In a highly entertaining performance, beatboxer Tom Thum slings beats, comedy and a mouthful of instrumental impersonations into 11 minutes of creativity and fun that will make you smile.

Viral beatboxer Tom Thum has an orchestra in his mouth, but how does he make all those sounds? Get an up-close-and-personal look as laryngeal surgeon Matthew Broadhurst sticks a camera down Thum's throat while he creates a mind-boggling array of noises. This hilarious, somewhat stomach-churning talk and performance is not for the squeamish! (Con...

Architect Thom Mayne has never been one to take the easy option, and this whistle-stop tour of the buildings he's created makes you glad for it. These are big ideas cast in material form.

If you listen to visual artist Jess Thom speak, you'll notice she says the words "hedgehog" and "biscuit" -- a lot. Thom has Tourette's syndrome, but she doesn't let that stop her from finding humor in her condition and educating people about the disorder. In this funny talk, Thom busts common misconceptions about Tourette's and shows how she's ...

Meetings often drain our joy and sap our focus-–and meeting overload kills productivity. So why do we have so many of them– and is a better world possible? Adam investigates the science of improving meetings and explores how workplaces are fighting meeting bloat. Available transcripts for WorkLife can be found at go.ted.com/WLtranscripts

Before soldiers are sent into combat, they're trained on how to function in an immensely dangerous environment. But they also need training on how to return from the battlefield to civilian life, says psychologist Hector Garcia. Applying the same principles used to prepare soldiers for war, Garcia is helping veterans suffering from PTSD get thei...

Between 2020 and 2022, The National Center for Educational Statistics reported the largest average decline in reading scores since 1990, and the first ever drop in math. How can we reverse these current trends and improve student outcomes? Brian Johnson, a former teacher turned consultant, has designated three focus areas that can help educators...

What can we expect our kids to learn if they're hungry or eating diets full of sugar and empty of nutrients? Former White House Chef and food policymaker Sam Kass discusses the role schools can play in nourishing students' bodies in addition to their minds.

Our biases can be dangerous, even deadly — as we've seen in the cases of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner, in Staten Island, New York. Diversity advocate Vernā Myers looks closely at some of the subconscious attitudes we hold toward out-groups. She makes a plea to all people: Acknowledge your biases. Then move toward, not awa...

Indigenous languages across North America are under threat of extinction due to the colonial legacy of cultural erasure, says linguist Lindsay Morcom. Highlighting grassroots strategies developed by the Anishinaabe people of Canada to revive their language and community, Morcom makes a passionate case for enacting policies that could protect Ind...

Is it possible to run a company and reinvent it at the same time? For business strategist Knut Haanaes, the ability to innovate after becoming successful is the mark of a great organization. He shares insights on how to strike a balance between perfecting what we already know and exploring totally new ideas -- and lays out how to avoid two major...

Questionable phone calls, concerning emails, heart-rending stories from a sudden new friend in need of endless financial support: elder abuse can take many forms, says lawyer Jane Walsh. And as technology becomes more sophisticated, susceptibility to tricks and scams will increase -- no matter a person's age or intellect. Walsh spotlights the ri...

From racial identity to political affiliation, labels shape our lived experiences. Alexandria Holder delves into her life as a queer activist and US Air Force Sergeant to illustrate this duality, explaining that while labels can be used to divide, their greater power lies in helping people connect, find common ground and build healthy, supportiv...

Do you think you're good at spotting fake videos, where famous people say things they've never said in real life? See how they're made in this astonishing talk and tech demo. Computer scientist Supasorn Suwajanakorn shows how, as a grad student, he used AI and 3D modeling to create photorealistic fake videos of people synced to audio. Learn more...

Why do we often neglect big problems, like the financial crisis and climate change, until it's too late? Policy strategist Michele Wucker urges us to replace the myth of the "black swan" -- that rare, unforeseeable, unavoidable catastrophe -- with the reality of the "gray rhino," the preventable danger that we choose to ignore. She shows why pre...

In India (and many other countries), girls and women still find themselves silenced by traditional rules of politeness and restraint, says social scientist Deepa Narayan. In this frank talk, she identifies seven deeply entrenched norms that reinforce inequality -- and calls on men to help usher in change.

Will truth and reason survive the evolution of artificial intelligence? AI researcher Gary Marcus says no, not if untrustworthy technology continues to be integrated into our lives at such dangerously high speeds. He advocates for an urgent reevaluation of whether we're building reliable systems (or misinformation machines), explores the failure...

Terrorists and extremists aren't all naturally violent sociopaths -- they're deliberately recruited and radicalized in a process that doesn't fit into a neat pattern. Erin Marie Saltman discusses the push and pull factors that cause people to join extremist groups and explains innovative ways of preventing and countering radicalization.

All new products must pass through the "valley of death" before they reach the market. Many never make it out, and sometimes that's OK -- if they don't work, don't fill a need or for any number of reasons. One of the fields where this problem is most pressing is zero-carbon technologies. Why is it vulnerable to this trap, and can we change it? E...

World renowned beatboxer Tom Thum takes you on a journey through sound. With shades of driving drums, stomach churning bass, deafening silence and soulful pitch perfect vocals, Tom invites his audience to explore the sordid love affair. This musical phenomenon showcases that what makes him whole, his music. Climaxing in his own personal ode to...

Beatboxer Tom Thum has a symphony in his throat, but how does he make those sounds? Armed with a microphone and camera, get up close and personal as we peer down the back of Tom Thum's throat. In this eye-opening, somewhat stomach-turning and frequently hilarious talk and performance, Tom Thum is joined on stage by ear, nose and throat surgeon, ...

You may wonder how a beatboxer and an orchestra can work together? Acclaimed beatboxer Tom Thum and classical powerhouse Gordon Hamilton show you exactly how, as they showcase their world renowned concerto for beatbox and orchestra, Thum Prints. Together with The Bombay Chamber Orchestra, they deliver a never before seen sneak peak into this ...