TEDTalks (video)

Mitchell Joachim: Don't build your home, grow it! - Mitchell Joachim (2010)

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 09:34:00 -0500

TED Fellow and urban designer Mitchell Joachim presents his vision for sustainable, organic architecture: eco-friendly abodes grown from plants and -- wait for it -- meat.

Carter Emmart demos a 3D atlas of the universe - Carter Emmart (2010)

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 09:05:00 -0500

For the last 12 years, Carter Emmart has been coordinating the efforts of scientists, artists and programmers to build a complete 3D visualization of our known universe. He demos this stunning tour and explains how it's being shared with facilities around the world.

Stephen Palumbi: Following the mercury trail - Stephen Palumbi (2010)

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 09:11:00 -0500

There's a tight and surprising link between the ocean's health and ours, says marine biologist Stephen Palumbi. He shows how toxins at the bottom of the ocean food chain find their way into our bodies, with a shocking story of toxic contamination from a Japanese fish market. His work points a way forward for saving the oceans' health -- and humanity's.

Ellen Dunham-Jones: Retrofitting suburbia - Ellen Dunham-Jones (2010)

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 09:24:00 -0500

Ellen Dunham-Jones fires the starting shot for the next 50 years' big sustainable design project: retrofitting suburbia. To come: Dying malls rehabilitated, dead "big box" stores re-inhabited, parking lots transformed into thriving wetlands.

Clay Shirky: How cognitive surplus will change the world - Clay Shirky (2010)

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 09:04:00 -0500

Clay Shirky looks at "cognitive surplus" -- the shared, online work we do with our spare brain cycles. While we're busy editing Wikipedia, posting to Ushahidi (and yes, making LOLcats), we're building a better, more cooperative world.

Hillel Cooperman: Legos for grownups - Hillel Cooperman (2010)

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 08:51:00 -0500

Lego blocks: playtime mainstay for industrious kids, obsession for many (ahem!) mature adults. Hillel Cooperman takes us on a trip through the beloved bricks' colorful, sometimes oddball grownup subculture, featuring CAD, open-source robotics and a little adult behavior.

Aditi Shankardass: A second opinion on learning disorders - Aditi Shankardass (2009)

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 08:49:00 -0500

Developmental disorders in children are typically diagnosed by observing behavior, but Aditi Shankardass knew that we should be looking directly at their brains. She explains how a remarkable EEG device has revealed mistaken diagnoses and transformed children's lives.

Charles Leadbeater: Education innovation in the slums - Charles Leadbeater (2010)

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 08:48:00 -0500

Charles Leadbeater went looking for radical new forms of education -- and found them in the slums of Rio and Kibera, where some of the world's poorest kids are finding transformative new ways to learn. And this informal, disruptive new kind of school, he says, is what all schools need to become.

Marian Bantjes: Intricate beauty by design - Marian Bantjes (2010)

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 09:15:00 -0500

In graphic design, Marian Bantjes says, throwing your individuality into a project is heresy. She explains how she built her career doing just that, bringing her signature delicate illustrations to storefronts, valentines and even genetic diagrams.

Chip Conley: Measuring what makes life worthwhile - Chip Conley (2010)

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 08:29:00 -0500

When the dotcom bubble burst, hotelier Chip Conley went in search of a business model based on happiness. In an old friendship with an employee and in the wisdom of a Buddhist king, he learned that success comes from what you count.

Ananda Shankar Jayant fights cancer with dance - Ananda Shankar Jayant (2009)

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 09:00:00 -0500

Renowned classical Indian dancer Ananda Shankar Jayant was diagnosed with cancer in 2008. She tells her personal story of not only facing the disease but dancing through it, and gives a performance revealing the metaphor of strength that helped her do it.

Cameron Herold: Let's raise kids to be entrepreneurs - Cameron Herold (2010)

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 09:19:00 -0500

Bored in school, failing classes, at odds with peers: This child might be an entrepreneur, says Cameron Herold. At TEDxEdmonton, he makes the case for parenting and education that helps would-be entrepreneurs flourish -- as kids and as adults.

Peter Tyack: The intriguing sound of marine mammals - Peter Tyack (2010)

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 08:53:00 -0500

Peter Tyack of Woods Hole talks about a hidden wonder of the sea: underwater sound. Onstage at Mission Blue, he explains the amazing ways whales use sound and song to communicate across hundreds of miles of ocean.

Margaret Gould Stewart: How YouTube thinks about copyright - Margaret Gould Stewart (2010)

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 08:40:00 -0500

Margaret Gould Stewart, YouTube's head of user experience, talks about how the ubiquitous video site works with copyright holders and creators to foster (at the best of times) a creative ecosystem where everybody wins.

Michael Shermer: The pattern behind self-deception - Michael Shermer (2010)

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 09:23:00 -0500

Michael Shermer says the human tendency to believe strange things -- from alien abductions to dowsing rods -- boils down to two of the brain's most basic, hard-wired survival skills. He explains what they are, and how they get us into trouble.

David Byrne: How architecture helped music evolve - David Byrne (2010)

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 09:14:00 -0500

As his career grew, David Byrne went from playing CBGB to Carnegie Hall. He asks: Does the venue make the music? From outdoor drumming to Wagnerian operas to arena rock, he explores how context has pushed musical innovation.

Debate: Does the world need nuclear energy? - Mark Z. Jacobson / Stewart Brand (2010)

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 09:25:00 -0500

Nuclear power: the energy crisis has even die-hard environmentalists reconsidering it. In this first-ever TED debate, Stewart Brand and Mark Z. Jacobson square off over the pros and cons. A discussion that'll make you think -- and might even change your mind.

Rory Sutherland: Sweat the small stuff - Rory Sutherland (2010)

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 09:05:00 -0500

It may seem that big problems require big solutions, but ad man Rory Sutherland says many flashy, expensive fixes are just obscuring better, simpler answers. To illustrate, he uses behavioral economics and hilarious examples.

John Kasaona: How poachers became caretakers - John Kasaona (2010)

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 08:48:00 -0500

In his home of Namibia, John Kasaona is working on an innovative way to protect endangered animal species: giving nearby villagers (including former poachers) responsibility for caring for the animals. And it's working.

Michael Sandel: The lost art of democratic debate - Michael Sandel (2010)

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 09:01:00 -0500

Democracy thrives on civil debate, Michael Sandel says -- but we're shamefully out of practice. He leads a fun refresher, with TEDsters sparring over a recent Supreme Court case (PGA Tour, Inc. v. Martin) whose outcome reveals the critical ingredient in justice.

Adam Sadowsky engineers a viral music video - Adam Sadowsky (2010)

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 09:12:00 -0500

The band "OK Go" dreamed up the idea of a massive Rube Goldberg machine for their next music video -- and Adam Sadowsky's team was charged with building it. He tells the story of the effort and engineering behind their labyrinthine creation that quickly became a YouTube sensation.

Brian Cox: Why we need the explorers - Brian Cox (2010)

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 09:25:00 -0500

In tough economic times, our exploratory science programs -- from space probes to the LHC -- are first to suffer budget cuts. Brian Cox explains how curiosity-driven science pays for itself, powering innovation and a profound appreciation of our existence.

Christopher "moot" Poole: The case for anonymity online - Christopher "moot" Poole (2010)

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 08:29:00 -0500

The founder of 4chan, a controversial, uncensored online imageboard, describes its subculture, some of the Internet "memes" it has launched, and the incident in which its users managed a very public, precision hack of a mainstream media website. The talk raises questions about the power -- and price -- of anonymity.

Brian Skerry reveals ocean's glory -- and horror - Brian Skerry (2010)

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 21:36:00 -0500

Photographer Brian Skerry shoots life above and below the waves -- as he puts it, both the horror and the magic of the ocean. Sharing amazing, intimate shots of undersea creatures, he shows how powerful images can help make change.

John Underkoffler points to the future of UI - John Underkoffler (2010)

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 08:40:00 -0500

Minority Report science adviser and inventor John Underkoffler demos g-speak -- the real-life version of the film's eye-popping, tai chi-meets-cyberspace computer interface. Is this how tomorrow's computers will be controlled?

Lawrence Lessig: Re-examining the remix - Larry Lessig (2010)

Mon, 31 May 2010 11:13:00 -0500

At TEDxNYED, former "young Republican" Larry Lessig talks about what Democrats can learn about copyright from their opposite party, considered more conservative. A surprising lens on remix culture.

Sophie Hunger plays songs of secrets, city lights - Sophie Hunger (2009)

Fri, 28 May 2010 09:21:00 -0500

This haunting, intimate performance by European singer-songwriter Sophie Hunger features songs from her breakout debut "Monday's Ghost" and the just-released album "1983."

Seth Berkley: HIV and flu -- the vaccine strategy - Seth Berkley (2010)

Thu, 27 May 2010 09:32:00 -0500

Seth Berkley explains how smart advances in vaccine design, production and distribution are bringing us closer than ever to eliminating a host of global threats -- from AIDS to malaria to flu pandemics.

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy: Inside a school for suicide bombers - Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (2010)

Wed, 26 May 2010 09:26:00 -0500

Filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy takes on a terrifying question: How does the Taliban convince children to become suicide bombers? Propaganda footage from a training camp is intercut with her interviews of young camp graduates. A shocking vision.

Johanna Blakley: Lessons from fashion's free culture - Johanna Blakley (2010)

Tue, 25 May 2010 07:53:00 -0500

Copyright law's grip on film, music and software barely touches the fashion industry ... and fashion benefits in both innovation and sales, says Johanna Blakley. At TEDxUSC 2010, she talks about what all creative industries can learn from fashion's free culture.

Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution! - Ken Robinson (2010)

Mon, 24 May 2010 09:06:00 -0500

In this poignant, funny follow-up to his fabled 2006 talk, Sir Ken Robinson makes the case for a radical shift from standardized schools to personalized learning -- creating conditions where kids' natural talents can flourish.

Craig Venter unveils "synthetic life" - Craig Venter (2010)

Fri, 21 May 2010 09:13:00 -0500

Craig Venter and team make a historic announcement: they've created the first fully functioning, reproducing cell controlled by synthetic DNA. He explains how they did it and why the achievement marks the beginning of a new era for science.

Richard Sears: Planning for the end of oil - Richard Sears (2010)

Thu, 20 May 2010 10:53:00 -0500

As the world's attention focuses on the perils of oil exploration, we present Richard Sears' talk from early February 2010. Sears, an expert in developing new energy resources, talks about our inevitable and necessary move away from oil. Toward ... what?

Dee Boersma: Pay attention to penguins - Dee Boersma (2010)

Wed, 19 May 2010 08:46:00 -0500

Think of penguins as ocean sentinels, says Dee Boersma -- they're on the frontlines of sea change. Sharing stories of penguin life and culture, she suggests that we start listening to what penguins are telling us.

Graham Hill: Why I'm a weekday vegetarian - Graham Hill (2010)

Tue, 18 May 2010 07:45:00 -0500

We all know the arguments that being vegetarian is better for the environment and for the animals -- but in a carnivorous culture, it can be hard to make the change. Graham Hill has a powerful, pragmatic suggestion: Be a weekday veg.

William Li: Can we eat to starve cancer? - William Li (2010)

Mon, 17 May 2010 08:29:00 -0500

William Li presents a new way to think about treating cancer and other diseases: anti-angiogenesis, preventing the growth of blood vessels that feed a tumor. The crucial first (and best) step: Eating cancer-fighting foods that cut off the supply lines and beat cancer at its own game.

Julia Sweeney has "The Talk" - Julia Sweeney (2010)

Fri, 14 May 2010 09:00:00 -0500

Despite her best efforts, comedian Julia Sweeney is forced to tell a little white lie when her 8-year-old begins learning about frog reproduction -- and starts to ask some very smart questions.

Dan Meyer: Math class needs a makeover - Dan Meyer (2010)

Thu, 13 May 2010 08:23:00 -0500

Today's math curriculum is teaching students to expect -- and excel at -- paint-by-numbers classwork, robbing kids of a skill more important than solving problems: formulating them. At TEDxNYED, Dan Meyer shows classroom-tested math exercises that prompt students to stop and think.

Enric Sala: Glimpses of a pristine ocean - Enric Sala (2010)

Wed, 12 May 2010 08:52:00 -0500

Enric Sala shares glorious images -- and surprising insights and data -- from some of the most pristine areas of the ocean. He shows how we can restore more of our oceans to this healthy, balanced state, and the powerful ecological and economic benefits of doing so.

Nathan Myhrvold: Could this laser zap malaria? - Nathan Myhrvold (2010)

Tue, 11 May 2010 09:09:00 -0500

Nathan Myhrvold and team's latest inventions -- as brilliant as they are bold -- remind us that the world needs wild creativity to tackle big problems like malaria. And just as that idea sinks in, he rolls out a live demo of a new, mosquito-zapping gizmo you have to see to believe.

Nicholas Christakis: The hidden influence of social networks - Nicholas Christakis (2010)

Mon, 10 May 2010 09:24:00 -0500

We're all embedded in vast social networks of friends, family, co-workers and more. Nicholas Christakis tracks how a wide variety of traits -- from happiness to obesity -- can spread from person to person, showing how your location in the network might impact your life in ways you don't even know.

Anil Gupta: India's hidden hotbeds of invention - Anil Gupta (2009)

Thu, 06 May 2010 09:20:00 -0500

Anil Gupta is on the hunt for the developing world's unsung inventors -- indigenous entrepreneurs whose ingenuity, hidden by poverty, could change many people's lives. He shows how the Honey Bee Network helps them build the connections they need -- and gain the recognition they deserve.

Jeremy Jackson: How we wrecked the ocean - Jeremy Jackson (2010)

Wed, 05 May 2010 08:28:00 -0500

In this bracing talk, coral reef ecologist Jeremy Jackson lays out the shocking state of the ocean today: overfished, overheated, polluted, with indicators that things will get much worse. Astonishing photos and stats make the case.

Thomas Dolby: "Love Is a Loaded Pistol" - Thomas Dolby (2010)

Fri, 07 May 2010 07:19:00 -0500

For his first studio album release in decades, musical innovator Thomas Dolby has been composing music in the uniquely inspirational setting of a restored life-boat. Here he premieres a gorgeous, evocative song from that album -- about one night with a legend. He's backed by members of the modern string quartet Ethel.

Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action - Simon Sinek (2009)

Tue, 04 May 2010 09:31:00 -0500

Simon Sinek has a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership all starting with a golden circle and the question "Why?" His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King, and the Wright brothers -- and as a counterpoint Tivo, which (until a recent court victory that tripled its stock price) appeared to be struggling.

Esther Duflo: Social experiments to fight poverty - Esther Duflo (2010)

Mon, 03 May 2010 09:19:00 -0500

Alleviating poverty is more guesswork than science, and lack of data on aid's impact raises questions about how to provide it. But Clark Medal-winner Esther Duflo says it's possible to know which development efforts help and which hurt -- by testing solutions with randomized trials.

Lies, damned lies and statistics (about TEDTalks) - Sebastian Wernicke (2010)

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 08:59:00 -0500

In a brilliantly tongue-in-cheek analysis, Sebastian Wernicke turns the tools of statistical analysis on TEDTalks, to come up with a metric for creating "the optimum TEDTalk" based on user ratings. How do you rate it? "Jaw-dropping"? "Unconvincing"? Or just plain "Funny"?

George Whitesides: Toward a science of simplicity - George Whitesides (2010)

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:34:00 -0500

Simplicity: We know it when we see it -- but what is it, exactly? In this funny, philosophical talk, George Whitesides chisels out an answer.

Roz Savage: Why I'm rowing across the Pacific - Roz Savage (2010)

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 08:09:00 -0500

Five years ago, Roz Savage quit her high-powered London job to become an ocean rower. She's crossed the Atlantic solo, and just started the third leg of a Pacific solo row, the first for a woman. Why does she do it? Hear her reasons, both deeply personal and urgently activist.

Stephen Wolfram: Computing a theory of everything - Stephen Wolfram (2010)

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 08:30:00 -0500

Stephen Wolfram, creator of Mathematica, talks about his quest to make all knowledge computational -- able to be searched, processed and manipulated. His new search engine, Wolfram Alpha, has no lesser goal than to model and explain the physics underlying the universe.

Kavita Ramdas: Radical women, embracing tradition - Kavita Ramdas (2009)

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:05:00 -0500

Investing in women can unlock infinite potential around the globe. But how can women walk the line between Western-style empowerment and traditional culture? Kavita Ramdas of the Global Fund for Women talks about three encounters with powerful women who fight to make the world better -- while preserving the traditions that sustain them.

Omar Ahmad: Political change with pen and paper - Omar Ahmad (2010)

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 08:24:00 -0500

Politicians are strange creatures, says politician Omar Ahmad. And the best way to engage them on your pet issue is a monthly handwritten letter. Ahmad shows why old-fashioned correspondence is more effective than email, phone or even writing a check -- and shares the four simple steps to writing a letter that works.

Tom Wujec: Build a tower, build a team - Tom Wujec (2010)

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 08:53:00 -0500

Tom Wujec presents some surprisingly deep research into the "marshmallow problem" -- a simple team-building exercise that involves dry spaghetti, one yard of tape and a marshmallow. Who can build the tallest tower with these ingredients? And why does a surprising group always beat the average?

Frederick Balagadde: Bio-lab on a microchip - Frederick Balagadde (2010)

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 09:05:00 -0500

Drugs alone can't stop disease in sub-Saharan Africa: We need diagnostic tools to match. TED Senior Fellow Frederick Balagadde shows how we can multiply the power and availability of an unwieldy, expensive diagnostic lab -- by miniaturizing it to the size of a chip.

James Randi's fiery takedown of psychic fraud - James Randi (2007)

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 15:28:00 -0500

Legendary skeptic James Randi takes a fatal dose of homeopathic sleeping pills onstage, kicking off a searing 18-minute indictment of irrational beliefs. He throws out a challenge to the world's psychics: Prove what you do is real, and I'll give you a million dollars. (No takers yet.)

Edith Widder: Glowing life in an underwater world - Edith Widder (2010)

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 08:30:00 -0500

Some 80 to 90 percent of undersea creatures make light -- and we know very little about how or why. Bioluminescence expert Edith Widder explores this glowing, sparkling, luminous world, sharing glorious images and insight into the unseen depths (and brights) of the ocean.

Thelma Golden: How art gives shape to cultural change - Thelma Golden (2009)

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 08:37:00 -0500

Thelma Golden, curator at the Studio Museum in Harlem, talks through three recent shows that explore how art examines and redefines culture. The "post-black" artists she works with are using their art to provoke a new dialogue about race and culture -- and about the meaning of art itself.

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

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:14:00 -0500

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.

Catherine Mohr builds green - Catherine Mohr (2010)

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 08:45:00 -0500

In a short, funny, data-packed talk at TED U, Catherine Mohr walks through all the geeky decisions she made when building a green new house -- looking at real energy numbers, not hype. What choices matter most? Not the ones you think.

Jonathan Klein: Photos that changed the world - Jonathan Klein (2010)

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 09:32:00 -0500

Photographs do more than document history -- they make it. At TED University, Jonathan Klein of Getty Images shows some of the most iconic, and talks about what happens when a generation sees an image so powerful it can't look away -- or back.

Michael Specter: The danger of science denial - Michael Specter (2010)

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:38:00 -0500

Vaccine-autism claims, "Frankenfood" bans, the herbal cure craze: All point to the public's growing fear (and, often, outright denial) of science and reason, says Michael Specter. He warns the trend spells disaster for human progress.

Natalie Merchant sings old poems to life - Natalie Merchant (2010)

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 09:52:00 -0500

Natalie Merchant sings from her new album, Leave Your Sleep. Lyrics from near-forgotten 19th-century poetry pair with her unmistakable voice for a performance that brought the TED audience to its feet.

Jonathan Drori: Every pollen grain has a story - Jonathan Drori (2010)

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 08:57:00 -0500

Pollen goes unnoticed by most of us, except when hay fever strikes. But microscopes reveal it comes in stunning colors and shapes -- and travels remarkably well. Jonathan Drori gives an up-close glimpse of these fascinating flecks of plant courtship.

Dennis Hong: My seven species of robot - Dennis Hong (2009)

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 12:16:00 -0500

At TEDxNASA, Dennis Hong introduces seven award-winnning, all-terrain robots -- like the humanoid, soccer-playing DARwIn and the cliff-gripping CLIMBeR -- all built by his team at RoMeLa, Virginia Tech. Watch to the end to hear the five creative secrets to his lab's incredible technical success.

Dean Kamen: The emotion behind invention - Dean Kamen (2009)

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 08:41:00 -0500

Soldiers who've lost limbs in service face a daily struggle unimaginable to most of us. At TEDMED, Dean Kamen talks about the profound people and stories that motivated his work to give parts of their lives back with his design for a remarkable prosthetic arm.

Elizabeth Pisani: Sex, drugs and HIV -- let's get rational - Elizabeth Pisani (2010)

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 09:16:00 -0500

Armed with bracing logic, wit and her "public-health nerd" glasses, Elizabeth Pisani reveals the myriad of inconsistencies in today's political systems that prevent our dollars from effectively fighting the spread of HIV. Her research with at-risk populations -- from junkies in prison to sex workers on the street in Cambodia -- demonstrates the sometimes counter-intuitive measures that could stall the spread of this devastating disease.

Adora Svitak: What adults can learn from kids - Adora Svitak (2010)

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:17:00 -0500

Child prodigy Adora Svitak says the world needs "childish" thinking: bold ideas, wild creativity and especially optimism. Kids' big dreams deserve high expectations, she says, starting with grownups' willingness to learn from children as much as to teach.

Derek Sivers: How to start a movement - Derek Sivers (2010)

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 06:54:00 -0500

With help from some surprising footage, Derek Sivers explains how movements really get started. (Hint: it takes two.)

Kirk Citron: And now, the real news - Kirk Citron (2010)

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 02:00:00 -0500

How many of today's headlines will matter in 100 years? 1000? Kirk Citron's "Long News" project collects stories that not only matter today, but will resonate for decades -- even centuries -- to come. At TED2010, he highlights recent headlines with the potential to shape our future.

Shukla Bose: Teaching one child at a time - Shukla Bose (2009)

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:25:00 -0500

Educating the poor is more than just a numbers game, says Shukla Bose. She tells the story of her groundbreaking Parikrma Humanity Foundation, which brings hope to India's slums by looking past the daunting statistics and focusing on treating each child as an individual.

Kevin Bales: How to combat modern slavery - Kevin Bales (2010)

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 09:10:00 -0500

In this moving yet pragmatic talk, Kevin Bales explains the business of modern slavery, a multibillion-dollar economy that underpins some of the worst industries on earth. He shares stats and personal stories from his on-the-ground research -- and names the price of freeing every slave on earth right now.

Robert Gupta: Music is medicine, music is sanity - Robert Gupta (2010)

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 08:54:00 -0500

Robert Gupta, violinist with the LA Philharmonic, talks about a violin lesson he once gave to a brilliant, schizophrenic musician -- and what he learned. Called back onstage later, Gupta plays his own transcription of the prelude from Bach's Cello Suite No. 1.

Joel Levine: Why we need to go back to Mars - Joel Levine (2009)

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 08:59:00 -0500

At TEDxNASA, planetary scientist Joel Levine shows some intriguing -- and puzzling -- new discoveries about Mars: craters full of ice, traces of ancient oceans, and compelling hints at the presence, sometime in the past, of life. He makes the case for going back to Mars to find out more.

Alan Siegel: Let's simplify legal jargon! - Alan Siegel (2010)

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 09:09:00 -0500

Tax forms, credit agreements, healthcare legislation: They're crammed with gobbledygook, says Alan Siegel, and incomprehensibly long. He calls for a simple, sensible redesign -- and plain English -- to make legal paperwork intelligible to the rest of us.

Juliana Machado Ferreira: The fight to end rare-animal trafficking in Brazil - Juliana Machado Ferreira (2010)

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 11:01:00 -0500

Biologist Juliana Machado Ferreira, a TED Senior Fellow, talks about her work helping to save birds and other animals stolen from the wild in Brazil. Once these animals are seized from smugglers, she asks, then what?

Sam Harris: Science can answer moral questions - Sam Harris (2010)

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 09:13:00 -0500

Questions of good and evil, right and wrong are commonly thought unanswerable by science. But Sam Harris argues that science can -- and should -- be an authority on moral issues, shaping human values and setting out what constitutes a good life.

Shekhar Kapur: We are the stories we tell ourselves - Shekhar Kapur (2009)

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:33:00 -0500

Where does creative inspiration spring from? At TEDIndia, Hollywood/Bollywood director Shekhar Kapur ("Elizabeth," "Mr. India") pinpoints his source of creativity: sheer, utter panic. He shares a powerful way to unleash your inner storyteller.

Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world - Jane McGonigal (2010)

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:01:00 -0500

Games like World of Warcraft give players the means to save worlds, and incentive to learn the habits of heroes. What if we could harness this gamer power to solve real-world problems? Jane McGonigal says we can, and explains how.

Eric Dishman: Take health care off the mainframe - Eric Dishman (2009)

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:04:00 -0500

At TEDMED, Eric Dishman makes a bold argument: The US health care system is like computing circa 1959, tethered to big, unwieldy central systems: hospitals, doctors, nursing homes. As our aging population booms, it's imperative, he says, to create personal, networked, home-based health care for all.

Mark Roth: Suspended animation is within our grasp - Mark Roth (2010)

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:00:00 -0500

Mark Roth studies suspended animation: the art of shutting down life processes and then starting them up again. It's wild stuff, but it's not science fiction. Induced by careful use of an otherwise toxic gas, suspended animation can potentially help trauma and heart attack victims survive long enough to be treated.

Eric Mead: The magic of the placebo - Eric Mead (2009)

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:01:00 -0600

Sugar pills, injections of nothing -- studies show that, more often than you'd expect, placebos really work. At TEDMED, magician Eric Mead does a trick to prove that, even when you know something's not real, you can still react as powerfully as if it is. (Warning: This talk is not suitable for viewers who are disturbed by needles or blood.)

Ken Kamler: Medical miracle on Everest - Ken Kamler (2009)

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 06:47:00 -0500

When the worst disaster in the history of Mount Everest climbs occurred, Ken Kamler was the only doctor on the mountain. At TEDMED, he shares the incredible story of the climbers' battle against extreme conditions and uses brain imaging technology to map the medical miracle of one man who survived roughly 36 hours buried in the snow.

Dan Barber: How I fell in love with a fish - Dan Barber (2010)

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:00:00 -0600

Chef Dan Barber squares off with a dilemma facing many chefs today: how to keep fish on the menu. With impeccable research and deadpan humor, he chronicles his pursuit of a sustainable fish he could love, and the foodie's honeymoon he's enjoyed since discovering an outrageously delicious fish raised using a revolutionary farming method in Spain.

Gary Lauder's new traffic sign: Take Turns - Gary Lauder (2010)

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:39:00 -0600

Fifty percent of traffic accidents happen at intersections. Gary Lauder shares a brilliant and cheap idea for helping drivers move along smoothly: a new traffic sign that combines the properties of "Stop" and "Yield" -- and asks drivers to be polite.

Tim Berners-Lee: The year open data went worldwide - Tim Berners-Lee (2010)

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:27:00 -0600

At TED2009, Tim Berners-Lee called for "raw data now" -- for governments, scientists and institutions to make their data openly available on the web. At TED University in 2010, he shows a few of the interesting results when the data gets linked up.

The LXD: In the Internet age, dance evolves ... - The LXD (2010)

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:00:00 -0600

The LXD (the Legion of Extraordinary Dancers) electrify the TED2010 stage with an emerging global street-dance culture, revved up by the Internet. In a preview of Jon Chu’s upcoming Web series, this astonishing troupe show off their superpowers.

James Cameron: Before Avatar ... a curious boy - James Cameron (2010)

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:10:00 -0600

James Cameron's big-budget (and even bigger-grossing) films create unreal worlds all their own. In this personal talk, he reveals his childhood fascination with the fantastic -- from reading science fiction to deep-sea diving -- and how it ultimately drove the success of his blockbuster hits "Aliens," "The Terminator," "Titanic" and "Avatar."

Gary Flake: is Pivot a turning point for web exploration? - Gary Flake (2010)

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 01:00:00 -0600

Gary Flake demos Pivot, a new way to browse and arrange massive amounts of images and data online. Built on breakthrough Seadragon technology, it enables spectacular zooms in and out of web databases, and the discovery of patterns and links invisible in standard web browsing.

Harsha Bhogle: The rise of cricket, the rise of India - Harsha Bhogle (2009)

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:00:00 -0600

The tale of a major global cultural phenomenon: Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle describes the spectacular arrival of fast-paced 20-20 cricket as it parallels the rise of modern India. He traces the game from its sleepy English roots to the current world of celebrity owners and million-dollar player contracts.

Daniel Kahneman: The riddle of experience vs. memory - Daniel Kahneman (2010)

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 09:05:00 -0600

Using examples from vacations to colonoscopies, Nobel laureate and founder of behavioral economics Daniel Kahneman reveals how our "experiencing selves" and our "remembering selves" perceive happiness differently. This new insight has profound implications for economics, public policy -- and our own self-awareness.

Raghava KK: Five lives of an artist - Raghava KK (2010)

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:11:00 -0600

With endearing honesty and vulnerability, Raghava KK tells the colorful tale of how art has taken his life to new places, and how life experiences in turn have driven his multiple reincarnations as an artist -- from cartoonist to painter, media darling to social outcast, and son to father.

Pawan Sinha on how brains learn to see - Pawan Sinha (2009)

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:40:00 -0600

Pawan Sinha details his groundbreaking research into how the brain's visual system develops. Sinha and his team provide free vision-restoring treatment to children born blind, and then study how their brains learn to interpret visual data. The work offers insights into neuroscience, engineering and even autism.

Temple Grandin: The world needs all kinds of minds - Temple Grandin (2010)

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 08:44:00 -0600

Temple Grandin, diagnosed with autism as a child, talks about how her mind works -- sharing her ability to "think in pictures," which helps her solve problems that neurotypical brains might miss. She makes the case that the world needs people on the autism spectrum: visual thinkers, pattern thinkers, verbal thinkers, and all kinds of smart geeky kids.

Eric Topol: The wireless future of medicine - Eric Topol (2009)

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:17:00 -0600

Eric Topol says we'll soon use our smartphones to monitor our vital signs and chronic conditions. At TEDMED, he highlights several of the most important wireless devices in medicine's future -- all helping to keep more of us out of hospital beds.

Philip K. Howard: Four ways to fix a broken legal system - Philip K. Howard (2010)

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 09:15:00 -0600

The land of the free has become a legal minefield, says Philip K. Howard -- especially for teachers and doctors, whose work has been paralyzed by fear of suits. What's the answer? A lawyer himself, Howard has four propositions for simplifying US law.

Kevin Kelly tells technology's epic story - Kevin Kelly (2009)

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:13:00 -0600

In this wide-ranging, thought-provoking talk from TEDxAmsterdam, Kevin Kelly muses on what technology means in our lives -- from its impact at the personal level to its place in the cosmos.

Aimee Mullins: The opportunity of adversity - Aimee Mullins (2009)

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:02:00 -0600

The thesaurus might equate "disabled" with synonyms like "useless" and "mutilated," but ground-breaking runner Aimee Mullins is out to redefine the word. Defying these associations, she shows how adversity -- in her case, being born without shinbones -- actually opens the door for human potential.

David Cameron: The next age of government - David Cameron (2010)

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:23:00 -0600

The leader of Britain's Conservative Party says we're entering a new era -- where governments themselves have less power (and less money) and people empowered by technology have more. Tapping into new ideas on behavioral economics, he explores how these trends could be turned into smarter policy.

Bill Gates on energy: Innovating to zero! - Bill Gates (2010)

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:00:00 -0600

At TED2010, Bill Gates unveils his vision for the world's energy future, describing the need for "miracles" to avoid planetary catastrophe and explaining why he's backing a dramatically different type of nuclear reactor. The necessary goal? Zero carbon emissions globally by 2050.

Blaise Aguera y Arcas demos augmented-reality maps - Blaise Aguera y Arcas (2010)

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 09:54:00 -0600

In a demo that drew gasps at TED2010, Blaise Aguera y Arcas demos new augmented-reality mapping technology from Microsoft.

Jamie Oliver's TED Prize wish: Teach every child about food - Jamie Oliver (2010)

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:36:00 -0600

Sharing powerful stories from his anti-obesity project in Huntington, W. Va., TED Prize winner Jamie Oliver makes the case for an all-out assault on our ignorance of food.

Peter Eigen: How to expose the corrupt - Peter Eigen (2009)

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:40:00 -0600

Some of the world's most baffling social problems, says Peter Eigen, can be traced to systematic, pervasive government corruption, hand-in-glove with global companies. At TEDxBerlin, Eigen describes the thrilling counter-attack led by his organization Transparency International.

Tom Shannon: The painter and the pendulum - Tom Shannon (2009)

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:08:00 -0600

TED visits Tom Shannon in his Manhattan studio for an intimate look at his science-inspired art. An eye-opening, personal conversation with John Hockenberry reveals how nature's forces -- and the onset of Parkinson's tremors -- interact in his life and craft.

David Agus: A new strategy in the war on cancer - David Agus (2009)

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 09:00:00 -0600

Traditionally, David Agus explains, cancer treatments have had a short-sighted focus on the offending individual cells. He suggests a new, cross-disciplinary approach, using atypical drugs, computer modeling and protein analysis to treat and analyze the whole body.

George Whitesides: A lab the size of a postage stamp - George Whitesides (2009)

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:01:00 -0600

Traditional lab tests for disease diagnosis can be too expensive and cumbersome for the regions most in need. George Whitesides' ingenious answer, at TEDxBoston, is a foolproof tool that can be manufactured at virtually zero cost.

Jamie Heywood: The big idea my brother inspired - Jamie Heywood (2009)

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:37:00 -0600

When Jamie Heywood's brother was diagnosed with ALS, he devoted his life to fighting the disease as well. The Heywood brothers built an ingenious website where people share and track data on their illnesses -- and they discovered that the collective data had enormous power to comfort, explain and predict.

Sendhil Mullainathan: Solving social problems with a nudge - Sendhil Mullainathan (2009)

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:44:00 -0600

MacArthur winner Sendhil Mullainathan uses the lens of behavioral economics to study a tricky set of social problems -- those we know how to solve, but don't. We know how to reduce child deaths due to diarrhea, how to prevent diabetes-related blindness and how to implement solar-cell technology ... yet somehow, we don't or can't. Why?

Derek Sivers: Weird, or just different? - Derek Sivers (2009)

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 08:54:00 -0600

"There's a flip side to everything," the saying goes, and in 2 minutes, Derek Sivers shows this is true in a few ways you might not expect.

Jane Chen: A warm embrace that saves lives - Jane Chen (2009)

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:07:00 -0600

In the developing world, access to incubators is limited by cost and distance, and millions of premature babies die each year. TED Fellow Jane Chen shows an invention that could keep millions of these infants warm -- a design that's safe, portable, low-cost and life-saving.

Eve Ensler: Embrace your inner girl - Eve Ensler (2009)

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:10:00 -0600

In this passionate talk, Eve Ensler declares that there is a girl cell in us all -- a cell that we have all been taught to suppress. She tells heartfelt stories of girls around the world who have overcome shocking adversity and violence to reveal the astonishing strength of being a girl.

Joshua Prince-Ramus: Building a theater that remakes itself - Joshua Prince-Ramus (2009)

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:47:00 -0600

Joshua Prince-Ramus believes that if architects re-engineer their design process, the results can be spectacular. Speaking at TEDxSMU, Dallas, he walks us through his fantastic re-creation of the local Wyly Theater as a giant "theatrical machine" that reconfigures itself at the touch of a button.

Bill Davenhall: Your health depends on where you live - Bill Davenhall (2009)

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:30:00 -0600

Where you live: It impacts your health as much as diet and genes do, but it's not part of your medical records. At TEDMED, Bill Davenhall shows how overlooked government geo-data (from local heart-attack rates to toxic dumpsite info) can mesh with mobile GPS apps to keep doctors in the loop. Call it "geo-medicine."