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Blog posts
1 - 30 of 951 results

7 times TED Talks anticipated history

TED’s river of ideas is a constant flow -- and sometimes vital topics make their way onto our site far before they head into the mainstream. As part of the 10th birthday of TED Talks, we highlight seven Talks that foresaw big trends when they were only ripples in the pond. Wikipedia: Is it really a thing? At TEDGlobal 2005, Jimmy Wales ...
Posted July 8, 2016
https://blog.ted.com/2016/07/08/7-times-ted-talks-anticipated-history

How to unlock your family history

The Great Thanksgiving Listen aims to capture the stories of a generation of elders over one weekend. But really, these great questions from StoryCorps are useful every day. “Imagine if you were able to sit and listen to your great-great-grandparent and get to know them,” says Dave Isay of StoryCorps. That’s the premise behind StoryCorps’ Great...
Posted November 5, 2015
https://ideas.ted.com/how-to-unlock-your-family-history

A chef reclaims his Southern culinary history

Researching, celebrating and supporting African American food culture is Michael Twitty’s way to honor and heal those who came before. To chef and blogger Michael Twitty, a plate of stewed okra is much more than a popular soul-food dish -- it’s a form of African American history. For many years, people in New Orleans referred to okra as salade ...
Posted March 30, 2017
https://ideas.ted.com/a-chef-reclaims-his-southern-culinary-history

A brief history of secret prisons in the United States

Secret prisons reflect a parallel legal system for prisoners who are denied access to communications, deprived of their due process rights, and hidden from public scrutiny. Investigative journalist and TED Fellow Will Potter explains. Secret prisons are operating in the United States today. Many Americans I speak with don’t believe this could p...
Posted December 3, 2015
https://ideas.ted.com/a-brief-history-of-secret-prisons-in-the-united-states

The strange history of a futuristic Soviet propaganda plane

Decades before Twitter and Facebook, the Soviet state was a leader in perceptual manipulation technology. Meet the mighty flying propaganda machine of the 1930s: the Maxim Gorky. One of Russia’s most prestigious cemeteries is set just south of downtown Moscow, adjoining a convent built in the 16th and 17th centuries. It contains the graves of...
Posted October 1, 2014
https://ideas.ted.com/the-strange-history-of-a-futuristic-soviet-propaganda-plane

5 must-reads on sports history and science

In 1936 Jesse Owens broke the world record for the 100-meter dash in a mind-boggling 10.3 seconds. Yet had he raced in the 2013 World Championships, he would have had another 4 meters to go when Usain Bolt won in 9.58 seconds. That tremendous difference in performance is apparent across the sports world -- cycling, gymnastics, the NBA -- so what...
Posted October 14, 2014
https://ideas.ted.com/5-must-reads-on-sports-history-and-science

Embodying Sankofa: 5 African artists influenced by history

Zimbabwean designer Saki Mafundikwa has a powerful vision for the future of African art. As the founder of the Zimbabwe Institute of Vigital Arts (ZIWA), Mafundikwa is working to bring African art back to its roots. ZIWA, the first school of graphic design in Zimbabwe, and one of the first schools to emphasize the use of digital technology t...
Posted August 7, 2013
https://blog.ted.com/2013/08/07/5-african-artists-returning-to-their-rootsmafundikwa-companion-piece

Searching for the history of cancer in ancient human bones

Paleo-oncologist Katie Hunt has a personal connection to the hunt for cancer's earliest appearance in humans. When archeologist Katie Hunt was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at 22, it catalyzed her curiosity about cancer -- and she soon found evidence that this modern killer is a surprisingly ancient disease. Poring over old texts and past arche...
Posted January 13, 2016
https://ideas.ted.com/why-im-searching-for-cancer-in-ancient-human-bones

10 years of TED Talks keeping pace with history

In 2006, TED started putting talks online for free, a milestone in democratizing ideas worth spreading. Since then, the world has seen monumental shifts in history, including the rise and fall of revolutions, the roar of a deadly epidemic, the largest-ever leak of government secrets, an astronomical discovery predicted by Einstein and the el...
Posted June 23, 2016
https://blog.ted.com/2016/06/23/10-years-of-ted-talks-keeping-pace-with-history

A history curriculum that starts at the beginning of time

David Christian had little idea what was in store when he stepped on the set of The Colbert Report in November 2013. Having lived in Australia for years, Christian wasn’t familiar with the show and its special brand of political satire. And yet, sitting across the table from Stephen Colbert -- a perfectly placed Colbert Nation mug between them -...
Posted December 3, 2013
https://ideas.ted.com/david-christians-big-history-gets-much-bigger

A basic income pilot, the history of the gene, and the future of transportation

As usual, the TED community has lots of news to share this week. Below, some highlights. A real-world test of basic income. Too often, humanitarian aid donations of food and materials, while well-intentioned, aren’t what the recipients actually need. But what about a different approach: giving people a basic income to spend however they l...
Posted May 23, 2016
https://blog.ted.com/2016/05/23/a-basic-income-pilot-the-history-of-the-gene-and-the-future-of-transportation

The history of a spectrum: Steve Silberman live at TED2015

Millions of parents worldwide still fear -- needlessly -- that vaccines cause autism. How did this dangerous false myth become so prevalent? As writer Steve Silberman shows during Pop-Up Magazine’s session at TED2015, it’s just another milestone in the decades-old history of misinformation and misunderstanding about autism. In 1943 child ...
Posted March 18, 2015
https://blog.ted.com/2015/03/18/the-history-of-a-spectrum-steve-silberman-live-at-ted2015

Chris Milk hosts the "largest collective virtual reality viewing in history" during TED2016

"You're about to participate in the largest collective VR viewing in history," said Chris Milk in his talk on virtual reality at TED2016. "We are all going to watch something at the exact same time, together." A Google Cardboard and pair of Urban Ears headphones sat on every chair in the theater. We assembled the viewer, downloaded a spec...
Posted February 18, 2016
https://blog.ted.com/2016/02/18/chris-milk-hosts-the-largest-collective-virtual-reality-viewing-in-history-during-ted2016

We don’t need statues -- we can preserve our history in more memorable ways

I'd like you to take a moment to imagine this with me. You're a little girl of five years old. Sitting in front of a mirror, you ask yourself, "Do I exist?" A pretty heavy thought for a child, right? But through various artworks that reflect upon our society, I came to understand how a young Black girl can grow up feeling as if she's not s...
Posted July 17, 2020
https://ideas.ted.com/we-dont-need-statues-we-can-preserve-our-history-in-more-memorable-ways

A brief history of classical music: Michael Tilson Thomas at TED2012

Photo: James Duncan Davidson Michael Tilson Thomas is the music director of the San Francisco Symphony, founder and artistic director of the New World Symphony and principal guest conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. Now he's up to round off this session in style, seated at a grand piano that's been wheeled onto the stage just for ...
Posted February 28, 2012
https://blog.ted.com/2012/02/28/a-brief-history-of-classical-music-michael-tilson-thomas-at-ted2012

A new map: Deep history and the far future at TEDGlobal Session 1

The stage is set. The lights are on. The audience of more than 600 people who have traveled from all over the world to be inspired is ready. And ready or not, the speakers are thrust onto the stage, one by one. This is the first session of TEDGlobal 2017, themed “a new map,” a phrase that suggests that in these first talks, we will catch ...
Posted August 27, 2017
https://blog.ted.com/2017/08/27/a-new-map-deep-history-and-the-far-future-at-tedglobal-session-1

How should we protect and preserve our history -- on the moon?

As new moon-going efforts ramp up, space explorers must remember to safeguard what humans left there previously -- and also study it before it’s too late. The next several years are shaping up to be busy ones for the moon, with no fewer than 14 landings in the works. That includes the robotic missions soon to be undertaken by five privately fun...
Posted May 31, 2017
https://ideas.ted.com/nasas-efforts-to-protect-important-heritage-sites-on-the-moon

After the end of history ... : Notes from Session 2 of TED2018

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, says TED Curator Chris Anderson as he opens Session 2, “we used to think that democratically-powered capitalism was supposed to take over the world.” Political scientist Francis Fukuyama famously called it the “end of history.” So now what happens? Five TED speakers come to the stage to talk about the ...
Posted April 11, 2018
https://blog.ted.com/2018/04/11/after-the-end-of-history-notes-from-session-2-of-ted2018

The history and future of the Universe in four minutes: Brian Greene at TED2014

Physicist Brian Green promises he will tell the audience at TED 2014 the whole history of the universe in four minutes. "Forgive me," he says, "if I leave out a detail here or there." He does it with two metaphors. One from the beginning till now, and another from now till the end. The universe today is 13.8 billion years old, and it c...
Posted March 18, 2014
https://blog.ted.com/2014/03/18/the-history-and-future-of-the-universe-in-four-minutes-brian-greene-at-ted2014

100 million views for TEDx! Plus: 5 great moments in TEDx Talks history

Spring has been an exciting season for TEDx. In March, the program celebrated its 4th birthday; and now — just two months later — we’re excited to announce that the TEDx YouTube channel has reached its 100 millionth video view. In 2009, the TEDx program was created in the spirit of TED’s mission, “ideas worth spreading,” to empower indivi...
Posted May 31, 2013
https://blog.ted.com/2013/05/31/100-million-views-for-tedx-plus-5-great-moments-in-tedx-talks-history

One great way to celebrate Pride Month: Document LGBTQ history before it's lost

June 28, 2019, marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, when LGBTQ people and allies fought back in a six-night riot against a police raid on The Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City. Stonewall was not the first time that LGBTQ people took a stand against oppression or police harassment, but it was a major turning point in ...
Posted June 25, 2019
https://blog.ted.com/2019/06/25/one-great-way-to-celebrate-pride-month-document-lgbtq-history-before-its-lost

A brief history of tap dance (and why it’s still a great art form)

How one dancer is bringing tap dance back. Think about tap dance and what comes to mind? Perhaps the virtuosity, precision and glamour of Hollywood film stars like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers ... or maybe the fluid ease of dance-world icons such as Buster Brown or Jimmy Slyde? More than likely, you’d think of old legends from a bygone era. H...
Posted November 25, 2015
https://ideas.ted.com/a-brief-history-of-tap-dance-and-why-its-still-a-great-art-form

In short: A powerful spoken word reflection on bullying, the history of Bill Cosby's sweaters

Here, some staff picks of smart, funny, bizarre and cool stuff on the interwebs this week: In case you haven't seen it yet, To This Day is a beautiful collaborative project that combines spoken word poetry and a flurry of eclectic animations to raise awareness about bullying. Watch seven TED Talks on the wonder of 3D printing. The f...
Posted February 21, 2013
https://blog.ted.com/2013/02/21/in-short-a-powerful-spoken-word-reflection-on-bullying-the-history-of-bill-cosbys-sweaters

Mapping history: How Google Maps and Nat Geo are layering old and new space (just like today's TED Talk)

Frederic Kaplan has found an unconventional way to build a time machine. Rather than making a metal object (or, uh, a police call box) that whisks you through time and space, he wondered: Could a time machine be built out of information? In today’s TED Talk, filmed at TEDxCaFoscariU, Kaplan previews the Venice Time Machine, a collaboratio...
Posted January 9, 2014
https://blog.ted.com/2014/01/09/mapping-history-how-google-maps-and-nat-geo-are-layering-old-and-new-space-just-like-todays-ted-talk

We Are Many: Filmmaker Taghi Amirani talks about his new documentary, 7 years in the making, about the largest protest in history

As the Fellows program turns five, we catch up with Iranian filmmaker Taghi Amirani – a member of the Fellows inaugural class and the first recipient of the TED Fellows Hero award – to get the scoop on the premiere of Amirani Media’s latest film, We Are Many (see the trailer, above) – a documentary on the February 15, 2003, global demonstration...
Posted March 21, 2014
https://blog.ted.com/2014/03/21/we-are-many-filmmaker-taghi-amirani-talks-about-his-new-documentary-7-years-in-the-making-about-the-largest-protest-in-history

How whales make sounds, the history of Southern BBQ and the case for building with sand: A recap of TEDYouth session 1

By Kate Torgovnick and Thu-Huong Ha TEDYouth is like a typical TED Conference -- with its hair let down. The talks are shorter, less formal and, well, a whole lot of fun. This year's conference was held in New Orleans and was themed around the concept, "The Spark." Here's a look at what happened in the first session, including thoughts on wha...
Posted November 16, 2013
https://blog.ted.com/2013/11/16/recap-of-tedyouth-session-1

A mobile documentary asks: What if Martin Luther King, Eartha Kitt and others were on Facebook in 1968?

In journalist Mikhail Zygar’s innovative series, you can watch the events of that momentous year come to vibrant life on your phone in weekly episodes. Imagine your phone screen getting hijacked by someone else’s -- and it's the phone belonging to astronaut Neil Armstrong. All of a sudden, you start receiving urgent texts from president Lyndon ...
Posted May 31, 2018
https://ideas.ted.com/a-mobile-documentary-asks-what-if-martin-luther-king-eartha-kitt-and-others-were-on-facebook-in-1968

One move ahead: The talks of Session 1 of TED2017

TED2017 begins with a manifesto: "We will not sleepwalk into a future of dread. Instead we will pursue: courage, deep human connection, imagination, thrilling possibility, understanding. The Future You is yet to be written. Let's write it together." In a comprehensive opening session -- hosted by TED's Head Curator, Chris Anderson, and st...
Posted April 25, 2017
https://blog.ted.com/2017/04/25/the-talks-of-session-1-of-ted2017

3 articles on the danger of Ebola paranoia

It’s Halloween — and the only thing scarier than Ebola this week is Ebola paranoia. Should you panic in bowling alleys? How justified is your fear of hospitals? Are mandatory quarantines even legal in the U.S., anyway? 3 ideas behind the news. Source: "Thomas Eric Duncan and Craig Spencer: Race, nationality and rhetoric of Ebola patients," Slat...
Posted October 31, 2014
https://ideas.ted.com/3-articles-on-the-danger-of-ebola-paranoia

UV light for gene editing, the unfinished business of gender equality, and a new method for producing metals

As usual, the TED community has lots of news to share this week. Below, some highlights. Flip the switch. Sangeeta Bhatia is the senior author on a paper that makes the genome editing power of CRISPR responsive to ultraviolet light. As detailed in academic journal Angewandte Chemie, the researchers developed a system where gene editing oc...
Posted September 6, 2016
https://blog.ted.com/2016/09/06/uv-light-for-gene-editing-the-unfinished-business-of-gender-equality-and-a-new-method-for-producing-metals
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