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1 - 30 of 1452 results

Playlist: Talks to watch during breakfast (6 talks)

Illuminating, funny and awe-inspiring talks to start off your day.
Curated by TED · 6 talks
https://www.ted.com/playlists/talks_to_watch_during_breakfas

Playlist: That's absurd! (8 talks)

These quirky talks remind us that life is funny, weird, sweet, absurd.
Curated by TED · 8 talks
https://www.ted.com/playlists/that_s_absurd

Dan Dennett: Cute, sexy, sweet, funny

Why are babies cute? Why is cake sweet? Philosopher Dan Dennett has answers you wouldn't expect, as he shares evolution's counterintuitive reasoning on cute, sweet and sexy things (plus a new theory from Matthew Hurley on why jokes are funny).
https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_dennett_cute_sexy_sweet_funny

Ruby Wax: What's so funny about mental illness?

Diseases of the body garner sympathy, says comedian Ruby Wax -- except those of the brain. Why is that? With dazzling energy and humor, Wax, diagnosed a decade ago with clinical depression, urges us to put an end to the stigma of mental illness.
https://www.ted.com/talks/ruby_wax_what_s_so_funny_about_mental_illness

Jodie Houlston-Lau: How to make a sad story funny

It may seem counterintuitive, but comedy is often key to a serious story. As a writer, you need your audience to experience a range of emotions, no matter what your genre. Comic relief is a tried-and-true way of creating the varied emotional texture a compelling story needs. So how can you create this effect in your own stories? Jodie Houlston-L...
https://www.ted.com/talks/jodie_houlston_lau_how_to_make_a_sad_story_funny

Harrison Scott Key: The funny thing about the American Dream

What if all the motivational speakers are wrong? Writer and humorist Harrison Scott Key uses his own unremarkable journey from country boy to -- if you ask his mom -- literary star to illustrate the mildly outrageous truth about what it really takes to achieve the American Dream.
https://www.ted.com/talks/harrison_scott_key_the_funny_thing_about_the_american_dream

Chuck Nice: A funny look at the unintended consequences of technology

Technology should work for us, but what happens when it doesn't? Comedian Chuck Nice explores the unintended consequences of technological advancement and human interaction -- with hilarious results.
https://www.ted.com/talks/chuck_nice_a_funny_look_at_the_unintended_consequences_of_technology

Rainn Wilson: Can climate change ever be funny? 17 comedians try to answer

There's nothing funny about climate change, but Rainn Wilson and 16 of his friends give it their best shot. (Featuring Mayim Bialik, Retta, Conan O'Brien, Randall Park, Maria Bamford, Chris Gethard, Tig Notaro, Al Madrigal, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Larry Wilmore, Ed Helms, Nick Kroll, Margaret Cho, Maz Jobrani, Omid Djalili and Aisha Tyler. Directed...
https://www.ted.com/talks/rainn_wilson_can_climate_change_ever_be_funny_17_comedians_try_to_answer

Mona Chalabi | TED Speaker

Mona Chalabi tries to take the numb out of numbers. She's left with lots of "ers."
Data journalist
https://www.ted.com/speakers/mona_chalabi

Playlist: Overcoming depression (5 talks)

Depression is an illness that many suffer alone. These speakers bravely share their own stories -- and how they recovered.
Curated by TED · 5 talks
https://www.ted.com/playlists/4_ted_talks_on_overcoming_depr

Rainn Wilson | TED Speaker

Rainn Wilson is an actor ("The Office"), comedian and film producer, a climate advocate and a member of the advisory board of Arctic Basecamp.
Actor and activist
https://www.ted.com/speakers/rainn_wilson

Negin Farsad | TED Speaker

Stand-up comedian Negin Farsad counters Islamophobia in funny and clever ways.
Comedian, filmmaker
https://www.ted.com/speakers/negin_farsad

Robert Sapolsky: The uniqueness of humans

At Stanford University, primatologist Robert Sapolsky offers a fascinating and funny look at human behaviors which the rest of the animal kingdom would consider bizarre.
https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_sapolsky_the_uniqueness_of_humans

Yvonne van Amerongen: The "dementia village" that's redefining elder care

How would you prefer to spend the last years of your life: in a sterile, hospital-like institution or in a village with a supermarket, pub, theater and park within easy walking distance? The answer seems obvious now, but when Yvonne van Amerongen helped develop the groundbreaking Hogeweyk dementia care center in Amsterdam 25 years ago, it was se...
https://www.ted.com/talks/yvonne_van_amerongen_the_dementia_village_that_s_redefining_elder_care

Terry Moore: Why is 'x' the unknown?

Why is 'x' the symbol for an unknown? In this short and funny talk, Terry Moore gives the surprising answer.
https://www.ted.com/talks/terry_moore_why_is_x_the_unknown

George Whitesides: Toward a science of simplicity

Simplicity: We know it when we see it -- but what is it, exactly? In this funny, philosophical talk, George Whitesides chisels out an answer.
https://www.ted.com/talks/george_whitesides_toward_a_science_of_simplicity

James Watson: How we discovered DNA

Nobel laureate James Watson opens TED2005 with the frank and funny story of how he and his research partner, Francis Crick, discovered the structure of DNA.
https://www.ted.com/talks/james_watson_how_we_discovered_dna

Richard Dawkins: Militant atheism

Richard Dawkins urges all atheists to openly state their position -- and to fight the incursion of the church into politics and science. A fiery, funny, powerful talk.
https://www.ted.com/talks/richard_dawkins_militant_atheism

Larry Smith: Why you will fail to have a great career

In this funny and blunt talk, Larry Smith pulls no punches when he calls out the absurd excuses people invent when they fail to pursue their passions.
https://www.ted.com/talks/larry_smith_why_you_will_fail_to_have_a_great_career

Marlene Zuk: What we learn from insects' sex lives

In this enlightening, funny talk, Marlene Zuk shares just some of the ways that insects are truly astonishing -- and not least for the creative ways they have sex.
https://www.ted.com/talks/marlene_zuk_what_we_learn_from_insects_sex_lives

Harald Eia: Where in the world is it easiest to get rich?

In this wryly funny talk, sociologist Harald Eia explains what some countries are doing differently and argues that capitalism and welfare states can, in fact, co-exist in harmony.
https://www.ted.com/talks/harald_eia_where_in_the_world_is_it_easiest_to_get_rich

Liza Donnelly: Drawing on humor for change

New Yorker cartoonist Liza Donnelly shares a portfolio of her wise and funny cartoons about modern life -- and talks about how humor can empower women to change the rules.
https://www.ted.com/talks/liza_donnelly_drawing_on_humor_for_change

Jenna McCarthy: What you don't know about marriage

In this funny, casual talk from TEDx, writer Jenna McCarthy shares surprising research on how marriages (especially happy marriages) really work. One tip: Do not try to win an Oscar for best actress.
https://www.ted.com/talks/jenna_mccarthy_what_you_don_t_know_about_marriage

Rob Legato: The art of creating awe

Rob Legato creates movie effects so good they (sometimes) trump the real thing. In this warm and funny talk, he shares his vision for enhancing reality on-screen in movies like Apollo 13, Titanic and Hugo.
https://www.ted.com/talks/rob_legato_the_art_of_creating_awe

Playlist: All kinds of minds (9 talks)

These powerful stories shatter preconceived notions about mental illness, and pose the provocative question: What can the world learn from different kinds of minds?
Curated by TED · 9 talks
https://www.ted.com/playlists/all_kinds_of_minds

Renny Gleeson: Our antisocial phone tricks

In this funny (and actually poignant) 3-minute talk, social strategist Renny Gleeson breaks down our always-on social world -- where the experience we're having right now is less interesting than what we'll tweet about it later.
https://www.ted.com/talks/renny_gleeson_our_antisocial_phone_tricks

Dan Bell: Inside America's dead shopping malls

What happens when a mall falls into ruin? Filmmaker Dan Bell guides us through abandoned monoliths of merchandise, providing a surprisingly funny and lyrical commentary on consumerism, youth culture and the inspiration we can find in decay.
https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_bell_inside_america_s_dead_shopping_malls

Drew Dudley: Everyday leadership

We have all changed someone's life -- usually without even realizing it. In this funny talk, Drew Dudley calls on all of us to celebrate leadership as the everyday act of improving each other's lives.
https://www.ted.com/talks/drew_dudley_everyday_leadership

Rufus Griscom + Alisa Volkman: Let's talk parenting taboos

Babble.com publishers Rufus Griscom and Alisa Volkman, in a lively tag-team, expose 4 facts that parents never, ever admit -- and why they should. Funny and honest, for parents and nonparents alike.
https://www.ted.com/talks/rufus_griscom_alisa_volkman_let_s_talk_parenting_taboos

Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution!

In this poignant, funny follow-up to his fabled 2006 talk, Sir Ken Robinson makes the case for a radical shift from standardized schools to personalized learning -- creating conditions where kids' natural talents can flourish.
https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_bring_on_the_learning_revolution
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