such as heat rays are in the works. At TEDxCanberra, ethicist Stephen Coleman explores the unexpected consequences of their introduction and asks some challenging questions.

TED: Neil Burgess: How your brain tells you where you are - Neil Burgess (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:58:59 +0000

How do you remember where you parked your car? How do you know if you're moving in the right direction? Neuroscientist Neil Burgess studies the neural mechanisms that map the space around us, and how they link to memory and imagination.

TED: Mike deGruy: Hooked by an octopus - Mike deGruy (2010)

TEDTalks — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 08:14:00 +0000

Underwater filmmaker Mike deGruy has spent decades looking intimately at the ocean. A consummate storyteller, he takes the stage at Mission Blue to share his awe and excitement -- and his fears -- about the blue heart of our planet.

TED: Danny Hillis: Back to the future (of 1994) - Danny Hillis (1994)

TEDTalks — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:06:37 +0000

From deep in the TED archive, Danny Hillis outlines an intriguing theory of how and why technological change seems to be accelerating, by linking it to the very evolution of life itself. The presentation techniques he uses may look dated, but the ideas are as relevant as ever.

TED: Erica Frenkel: The universal anesthesia machine - Erica Frenkel (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:28:27 +0000

What if you're in surgery and the power goes out? No lights, no oxygen -- and your anesthesia stops flowing. It happens constantly in hospitals throughout the world, turning routine procedures into tragedies. Erica Frenkel demos one solution: the universal anesthesia machine.

TED: Shawn Achor: The happy secret to better work - Shawn Achor (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:09:38 +0000

We believe that we should work to be happy, but could that be backwards? In this fast-moving and entertaining talk from TEDxBloomington, psychologist Shawn Achor argues that actually happiness inspires productivity.

TED: Bill Doyle: Treating cancer with electric fields - Bill Doyle (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:01:14 +0000

Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are the best-known methods for treating cancer. At TEDMED, Bill Doyle presents a new approach, called Tumor Treating Fields, which uses electric fields to interrupt cancer cell division. Still in its infancy -- and approved for only certain types of cancer -- the treatment comes with one big benefit: quality of life.

TED: Peter van Uhm: Why I chose a gun - Peter van Uhm (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:51:45 +0000

Peter van Uhm is the Netherlands’ chief of defense, but that does not mean he is pro-war. At TEDxAmsterdam he explains how his career is one shaped by a love of peace, not a desire for bloodshed -- and why we need armies if we want peace.

TED: Gayle Tzemach Lemmon: Women entrepreneurs, example not exception - Gayle Tzemach Lemmon (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:06:45 +0000

Women aren’t micro--so why do they only get micro-loans? At TEDxWomen reporter Gayle Tzemach Lemmon argues that women running all types of firms-- from home businesses to major factories-- are the overlooked key to economic development.

TED: Brian Goldman: Doctors make mistakes. Can we talk about that? - Brian Goldman (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:50:19 +0000

Every doctor makes mistakes. But, says physician Brian Goldman, medicine's culture of denial (and shame) keeps doctors from ever talking about those mistakes, or using them to learn and improve. Telling stories from his own long practice, he calls on doctors to start talking about being wrong.

TED: Diana Nyad: Extreme swimming with the world's most dangerous jellyfish - Diana Nyad (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:23:09 +0000

In the 1970s, Diana Nyad set long-distance swim records that are still unbroken. Thirty years later, at 60, she attempted her longest swim yet, from Cuba to Florida. In this funny, powerful talk at TEDMED, she talks about how to prepare mentally to achieve an extreme dream, and asks: What will YOU do with your wild, precious life?

TED: Lisa Harouni: A primer on 3D printing - Lisa Harouni (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:17:50 +0000

2012 may be the year of 3D printing, when this three-decade-old technology finally becomes accessible and even commonplace. Lisa Harouni gives a useful introduction to this fascinating way of making things -- including intricate objects once impossible to create.

TED: Sheena Iyengar: How to make choosing easier - Sheena Iyengar (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:46:06 +0000

We all want customized experiences and products -- but when faced with 700 options, consumers freeze up. With fascinating new research, Sheena Iyengar demonstrates how businesses (and others) can improve the experience of choosing.

TED: Clay Shirky: Why SOPA is a bad idea - Clay Shirky (2012)

TEDTalks — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:47:31 +0000

What does a bill like PIPA/SOPA mean to our shareable world? At the TED offices, Clay Shirky delivers a proper manifesto -- a call to defend our freedom to create, discuss, link and share, rather than passively consume.

TED: Mikko Hypponen: Three types of online attack - Mikko Hypponen (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:54:24 +0000

Cybercrime expert Mikko Hypponen talks us through three types of online attack on our privacy and data -- and only two are considered crimes. "Do we blindly trust any future government? Because any right we give away, we give away for good."

TED: Alain de Botton: Atheism 2.0 - Alain de Botton (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:05:04 +0000

What aspects of religion should atheists (respectfully) adopt? Alain de Botton suggests a "religion for atheists" -- call it Atheism 2.0 -- that incorporates religious forms and traditions to satisfy our human need for connection, ritual and transcendence.

TED: Sonaar Luthra: Meet the Water Canary - Sonaar Luthra (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:33:25 +0000

After a crisis, how can we tell if water is safe to drink? Current tests are slow and complex, and the delay can be deadly, as in the cholera outbreak after Haiti's earthquake in 2010. TED Fellow Sonaar Luthra previews his design for a simple tool that quickly tests water for safety -- the Water Canary.

TED: Morley sings "Women of Hope" - Morley (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:11:53 +0000

Inspired by Aung San Suu Kyi’s call to action, “If you’re feeling helpless, help someone,” Morley composed this song. She sings it at TEDxWomen in her gorgeous, warm voice.

TED: Drew Berry: Animations of unseeable biology - Drew Berry (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:51:26 +0000

We have no ways to directly observe molecules and what they do -- Drew Berry wants to change that. At TEDxSydney he shows his scientifically accurate (and entertaining!) animations that help researchers see unseeable processes within our own cells.

TED: Jonas Gahr Støre: In defense of dialogue - Jonas Gahr Støre (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:18:23 +0000

In politics, it seems counterintuitive to engage in dialogue with violent groups, with radicals and terrorists, and with the states that support them. But Jonas Gahr Støre, the foreign minister of Norway, makes a compelling case for open discussion, even when values diverge, in an attempt to build greater security for all.

TED: Award-winning teen-age science in action - Lauren Hodge / Shree Bose / Naomi Shah (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:10:16 +0000

In 2011 three young women swept the top prizes of the first Google Science Fair. At TEDxWomen Lauren Hodge, Shree Bose and Naomi Shah described their extraordinary projects-- and their route to a passion for science.

TED: Sebastian Wernicke: 1000 TEDTalks, 6 words - Sebastian Wernicke (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:30:34 +0000

Sebastian Wernicke thinks every TEDTalk can be summarized in six words. At TEDxZurich, he shows how to do just that -- and less.

TED: Paddy Ashdown: The global power shift - Paddy Ashdown (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:04:54 +0000

Paddy Ashdown claims that we are living in a moment in history where power is changing in ways it never has before. In a spellbinding talk at TEDxBrussels he outlines the three major global shifts that he sees coming.

TED: Jane Fonda: Life's third act - Jane Fonda (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:18:58 +0000

Within this generation, an extra 30 years have been added to our life expectancy -- and these years aren’t just a footnote or a pathology. At TEDxWomen, Jane Fonda asks how we can think about this new phase of our lives.

TED: A.J. Jacobs: How healthy living nearly killed me - A.J. Jacobs (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:20:02 +0000

For a full year, A.J. Jacobs followed every piece of health advice he could -- from applying sunscreen by the shot glass to wearing a bicycle helmet while shopping. Onstage at TEDMED, he shares the surprising things he learned.

TED: Alberto Cairo: There are no scraps of men - Alberto Cairo (2011)

TEDTalks — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 15:02:17 +0000

Alberto Cairo's clinics in Afghanistan used to close down during active fighting. Now, they stay open. At TEDxRC2 (the RC stands for Red Cross/Red Crescent), Cairo tells the powerful story of why -- and how he found humanity and dignity in the midst of war.

TED: Karen Tse: How to stop torture - Karen Tse (2011)

TEDTalks — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:57:15 +0000

Political prisoners aren't the only ones being tortured -- the vast majority of judicial torture happens in ordinary cases, even in 'functioning' legal systems. Social activist Karen Tse shows how we can, and should, stand up and end the use of routine torture.

TED: Daniel Goldstein: The battle between your present and future self - Daniel Goldstein (2011)

TEDTalks — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:33:51 +0000

Every day, we make decisions that have good or bad consequences for our future selves. (Can I skip flossing just this one time?) Daniel Goldstein makes tools that help us imagine ourselves over time, so that we make smart choices for Future Us.

TED: Sheila Nirenberg: A prosthetic eye to treat blindness - Sheila Nirenberg (2011)

TEDTalks — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:08:37 +0000

At TEDMED, Sheila Nirenberg shows a bold way to create sight in people with certain kinds of blindness: by hooking into the optic nerve and sending signals from a camera direct to the brain.

TED: Antonio Damasio: The quest to understand consciousness - Antonio Damasio (2011)

TEDTalks — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:02:38 +0000

Every morning we wake up and regain consciousness -- that is a marvelous fact -- but what exactly is it that we regain? Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio uses this simple question to give us a glimpse into how our brains create our sense of self.