Jan Bill: What was so special about Viking ships?
As the Roman Empire flourished, Scandinavians had small settlements and no central government. Yet by the 11th century, they had spread far from Scandinavia, gaining control of trade routes throughout Europe, conquering kingdoms as far as Africa, and building outposts in North America. What was the secret to their success? Jan Bill dives into th...
Billie Jean King: This tennis icon paved the way for women in sports
Hanako Sawada: Test yourself: Can you tell the difference between music and noise?
In 1960, composer John Cage went on television to share his latest work. But rather than using traditional instruments, Cage appeared surrounded by household clutter, including a bathtub, ice cubes, a toy fish, a rubber duck, several radios, and performed "Water Walk." Most people watching had the same question: is this even music? Hanako Sawada...
John Graham-Cumming: The greatest machine that never was
Latif Nasser: The amazing story of the man who gave us modern pain relief
For 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.
John Hunter: Teaching with the World Peace Game
John Hunter puts all the problems of the world on a 4'x5' plywood board -- and lets his 4th-graders solve them. At TED2011, he explains how his World Peace Game engages schoolkids, and why the complex lessons it teaches -- spontaneous, and always surprising -- go further than classroom lectures can.
John Maeda: How art, technology and design inform creative leaders
John Maeda, former President of the Rhode Island School of Design, delivers a funny and charming talk that spans a lifetime of work in art, design and technology, concluding with a picture of creative leadership in the future. Watch for demos of Maeda's earliest work -- and even a computer made of people.
Dallas Taylor: What silence can teach you about sound
What can you hear in silence? In this exploration of sound, host of the podcast "Twenty Thousand Hertz" Dallas Taylor tells the story of arguably the most debated musical composition in recent history -- composer John Cage's iconic piece 4'33" -- and invites you to take notice of the soundscape around you. Watch to the end to experience a perfor...
Chad Orzel: Einstein's brilliant mistake: Entangled states
When you think about Einstein and physics, E=mc^2 is probably the first thing that comes to mind. But one of his greatest contributions to the field actually came in the form of an odd philosophical footnote in a 1935 paper he co-wrote — which ended up being wrong. Chad Orzel details Einstein's "EPR" paper and its insights on the strange phenome...
Paul Bloom: The origins of pleasure
Zachary R. Wood: Why it's worth listening to people you disagree with
We get stronger, not weaker, by engaging with ideas and people we disagree with, says Zachary R. Wood. In an important talk about finding common ground, Wood makes the case that we can build empathy and gain understanding by engaging tactfully and thoughtfully with controversial ideas and unfamiliar perspectives. "Tuning out opposing viewpoints ...
Mehret Mandefro: How a strong creative industry helps economies thrive
When global leaders think about which industries can fuel economic growth, the arts are often overlooked. But filmmaker Mehret Mandefro says the creative sector actually has the power to grow economies -- while also helping safeguard democracy. In this captivating talk, she shares a behind-the-scenes look at how she's putting culture back on the...
Paddy Ashdown: The global power shift
Aaron Koblin: Visualizing ourselves ... with crowd-sourced data
Artist Aaron Koblin takes vast amounts of data -- and at times vast numbers of people -- and weaves them into stunning visualizations. From elegant lines tracing airline flights to landscapes of cell phone data, from a Johnny Cash video assembled from crowd-sourced drawings to the "Wilderness Downtown" video that customizes for the user, his wor...
Paul Rucker: We were lied to
"Leaving out information can be just as detrimental as a lie,” says multidisciplinary artist Paul Rucker. In a talk bookended by two cello performances, he shares photographs of the history we often omit — and introduces Cary Forward, his new museum aimed at spotlighting histories of exclusion and perseverance.
Michael Shermer: The pattern behind self-deception
Bruce Feiler: The council of dads
Peter Hirshberg: The web is more than "better TV"
Jarrett J. Krosoczka: How a boy became an artist
Bono: My wish: Three actions for Africa
John Bell: How Shakespeare has made me a Humanist
John Bell is one of Australia’s most illustrious theatre personalities. Award-winning actor, acclaimed director, risk-taking impresario, torch-bearing educationalist and speaker on leadership; John has been a key figure in shaping the nation’s theatrical identity as we know it. John Bell has walked side-by-side with Shakespeare for the past 60 ...
Jenn Buell: You Have a Piece of Paper That Can Change the World
Raising children as a single parent is exhausting—mentally, emotionally, physically. Statistics are both sad and scary on children raised in a single-parent home. If it truly takes a village to raise a child, what can the you do as part of the that village to help? You’ll be surprised that the answer is unexpectedly simple yet incredibly impactful.
John Bly: Merge Your Culture, Aquire Your Success
Gini Ballou: Was I Your Mother? Finding Love in Alzheimer's
John Bally: How science has driven our technology and economy
For the last half millennium, scientific curiosity has driven a series of technological revolutions that powers today’s economy and dominates our way of life. About 500 years ago, studies of the motions of the planets and Moon led to mechanics. Mechanics led to the Industrial Revolution. Investigation of electricity, magnetism, and atoms led ...
Juanah Ballay: Creating pathways for prosperity through Agriculture.
In this talk, Juanah reflects on Sierra Leone's agricultural productive potential and proffers solutions on how the country can attain food sufficiency / security. He shares his idea by giving an overview on agriculture and development related stats about Sierra Leone, which includes the good and the (mostly) bad.
Joan Margarit, Biel Juste: El futuro del emprendimiento es la Generación Z