TED Talks
Season 2015
TV-PG
Series of talks about technology, entertainment, and design.
Where to Watch TED Talks • Season 2015
221 Episodes
- Asha de Vos: Why you should care about whale poo
E1Asha de Vos: Why you should care about whale pooWhales have a surprising and important job, says marine biologist Asha de Vos: these massive creatures are ecosystem engineers, keeping the oceans healthy and stable by ... well, by pooping, for a start. Learn from de Vos, a TED Fellow, about the undervalued work that whales do to help maintain the stability and health of our seas — and our planet. - Aziz Abu Sarah: For more tolerance, we need more ... tourism?
E3Aziz Abu Sarah: For more tolerance, we need more ... tourism?Aziz Abu Sarah is a Palestinian activist with an unusual approach to peace-keeping: Be a tourist. The TED Fellow shows how simple interactions with people in different cultures can erode decades of hate. He starts with Palestinians visiting Israelis and moves beyond ... - Fredy Peccerelli: A forensic anthropologist who brings closure for the "disappeared"
E4Fredy Peccerelli: A forensic anthropologist who brings closure for the "disappeared"In Guatemala’s 36-year conflict, 200,000 civilians were killed — and more than 40,000 were never identified. Pioneering forensic anthropologist Fredy Peccerelli and his team use DNA, archeology and storytelling to help families find the bodies of their loved ones. It’s a sobering task, but it can bring peace of mind — and sometimes, justice. (Contains medical imagery.) - Tasso Azevedo: Hopeful lessons from the battle to save rainforests
E5Tasso Azevedo: Hopeful lessons from the battle to save rainforests"Save the rainforest” is an environmental slogan as old as time — but Tasso Azevedo catches us up on how the fight is actually going these days. Spurred by the jaw-dropping losses of the 1990s, new laws (and transparent data) are helping slow the rate of deforestation in Brazil. Is it enough? Not yet. He has five ideas about what we should do next. And he asks if the lessons learned in Brazil could be applied to an even bigger problem: global climate change. - Navi Radjou: Creative problem-solving in the face of extreme limits
E6Navi Radjou: Creative problem-solving in the face of extreme limitsNavi Radjou has spent years studying "jugaad," also known as frugal innovation. Pioneered by entrepreneurs in emerging markets who figured out how to get spectacular value from limited resources, the practice has now caught on globally. Peppering his talk with a wealth of examples of human ingenuity at work, Radjou also shares three principles for how we can all do more with less. - Robert Swan: Let's save the last pristine continent
E7Robert Swan: Let's save the last pristine continent2041 will be a pivotal year for our planet. That year will mark the end of a 50-year agreement to keep Antarctica, the Earth’s last pristine continent, free of exploitation. Explorer Robert Swan — the first person to walk both the North and South Poles — is on a mission to ensure that we extend that treaty. With passion and vigor, he pleads with us to choose the preservation of the Antarctic for our own survival. - Robert Muggah: How to protect fast-growing cities from failing
E8Robert Muggah: How to protect fast-growing cities from failingWorldwide, violence is on the decline, but in the crowded cities of the global south — cities like Aleppo, Bamako and Caracas — violence is actually accelerating, fueled by the drug trade, mass unemployment and civil unrest. Security researcher Robert Muggah turns our attention toward these “fragile cities,” super-fast-growing places where infrastructure is weak and government often ineffective. He shows us the four big risks we face, and offers a way to change course. - Cristina Domenech: Poetry that frees the soul
E9Cristina Domenech: Poetry that frees the soul“It’s said that to be a poet, you have to go to hell and back.” Cristina Domenech teaches writing at an Argentinian prison, and she tells the moving story of helping incarcerated people express themselves, understand themselves — and glory in the freedom of language. Watch for a powerful reading from one of her students, an inmate, in front of an audience of 10,000. In Spanish with subtitles. - Matthieu Ricard: How to let altruism be your guide
E10Matthieu Ricard: How to let altruism be your guideWhat is altruism? Put simply, it's the wish that other people may be happy. And, says Matthieu Ricard, a happiness researcher and a Buddhist monk, altruism is also a great lens for making decisions, both for the short and long term, in work and in life. - Sarah Bergbreiter: Why I make robots the size of a grain of rice
E11Sarah Bergbreiter: Why I make robots the size of a grain of riceBy studying the movement and bodies of insects such as ants, Sarah Bergbreiter and her team build incredibly robust, super teeny, mechanical versions of creepy crawlies … and then they add rockets. See their jaw-dropping developments in micro-robotics, and hear about three ways we might use these little helpers in the future. - Joe Madiath: Better toilets, better life
E12Joe Madiath: Better toilets, better lifeIn rural India, the lack of toilets creates a big, stinking problem. It leads to poor quality water, one of the leading causes of disease in India, and has a disproportionately negative effect on women. Joe Madiath introduces a program to help villagers help themselves, by building clean, protected water and sanitation systems and requiring everyone in the village to collaborate — with significant benefits that ripple across health, education and even government. - Morgana Bailey: The danger of hiding who you are
E13Morgana Bailey: The danger of hiding who you areMorgana Bailey has been hiding her true self for 16 years. In a brave talk, she utters four words that might not seem like a big deal to some, but to her have been paralyzing. Why speak up? Because she’s realized that her silence has personal, professional and societal consequences. In front of an audience of her co-workers, she reflects on what it means to fear the judgment of others, and how it makes us judge ourselves. - Miguel Nicolelis: Brain-to-brain communication has arrived. How we did it
E14Miguel Nicolelis: Brain-to-brain communication has arrived. How we did itYou may remember neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis — he built the brain-controlled exoskeleton that allowed a paralyzed man to kick the first ball of the 2014 World Cup. What’s he working on now? Building ways for two minds (rats and monkeys, for now) to send messages brain to brain. Watch to the end for an experiment that, as he says, will go to "the limit of your imagination." - Severine Autesserre: To solve mass violence, look to locals
E15Severine Autesserre: To solve mass violence, look to localsSeverine Autesserre studies the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is in the middle of the deadliest conflict since World War II; it's been called "the largest ongoing humanitarian crisis in the world.” The conflict seems hopelessly, unsolvably large. But her insight from decades of listening and engaging: The conflicts are often locally based. And instead of focusing on solutions that scale to a national level, leaders and aid groups might be better served solving local crises before they ignite. - Khadija Gbla: My mother’s strange definition of empowerment
E16Khadija Gbla: My mother’s strange definition of empowermentKhadija Gbla grew up caught between two definitions of what it means to be an “empowered woman.” While her Sierra Leonean mother thought that circumsizing her — and thus stifling her sexual urges — was the ultimate form of empowerment, her culture as a teenager in Australia told her that she deserved pleasure and that what happened to her was called “female genital mutilation.” In a candid and funny talk, she shares what it was like to make her way in a “clitoris-centric society,” and how she works to make sure other women don’t have to figure this out. (Warning: This talk contains hard-to-hear details.) - Bassam Tariq: The beauty and diversity of Muslim life
E17Bassam Tariq: The beauty and diversity of Muslim lifeBassam Tariq is a blogger, a filmmaker, and a halal butcher — but one thread unites his work: His joy in the diversity, the humanness of our individual experiences. In this charming talk, he shares clips from his film "These Birds Walk" and images from his tour of 30 mosques in 30 days — and reminds us to consider the beautiful complexity within us all. - Zeynep Tufekci: Online social change: easy to organize, hard to win
E18Zeynep Tufekci: Online social change: easy to organize, hard to winToday, a single email can launch a worldwide movement. But as sociologist Zeynep Tufekci suggests, even though online activism is easy to grow, it often doesn't last. Why? She compares modern movements — Gezi, Ukraine, Hong Kong — to the civil rights movement of the 1960s, and uncovers a surprising benefit of organizing protest movements the way it happened before Twitter. - Bruce Aylward: Humanity vs. Ebola. How we could win a terrifying war
E19Bruce Aylward: Humanity vs. Ebola. How we could win a terrifying war“Ebola threatens everything that makes us human,” says Bruce Aylward of the World Health Organization. And when the Ebola epidemic exploded in 2014, it caused a worldwide panic. But humanity can beat Ebola — and Aylward shows four strategies that show how we are succeeding. The fight against Ebola is not yet won, he says, but it can be. - Ben Ambridge: 10 myths about psychology, debunked
E20Ben Ambridge: 10 myths about psychology, debunkedHow much of what you think about your brain is actually wrong? In this whistlestop tour of dis-proved science, Ben Ambridge walks through 10 popular ideas about psychology that have been proven wrong — and uncovers a few surprising truths about how our brains really work. - Tom Wujec: Got a wicked problem? First, tell me how you make toast
E21Tom Wujec: Got a wicked problem? First, tell me how you make toastMaking toast doesn’t sound very complicated — until someone asks you to draw the process, step by step. Tom Wujec loves asking people and teams to draw how they make toast, because the process reveals unexpected truths about how we can solve our biggest, most complicated problems at work. Learn how to run this exercise yourself, and hear Wujec’s surprising insights from watching thousands of people draw toast. - Jaap de Roode: How butterflies self-medicate
E23Jaap de Roode: How butterflies self-medicateJust like us, the monarch butterfly sometimes gets sick thanks to a nasty parasite. But biologist Jaap de Roode noticed something interesting about the butterflies he was studying — infected female butterflies would choose to lay their eggs on a specific kind of plant that helped their offspring avoid getting sick. How do they know to choose this plant? Think of it as “the other butterfly effect” — which could teach us to find new medicines for the treatment of human disease. - Ricardo Semler: How to run a company with (almost) no rules
E24Ricardo Semler: How to run a company with (almost) no rulesWhat if your job didn’t control your life? Brazilian CEO Ricardo Semler practices a radical form of corporate democracy, rethinking everything from board meetings to how workers report their vacation days (they don’t have to). It’s a vision that rewards the wisdom of workers, promotes work-life balance — and leads to some deep insight on what work, and life, is really all about. Bonus question: What if schools were like this too? - Kenneth Shinozuka: My simple invention, designed to keep my grandfather safe
E25Kenneth Shinozuka: My simple invention, designed to keep my grandfather safe60% of people with dementia wander off, an issue that can prove hugely stressful for both patients and caregivers. In this charming talk, hear how teen inventor Kenneth Shinozuka came up with a novel solution to help his night-wandering grandfather and the aunt who looks after him ... and how he hopes to help others with Alzheimer's. - Hannah Fry: The mathematics of love
E26Hannah Fry: The mathematics of loveFinding the right mate is no cakewalk — but is it even mathematically likely? In a charming talk, mathematician Hannah Fry shows patterns in how we look for love, and gives her top three tips (verified by math!) for finding that special someone. - Guy Winch: Why we all need to practice emotional first aid
E27Guy Winch: Why we all need to practice emotional first aidWe'll go to the doctor when we feel flu-ish or a nagging pain. So why don’t we see a health professional when we feel emotional pain: guilt, loss, loneliness? Too many of us deal with common psychological-health issues on our own, says Guy Winch. But we don’t have to. He makes a compelling case to practice emotional hygiene — taking care of our emotions, our minds, with the same diligence we take care of our bodies. - Nadine Burke Harris: How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime
E28Nadine Burke Harris: How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetimeChildhood trauma isn’t something you just get over as you grow up. Pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris explains that the repeated stress of abuse, neglect and parents struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues has real, tangible effects on the development of the brain. This unfolds across a lifetime, to the point where those who’ve experienced high levels of trauma are at triple the risk for heart disease and lung cancer. An impassioned plea for pediatric medicine to confront the prevention and treatment of trauma, head-on. - Laura Boushnak: For these women, reading is a daring act
E29Laura Boushnak: For these women, reading is a daring actIn some parts of the world, half of the women lack basic reading and writing skills. The reasons vary, but in many cases, literacy isn't valued by fathers, husbands, even mothers. Photographer and TED Fellow Laura Boushnak traveled to countries including Yemen, Egypt and Tunisia to highlight brave women — schoolgirls, political activists, 60-year-old moms — who are fighting the statistics. - Angelo Vermeulen: How to go to space, without having to go to space
E30Angelo Vermeulen: How to go to space, without having to go to space"We will start inhabiting outer space," says Angelo Vermeulen, crew commander of a NASA-funded Mars simulation. "It might take 50 years or it might take 500 years, but it’s going to happen." In this charming talk, the TED Senior Fellow describes some of his official work to make sure humans are prepared for life in deep space ... and shares a fascinating art project in which he challenged people worldwide to design homes we might live in there. - James A. White Sr.: The little problem I had renting a house
E31James A. White Sr.: The little problem I had renting a houseFifty-three years ago, James A. White Sr. joined the US Air Force. But as an African American man, he had to go to shocking lengths to find a place for his young family to live nearby. He tells this powerful story about the lived experience of "everyday racism" — and how it echoes today in the way he's had to teach his grandchildren to interact with police. - Rob Knight: How our microbes make us who we are
E32Rob Knight: How our microbes make us who we areRob Knight is a pioneer in studying human microbes, the community of tiny single-cell organisms living inside our bodies that have a huge — and largely unexplored — role in our health. “The three pounds of microbes that you carry around with you might be more important than every single gene you carry around in your genome,” he says. Find out why. - Khalida Brohi: How I work to protect women from honor killings
E33Khalida Brohi: How I work to protect women from honor killingsNearly 1000 "honor" killings are reported in Pakistan each year, murders by a family member for behavior deemed "shameful," such as a relationship outside of marriage. When Khalida Brohi lost a close friend to the practice, she resolved to campaign against it. Yet she met resistance from an unlikely source: the very community she hoped to protect. In this powerful, honest talk, Brohi shares how she took a hard look at her own process, and offers sharp insights for other passionate activists. - Romina Libster: The power of herd immunity
E34Romina Libster: The power of herd immunityHow do vaccines prevent disease — even among people too young to get vaccinated? It's a concept called "herd immunity," and it relies on a critical mass of people getting their shots to break the chain of infection. Health researcher Romina Libster shows how herd immunity contained a deadly outbreak of H1N1 in her hometown. (In Spanish with subtitles.) - Ben Wellington: How we found the worst place to park in New York City -- using big data
E35Ben Wellington: How we found the worst place to park in New York City -- using big dataCity agencies have access to a wealth of data and statistics reflecting every part of urban life. But as data analyst Ben Wellington suggests in this entertaining talk, sometimes they just don't know what to do with it. He shows how a combination of unexpected questions and smart data crunching can produce strangely useful insights, and shares tips on how to release large sets of data so that anyone can use them. - Helder Guimarães: A magical search for a coincidence
E36Helder Guimarães: A magical search for a coincidenceSmall coincidences. They happen all the time and yet, they pass us by because we are not looking for them. In a delightfully subtle trick, magician Helder Guimarães demonstrates with a deck of cards, a dollar bill and a stuffed giraffe. - Jon Gosier: The problem with "trickle-down techonomics"
E37Jon Gosier: The problem with "trickle-down techonomics"Hooray for technology! It makes everything better for everyone!! Right? Well, no. When a new technology, like ebooks or health trackers, is only available to some people, it has unintended consequences for all of us. Jon Gosier, a TED Fellow and tech investor, calls out the idea of "trickle-down techonomics," and shares powerful examples of how new tech can make things actually worse if it's not equally distributed. As he says, "the real innovation is in finding ways to include everyone." - Topher White: What can save the rainforest? Your used cell phone
E38Topher White: What can save the rainforest? Your used cell phoneThe sounds of the rainforest include: the chirps of birds, the buzz of cicadas, the banter of gibbons. But in the background is the almost-always present sound of a chainsaw, from illegal loggers. Engineer Topher White shares a simple, scalable way to stop this brutal deforestation — that starts with your old cell phone. - Harry Baker: A love poem for lonely prime numbers
E39Harry Baker: A love poem for lonely prime numbersPerformance poet (and math student) Harry Baker spins a love poem about his favorite kind of numbers — the lonely, love-lorn prime. Stay on for two more lively, inspiring poems from this charming performer. - Andy Yen: Think your email's private? Think again
E40Andy Yen: Think your email's private? Think againSending an email message is like sending a postcard, says scientist Andy Yen in this thought-provoking talk: Anyone can read it. Yet encryption, the technology that protects the privacy of email communication, does exist. It's just that until now it has been difficult to install and a hassle to use. Showing a demo of an email program he designed with colleagues at CERN, Yen argues that encryption can be made simple to the point of becoming the default option, providing true email privacy to all. - Ilona Szabó de Carvalho: 4 lessons I learned from taking a stand against drugs and gun violence
E41Ilona Szabó de Carvalho: 4 lessons I learned from taking a stand against drugs and gun violenceThroughout her career in banking Ilona Szabó de Carvalho never imagined she’d someday start a social movement. But living in her native Brazil, which leads the world in homicidal violence, she realized she couldn’t just stand by and watch drugs and guns tear her country apart. Szabó de Carvalho reveals four crucial lessons she learned when she left her cushy job and took a fearless stand against the status quo. - Sangu Delle: In praise of macro -- yes, macro -- finance in Africa
E42Sangu Delle: In praise of macro -- yes, macro -- finance in AfricaIn this short, provocative talk, financier Sangu Delle questions whether microfinance — small loans to small entrepreneurs — is the best way to drive growth in developing countries. "We seem to be fixated on this romanticized idea that every poor person in Africa is an entrepreneur,” he says. "Yet, my work has taught me that most people want jobs.” Delle, a TED Fellow, makes the case for supporting large companies and factories — and clearing away the obstacles to pan-African trade. - Marc Kushner: Why the buildings of the future will be shaped by ... you
E43Marc Kushner: Why the buildings of the future will be shaped by ... you"Architecture is not about math or zoning — it's about visceral emotions," says Marc Kushner. In a sweeping — often funny — talk, he zooms through the past thirty years of architecture to show how the public, once disconnected, have become an essential part of the design process. With the help of social media, feedback reaches architects years before a building is even created. The result? Architecture that will do more for us than ever before. - Ismael Nazario: What I learned as a kid in jail
E44Ismael Nazario: What I learned as a kid in jailAs a teenager, Ismael Nazario was sent to New York’s Rikers Island jail, where he spent 300 days in solitary confinement — all before he was ever convicted of a crime. Now as a prison reform advocate he works to change the culture of American jails and prisons, where young people are frequently subjected to violence beyond imagination. Nazario tells his chilling story and suggests ways to help, rather than harm, teens in jail. - Shimpei Takahashi: Play this game to come up with original ideas
E45Shimpei Takahashi: Play this game to come up with original ideasShimpei Takahashi always dreamed of designing toys. But when he started work as a toy developer, he found that the pressure to use data as a starting point for design quashed his creativity. In this short, funny talk, Takahashi describes how he got his ideas flowing again, and shares a simple game anyone can play to generate new ideas. (In Japanese with English subtitles.) - Linda Hill: How to manage for collective creativity
E46Linda Hill: How to manage for collective creativityWhat's the secret to unlocking the creativity hidden inside your daily work, and giving every great idea a chance? Harvard professor Linda Hill, co-author of "Collective Genius," has studied some of the world's most creative companies to come up with a set of tools and tactics to keep great ideas flowing — from everyone in the company, not just the designated "creatives." - Vincent Cochetel: I was held hostage for 317 days. Here's what I thought about...
E47Vincent Cochetel: I was held hostage for 317 days. Here's what I thought about...Vincent Cochetel was held hostage for 317 days in 1998, while working for the UN High Commissioner on Refugees in Chechnya. For the first time, he recounts the experience — from what it was like to live in a dark, underground chamber, chained to his bed, to the unexpected conversations he had with his captors. With lyricism and power, he explains why he continues his work today. Since 2000, attacks on humanitarian aid workers have tripled — and he wonders what that rise may signal to the world. - Robyn Stein DeLuca: The good news about PMS
E48Robyn Stein DeLuca: The good news about PMSEverybody knows that most women go a little crazy right before they get their period, that their reproductive hormones cause their emotions to fluctuate wildly. Except: There's very little scientific consensus about premenstrual syndrome. Says psychologist Robyn Stein DeLuca, science doesn't agree on the definition, cause, treatment or even existence of PMS. She explores what we know and don't know about it — and why the popular myth has persisted. - David Eagleman: Can we create new senses for humans?
E49David Eagleman: Can we create new senses for humans?As humans, we can perceive less than a ten-trillionth of all light waves. “Our experience of reality,” says neuroscientist David Eagleman, “is constrained by our biology.” He wants to change that. His research into our brain processes has led him to create new interfaces — such as a sensory vest — to take in previously unseen information about the world around us. - Joseph DeSimone: What if 3D printing was 100x faster?
E50Joseph DeSimone: What if 3D printing was 100x faster?What we think of as 3D printing, says Joseph DeSimone, is really just 2D printing over and over ... slowly. Onstage at TED2015, he unveils a bold new technique — inspired, yes, by Terminator 2 — that's 25 to 100 times faster, and creates smooth, strong parts. Could it finally help to fulfill the tremendous promise of 3D printing? - Monica Lewinsky: The price of shame
E51Monica Lewinsky: The price of shame"Public shaming as a blood sport has to stop," says Monica Lewinsky. In 1998, she says, “I was Patient Zero of losing a personal reputation on a global scale almost instantaneously.” Today, the kind of online public shaming she went through has become constant — and can turn deadly. In a brave talk, she takes a hard look at our online culture of humiliation, and asks for a different way. - Fei-Fei Li: How we're teaching computers to understand pictures
E52Fei-Fei Li: How we're teaching computers to understand picturesWhen a very young child looks at a picture, she can identify simple elements: "cat," "book," "chair." Now, computers are getting smart enough to do that too. What's next? In a thrilling talk, computer vision expert Fei-Fei Li describes the state of the art — including the database of 15 million photos her team built to "teach" a computer to understand pictures — and the key insights yet to come. - Anand Giridharadas: A tale of two Americas. And the mini-mart where they collided
E53Anand Giridharadas: A tale of two Americas. And the mini-mart where they collidedTen days after 9/11, a shocking attack at a Texas mini-mart shattered the lives of two men: the victim and the attacker. In this stunning talk, Anand Giridharadas, author of "The True American," tells the story of what happened next. It's a parable about the two paths an American life can take, and a powerful call for reconciliation. - Dave Isay: Everyone around you has a story the world needs to hear
E54Dave Isay: Everyone around you has a story the world needs to hearDave Isay opened the first StoryCorps booth in New York’s Grand Central Terminal in 2003 with the intention of creating a quiet place where a person could honor someone who mattered to them by listening to their story. Since then, StoryCorps has evolved into the single largest collection of human voices ever recorded. His TED Prize wish: to grow this digital archive of the collective wisdom of humanity. Hear his vision to take StoryCorps global — and how you can be a part of it by interviewing someone with the StoryCorps app. - Theaster Gates: How to revive a neighborhood: with imagination, beauty and art
E55Theaster Gates: How to revive a neighborhood: with imagination, beauty and artTheaster Gates, a potter by training and a social activist by calling, wanted to do something about the sorry state of his neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. So he did, transforming abandoned buildings to create community hubs that connect and inspire those who still live there (and draw in those who don't). In this passionate talk, Gates describes his efforts to build a "miniature Versailles" in Chicago, and he shares his fervent belief that culture can be a catalyst for social transformation in any city, anywhere. - Dame Stephanie Shirley: Why do ambitious women have flat heads?
E56Dame Stephanie Shirley: Why do ambitious women have flat heads?Dame Stephanie Shirley is the most successful tech entrepreneur you never heard of. In the 1960s, she founded a pioneering all-woman software company in the UK, which was ultimately valued at $3 billion, making millionaires of 70 of her team members. In this frank and often hilarious talk, she explains why she went by “Steve,” how she upended the expectations of the time, and shares some sure-fire ways to identify ambitious women … - Alison Killing: There’s a better way to die, and architecture can help
E57Alison Killing: There’s a better way to die, and architecture can helpIn this short, provocative talk, architect Alison Killing looks at buildings where death and dying happen — cemeteries, hospitals, homes. The way we die is changing, and the way we build for dying ... well, maybe that should too. It's a surprisingly fascinating look at a hidden aspect of our cities, and our lives. - Daniel Kish: How I use sonar to navigate the world
E58Daniel Kish: How I use sonar to navigate the worldDaniel Kish has been blind since he was 13 months old, but has learned to “see” using a form of echolocation. He clicks his tongue and sends out flashes of sound that bounce off surfaces in the environment and return to him, helping him to construct an understanding of the space around him. In a rousing talk, Kish demonstrates how this works and asks us to let go of our fear of the “dark unknown.” - Kevin Rudd: Are China and the US doomed to conflict?
E59Kevin Rudd: Are China and the US doomed to conflict?The former prime minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd is also a longtime student of China, with a unique vantage point to watch its power rise in the past few decades. He asks whether the growing ambition of China will inevitably lead to conflict with other major powers — and suggests another narrative. - Boniface Mwangi: The day I stood up alone
E60Boniface Mwangi: The day I stood up alonePhotographer Boniface Mwangi wanted to protest against corruption in his home country of Kenya. So he made a plan: He and some friends would stand up and heckle during a public mass meeting. But when the moment came ... he stood alone. What happened next, he says, showed him who he truly was. As he says, "There are two most powerful days in your life. The day you are born, and the day you discover why." Graphic images. - Bill Gates: The next outbreak? We’re not ready
E61Bill Gates: The next outbreak? We’re not readyIn 2014, the world avoided a global outbreak of Ebola, thanks to thousands of selfless health workers — plus, frankly, some very good luck. In hindsight, we know what we should have done better. So, now's the time, Bill Gates suggests, to put all our good ideas into practice, from scenario planning to vaccine research to health worker training. As he says, "There's no need to panic ... but we need to get going." - Bel Pesce: 5 ways to kill your dreams
E62Bel Pesce: 5 ways to kill your dreamsAll of us want to invent that game-changing product, launch that successful company, write that best-selling book. And yet so few of us actually do it. Brazilian entrepreneur Bel Pesce breaks down five easy-to-believe myths that ensure your dream projects will never come to fruition. - Eduardo Sáenz de Cabezón: Math is forever
E63Eduardo Sáenz de Cabezón: Math is foreverWith humor and charm, mathematician Eduardo Sáenz de Cabezón answers a question that’s wracked the brains of bored students the world over: What is math for? He shows the beauty of math as the backbone of science — and shows that theorems, not diamonds, are forever. In Spanish, with English subtitles. - Dan Ariely: How equal do we want the world to be? You'd be surprised
E64Dan Ariely: How equal do we want the world to be? You'd be surprisedThe news of society's growing inequality makes all of us uneasy. But why? Dan Ariely reveals some new, surprising research on what we think is fair, as far as how wealth is distributed over societies ... then shows how it stacks up to the real stats. - Fred Jansen: How to land on a comet
E65Fred Jansen: How to land on a cometAs manager of the Rosetta mission, Fred Jansen was responsible for the successful 2014 landing of a probe on the comet known as 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. In this fascinating and funny talk, Jansen reveals some of the intricate calculations that went into landing the Philae probe on a comet 500 million kilometers from Earth — and shares some incredible photographs taken along the way. - Barat Ali Batoor: My desperate journey with a human smuggler
E66Barat Ali Batoor: My desperate journey with a human smugglerPhotojournalist Barat Ali Batoor was living in Afghanistan — until his risky work forced him to leave the country. But for Batoor, a member of a displaced ethnic group called the Hazara, moving home to Pakistan proved dangerous too. And finding a safer place wasn't as simple as buying a plane ticket. Instead, he was forced to pay a human smuggler, and join the deadly tidal wave of migrants seeking asylum by boat. He documents the harrowing ocean trip with powerful photographs. - Kailash Satyarthi: How to make peace? Get angry
E67Kailash Satyarthi: How to make peace? Get angryHow did a young man born into a high caste in India come to free 83,000 children from slavery? Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Kailash Satyarthi offers a surprising piece of advice to anyone who wants to change the world for the better: Get angry at injustice. In this powerful talk, he shows how a lifetime of peace-making sprang from a lifetime of outrage. - Takaharu Tezuka: The best kindergarten you’ve ever seen
E68Takaharu Tezuka: The best kindergarten you’ve ever seenAt this school in Tokyo, five-year-olds cause traffic jams and windows are for Santa to climb into. Meet: the world's cutest kindergarten, designed by architect Takaharu Tezuka. In this charming talk, he walks us through a design process that really lets kids be kids. - Paul Tudor Jones II: Why we need to rethink capitalism
E69Paul Tudor Jones II: Why we need to rethink capitalismPaul Tudor Jones II loves capitalism. It's a system that has done him very well over the last few decades. Nonetheless, the hedge fund manager and philanthropist is concerned that a laser focus on profits is, as he puts it, "threatening the very underpinnings of society." In this thoughtful, passionate talk, he outlines his planned counter-offensive, which centers on the concept of "justness." - Nathalie Cabrol: How Mars might hold the secret to the origin of life
E70Nathalie Cabrol: How Mars might hold the secret to the origin of lifeWhile we like to imagine little green men, it’s far more likely that life on other planets will be microbial. Planetary scientist Nathalie Cabrol takes us inside the search for microbes on Mars, a hunt which counterintuitively leads us to the remote lakes of the Andes mountains. This extreme environment — with its thin atmosphere and scorched land — approximates the surface of Mars about 3.5 billion years ago. How microbes adapt to survive here may just show us where to look on Mars — and could help us understand why some microbial pathways lead to civilization while others are a dead end. - Gary Haugen: The hidden reason for poverty the world needs to address now
E71Gary Haugen: The hidden reason for poverty the world needs to address nowCollective compassion has meant an overall decrease in global poverty since the 1980s, says civil rights lawyer Gary Haugen. Yet for all the world's aid money, there's a pervasive hidden problem keeping poverty alive. Haugen reveals the dark underlying cause we must recognize and act on now. - Jedidah Isler: How I fell in love with quasars, blazars and our incredible universe
E72Jedidah Isler: How I fell in love with quasars, blazars and our incredible universeJedidah Isler first fell in love with the night sky as a little girl. Now she’s an astrophysicist who studies supermassive hyperactive black holes. In a charming talk, she takes us trillions of kilometers from Earth to introduce us to objects that can be 1 to 10 billion times the mass of the sun — and which shoot powerful jet streams of particles in our direction. - Chris Milk: How virtual reality can create the ultimate empathy machine
E73Chris Milk: How virtual reality can create the ultimate empathy machineChris Milk uses cutting edge technology to produce astonishing films that delight and enchant. But for Milk, the human story is the driving force behind everything he does. In this short, charming talk, he shows some of his collaborations with musicians including Kanye West and Arcade Fire, and describes his latest, mind-bending experiments with virtual reality. (This talk is part of Pop-Up Magazine's guest-curated session at TED2015!) - Clint Smith: How to raise a black son in America
E74Clint Smith: How to raise a black son in AmericaAs kids, we all get advice from parents and teachers that seems strange, even confusing. This was crystallized one night for a young Clint Smith, who was playing with water guns in a dark parking lot with his white friends. In a heartfelt piece, the poet paints the scene of his father's furious and fearful response. - Nizar Ibrahim: How we unearthed the spinosaurus
E75Nizar Ibrahim: How we unearthed the spinosaurusA 50-foot-long carnivore who hunted its prey in rivers 97 million years ago, the spinosaurus is a "dragon from deep time." Paleontologist Nizar Ibrahim and his crew found new fossils, hidden in cliffs of the Moroccan Sahara desert, that are helping us learn more about the first swimming dinosaur — who might also be the largest carnivorous dinosaur of all. - Nick Bostrom: What happens when our computers get smarter than we are?
E76Nick Bostrom: What happens when our computers get smarter than we are?Artificial intelligence is getting smarter by leaps and bounds — within this century, research suggests, a computer AI could be as "smart" as a human being. And then, says Nick Bostrom, it will overtake us: "Machine intelligence is the last invention that humanity will ever need to make." A philosopher and technologist, Bostrom asks us to think hard about the world we're building right now, driven by thinking machines. Will our smart machines help to preserve humanity and our values — or will they have values of their own? - Greg Gage: How to control someone else's arm with your brain
E77Greg Gage: How to control someone else's arm with your brainGreg Gage is on a mission to make brain science accessible to all. In this fun, kind of creepy demo, the neuroscientist and TED Senior Fellow uses a simple, inexpensive DIY kit to take away the free will of an audience member. It’s not a parlor trick; it actually works. You have to see it to believe it. - Sophie Scott: Why we laugh
E78Sophie Scott: Why we laughDid you know that you're 30 times more likely to laugh if you're with somebody else than if you're alone? Cognitive neuroscientist Sophie Scott shares this and other surprising facts about laughter in this fast-paced, action-packed and, yes, hilarious dash through the science of the topic. - Alice Goffman: How where you live can determine your path to college — or prison
E79Alice Goffman: How where you live can determine your path to college — or prisonIn the United States, two institutions guide teenagers on the journey to adulthood: college and prison. Sociologist Alice Goffman spent six years in a troubled Philadelphia neighborhood and saw first-hand how teenagers of African-American and Latino backgrounds are funneled down the path to prison — sometimes starting with relatively minor infractions. In an impassioned talk she asks, “Why are we offering only handcuffs and jail time?” - Pamela Ronald: The case for engineering our food
E80Pamela Ronald: The case for engineering our foodPamela Ronald studies the genes that make plants more resistant to disease and stress. In an eye-opening talk, she describes her decade-long quest to isolate a gene that allows rice to survive prolonged flooding. She shows how the genetic improvement of seeds saved the Hawaiian papaya crop in the 1990s — and makes the case that modern genetics is sometimes the most effective method to advance sustainable agriculture and enhance food security for our planet’s growing population. - Abe Davis: New video technology that reveals an object's hidden properties
E81Abe Davis: New video technology that reveals an object's hidden propertiesSubtle motion happens around us all the time, including tiny vibrations caused by sound. New technology shows that we can pick up on these vibrations and actually re-create sound and conversations just from a video of a seemingly still object. But now Abe Davis takes it one step further: Watch him demo software that lets anyone interact with these hidden properties, just from a simple video. - Bill T. Jones: The dancer, the singer, the cellist ... and a moment of creative magic
E82Bill T. Jones: The dancer, the singer, the cellist ... and a moment of creative magicLegendary dance choreographer Bill T. Jones and TED Fellows Joshua Roman and Somi didn't know exactly what was going to happen when they took the stage at TED2015. They just knew they wanted to offer the audience an opportunity to witness creative collaboration in action. The result: An improvised piece they call "The Red Circle and the Blue Curtain," so extraordinary it had to be shared ... - Tal Danino: Programming bacteria to detect cancer (and maybe treat it)
E83Tal Danino: Programming bacteria to detect cancer (and maybe treat it)Liver cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to detect, but synthetic biologist Tal Danino had a left-field thought: What if we could create a probiotic, edible bacteria that was "programmed" to find liver tumors? His insight exploits something we're just beginning to understand about bacteria: their power of quorum sensing, or doing something together once they reach critical mass. Danino, a TED Fellow, explains how quorum sensing works -- and how clever bacteria working together could someday change cancer treatment. - Dawn Landes: A song for my hero, the woman who rowed into a hurricane
E84Dawn Landes: A song for my hero, the woman who rowed into a hurricaneSinger-songwriter Dawn Landes tells the story of Tori Murden McClure, who dreamed of rowing across the Atlantic in a small boat -- but whose dream was almost capsized by waves the size of a seven-story building. Through video, story and song, Landes imagines the mindset of a woman alone in the midst of the vast ocean. (This talk was part of a session at TED2015 guest-curated by Pop-Up Magazine: popupmagazine.com or @popupmag on Twitter.) - Anand Varma: The first 21 days of a bee’s life
E85Anand Varma: The first 21 days of a bee’s lifeWe’ve heard that bees are disappearing. But what is making bee colonies so vulnerable? Photographer Anand Varma raised bees in his backyard — in front of a camera — to get an up close view. This project, for National Geographic, gives a lyrical glimpse into a beehive, and reveals one of the biggest threats to its health, a mite that preys on baby bees in their first 21 days of life. With footage set to music from Rob Moose and the Magik*Magik Orchestra, Varma shows the problem ... and what’s being done to solve it. (This talk was part of a session at TED2015 guest-curated by Pop-Up Magazine: popupmagazine.com or @popupmag on Twitter.) - Elora Hardy: Magical houses, made of bamboo
E86Elora Hardy: Magical houses, made of bambooYou've never seen buildings like this. The stunning bamboo homes built by Elora Hardy and her team in Bali twist, curve and surprise at every turn. They defy convention because the bamboo itself is so enigmatic. No two poles of bamboo are alike, so every home, bridge and bathroom is exquisitely unique. In this beautiful, immersive talk, she shares the potential of bamboo, as both a sustainable resource and a spark for the imagination. "We have had to invent our own rules," she says. - Roman Mars: Why city flags may be the worst-designed thing you've never noticed
E87Roman Mars: Why city flags may be the worst-designed thing you've never noticedRoman Mars is obsessed with flags -- and after you watch this talk, you might be, too. These ubiquitous symbols of civic pride are often designed, well, pretty terribly. But they don't have to be. In this surprising and hilarious talk about vexillology -- the study of flags -- Mars reveals the five basic principles of flag design and shows why he believes they can be applied to just about anything. - The Lady Lifers: A moving song from women in prison for life
E88The Lady Lifers: A moving song from women in prison for lifeThe ten women in this chorus have all been sentenced to life in prison. They share a moving song about their experiences — one that reveals their hopes, regrets and fears. "I'm not an angel," sings one, "but I'm not the devil." Filmed at an independent TEDx event inside Muncy State Prison, it's a rare and poignant look inside the world of people imprisoned with no hope of parole. (Note: The prison's Office of Victim Advocacy has ensured that victims were treated fairly and respectfully around this TEDx event.) - Martine Rothblatt: My daughter, my wife, our robot, and the quest for immortality
E89Martine Rothblatt: My daughter, my wife, our robot, and the quest for immortalityThe founder of Sirius XM satellite radio, Martine Rothblatt now heads up a drug company that makes life-saving medicines for rare diseases (including one drug that saved her own daughter's life). Meanwhile she is working to preserve the consciousness of the woman she loves in a digital file ... and a companion robot. In an onstage conversation with TED's Chris Anderson, Rothblatt shares her powerful story of love, identity, creativity, and limitless possibility. - Cosmin Mihaiu: Physical therapy is boring -- play a game instead
E90Cosmin Mihaiu: Physical therapy is boring -- play a game insteadYou’ve just been injured, and you’re on the way home from an hour of physical therapy. The last thing you want to do on your own is confusing exercises that take too long to show results. TED Fellow Cosmin Mihaiu demos a fun, cheap solution that turns boring physical therapy exercises into a video game with crystal-clear instructions. - Steven Wise: Chimps have feelings and thoughts. They should also have rights
E91Steven Wise: Chimps have feelings and thoughts. They should also have rightsChimpanzees are people too, you know. Ok, not exactly. But lawyer Steven Wise has spent the last 30 years working to change these animals' status from "things" to "persons." It's not a matter of legal semantics; as he describes in this fascinating talk, recognizing that animals like chimps have extraordinary cognitive capabilities and rethinking the way we treat them -- legally -- is no less than a moral duty. - Esther Perel: Rethinking infidelity ... a talk for anyone who has ever loved
E92Esther Perel: Rethinking infidelity ... a talk for anyone who has ever lovedInfidelity is the ultimate betrayal. But does it have to be? Relationship therapist Esther Perel examines why people cheat, and unpacks why affairs are so traumatic: because they threaten our emotional security. In infidelity, she sees something unexpected — an expression of longing and loss. A must-watch for anyone who has ever cheated or been cheated on, or who simply wants a new framework for understanding relationships. - Chris Burkard: The joy of surfing in ice-cold water
E93Chris Burkard: The joy of surfing in ice-cold water"Anything that is worth pursuing is going to require us to suffer, just a little bit," says surf photographer Chris Burkard, as he explains his obsession with the coldest, choppiest, most isolated beaches on earth. With jawdropping photos and stories of places few humans have ever seen -- much less surfed -- he draws us into his "personal crusade against the mundane." - Jeffrey Brown: How we cut youth violence in Boston by 79 percent
E94Jeffrey Brown: How we cut youth violence in Boston by 79 percentAn architect of the "Boston miracle," Rev. Jeffrey Brown started out as a bewildered young pastor watching his Boston neighborhood fall apart around him, as drugs and gang violence took hold of the kids on the streets. The first step to recovery: Listen to those kids, don't just preach to them, and help them reduce violence in their own neighborhoods. It's a powerful talk about listening to make change. - Yassmin Abdel-Magied: What does my headscarf mean to you?
E95Yassmin Abdel-Magied: What does my headscarf mean to you?What do you think when you look at this speaker? Well, think again. (And then again.) In this funny, honest, empathetic talk, Yassmin Abdel-Magied challenges us to look beyond our initial perceptions, and to open doors to new ways of supporting others. - Sara Seager: The search for planets beyond our solar system
E96Sara Seager: The search for planets beyond our solar systemEvery star we see in the sky has at least one planet orbiting it, says astronomer Sara Seager. So what do we know about these exoplanets, and how can we find out more? Seager introduces her favorite set of exoplanets and shows new technology that can help collect information about them — and even help us look for exoplanets with life. - Jimmy Nelson: Gorgeous portraits of the world's vanishing people
E97Jimmy Nelson: Gorgeous portraits of the world's vanishing peopleWhen Jimmy Nelson traveled to Siberia to photograph the Chukchi people, elders told him: "You cannot photograph us. You have to wait, you have to wait until you get to know us, you have to wait until you understand us." In this gorgeously photo-filled talk, join Nelson's quest to understand — the world, other people, himself — by making astonishing portraits of the world's vanishing tribes and cultures. - Bill Gross: The single biggest reason why startups succeed
E98Bill Gross: The single biggest reason why startups succeedBill Gross has founded a lot of startups, and incubated many others — and he got curious about why some succeeded and others failed. So he gathered data from hundreds of companies, his own and other people's, and ranked each company on five key factors. He found one factor that stands out from the others — and surprised even him. - Laura Schulz: The surprisingly logical minds of babies
E99Laura Schulz: The surprisingly logical minds of babiesHow do babies learn so much from so little so quickly? In a fun, experiment-filled talk, cognitive scientist Laura Schulz shows how our young ones make decisions with a surprisingly strong sense of logic, well before they can talk. - Tony Fadell: The first secret of design is ... noticing
E100Tony Fadell: The first secret of design is ... noticingAs human beings, we get used to "the way things are" really fast. But for designers, the way things are is an opportunity ... Could things be better? How? In this funny, breezy talk, the man behind the iPod and the Nest thermostat shares some of his tips for noticing — and driving — change. - Trevor Aaronson: How this FBI strategy is actually creating US-based terrorists
E101Trevor Aaronson: How this FBI strategy is actually creating US-based terroristsThere's an organization responsible for more terrorism plots in the United States than al-Qaeda, al-Shabaab and ISIS combined: The FBI. How? Why? In an eye-opening talk, investigative journalist Trevor Aaronson reveals a disturbing FBI practice that breeds terrorist plots by exploiting Muslim-Americans with mental health problems. - Linda Cliatt-Wayman: How to fix a broken school? Lead fearlessly, love hard
E102Linda Cliatt-Wayman: How to fix a broken school? Lead fearlessly, love hardOn Linda Cliatt-Wayman’s first day as principal at a failing high school in North Philadelphia, she was determined to lay down the law. But she soon realized the job was more complex than she thought. With palpable passion, she shares the three principles that helped her turn around three schools labeled “low-performing and persistently dangerous.” Her fearless determination to lead — and to love the students, no matter what — is a model for leaders in all fields. - Suki Kim: This is what it's like to teach in North Korea
E103Suki Kim: This is what it's like to teach in North KoreaFor six months, Suki Kim worked as an English teacher at an elite school for North Korea's future leaders — while writing a book on one of the world's most repressive regimes. As she helped her students grapple with concepts like "truth" and "critical thinking," she came to wonder: Was teaching these students to seek the truth putting them in peril? (This talk was part of a session at TED2015 guest-curated by Pop-Up Magazine: popupmagazine.com or @popupmag on Twitter.) - Sarah Jones: One woman, five characters, and a sex lesson from the future
E104Sarah Jones: One woman, five characters, and a sex lesson from the futureIn this performance, Sarah Jones brings you to the front row of a classroom in the future, as a teacher plugs in different personas from the year 2016 to show their varied perspectives on sex work. As she changes props, Jones embodies an elderly homemaker, a “sex work studies” major, an escort, a nun-turned-prostitute and a guy at a strip club for his bachelor party. It’s an intriguing look at a taboo topic, that flips cultural norms around sex inside out. - Donald Hoffman: Do we see reality as it is?
E105Donald Hoffman: Do we see reality as it is?Cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman is trying to answer a big question: Do we experience the world as it really is ... or as we need it to be? In this ever so slightly mind-blowing talk, he ponders how our minds construct reality for us. - Lee Mokobe: A powerful poem about what it feels like to be transgender
E106Lee Mokobe: A powerful poem about what it feels like to be transgender"I was the mystery of an anatomy, a question asked but not answered," says poet Lee Mokobe, a TED Fellow, in this gripping and poetic exploration of identity and transition. It's a thoughtful reflection on bodies, and the meanings poured into them. - Rana el Kaliouby: This app knows how you feel -- from the look on your face
E107Rana el Kaliouby: This app knows how you feel -- from the look on your faceOur emotions influence every aspect of our lives — how we learn, how we communicate, how we make decisions. Yet they’re absent from our digital lives; the devices and apps we interact with have no way of knowing how we feel. Scientist Rana el Kaliouby aims to change that. She demos a powerful new technology that reads your facial expressions and matches them to corresponding emotions. This “emotion engine” has big implications, she says, and could change not just how we interact with machines — but with each other. - Margaret Heffernan: Why it's time to forget the pecking order at work
E108Margaret Heffernan: Why it's time to forget the pecking order at workOrganizations are often run according to “the superchicken model,” where the value is placed on star employees who outperform others. And yet, this isn’t what drives the most high-achieving teams. Business leader Margaret Heffernan observes that it is social cohesion — built every coffee break, every time one team member asks another for help — that leads over time to great results. It's a radical rethink of what drives us to do our best work, and what it means to be a leader. Because as Heffernan points out: “Companies don’t have ideas. Only people do.” - Steve Silberman: The forgotten history of autism
E109Steve Silberman: The forgotten history of autismDecades ago, few pediatricians had heard of autism. In 1975, 1 in 5,000 kids was estimated to have it. Today, 1 in 68 is on the autism spectrum. What caused this steep rise? Steve Silberman points to “a perfect storm of autism awareness” — a pair of psychologists with an accepting view, an unexpected pop culture moment and a new clinical test. But to really understand, we have to go back further to an Austrian doctor by the name of Hans Asperger, who published a pioneering paper in 1944. Because it was buried in time, autism has been shrouded in misunderstanding ever since. (This talk was part of a TED2015 session curated by Pop-Up Magazine: popupmagazine.com or @popupmag on Twitter.) - LaToya Ruby Frazier: A visual history of inequality in industrial America
E110LaToya Ruby Frazier: A visual history of inequality in industrial AmericaFor the last 12 years, LaToya Ruby Frazier has photographed friends, neighbors and family in Braddock, Pennsylvania. But though the steel town has lately been hailed as a posterchild of "rustbelt revitalization," Frazier's pictures tell a different story, of the real impact of inequality and environmental toxicity. In this short, powerful talk, the TED Fellow shares a deeply personal glimpse of an often-unseen world. - Joey Alexander: An 11-year-old prodigy performs old-school jazz
E111Joey Alexander: An 11-year-old prodigy performs old-school jazzRaised listening to his dad's old records, Joey Alexander plays a brand of sharp, modern piano jazz that you likely wouldn't expect to hear from a pre-teenager. Listen as the 11-year-old delights the TED crowd with his very special performance of a Thelonious Monk classic. - Roxane Gay: Confessions of a bad feminist
E112Roxane Gay: Confessions of a bad feministWhen writer Roxane Gay dubbed herself a "bad feminist," she was making a joke, acknowledging that she couldn't possibly live up to the demands for perfection of the feminist movement. But she's realized that the joke rang hollow. In a thoughtful and provocative talk, she asks us to embrace all flavors of feminism — and make the small choices that, en masse, might lead to actual change. - Chip Kidd: The art of first impressions -- in design and life
E113Chip Kidd: The art of first impressions -- in design and lifeBook designer Chip Kidd knows all too well how often we judge things by first appearances. In this hilarious, fast-paced talk, he explains the two techniques designers use to communicate instantly -- clarity and mystery -- and when, why and how they work. He celebrates beautiful, useful pieces of design, skewers less successful work, and shares the thinking behind some of his own iconic book covers. - Maryn McKenna: What do we do when antibiotics don’t work any more?
E114Maryn McKenna: What do we do when antibiotics don’t work any more?Penicillin changed everything. Infections that had previously killed were suddenly quickly curable. Yet as Maryn McKenna shares in this sobering talk, we've squandered the advantages afforded us by that and later antibiotics. Drug-resistant bacteria mean we're entering a post-antibiotic world -- and it won't be pretty. There are, however, things we can do ... if we start right now. - Chris Urmson: How a driverless car sees the road
E115Chris Urmson: How a driverless car sees the roadStatistically, the least reliable part of the car is ... the driver. Chris Urmson heads up Google's driverless car program, one of several efforts to remove humans from the driver's seat. He talks about where his program is right now, and shares fascinating footage that shows how the car sees the road and makes autonomous decisions about what to do next. - Dame Ellen MacArthur: The surprising thing I learned sailing solo around the world
E116Dame Ellen MacArthur: The surprising thing I learned sailing solo around the worldWhat do you learn when you sail around the world on your own? When solo sailor Ellen MacArthur circled the globe – carrying everything she needed with her – she came back with new insight into the way the world works, as a place of interlocking cycles and finite resources, where the decisions we make today affect what's left for tomorrow. She proposes a bold new way to see the world's economic systems: not as linear, but as circular, where everything comes around. - Jimmy Carter: Why I believe the mistreatment of women is the number one human rights abuse
E117Jimmy Carter: Why I believe the mistreatment of women is the number one human rights abuseWith his signature resolve, former US President Jimmy Carter dives into three unexpected reasons why the mistreatment of women and girls continues in so many manifestations in so many parts of the world, both developed and developing. The final reason he gives? “In general, men don’t give a damn.” - Latif Nasser: The amazing story of the man who gave us modern pain relief
E118Latif Nasser: The amazing story of the man who gave us modern pain reliefFor the longest time, doctors basically ignored the most basic and frustrating part of being sick -- pain. In this lyrical, informative talk, Latif Nasser tells the extraordinary story of wrestler and doctor John J. Bonica, who persuaded the medical profession to take pain seriously -- and transformed the lives of millions. - Gayle Tzemach Lemmon: Meet the women fighting on the front lines of an American war
E119Gayle Tzemach Lemmon: Meet the women fighting on the front lines of an American warIn 2011, the US Armed Forces still had a ban on women in combat -- but in that year, a Special Operations team of women was sent to Afghanistan to serve on the front lines, to build rapport with locals and try to help bring an end to the war. Reporter Gayle Tzemach Lemmon tells the story of this "band of sisters," an extraordinary group of women warriors who helped break a long-standing barrier to serve. - Rajiv Maheswaran: The math behind basketball's wildest moves
E120Rajiv Maheswaran: The math behind basketball's wildest movesBasketball is a fast-moving game of improvisation, contact and, ahem, spatio-temporal pattern recognition. Rajiv Maheswaran and his colleagues are analyzing the movements behind the key plays of the game, to help coaches and players combine intuition with new data. Bonus: What they're learning could help us understand how humans move everywhere. - Memory Banda: A warrior’s cry against child marriage
E121Memory Banda: A warrior’s cry against child marriageMemory Banda’s life took a divergent path from her sister’s. When her sister reached puberty, she was sent to a traditional “initiation camp” that teaches girls “how to sexually please a man.” She got pregnant there — at age 11. Banda, however, refused to go. Instead, she organized others and asked her community’s leader to issue a bylaw that no girl should be forced to marry before turning 18. She pushed on to the national level … with incredible results for girls across Malawi. - Johann Hari: Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong
E122Johann Hari: Everything you think you know about addiction is wrongWhat really causes addiction -- to everything from cocaine to smart-phones? And how can we overcome it? Johann Hari has seen our current methods fail firsthand, as he has watched loved ones struggle to manage their addictions. He started to wonder why we treat addicts the way we do -- and if there might be a better way. As he shares in this deeply personal talk, his questions took him around the world, and unearthed some surprising and hopeful ways of thinking about an age-old problem. - Ash Beckham: When to take a stand -- and when to let it go
E123Ash Beckham: When to take a stand -- and when to let it goAsh Beckham recently found herself in a situation that made her ask: who am I? She felt pulled between two roles — as an aunt and as an advocate. Each of us feels this struggle sometimes, she says -- and offers bold suggestions for how to stand up for your moral integrity when it isn’t convenient. - Noy Thrupkaew: Human trafficking is all around you. This is how it works
E124Noy Thrupkaew: Human trafficking is all around you. This is how it worksBehind the everyday bargains we all love -- the $10 manicure, the unlimited shrimp buffet -- is a hidden world of forced labor to keep those prices at rock bottom. Noy Thrupkaew investigates human trafficking – which flourishes in the US and Europe, as well as developing countries – and shows us the human faces behind the exploited labor that feeds global consumers. - Aspen Baker: A better way to talk about abortion
E125Aspen Baker: A better way to talk about abortionAbortion is extremely common. In America, for example, one in three women will have an abortion in their lifetime, yet the strong emotions sparked by the topic -- and the highly politicized rhetoric around it -- leave little room for thoughtful, open debate. In this personal, thoughtful talk, Aspen Baker makes the case for being neither “pro-life” nor “pro-choice” but rather "pro-voice" -- and for the roles that listening and storytelling can play when it comes to discussing difficult topics. - Alec Soth + Stacey Baker: This is what enduring love looks like
E126Alec Soth + Stacey Baker: This is what enduring love looks likeStacey Baker has always been obsessed with how couples meet. When she asked photographer Alec Soth to help her explore this topic, they found themselves at the world’s largest speed-dating event, held in Las Vegas on Valentine’s Day, and at the largest retirement community in Nevada — with Soth taking portraits of pairs in each locale. Between these two extremes, they unwound a beautiful through-line of how a couple goes from meeting to creating a life together. (This talk was part of a TED2015 session curated by Pop-Up Magazine: popupmagazine.com or @popupmag on Twitter.) - Salvatore Iaconesi: What happened when I open-sourced my brain cancer
E127Salvatore Iaconesi: What happened when I open-sourced my brain cancerWhen artist Salvatore Iaconesi was diagnosed with brain cancer, he refused to be a passive patient -- which, he points out, means "one who waits." So he hacked his brain scans, posted them online, and invited a global community to pitch in on a "cure." This sometimes meant medical advice, and it sometimes meant art, music, emotional support -- from more than half a million people. - Marlene Zuk: What we learn from insects’ kinky sex lives
E128Marlene Zuk: What we learn from insects’ kinky sex livesMarlene Zuk delightedly, determinedly studies insects. In this enlightening, funny talk, she shares just some of the ways that they are truly astonishing -- not least for the creative ways they have sex. - Jon Ronson: When online shaming spirals out of control
E129Jon Ronson: When online shaming spirals out of controlTwitter gives a voice to the voiceless, a way to speak up and hit back at perceived injustice. But sometimes, says Jon Ronson, things go too far. In a jaw-dropping story of how one un-funny tweet ruined a woman's life and career, Ronson shows how online commenters can end up behaving like a baying mob -- and says it's time to rethink how we interact online. - Alaa Murabit: What my religion really says about women
E130Alaa Murabit: What my religion really says about womenStrong faith is a core part of Alaa Murabit's identity -- but when she moved from Canada to Libya as a young woman, she was surprised how the tenets of Islam were used to severely limit women's rights, independence and ability to lead. She wondered: Was this really religious doctrine? With humor, passion and a refreshingly rebellious spirt, she shares how she found examples of female leaders across the history of her faith — and how she speaks up for women using verses from the Koran. - John Green: The nerd's guide to learning everything online
E131John Green: The nerd's guide to learning everything onlineSome of us learn best in the classroom, and some of us ... well, we don't. But we still love to learn -- we just need to find the way that works for us. In this charming, personal talk, author John Green shares the community of learning that he found in online video. - eL Seed: Street art with a message of hope and peace
E132eL Seed: Street art with a message of hope and peaceWhat does this gorgeous street art say? It's Arabic poetry, inspired by bold graffiti and placed where a message of hope and peace can do the most good. In this quietly passionate talk, artist and TED Fellow eL Seed describes his ambition: to create art so beautiful it needs no translation. - Yuval Noah Harari: What explains the rise of humans?
E133Yuval Noah Harari: What explains the rise of humans?Seventy thousand years ago, our human ancestors were insignificant animals, just minding their own business in a corner of Africa with all the other animals. But now, few would disagree that humans dominate planet Earth; we've spread to every continent, and our actions determine the fate of other animals (and possibly Earth itself). How did we get from there to here? Historian Yuval Noah Harari suggests a surprising reason for the rise of humanity. - Benedetta Berti: The surprising way groups like ISIS stay in power
E134Benedetta Berti: The surprising way groups like ISIS stay in powerISIS, Hezbollah, Hamas. These three very different groups are known for violence — but that’s only a portion of what they do, says policy analyst Benedetti Berti. They also attempt to win over populations with social work: setting up schools and hospitals, offering safety and security, and filling the gaps left by weak governments. Understanding the broader work of these groups suggests new strategies for ending the violence. - Rich Benjamin: My road trip through the whitest towns in America
E135Rich Benjamin: My road trip through the whitest towns in AmericaAs America becomes more and more multicultural, Rich Benjamin noticed a phenomenon: Some communities were actually getting less diverse. So he got out a map, found the whitest towns in the USA -- and moved in. In this funny, honest, human talk, he shares what he learned as a black man in Whitopia. - Matt Kenyon: A secret memorial for civilian casualtiesE136
Matt Kenyon: A secret memorial for civilian casualtiesIn the fog of war, civilian casualties often go uncounted. Artist Matt Kenyon, whose recent work memorialized the names and stories of US soldiers killed in the Iraq war, decided he should create a companion monument, to the Iraqi civilians caught in the war's crossfire. Learn how he built a secret monument to place these names in the official record. - Patience Mthunzi: Could we cure HIV with lasers?E137
Patience Mthunzi: Could we cure HIV with lasers?Swallowing pills to get medication is a quick, painless and often not entirely effective way of treating disease. A potentially better way? Lasers. In this passionate talk, TED Fellow Patience Mthunzi explains her idea to use lasers to deliver drugs directly to cells infected with HIV. It's early days yet, but could a cure be on the horizon? - Alix Generous: How I learned to communicate my inner life with Asperger's
E138Alix Generous: How I learned to communicate my inner life with Asperger'sAlix Generous is a young woman with a million and one ideas -- she's done award-winning science, helped develop new technology and tells a darn good joke (you'll see). She has Asperger's, a form of autistic spectrum disorder that can impair the basic social skills required for communication, and she's worked hard for years to learn how to share her thoughts with the world. In this funny, personal talk, she shares her story -- and her vision for tools to help more people communicate their big ideas. - Manuel Lima: A visual history of human knowledge
E139Manuel Lima: A visual history of human knowledgeHow does knowledge grow? Sometimes it begins with one insight and grows into many branches; other times it grows as a complex and interconnected network. Infographics expert Manuel Lima explores the thousand-year history of mapping data -- from languages to dynasties -- using trees and networks of information. It's a fascinating history of visualizations, and a look into humanity's urge to map what we know. - Tony Wyss-Coray: How young blood might help reverse aging. Yes, really
E140Tony Wyss-Coray: How young blood might help reverse aging. Yes, reallyTony Wyss-Coray studies the impact of aging on the human body and brain. In this eye-opening talk, he shares new research from his Stanford lab and other teams which shows that a solution for some of the less great aspects of old age might actually lie within us all. - Christopher Soghoian: How to Avoid Surveillance...With Your Phone
E141Christopher Soghoian: How to Avoid Surveillance...With Your PhoneWho is listening in on your phone calls? On a landline, it could be anyone, says privacy activist Christopher Soghoian, because surveillance backdoors are built into the phone system by default, to allow governments to listen in. But then again, so could a foreign intelligence service ... or a criminal. Which is why, says Soghoian, some tech companies are resisting governments' call to build the same backdoors into mobile phones and new messaging systems. From this TED Fellow, learn how some tech companies are working to keep your calls and messages private. - Dustin Yellin: A journey through the mind of an artist
E142Dustin Yellin: A journey through the mind of an artistDustin Yellin makes mesmerizing artwork that tells complex, myth-inspired stories. How did he develop his style? In this disarming talk, he shares the journey of an artist -- starting from age 8 -- and his idiosyncratic way of thinking and seeing. Follow the path that leads him up to his latest major work (or two). - Jim Al-Khalili: How quantum biology might explain life’s biggest questions
E143Jim Al-Khalili: How quantum biology might explain life’s biggest questionsHow does a robin know to fly south? The answer might be weirder than you think: Quantum physics may be involved. Jim Al-Khalili rounds up the extremely new, extremely strange world of quantum biology, where something Einstein once called “spooky action at a distance” helps birds navigate, and quantum effects might explain the origin of life itself. - Seth Berkley: The troubling reason why vaccines are made too late ... if they’re made at all
E144Seth Berkley: The troubling reason why vaccines are made too late ... if they’re made at allIt seems like we wait for a disastrous disease outbreak before we get serious about making a vaccine for it. Seth Berkley lays out the market realities and unbalanced risks behind why we aren't making vaccines for the world's biggest diseases. - Robin Murphy: These robots come to the rescue after a disaster
E145Robin Murphy: These robots come to the rescue after a disasterWhen disaster strikes, who's first on the scene? More and more, it’s a robot. In her lab, Robin Murphy builds robots that fly, tunnel, swim and crawl through disaster scenes, helping firefighters and rescue workers save more lives safely -- and help communities return to normal up to three years faster. - Yves Morieux: How too many rules at work keep you from getting things done
E146Yves Morieux: How too many rules at work keep you from getting things doneModern work -- from waiting tables to crunching numbers to designing products -- is about solving brand-new problems every day, flexibly and collaboratively. But as Yves Morieux shows in this insightful talk, too often, an overload of rules, processes and metrics keeps us from doing our best work together. Meet the new frontier of productivity: cooperation. - Wendy Freedman: This new telescope might show us the beginning of the universeE147
Wendy Freedman: This new telescope might show us the beginning of the universeWhen and how did the universe begin? A global group of astronomers wants to answer that question by peering as far back in time as a large new telescope will let us see. Wendy Freedman headed the creation of the Giant Magellan Telescope, under construction in South America; at TEDGlobal in Rio, she shares a bold vision of the discoveries about our universe that the GMT could make possible. - Elizabeth Nyamayaro: An invitation to men who want a better world for womenE148
Elizabeth Nyamayaro: An invitation to men who want a better world for womenAround the world, women still struggle for equality in basic matters like access to education, equal pay and the right to vote. But how to enlist everyone, men and women, as allies for change? Meet Elizabeth Nyamayaro, head of UN Women’s HeForShe initiative, which has created more than 2.4 billion social media conversations about a more equal world. She invites us all to join in as allies in our shared humanity. - Jamie Bartlett: How the mysterious dark net is going mainstreamE149
Jamie Bartlett: How the mysterious dark net is going mainstreamThere’s a parallel Internet you may not have run across yet -- accessed by a special browser and home to a freewheeling collection of sites for everything from anonymous activism to illicit activities. Jamie Bartlett reports from the dark net. - Jim Simons: A rare interview with the mathematician who cracked Wall StreetE150
Jim Simons: A rare interview with the mathematician who cracked Wall StreetJim Simons was a mathematician and cryptographer who realized: the complex math he used to break codes could help explain patterns in the world of finance. Billions later, he’s working to support the next generation of math teachers and scholars. TED’s Chris Anderson sits down with Simons to talk about his extraordinary life in numbers. - Alan Eustace: I leapt from the stratosphere. Here's how I did itE151
Alan Eustace: I leapt from the stratosphere. Here's how I did itOn October 24, 2014, Alan Eustace donned a custom-built, 235-pound spacesuit, attached himself to a weather balloon, and rose above 135,000 feet, from which point he dove to Earth, breaking both the sound barrier and previous records for high-altitude jumps. Hear his story of how -- and why. - Barry Schwartz: The way we think about work is brokenE152
Barry Schwartz: The way we think about work is brokenWhat makes work satisfying? Apart from a paycheck, there are intangible values that, Barry Schwartz suggests, our current way of thinking about work simply ignores. It's time to stop thinking of workers as cogs on a wheel. - BJ Miller: What really matters at the end of lifeE153
BJ Miller: What really matters at the end of lifeAt the end of our lives, what do we most wish for? For many, it’s simply comfort, respect, love. BJ Miller is a palliative care physician at Zen Hospice Project who thinks deeply about how to create a dignified, graceful end of life for his patients. Take the time to savor this moving talk, which asks big questions about how we think on death and honor life. - Billie Jean King: This tennis icon paved the way for women in sportsE154
Billie Jean King: This tennis icon paved the way for women in sportsTennis legend Billie Jean King isn't just a pioneer of women's tennis -- she's a pioneer for women getting paid. In this freewheeling conversation, she talks about identity, the role of sports in social justice and the famous Battle of the Sexes match against Bobby Riggs. - David Rothkopf: How fear drives American politicsE155
David Rothkopf: How fear drives American politicsDoes it seem like Washington has no new ideas? Instead of looking to build the future, it sometimes feels like the US political establishment happily retreats into fear and willful ignorance. Journalist David Rothkopf lays out a few of the major issues that US leadership is failing to address -- from cybercrime to world-shaking new tech to the reality of modern total war -- and calls for a new vision that sets fear aside. - Mia Birdsong: The story we tell about poverty isn't trueE156
Mia Birdsong: The story we tell about poverty isn't trueAs a global community, we all want to end poverty. Mia Birdsong suggests a great place to start: Let's honor the skills, drive and initiative that poor people bring to the struggle every day. She asks us to look again at people in poverty: They may be broke — but they're not broken. - Michael Kimmel: Why gender equality is good for everyone — men includedE157
Michael Kimmel: Why gender equality is good for everyone — men includedYes, we all know it’s the right thing to do. But Michael Kimmel makes the surprising, funny, practical case for treating men and women equally in the workplace and at home. It’s not a zero-sum game, but a win-win that will result in more opportunity and more happiness for everybody. - Mandy Len Catron: Falling in love is the easy partE158
Mandy Len Catron: Falling in love is the easy partDid you know you can fall in love with anyone just by asking them 36 questions? Mandy Len Catron tried this experiment, it worked, and she wrote a viral article about it (that your mom probably sent you). But … is that real love? Did it last? And what’s the difference between falling in love and staying in love? - Scott Dinsmore: How to find work you loveE159
Scott Dinsmore: How to find work you loveScott Dinsmore quit a job that made him miserable, and spent the next four years wondering how to find work that was joyful and meaningful. He shares what he learned in this deceptively simple talk about finding out what matters to you — and then getting started doing it. - Sakena Yacoobi: How I stopped the Taliban from shutting down my schoolE160
Sakena Yacoobi: How I stopped the Taliban from shutting down my schoolWhen the Taliban closed all the girls' schools in Afghanistan, Sakena Yacoobi set up new schools, in secret, educating thousands of women and men. In this fierce, funny talk, she tells the jaw-dropping story of two times when she was threatened to stop teaching -- and shares her vision for rebuilding her beloved country. - Frances Larson: Why public beheadings get millions of viewsE161
Frances Larson: Why public beheadings get millions of viewsIn a disturbing — but fascinating — walk through history, Frances Larson examines humanity's strange relationship with public executions … and specifically beheadings. As she shows us, they have always drawn a crowd, first in the public square and now on YouTube. What makes them horrific and compelling in equal measure? - Mary Robinson: Why climate change is a threat to human rightsE162
Mary Robinson: Why climate change is a threat to human rightsClimate change is unfair. While rich countries can fight against rising oceans and dying farm fields, poor people around the world are already having their lives upended — and their human rights threatened — by killer storms, starvation and the loss of their own lands. Mary Robinson asks us to join the movement for worldwide climate justice. - Robin Morgan: 4 powerful poems about Parkinson's and growing olderE163
Robin Morgan: 4 powerful poems about Parkinson's and growing olderWhen poet Robin Morgan found herself facing Parkinson’s disease, she distilled her experiences into these four quietly powerful poems — meditating on age, loss, and the simple power of noticing. - Samuel Cohen: Alzheimer's is not normal aging — and we can cure itE164
Samuel Cohen: Alzheimer's is not normal aging — and we can cure itMore than 40 million people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, and that number is expected to increase drastically in the coming years. But no real progress has been made in the fight against the disease since its classification more than 100 years ago. Scientist Samuel Cohen shares a new breakthrough in Alzheimer’s research from his lab as well as a message of hope. “Alzheimer’s is a disease,” Cohen says, “and we can cure it.” - Taiye Selasi: Don't ask where I'm from, ask where I'm a localE165
Taiye Selasi: Don't ask where I'm from, ask where I'm a localTEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more. - Mac Stone: Stunning photos of the endangered EvergladesE166
Mac Stone: Stunning photos of the endangered EvergladesFor centuries, people have viewed swamps and wetlands as obstacles to avoid. But for photographer Mac Stone, who documents the stories of wildlife in Florida's Everglades, the swamp isn't a hindrance — it's a national treasure. Through his stunning photographs, Stone shines a new light on a neglected, ancient and important wilderness. His message: get out and experience it for yourself. "Just do it — put your feet in the water," he says. "The swamp will change you, I promise." - Martin Pistorius: How my mind came back to life — and no one knewE167
Martin Pistorius: How my mind came back to life — and no one knewImagine being unable to say, "I am hungry," "I am in pain," "thank you," or "I love you,” — losing your ability to communicate, being trapped inside your body, surrounded by people yet utterly alone. For 13 long years, that was Martin Pistorius’s reality. After contracting a brain infection at the age of twelve, Pistorius lost his ability to control his movements and to speak, and eventually he failed every test for mental awareness. He had become a ghost. But then a strange thing started to happen — his mind began to knit itself back together. In this moving talk, Pistorius tells how he freed himself from a life locked inside his own body. - Emilie Wapnick: Why some of us don't have one true callingE168
Emilie Wapnick: Why some of us don't have one true callingWhat do you want to be when you grow up? Well, if you're not sure you want to do just one thing for the rest of your life, you're not alone. In this illuminating talk, writer and artist Emilie Wapnick describes the kind of people she calls "multipotentialites" — who have a range of interests and jobs over one lifetime. Are you one? - Alice Bows-Larkin: Climate change is happening. Here's how we adaptE169
Alice Bows-Larkin: Climate change is happening. Here's how we adaptImagine the hottest day you've ever experienced. Now imagine it's six, 10 or 12 degrees hotter. According to climate researcher Alice Bows-Larkin, that's the type of future in store for us if we don't significantly cut our greenhouse gas emissions now. She suggests that it's time we do things differently—a whole system change, in fact—and seriously consider trading economic growth for climate stability. - Siddhartha Mukherjee: Soon we'll cure diseases with a cell, not a pillE170
Siddhartha Mukherjee: Soon we'll cure diseases with a cell, not a pillCurrent medical treatment boils down to six words: Have disease, take pill, kill something. But physician Siddhartha Mukherjee points to a future of medicine that will transform the way we heal. - Neri Oxman: Design at the intersection of technology and biologyE171
Neri Oxman: Design at the intersection of technology and biologyDesigner and architect Neri Oxman is leading the search for ways in which digital fabrication technologies can interact with the biological world. Working at the intersection of computational design, additive manufacturing, materials engineering and synthetic biology, her lab is pioneering a new age of symbiosis between microorganisms, our bodies, our products and even our buildings. - Sandrine Thuret: You can grow new brain cells. Here's howE172
Sandrine Thuret: You can grow new brain cells. Here's howCan we, as adults, grow new neurons? Neuroscientist Sandrine Thuret says that we can, and she offers research and practical advice on how we can help our brains better perform neurogenesis—improving mood, increasing memory formation and preventing the decline associated with aging along the way. - Teitur: Home is a song I've always rememberedE173
Teitur: Home is a song I've always rememberedFor musician Teitur, singing is about giving away a piece of yourself to others. "If your intentions are to impress people or to get the big applause at the end," he says, "then you are taking, not giving." Listen as he plays on stage at TED2015, offering two songs about love, distance and home. - Michael Green: How we can make the world a better place by 2030E174
Michael Green: How we can make the world a better place by 2030Can we end hunger and poverty, halt climate change and achieve gender equality in the next 15 years? The governments of the world think we can. Meeting at the UN in September 2015, they agreed to a new set of Global Goals for the development of the world to 2030. Social progress expert Michael Green invites us to imagine how these goals and their vision for a better world can be achieved. - Vijay Kumar: The future of flying robotsE175
Vijay Kumar: The future of flying robotsAt his lab at the University of Pennsylvania, Vijay Kumar and his team have created autonomous aerial robots inspired by honeybees. Their latest breakthrough: Precision Farming, in which swarms of robots map, reconstruct and analyze every plant and piece of fruit in an orchard, providing vital information to farmers that can help improve yields and make water management smarter. - Alyson McGregor: Why medicine often has dangerous side effects for womenE176
Alyson McGregor: Why medicine often has dangerous side effects for womenFor most of the past century, drugs approved and released to market have been tested only on male patients, leading to improper dosing and unacceptable side effects for women. The important physiological differences between men and women have only recently been taken into consideration in medical research. Emergency doctor Alyson McGregor studies these differences, and in this fascinating talk she discusses the history behind how the male model became our framework for medical research and how understanding differences between men and women can lead to more effective treatments for both sexes. - Anders Fjellberg: Two nameless bodies washed up on the beach. Here are their storiesE177
Anders Fjellberg: Two nameless bodies washed up on the beach. Here are their storiesWhen two bodies wearing identical wetsuits washed ashore in Norway and the Netherlands, reporter Anders Fjellberg and photographer Tomm Christiansen started a search to answer the question: who were these people? What they found and reported in Norway’s “Dagbladet” is that everybody has a name, everybody has a story and everybody is someone. - Meklit Hadero: The unexpected beauty of everyday soundsE178
Meklit Hadero: The unexpected beauty of everyday soundsUsing examples from birdsong, the natural lilt of emphatic language and even a cooking pan lid, singer-songwriter and TED Fellow Meklit Hadero shows how the everyday soundscape, even silence, makes music. "The world is alive with musical expression," she says. "We are already immersed." - Will Potter: The secret US prisons you've never heard of beforeE179
Will Potter: The secret US prisons you've never heard of beforeInvestigative journalist Will Potter is the only reporter who has been inside a Communications Management Unit, or CMU, within a US prison. These units were opened secretly, and radically alter how prisoners are treated -- even preventing them from hugging their children. Potter, a TED Fellow, shows us who is imprisoned here, and how the government is trying to keep them hidden. "The message was clear," he says. "Don’t talk about this place." Find sources for this talk at willpotter.com/cmu - Jennifer Doudna: We can now edit our DNA. But let's do it wiselyE180
Jennifer Doudna: We can now edit our DNA. But let's do it wiselyGeneticist Jennifer Doudna co-invented a groundbreaking new technology for editing genes, called CRISPR-Cas9. The tool allows scientists to make precise edits to DNA strands, which could lead to treatments for genetic diseases … but could also be used to create so-called "designer babies." Doudna reviews how CRISPR-Cas9 works -- and asks the scientific community to pause and discuss the ethics of this new tool. - Tom Uglow: An Internet without screens might look like thisE181
Tom Uglow: An Internet without screens might look like thisDesigner Tom Uglow is creating a future in which humanity's love for natural solutions and simple tools can coexist with our need for information and the devices that provide us with it. "Reality is richer than screens," he says. "We can have a happy place filled with the information we love that feels as natural as switching on lightbulb." - Francesco Sauro: Deep under the Earth's surface, discovering beauty and scienceE182
Francesco Sauro: Deep under the Earth's surface, discovering beauty and scienceCave explorer and geologist Francesco Sauro travels to the hidden continent under our feet, surveying deep, dark places inside the earth that humans have never been able to reach before. In the spectacular tepuis of South America, he finds new minerals and insects that have evolved in isolation, and he uses his knowledge of these alien worlds to train astronauts. - Hilary Cottam: Social services are broken. How we can fix themE183
Hilary Cottam: Social services are broken. How we can fix themWhen a family falls into crisis -- and it sometimes happens, thanks to unemployment, drugs, bad relationships and bad luck -- the social services system is supposed to step in and help them get back on track. As Hilary Cottam shows, in the UK a typical family in crisis can be eligible for services from more than 70 different agencies, but it's unlikely that any one of them can really make a difference. Cottam, a social entrepreneur herself, asks us to think about the ways we solve deep and complex social problems. How can we build supportive, enthusiastic relationships between those in need and those that provide help? - Cesar Harada: How I teach kids to love scienceE184
Cesar Harada: How I teach kids to love scienceAt the Harbour School in Hong Kong, TED Senior Fellow Cesar Harada teaches citizen science and invention to the next generation of environmentalists. He's moved his classroom into an industrial mega-space where imaginative kids work with wood, metal, chemistry, biology, optics and, occasionally, power tools to create solutions to the threats facing the world's oceans. There, he instills a universal lesson that his own parents taught him at a young age: "You can make a mess, but you have to clean up after yourself." - Christine Sun Kim: The enchanting music of sign languageE185
Christine Sun Kim: The enchanting music of sign languageArtist and TED Fellow Christine Sun Kim was born deaf, and she was taught to believe that sound wasn't a part of her life, that it was a hearing person's thing. Through her art, she discovered similarities between American Sign Language and music, and she realized that sound doesn't have to be known solely through the ears -- it can be felt, seen and experienced as an idea. In this endearing talk, she invites us to open our eyes and ears and participate in the rich treasure of visual language. - Mathias Jud: Art that lets you talk back to NSA spiesE186
Mathias Jud: Art that lets you talk back to NSA spiesIn 2013, the world learned that the NSA and its UK equivalent, GCHQ, routinely spied on the German government. Amid the outrage, artists Mathias Jud and Christoph Wachter thought: Well, if they're listening ... let's talk to them. With antennas mounted on the roof of the Swiss Embassy in Berlin's government district, they set up an open network that let the world send messages to US and UK spies listening nearby. It's one of three bold, often funny, and frankly subversive works detailed in this talk, which highlights the world's growing discontent with surveillance and closed networks. - Daniel Levitin: How to stay calm when you know you'll be stressedE187
Daniel Levitin: How to stay calm when you know you'll be stressedYou're not at your best when you're stressed. In fact, your brain has evolved over millennia to release cortisol in stressful situations, inhibiting rational, logical thinking but potentially helping you survive, say, being attacked by a lion. Neuroscientist Daniel Levitin thinks there's a way to avoid making critical mistakes in stressful situations, when your thinking becomes clouded -- the pre-mortem. "We all are going to fail now and then," he says. "The idea is to think ahead to what those failures might be." - Nancy Lublin: The heartbreaking text that inspired a crisis help lineE188
Nancy Lublin: The heartbreaking text that inspired a crisis help lineWhen a young woman texted DoSomething.org with a heartbreaking cry for help, the organization responded by opening a nationwide Crisis Text Line to provide an outlet for people in pain. Nearly 10 million text messages later, the organization is using the privacy and power of text messaging to help people with issues such as addiction, suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, sexual abuse and more. The data collected in the process is reshaping policy and preparing schools and law enforcement to better handle spikes in crises. - Melissa Fleming: A boat carrying 500 refugees sunk at sea. The story of two survivorsE189
Melissa Fleming: A boat carrying 500 refugees sunk at sea. The story of two survivorsAboard an overloaded ship carrying more than 500 refugees, a young woman becomes an unlikely hero. This single, powerful story, told by Melissa Fleming of the UN's refugee agency, gives a human face to the sheer numbers of human beings trying to escape to better lives ... as the refugee ships keep coming ... - Patrícia Medici: The coolest animal you know nothing about ... and how we can save itE190
Patrícia Medici: The coolest animal you know nothing about ... and how we can save itAlthough the tapir is one of the world's largest land mammals, the lives of these solitary, nocturnal creatures have remained a mystery. Known as "the living fossil," the very same tapir that roams the forests and grasslands of South America today arrived on the evolutionary scene more than 5 million years ago. But threats from poachers, deforestation and pollution, especially in quickly industrializing Brazil, threaten this longevity. In this insightful talk, conservation biologist, tapir expert and TED Fellow Patrícia Medici shares her work with these amazing animals and challenges us with a question: Do we want to be responsible for their extinction? - Harald Haas: A breakthrough new kind of wireless InternetE191
Harald Haas: A breakthrough new kind of wireless InternetWhat if we could use existing technologies to provide Internet access to the more than 4 billion people living in places where the infrastructure can't support it? Using off-the-shelf LEDs and solar cells, Harald Haas and his team have pioneered a new technology that transmits data using light, and it may just be the key to bridging the digital divide. Take a look at what the future of the Internet could look like. - Kaki King: A musical escape into a world of light and colorE192
Kaki King: A musical escape into a world of light and colorA genre unto herself, Kaki King fuses the ancient tradition of working with one's hands with digital technology, projection-mapping imagery onto her guitar in her groundbreaking multimedia work "The Neck Is a Bridge to the Body." Using her guitar's neck like a keyboard, she plays an intricate melody as she takes the audience on a musical journey of light and sound. She calls it "guitar as paintbrush." - Jenni Chang and Lisa Dazols: This is what LGBT life is like around the worldE193
Jenni Chang and Lisa Dazols: This is what LGBT life is like around the worldAs a gay couple in San Francisco, Jenni Chang and Lisa Dazols had a relatively easy time living the way they wanted. But outside the bubble of the Bay Area, what was life like for people still lacking basic rights? They set off on a world tour in search of "Supergays," LGBT people who were doing something extraordinary in the world. In 15 countries across Africa, Asia and South America -- from India, recently home to the world's first openly gay prince, to Argentina, the first country in Latin America to grant marriage equality -- they found the inspiring stories and the courageous, resilient and proud Supergays they had been looking for. - Andreas Ekström: The moral bias behind your search resultsE194
Andreas Ekström: The moral bias behind your search resultsSearch engines have become our most trusted sources of information and arbiters of truth. But can we ever get an unbiased search result? Swedish author and journalist Andreas Ekström argues that such a thing is a philosophical impossibility. In this thoughtful talk, he calls on us to strengthen the bonds between technology and the humanities, and he reminds us that behind every algorithm is a set of personal beliefs that no code can ever completely eradicate. - Chelsea Shields: How I'm working for change inside my churchE195
Chelsea Shields: How I'm working for change inside my churchHow do we respect someone's religious beliefs, while also holding religion accountable for the damage those beliefs may cause? Chelsea Shields has a bold answer to this question. She was raised in the orthodox Mormon tradition, and she spent the early part of her life watching women be excluded from positions of importance within the LDS Church. Now, this anthropologist, activist and TED Fellow is working to reform her church's institutionalized gender inequality. "Religions can liberate or subjugate, they can empower or exploit, they can comfort or destroy," she says. "What is taught on the Sabbath leaks into our politics, our health policy, violence around the world." - Jean-Paul Mari: The chilling aftershock of a brush with deathE196
Jean-Paul Mari: The chilling aftershock of a brush with deathIn April 2003, just as American troops began rolling into Baghdad, a shell smashed into the building author and war correspondent Jean-Paul Mari was reporting from. There he had a face-to-face encounter with death, beginning his acquaintance with a phantom that has haunted those who have risked their lives on battlefields since ancient times. "What is this thing that can kill you without leaving any visible scars?" Mari asks. We know it as post-traumatic stress disorder -- or, as Mari describes it, an experience with the void of death. In this probing talk, he searches for answers to questions about mortality and psychosis and in the aftermath of horror and trauma. - Josh Luber: The secret sneaker market -- and why it mattersE197
Josh Luber: The secret sneaker market -- and why it mattersJosh Luber is a "sneakerhead," a collector of rare or limited sneakers. With their insatiable appetite for exclusive sneakers, these tastemakers drive marketing and create hype for the brands they love, specifically Nike, which absolutely dominates the multi-billion dollar secondary market for sneakers. Luber's company, Campless, collects data about this market and analyzes it for collectors and investors. In this talk, he takes us on a journey into this complicated, unregulated market and imagines how it could be a model for a stock market for commerce. - Nonny de la Peña: The future of news? Virtual realityE198
Nonny de la Peña: The future of news? Virtual realityWhat if you could experience a story with your entire body, not just with your mind? Nonny de la Peña is working on a new form of journalism that combines traditional reporting with emerging virtual reality technology to put the audience inside the story. The result is an evocative experience that de la Peña hopes will help people understand the news in a brand new way. - Anote Tong: My country will be underwater soon -- unless we work togetherE199
Anote Tong: My country will be underwater soon -- unless we work togetherFor the people of Kiribati, climate change isn't something to be debated, denied or legislated against -- it's an everyday reality. The low-lying Pacific island nation may soon be underwater, thanks to rising sea levels. In a personal conversation with TED Curator Chris Anderson, Kiribati President Anote Tong discusses his country's present climate catastrophe and its imperiled future. "In order to deal with climate change, there's got to be sacrifice. There's got to be commitment," he says. "We've got to tell people that the world has changed." - Carl Safina: What are animals thinking and feeling?E200
Carl Safina: What are animals thinking and feeling?What's going on inside the brains of animals? Can we know what, or if, they're thinking and feeling? Carl Safina thinks we can. Using discoveries and anecdotes that span ecology, biology and behavioral science, he weaves together stories of whales, wolves, elephants and albatrosses to argue that just as we think, feel, use tools and express emotions, so too do the other creatures – and minds – that share the Earth with us. - Genevieve von Petzinger: Why are these 32 symbols found in ancient caves all over Europe?E201
Genevieve von Petzinger: Why are these 32 symbols found in ancient caves all over Europe?Written language, the hallmark of human civilization, didn't just suddenly appear one day. Thousands of years before the first fully developed writing systems, our ancestors scrawled geometric signs across the walls of the caves they sheltered in. Paleoanthropologist, rock art researcher and TED Senior Fellow Genevieve von Petzinger has studied and codified these ancient markings in caves across Europe. The uniformity of her findings suggest that graphic communication, and the ability to preserve and transmit messages beyond a single moment in time, may be much older than we think. - Ann Morgan: My year reading a book from every country in the worldE202
Ann Morgan: My year reading a book from every country in the worldAnn Morgan considered herself well read -- until she discovered the "massive blindspot" on her bookshelf. Amid a multitude of English and American authors, there were very few books from beyond the English-speaking world. So she set an ambitious goal: to read one book from every country in the world over the course of a year. Now she's urging other Anglophiles to read translated works so that publishers will work harder to bring foreign literary gems back to their shores. Explore interactive maps of her reading journey here: go.ted.com/readtheworld - Regina Hartley: Why the best hire might not have the perfect resumeE203
Regina Hartley: Why the best hire might not have the perfect resumeGiven the choice between a job candidate with a perfect resume and one who has fought through difficulty, human resources executive Regina Hartley always gives the "Scrapper" a chance. As someone who grew up with adversity, Hartley knows that those who flourish in the darkest of spaces are empowered with the grit to persist in an ever-changing workplace. "Choose the underestimated contender, whose secret weapons are passion and purpose," she says. "Hire the Scrapper." - Marina Abramović: An art made of trust, vulnerability and connectionE204
Marina Abramović: An art made of trust, vulnerability and connectionMarina Abramović's art pushes the boundary between audience and artist in pursuit of heightened consciousness and personal change. In her groundbreaking 2010 work, "The Artist Is Present," she simply sat in a chair facing her audience, for eight hours a day ... with powerfully moving results. Her boldest work may still be yet to come -- it's taking the form of a sprawling art institute devoted to experimentation and simple acts done with mindful attention. "Nothing happens if you always do things the same way," she says. "My method is to do things I'm afraid of, the things I don't know, to go to territory that nobody's ever been." - Kristen Marhaver: How we're growing baby corals to rebuild reefsE205
Kristen Marhaver: How we're growing baby corals to rebuild reefsKristen Marhaver studies corals, tiny creatures the size of a poppyseed that, over hundreds of slow years, create beautiful, life-sustaining ocean structures hundreds of miles long. As she admits, it's easy to get sad about the state of coral reefs; they're in the news lately because of how quickly they're bleaching, dying and turning to slime. But the good news is that we're learning more and more about these amazing marine invertebrates -- including how to help them (and help them help us). This biologist and TED Senior Fellow offers a glimpse into the wonderful and mysterious lives of these hard-working and fragile creatures. - Jessica Shortall: The US needs paid family leave -- for the sake of its futureE206
Jessica Shortall: The US needs paid family leave -- for the sake of its futureWe need women to work, and we need working women to have babies. So why is America one of the only countries in the world that offers no national paid leave to new working mothers? In this incisive talk, Jessica Shortall makes the impassioned case that the reality of new working motherhood in America is both hidden and horrible: millions of women, every year, are forced back to work within just weeks of giving birth. Her idea worth spreading: the time has come for us to recognize the economic, physical and psychological costs of our approach to working mothers and their babies, and to secure our economic future by providing paid leave to all working parents. - Chieko Asakawa: How new technology helps blind people explore the worldE207
Chieko Asakawa: How new technology helps blind people explore the worldHow can technology help improve our quality of life? How can we navigate the world without using the sense of vision? Inventor and IBM Fellow Chieko Asakawa, who's been blind since the age of fourteen, is working on answering these questions. In a charming demo, she shows off some new technology that's helping blind people explore the world ever more independently ... because, she suggests, when we design for greater accessibility, everyone benefits. - Guillaume Néry: The exhilarating peace of freedivingE208
Guillaume Néry: The exhilarating peace of freedivingIn this breathtaking talk, world champion freediver Guillaume Néry takes us with him into the ocean's depths. Meter by meter, he explains the physical and emotional impact of water pressure, silence and holding your breath. His eloquent description of the underwater experience reveals the hidden poetry of freediving. - Jedidah Isler: The untapped genius that could change science for the betterE209
Jedidah Isler: The untapped genius that could change science for the betterJedidah Isler dreamt of becoming an astrophysicist since she was a young girl, but the odds were against her: At that time, only 18 black women in the United States had ever earned a PhD in a physics-related discipline. In this personal talk, she shares the story of how she became the first black woman to earn a PhD in astrophysics from Yale -- and her deep belief in the value of diversity to science and other STEM fields. "Do not think for one minute that because you are who you are, you cannot be who you imagine yourself to be," she says. "Hold fast to those dreams and let them carry you into a world you can't even imagine." - Danit Peleg: Forget shopping. Soon you'll download your new clothesE210
Danit Peleg: Forget shopping. Soon you'll download your new clothesDownloadable, printable clothing may be coming to a closet near you. What started as designer Danit Peleg's fashion school project turned into a collection of 3D-printed designs that have the strength and flexibility for everyday wear. "Fashion is a very physical thing," she says. "I wonder what our world will look like when our clothes will be digital." - Raymond Wang: How germs travel on planes -- and how we can stop themE211
Raymond Wang: How germs travel on planes -- and how we can stop themRaymond Wang is only 17 years old, but he's already helping to build a healthier future. Using fluid dynamics, he created computational simulations of how air moves on airplanes, and what he found is disturbing -- when a person sneezes on a plane, the airflow actually helps to spread pathogens to other passengers. Wang shares an unforgettable animation of how a sneeze travels inside a plane cabin as well as his prize-winning solution: a small, fin-shaped device that increases fresh airflow in airplanes and redirects pathogen-laden air out of circulation. - Nicole Paris and Ed Cage: A beatboxing lesson from a father-daughter duoE212
Nicole Paris and Ed Cage: A beatboxing lesson from a father-daughter duoNicole Paris was raised to be a beatboxer -- when she was young, her father, Ed Cage, used to beatbox her to sleep at night. Now the duo is known for their beatbox battles and jam sessions, which mix classic rap beats with electronic dance sounds. Prepare yourself for a bit of a hip-hop history lesson, and enjoy the show. - Paul Greenberg: The four fish we're overeating -- and what to eat insteadE213
Paul Greenberg: The four fish we're overeating -- and what to eat insteadThe way we fish for popular seafood such as salmon, tuna and shrimp is threatening to ruin our oceans. Paul Greenberg explores the sheer size and irrationality of the seafood economy, and suggests a few specific ways we can change it, to benefit both the natural world and the people who depend on fishing for their livelihoods. - Lucianne Walkowicz: Let's not use Mars as a backup planetE214
Lucianne Walkowicz: Let's not use Mars as a backup planetStellar astronomer and TED Senior Fellow Lucianne Walkowicz works on NASA's Kepler mission, searching for places in the universe that could support life. So it's worth a listen when she asks us to think carefully about Mars. In this short talk, she suggests that we stop dreaming of Mars as a place that we'll eventually move to when we've messed up Earth, and to start thinking of planetary exploration and preservation of the Earth as two sides of the same goal. As she says, "The more you look for planets like Earth, the more you appreciate our own planet." - Alison Killing: What happens when a city runs out of room for its deadE215
Alison Killing: What happens when a city runs out of room for its dead"If you want to go out and start your own cemetery" in the UK, says Alison Killing, "you kind of can." She thinks a lot about where we die and are buried -- and in this talk, the architect and TED Fellow offers an eye-opening economic and social perspective on an overlooked feature of our towns and cities: the cemetery. Speaking specifically to UK laws, she unpacks the fascinating, sometimes funny, often contradictory laws about where you can be buried. - Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin: A hilarious celebration of lifelong female friendshipE216
Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin: A hilarious celebration of lifelong female friendshipLegendary duo Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin have been friends for decades. In a raw, tender and wide-ranging conversation hosted by Pat Mitchell, the three discuss longevity, feminism, the differences between male and female friendship, what it means to live well and women's role in future of our planet. "I don't even know what I would do without my women friends," Fonda says. "I exist because I have my women friends." - António Guterres: Refugees have the right to be protectedE217
António Guterres: Refugees have the right to be protectedUN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres thinks that we can solve the global refugee crisis -- and he offers compelling, surprising reasons why we must try. In conversation with TED's Bruno Giussani, Guterres discusses the historical causes of the current crisis and outlines the mood of the European countries that are trying to screen, shelter and resettle hundreds of thousands of desperate families. Bigger picture: Guterres calls for a multilateral turn toward acceptance and respect -- to defy groups like ISIS's anti-refugee propaganda and recruiting machine. - Rodrigo Bijou: Governments don't understand cyber warfare. We need hackersE218
Rodrigo Bijou: Governments don't understand cyber warfare. We need hackersThe Internet has transformed the front lines of war, and it's leaving governments behind. As security analyst Rodrigo Bijou shows, modern conflict is being waged online between non-state groups, activists and private corporations, and the digital landscape is proving to be fertile ground for the recruitment and radicalization of terrorists. Meanwhile, draconian surveillance programs are ripe for exploitation. Bijou urges governments to end mass surveillance programs and shut "backdoors" -- and he makes a bold call for individuals to step up. - Jason deCaires Taylor: An underwater art museum, teeming with lifeE219
Jason deCaires Taylor: An underwater art museum, teeming with lifeFor sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, the ocean is more than a muse -- it's an exhibition space and museum. Taylor creates sculptures of human forms and mundane life on land and sinks them to the ocean floor, where they are subsumed by the sea and transformed from lifeless stone into vibrant habitats for corals, crustaceans and other creatures. The result: Enigmatic, haunting and colorful commentaries about our transient existence, the sacredness of the ocean and its breathtaking power of regeneration. - Robert Waldinger: What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happinessE220
Robert Waldinger: What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happinessWhat keeps us happy and healthy as we go through life? If you think it's fame and money, you're not alone – but, according to psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, you're mistaken. As the director of a 75-year-old study on adult development, Waldinger has unprecedented access to data on true happiness and satisfaction. In this talk, he shares three important lessons learned from the study as well as some practical, old-as-the-hills wisdom on how to build a fulfilling, long life.
