Lizzo: The Black history of twerking -- and how it taught me self-love
Twerking is mainstream now ... but do you know where it came from? Superstar Lizzo traces booty shaking to a traditional West African dance and tells how Black women across generations kept the rhythm alive, from blues and jazz singers to modern rap and hip-hop performers. With her characteristic energy, she shares how twerking empowered her to ...
Lisa Dyson: A forgotten Space Age technology could change how we grow food
Lisa Nip: How humans could evolve to survive in space
If we hope to one day leave Earth and explore the universe, our bodies are going to have to get a lot better at surviving the harsh conditions of space. Using synthetic biology, Lisa Nip hopes to harness special powers from microbes on Earth -- such as the ability to withstand radiation -- to make humans more fit for exploring space. "We're appr...
Lucy Cooke: What can animals teach us about sex and gender?
What if we stopped seeing females (of every species) as passive and instead welcomed the extraordinary diversity of sexuality? Through tales of same-sex bird couples, sexually transformative fish and unexpectedly promiscuous chimps, zoologist Lucy Cooke invites us to embrace the "genderless continuum" of females in nature, ditching archaic sexua...
Lucy Clayton: The true power of a good outfit
Lisa Mosconi: How menopause affects the brain
Many of the symptoms of menopause -- hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, memory lapses, depression and anxiety -- start in the brain. How exactly does menopause impact cognitive health? Sharing groundbreaking findings from her research, neuroscientist Lisa Mosconi reveals how decreasing hormonal levels affect brain aging -- and shares simple li...
Garrett Lisi: An 8-dimensional model of the universe
Louise Thwaites: Why is it so dangerous to step on a rusty nail?
In the 5th century, a ship master was suffering from a nasty infection that caused his jaws to press together, his teeth to lock up, and the muscles in his neck and spine to spasm. Today we know this account to be one the first recorded cases of tetanus. So, what causes this peculiar infection? Louise Thwaites explores how tetanus affects our bo...
Luisa Neubauer: Why you should be a climate activist
"I dream of a world where geography classes teach about the climate crisis as this one great challenge that was won by people like you and me," says climate activist Luisa Neubauer. With Greta Thunberg, Neubauer helped initiate "Fridays For Future," the momentous international school strike movement that protests the lack of action on the climat...
Joseph Lacey: How could so many people support Hitler?
Philosopher Hannah Arendt was a German Jew who dedicated herself to understanding how the Nazi regime came to power, and more specifically, how it inspired so many atrocities. She believed the true conditions behind the unprecedented rise of totalitarianism weren’t specific to Germany, and developed theories on how to best combat such threats. J...
Lucy King: How bees can keep the peace between elephants and humans
Imagine waking in the middle of the night to an elephant ripping the roof from your house in search of food. This is a reality in some communities in Africa where, as wild spaces shrink, people and elephants are competing for space and resources like never before. In this engaging talk, zoologist Lucy King shares her solution to the rising confl...
Lucy McRae: How can technology transform the human body?
TED Fellow Lucy McRae is a body architect -- she imagines ways to merge biology and technology in our own bodies. In this visually stunning talk, she shows her work, from clothes that recreate the body's insides for a music video with pop-star Robyn, to a pill that, when swallowed, lets you sweat perfume.
Louise Leakey: A dig for humanity's origins
Liz Diller: A new museum wing ... in a giant bubble
How do you make a great public space inside a not-so-great building? Liz Diller shares the story of imagining a welcoming, lighthearted -- even, dare we say it, sexy -- addition to the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC. (From The Design Studio session at TED2012, guest-curated by Chee Pearlman and David Rockwell.)
Lizzie Velásquez: How do you define yourself?
Born with a rare disorder that prevents her from gaining weight, Lizzie Velasquez has faced more negativity and bullying than most. Over time, she's developed a simple but effective coping mechanism. "Tell me those negative things," she says. "I'm gonna turn them around and use them as a ladder to climb up to my goals." In this funny, personal t...
Ethan Lisi: What it's really like to have autism
"Autism is not a disease; it's just another way of thinking," says Ethan Lisi. Offering a glimpse into the way he experiences the world, Lisi breaks down misleading stereotypes about autism, shares insights into common behaviors like stimming and masking and promotes a more inclusive understanding of the spectrum.
Lucy Kalanithi: What makes life worth living in the face of death
In this deeply moving talk, Lucy Kalanithi reflects on life and purpose, sharing the story of her late husband, Paul, a young neurosurgeon who turned to writing after his terminal cancer diagnosis. "Engaging in the full range of experience -- living and dying, love and loss -- is what we get to do," Kalanithi says. "Being human doesn't happen de...
Louise Fresco: We need to feed the whole world
Lisa Kristine: Photos that bear witness to modern slavery
Liza Donnelly: Drawing on humor for change
Lisa Winer: Can you solve the virus riddle?
Your research team has found a prehistoric virus preserved in the permafrost and isolated it for study. After a late night working, you're just closing up the lab when a sudden earthquake hits and breaks all the sample vials. Will you be able to destroy the virus before the vents open and unleash a deadly airborne plague? Lisa Winer shows how. [...
Liz Powers: A new way to define self-worth
When working with homeless and disabled artists, the refrain that social entrepreneur Liz Powers hears most often is: "I don't want a handout, I want an opportunity." In this talk, Powers explores the concept of "Joblifting," a way to create chances for people by focusing on their talents rather than their circumstances.
Lisa Godwin: How teachers can help students navigate trauma
"To make a difference in the life of a child ... I made the commitment to tell my personal story," says educator Lisa Godwin. In this moving talk, she shares her experience of overcoming childhood trauma with the quiet, unwavering support of a teacher and school counselor -- and shows how educators can help students and families navigate hardshi...
Lucy Cooke: Are pandas the most misunderstood animal?
In the 1930’s, a grand panda drama unfolded at the Chicago Zoo. Zookeepers procured a female panda named Mei Mei, and they were determined to find her a mate. They found a prospective suitor named Mei Lan, and the public eagerly awaited the patter of tiny panda paws. But the wait dragged on... and on. Why weren’t the bears breeding? Lucy Cooke s...
Lucy McBath: My quest to end the horror of gun violence in the US
US Congresswoman Lucy McBath has made it her mission to seek bipartisan solutions for gun safety, leading the way in sponsoring so-called "red flag" laws that prevent gun violence and mass shootings. In a searing and timely talk, she shares the personal story that led her to this work — and a message for why comprehensive, common-sense gun legis...
Liz Diller: The Blur Building and other tech-empowered architecture
Lucy Hone: The three secrets of resilient people
To most people in the field, resilience research is a calling, an academic interest or maybe even just a buzzword. For resilient expert Lucy Hone, it turned out to be an essential survival skill. In this powerful and personal talk, she shares the three strategies that got her through an unimaginable tragedy and—in doing so—offers profound insigh...
LZ Granderson: The myth of the gay agenda
Lisa Damour: 3 steps of anxiety overload — and how you can take back control
Anxiety is a normal part of life, so why are we so afraid of it? Psychologist Lisa Damour breaks down how to recognize when anxiety is helpful and when it's harmful, offering simple solutions for calming yourself and taking back control when you feel it slipping away. (This conversation, hosted by TED science curator David Biello, was part of an...
Lucy Marcil: Why doctors are offering free tax prep in their waiting rooms
More than 90 percent of children in the US see a doctor at least once a year, which means countless hours spent in waiting rooms for parents. What if those hours could be used for something productive -- like saving money? Through her organization StreetCred, pediatrician and TED Fellow Lucy Marcil is offering free tax prep to parents right in t...