One of the most unique novelists in today's world literature, Elif Shafak's writing blends East and West, feminism and memory, the local and the global, bringing the periphery to the centre, giving voice to the voiceless and the disempowered.

How do we make sense of today's political divisions? In a wide-ranging conversation full of insight, historian Yuval Harari places our current turmoil in a broader context, against the ongoing disruption of our technology, climate, media -- even our notion of what humanity is for. This is the first of a series of TED Dialogues, seeking a thought...

Shameran Abed helps households around the world create a path out of extreme poverty.

Shereen El Feki works and writes on sexuality and social change in the Arab world.

The climate crisis demands leadership at every level. Governments, cities and businesses are three key players in designing and implementing the necessary transition -- and putting climate back on the political and social agenda. Session 2 of the Countdown Global Launch, hosted by Al Gore and Jaden Smith, features Severn Cullis-Suzuki, Ursula vo...

Speaking one month after the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Lisa Margonelli shows how drilling moratoriums and executive ousters make for good theater, but distract us from the issue at heart: our unrestrained oil consumption. She shares her bold plan to wean America off oil -- by confronting consumers with its real cost.

Alexa Meade paints mesmerizing, illusionistic portraits directly on living subjects, subverting familiar visual cues with perspective and color.

Naomi Bagdonas empowers leaders to build more innovative, collaborative and joyful work cultures (and lives).

Through her nonprofit SeekHealing, Rachel Wurzman aims to reduce opioid overdose rates by building communities that are inherently resilient to addiction.

About this event: The London School of Economics and Political Science (Old Theatre) March 8th, 2014 An annual conference to support innovation, critical thinking and leadership for meaningful change. Tickets NOW at http://www.lsesu.com/events/8440/3528/ £15 for TEDxLSE SU Members £20 for LSE Students and LSE Alumni £25 for External members of the Publi...

Petter Johansson and his research group study self-knowledge and attitude change using methods ranging from questionnaires to close-up card magic.

Examining the facts and figures of the coronavirus outbreak, epidemiologist Larry Brilliant evaluates the global response in a candid interview with head of TED Chris Anderson. Brilliant lays out a clear plan to end the pandemic -- and shows why, to achieve it, we'll have to work together across political and geographical divides. "This is not t...

About this event: The world is filled with connections. Social connections, political connections, economic connections, geographical connections--there are a myriad of easily recognizable relationships if we simply open our eyes to the world around us. But, what connections do we overlook? What does it mean to be connected? Where do we find connections in biol...

As director of The Vaccine Confidence Project, Heidi J. Larson works to evaluate and address vaccine hesitancy.

Britain's former prime minister Gordon Brown played a key role in shaping the G20 nations' response to the world's financial crisis, and was a powerful advocate for a coordinated global response to problems such as climate change, poverty and social justice.

Bruce Bueno de Mesquita uses mathematical analysis to predict (very often correctly) such messy human events as war, political power shifts, Intifada ... After a crisp explanation of how he does it, he offers three predictions on the future of Iran.

The weekend. Social Security. Health insurance. What do these things have in common? They all exist thanks to the advocacy of labor unions. Political economist Margaret Levi explains how these organizations forge equality and protect worker rights, calling for a 21st-century revival of the labor movement in order to build a more equitable future.

The Pirate Party fights for transparency, anonymity and sensible copyright laws. At TEDxOslo, Rick Falkvinge explains how he became the leader of Europe's tech-driven political party, which so far has won 17 seats across national parliaments in Europe.

TED Studies, created in collaboration with Wiley, are curated video collections — supplemented by rich educational materials — for students, educators and self-guided learners. In Climate Change, speakers give talks that boldly illuminate the nature and scale of current-day climate science, policy and ethics. They explore the economics and psych...

Danielle Allen is an expert on the intersection of ethics and democracy.

Tim Jackson is a British ecological economist and professor for sustainable development at the University of Surrey. He is the author of "Prosperity without Growth" and director of the Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity.

Fareed Zakaria hosts "Fareed Zakaria GPS" for CNN Worldwide and is a columnist for "The Washington Post," a contributing editor for "The Atlantic" and a bestselling author.

Women's equality won't just happen -- not unless more women are put in positions of power, says Sandi Toksvig. In a disarmingly hilarious talk, Toksvig tells the story of how she helped start a new political party in Britain, the Women's Equality Party, with the express purpose of putting equality on the ballot. Now she hopes people around the w...

Passionate about using music as a tool for empathy cultivation, Abby Dobson creates music to inspire audiences to reflect on the world we live in and engage in action to promote transformative social change.

History is a curious thing, and Niall Ferguson investigates not only what happened but why. (Hint: Politics and money explain a lot.)

About this event: Join us for our third live, filmed TEDxUWLaCrosse event... we will have six live speakers, each presenting a story or idea on the theme of CHAIN REACTION. · June Kjome, "old lady activist" & Sue Hessel, biographer · Dany Bicoy, UWL student · Tim Dale, UWL associate professor, Political Science & Public Administration · Suthakaran Veerasa...

About this event: Eight Salem State University faculty members will present during the university's first ever TEDxSalemStateUniversity event. Our inaugural event’s theme is “Hospitality in a Changing World,” which connects to the city of Salem’s historical importance as a major hub for international commerce during the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as an eme...

After 20 years working with the presidents and prime ministers of 54 countries, Simon Anholt has a plan to make the world work better.

Democracy needs an update -- one that respects and engages citizens by involving them in everyday political decisions, says writer and researcher Max Rashbrooke. He outlines three global success stories that could help move democratic systems forward and protect society against the new challenges this century is already bringing.

Why do people distrust vaccines? Anthropologist Heidi Larson explores how medical rumors originate, spread and fuel resistance to vaccines worldwide. While vaccines cannot escape the "political and social turbulence" that surrounds them, she says, the first step to stopping the spread of disease is to talk to people, listen and build trust.