Andy Yen: Think your email's private? Think again
Sending 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...
Mandy Len Catron: Falling in love is the easy part
Did 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?
Mandy Len Catron: A better way to talk about love
In love, we fall. We're struck, we're crushed, we swoon. We burn with passion. Love makes us crazy and makes us sick. Our hearts ache, and then they break. Talking about love in this way fundamentally shapes how we experience it, says writer Mandy Len Catron. In this talk for anyone who's ever felt crazy in love, Catron highlights a different me...
Richard Reeves: How to solve the education crisis for boys and men
While studying inequality and social mobility, Richard Reeves made a surprising discovery: in some countries, like the US and UK, boys are drastically lagging behind girls across many academic measures. He explains why these struggles in school are indicative of the larger crises facing boys and men -- and outlines how society could thoughtfully...
Megan Campisi and Pen-Pen Chen: What makes the Great Wall of China so extraordinary
The Great Wall of China is a 13,000-mile dragon of earth and stone that winds its way through the countryside of China. As it turns out, the wall's history is almost as long and serpentine as its structure. Megan Campisi and Pen-Pen Chen detail the building and subsequent decay of this massive, impressive wall. [Directed by Steff Lee, narrated b...
Noa Kageyama and Pen-Pen Chen: How to stay calm under pressure
Your favorite athlete closes in for a win; the crowd holds its breath, and at the crucial moment ... she misses the shot. That competitor just experienced the phenomenon known as "choking," where despite months, even years, of practice, a person fails right when it matters most. Why does this happen, and what can we do to avoid it? Noa Kageyama ...
Megan Campisi and Pen-Pen Chen: The myth behind the Chinese zodiac
What's your sign? In Western astrology, it's a constellation determined by when your birthday falls in the calendar. But according to the Chinese zodiac (生肖), it's your shuxiang, meaning the animal assigned to your birth year. And of the many myths explaining these animal signs and their arrangement, the most enduring one is that of The Great Ra...
Omar Ahmad: Political change with pen and paper
Heidi Grant: How to ask for help -- and get a "yes"
Asking for help is tough. But to get through life, you have to do it all the time. So how do you get comfortable asking? In this actionable talk, social psychologist Heidi Grant shares four simple rules for asking for help and getting it -- while making the process more rewarding for your helper, too.
Wendy Chung: Autism — what we know (and what we don't know yet)
In this factual talk, geneticist Wendy Chung shares what we know about autism spectrum disorder — for example, that autism has multiple, perhaps interlocking, causes. Looking beyond the worry and concern that can surround a diagnosis, Chung and her team look at what we've learned through studies, treatments and careful listening.
Miguel Goncalves: How millennials and Gen Z can invest in a better future
Millennials and Gen Z will inherit 30 trillion dollars of wealth in the coming decades, and what they do with their money will have an incredible impact on the future of the planet, says impact investor Miguel Goncalves. He makes a case for ESG investing -- or putting money in funds that weigh environmental and social factors -- and proposes a s...
Judith Heumann: Our fight for disability rights -- and why we're not done yet
Four decades ago, Judith Heumann helped to lead a groundbreaking protest called the Section 504 sit-in -- in which disabled-rights activists occupied a federal building for almost a month, demanding greater accessibility for all. In this personal, inspiring talk, Heumann tells the stories behind the protest -- and reminds us that, 40 years on, t...
Andy Yoon: Climate Change Shouldnt Be This Dramatic
This talk raises the issue of the dramatization of climate change. The media’s dramatization has been effective so far in directing people’s attention to our planet’s deterioration. But, instilling this far-fetched view in people won’t help us resolve these problems in the long run. So, now, it comes down to each of us to avoid these biases and ...