“How can I come from a nation? How can a human being come from a concept?” With these questions the majestic Taiye Selasi, author of Ghana Must Go, closes talks for Day 1 of TEDGlobal 2014. Having just come back from a tour, Selasi is irked and perplexed by the consistently inconsistent way she was introduced at each event: by a biography...

Photo: James Duncan Davidson Awele Makeba is here not simply to tell us a story. She's here to act one. Her story takes place in Montgomery, Alabama, on March 2, 1955, and her hero is the courageous teenager Claudette Colvin, who stayed seated on a segregated bus even when instructed by the driver to make room for white people. "It's my c...

About this event: You probably do it without even noticing. Every day we say things, ageist things, that undermine our ability to thrive. Things like “I can’t find my car keys, I must be getting old” or “Millennials have a poor work ethic” without a second thought. Ageism, like sexism and racism, is no longer acceptable. Let's deep dive our thoughts and behaviou...

In the program guide for Session 4 of TED2019, “Audacity,” a group of eight mysterious figures stands silhouetted in black. That’s because the speakers in this session were a total surprise -- to those in TED audience and to those tuning in via Twitter Live from around the world. These eight speakers all have big, bold ideas for global chang...

About this event: A construction site is a mysterious thing to bystanders. For the longest time it seems like nothing is really happening and then suddenly it is finished and you have an amazing building where the construction site once was. Our theme 2020s Under Construction aims to shed light on what’s going on behind the curtain of the construction site that i...

Nick Hanauer lays out the epic failure of the Republican party to serve its voters, prompting the popular surge in support for Donald Trump. The Republican Party is coming apart, and Donald Trump is leading the charge. The GOP establishment, now aware of the existential crisis they face, is in full panic mode. Media elites and most of the pundi...

TED has traveled to Tanzania, to Canada and to India. We’ve been to Germany, to Qatar and to assorted places throughout the United Kingdom and the state of California in the United States. But in a few weeks, we are headed for the first time to South America. TEDGlobal 2014 kicks off on Monday, October 6, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  So wh...

Cameron Russell wants to have a discussion about the way that we, as a society, perceive beauty. Media representations of women, she says, are replete with racist and sexist representations, encouraging women to live up to a standard that is both oppressive and unattainable. Russell’s profession offers an insider’s perspective on the topic – ...

With beguiling feats of mind reading and suggestion, Derren Brown explores psychological manipulation and its implications for the human experience.

For over two decades, Christian Picciolini, who once led a white supremacist organization, has worked as a peace advocate and "hate breaker", helping disengage people -- including neo-Nazis, white nationalists and Islamist jihadists -- from extremist groups. In his new book Breaking Hate, he draws on the experiences of people that he's met, ...

Cross-posted from TEDWomen curator Pat Mitchell's blog on the Huffington Post. Last month, the Black Lives Matter movement was awarded the Sydney Peace Prize, a global prize that honors those who pursue “peace with justice.” Past honorees include South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Irish President Mary Robinson. The prize...

Like so many people in the United States, we were shocked by George Zimmerman’s acquittal this weekend in the shooting of teenager Trayvon Martin, above. And, like so many others, we can’t stop reading about it, to try to understand the complexities of this verdict -- wrapped around issues of race, gender, gun ownership and violence. Below, furt...

Sally Kohn is both liberal and a lesbian -- and, until shortly after this interview, she worked at FOX News. She contributed to the conservative network for three years and, during that time, sparred with some of the most conservative minds on television. She thinks deeply about how to communicate with people whose political perspectives are...

A powerful bitter sweet As race continues to dominate the news, it seems like perfect timing for artist Kara Walker’s latest piece, her first large-scale installation, housed in the shell of the old Domino Sugar Factory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Shown above, the piece has a grand title: At the behest of Creative Time Kara E. Walker has conf...

About this event: We are exploring ideas that will hopefully IGNITE passion, understanding, and reflection. This full-day VIRTUAL event will feature live speakers, performers, audience engagement activities, and of course "Ideas Worth Sharing." SESSION 1 9-10:30am Presenters • Hank VanPutten When it comes to racism, are you a non or an anti? • Jay Miller ...

Time is a global preoccupation -- we never feel like we have enough of it to accomplish all we want to accomplish in the world. Do we control time, or does time control us? In the opening session of TEDWomen 2016 at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, seven speakers explored how time and attention shape our lives, in talks ra...

Everyone celebrates the thought leader. But thoughts alone won't solve the world's biggest challenges. In the face of disruptive change, TED and The Project Management Institute (PMI) have partnered to share the ideas behind awe-inspiring business projects, creative pursuits and innovative collaborations. Below, a recap of the six speakers w...

“This intellectual forum started in 1984, bringing together people from three different industries, hence its 3-letter name.” This was the Final Jeopardy! prompt on January 1, 2014 -- on the very first episode of the new year. The answer, of course: What is TED. Taryn Simon (watch her two TED Talks) has a new exhibit, “Birds of the West Indie...

Clearer, Closer, Better: How Successful People See the World by Emily Balcetis (TED Talk: Why some people find exercise harder than others) Many of us look at high achievers and envy how they seem to navigate their lives with ease. In Clearer, Closer, Better, social psychologist Emily Balcetis tells readers that success might be a matter of ...

After two days of TEDWomen 2015,  the jaw-dropping, standing-O moments are still hanging in the air -- smart, sad and funny insights on things we don't often say out loud ... "I am a bad feminist and a good woman. I am trying to become better in how I think and say and do — without abandoning what makes me human." —Roxane Gay "Bobby Ri...

Please enjoy your roundup of TED-related news: This one’s for the boys. Mark Ronson takes a break from making music to have some fun in Charli XCX’s video for “Boys.” You’ll find him (suavely) combing his hair, amid scenes of other male celebs, such as Wiz Khalifa, Riz Ahmed and Joe Jonas having a pillow fight or cuddling with puppies, in...

About this event: The theme of TED2019 was "Bigger than us," was chock-full of compelling ideas and calls for action. Here are a few takeaways: From Opening Session: Truth... We're shining light into some really dark places. Sheperd Doeleman, head of the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration, takes us inside the new (and iconic) black hole image and the epic eff...

This compilation of reading assigned to students everywhere will expand your horizons -- and your bookshelves. In the US, most students are required to read To Kill a Mockingbird during their school years. This classic novel combines a moving coming-of-age story with big issues like racism and criminal injustice. Reading Mockingbird is such an ...

Wale Elegbede is a strategist who believes good, ethical leaders have a responsibility to bring positive change to their communities, organizations and families.

On Thursday, December 10, India's INK Conference held its inaugural day of talks. Attendees gathered outside the theater doors at Lavasa Conference Center, anticipating three sessions of TED-like ideas. INK did not disappoint, delivering a day's worth of breathtaking perspective and innovation, both local and global. Session 1: Science...

About this event: Through our event, we aim to shed light on a question more introspective in nature, “why do I live?”. This differs from passion, or “what do I live for“, in the sense that the latter implies the choice of an individual has an immediate bearing on society — that the answer has to relate to another human — whereas the former is more abstract, and ...

TED Fellow Saeed Taji Farouky's first feature film, The Runner, documents the life of an activist and runner from Western Sahara, shedding light on the little-known conflict in the region. As the film makes its world premiere July 13 at the Galway Film Festival, Taji Farouky tells us how this documentary came to be, and speaks of his vision f...

The past few weeks have brimmed over with TED-related news. Here, some highlights: This is what extinction looks like. Photographer Paul Nicklen shocked the world with footage of a starving polar bear that he and members of his conservation group SeaLegacy captured in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. “It rips your heart out of your chest,” Ni...

For week 4 of TED2020, leaders in international development, history, architecture and public policy explored how we might rebuild during the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing protests against racial injustice in the United States. Below, a recap of their insights. Achim Steiner, head of the United National Development Programme Big id...

Becoming an Old Person in Training allows us to choose purpose and intent over dread and denial and connects us empathically with our future selves, says author and activist Ashton Applewhite. What’s the best answer to “How old are you?” Tell your questioner the truth -- and then ask why it matters. Ask what shifted in their mind once they had ...