Dark, isolated and largely unexplored, caves help astronauts prepare to do extra-terrestrial science. You’re isolated, confined and enveloped in darkness. You gradually lose your sense of time. You can’t afford to lose your bearings. And then there's the risk of exposure to radioactive gas. “You have high radiation levels in the space station, ...

Taylor Wilson graduated from high school in May. And Popular Science has already dubbed him "The Boy who Played with Fusion" and Forbes has suggested that he may just be "The Bill Gates of Energy." Wilson first received attention at the age of 14, after building a nuclear fusion reactor he'd dreamed up in his parents’ garage. He spoke at ...

Physicist Freeman Dyson suggests that we start looking for life on the moons of Jupiter and out past Neptune, in the Kuiper belt and the Oort cloud. He talks about what such life would be like -- and how we might find it.

So the Mars Rovers didn't scoop up any alien lifeforms. Scientist Penelope Boston thinks there's a good chance -- a 25 to 50 percent chance, in fact -- that life might exist on Mars, deep inside the planet's caves. She details how we should look and why.

Since the first teaser in late 2013, we've been in countdown mode for Interstellar, Christopher Nolan's new outer-space epic that promises to blast us through space and time and wormholes. If you're as excited as we are but can't clear three hours to go see the whole movie, here's the plot we could figure out from obsessively watching trailer...

We're not doing frontline exploratory science in a huge portion of the world -- the places governments deem too hostile or disputed. What might we be missing because we're not looking? In this fearless, unexpectedly funny talk, paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi takes us on an expedition to the Yemeni island of Socotra -- one of the most biodiv...

Astrophysicist and astronomer Seth Shostak made a daring bet in his 2012 TED Talk: We’ll find extraterrestrial life within 24 years or he’ll buy you a cup of coffee. This isn’t just wishful thinking -- technological advances over the past few decades have amplified the scope of space exploration monumentally, allowing us to search the stars ...

Adam Savage talks about his fascination with the dodo bird, and how it led him on a strange and surprising double quest. It's an entertaining adventure through the mind of a creative obsessive.

Could human civilization eventually spread across the whole Milky Way galaxy? Could we move beyond our small, blue planet to establish colonies in the multitude of star systems out there? These questions are pretty daunting, but their (theoretical) answers were actually put forth decades ago. Roey Tzezana describes the conceptual von Neumann mac...

Reporter Jennifer 8. Lee talks about her hunt for the origins of familiar Chinese-American dishes -- exploring the hidden spots where these two cultures have (so tastily) combined to form a new cuisine.

About this event: What secrets are hidden beneath Jupiter’s veil of clouds and massive storms? Can exploration of Jupiter reveal the origins of water and life on Earth? Join us 6-9pm Monday 9 May 2011 at Hotel Beacon NYC, Broadway Room, 2130 Broadway (74th/ 75th Sts.), New York, NY 10023. Light refreshments, videos, speakers, discussion. Tickets: http://www...

Robert Lang is a pioneer of the newest kind of origami -- using math and engineering principles to fold mind-blowingly intricate designs that are beautiful and, sometimes, very useful.

About this event: We have been conditioned to lead a life full of fear and constraint, never tapping into our authentic “selves" or allowing ourselves to free-fall into a creative space where excellence can be hiding. Physically, whether it’s freestyling the slopes of Aspen, scaling the peaks of Mt. Everest, performing a 360 slam dunk, discovering your inner Van...

About this event: With our speakers from all around the world we try to measure the distance between Budapest and the Moon. TEDxBudapest Future 2.0 Budapest–Moon distance I. When we step on the Moon... (English speaking session) 1. Joel Carnes – Vice President, Prize Operations, XPRIZE The Power of Prizes Prizes have been used fo...

"Venus is too hot, Mars is too cold, and Earth is just right," says planetary scientist Dave Brain. But why? In this pleasantly humorous talk, Brain explores the fascinating science behind what it takes for a planet to host life -- and why humanity may just be in the right place at the right time when it comes to the timeline of life-sustaining ...

In June of 2006, we posted six talks online. Since then, our universe has grown exponentially to 1600+ talks and all the initiatives you see on the map above. Thus, we’re planning an exciting new version of TED.com, designed for deeper exploration of ideas. To find out how we’re rebuilding the site, and how you can get invited to the beta, head ...

Sarah Parcak is a space archaeologist, and has located multiple lost ancient sites. Still, she says, it’s easy to pick her greatest discovery: her husband, Greg Mumford, who she met on her very first dig in Egypt. He was her first lesson in “finding unexpected wonderful things,” she says, and a second lesson followed quickly. On that same tr...

About this event: TEDxLinnaeusUniversity is a self-organized event that brought together local and world leading thinkers and actors at Linnaeus University in Växjö on November 7, 2014, with the purpose to share ideas and thoughts that matter in disciplines such as technology, entertainment, design, science, humanities, business, and development – unified by the ...

ReThinking with Adam Grant Satya Nadella is building the future May 24, 2022 [Theme Music] [00:00:00] Adam Grant: Hey WorkLifers, it’s Adam Grant. Welcome back to Taken for Granted, my podcast with the TED Audio Collective. I’m an organizational psychologist. My job is to think again about how we work, lead, and live. Today, my guest is Satya...

Artist Researcher, Aquabatics

David Lang wants to make investigating the mysteries of the ocean accessible to anyone curious and adventurous enough to dive deep. Here, the co-founder of OpenROV -- a community of citizen ocean explorers and creators of low-cost underwater robots -- recounts his blistering journey from office job to fledgling maker to inventor of a robot tha...

Welcoming a Unicorn Theatre jammed with 250 TEDsters old and new, host and TED's European director Bruno Giussani promised "possibly one of the most eclectic programs we've ever put together" on Wednesday night in London at the spring TED Salon. The Salon was hosted in collaboration with TEDGlobal partner frog. And eclectic it was, covering ...

A quantum computer isn't just a more powerful version of the computers we use today; it's something else entirely, based on emerging scientific understanding -- and more than a bit of uncertainty. Enter the quantum wonderland with TED Fellow Shohini Ghose and learn how this technology holds the potential to transform medicine, create unbreakable...

A note from TED Prize winner Jill Tarter… At TED last February, Chris Anderson told the audience that without a White Knight stepping up to support my SETI observing program on the Allen Telescope Array, the antennas would soon be put into a safe hibernation mode in preparation for shutting down the array. That’s because our University of Cal...

Today, Nov. 19, 1-5pm Eastern: TEDYouth's speaker lineup includes a MythBuster, an oceanographer turned viral video star, the "Science Babe," and a roboticist who studies flying geckos -- plus poets, musicmakers, geeks and writers -- all giving short TED-style talks for young people. And you can watch it live for free online -- in English...

For the penultimate session of TED2020, an exploration of amazing forces shaping the future -- from cancer-fighting venom to spacecraft powered by lasers and much more. Below, a recap of the night's talks and performances. Amanda Gorman, poet Big idea: We all have the power to end the devastation of climate change. Let's get to work. ...

Writer Elaine Morgan has died at age 92. Perhaps best known for her book The Descent of Woman, at TEDGlobal 2009 she made her case for the "aquatic ape hypothesis" -- an admittedly non-standard idea about human origins. Earlier this year, in The Guardian, Erika Milam offered a compelling new take on Morgan's place in scientific discourse -- ...

About this event: We are deeply human. Inclusive. Passionate. Open. Curious. Evolving. These are the traits that define us and our search for purpose, and though the challenges of daily life may mire us in process and rigidity our intrinsic desire to be fluid remains. An exploration of the human ideal for the modern world has thus become essential and we are hopi...

"Five hundred years ago, Christopher Columbus sailed across a vast ocean and opened a new chapter in human history, for better or worse," says Stephen Petranek. "I believe we are on the verge of a much greater age of discovery. We’re going to become a two-planet species." The TED audience did not leave this statement unchallenged. For man...

About this event: Our REMIX Salons happen about once per quarter and feature TED speakers and experts as guest facilitators. An "only in New York" event, REMIX salons connect our community to the best thinkers in New York in ways that allow a deeper exploration of a theme or topic as they participate in a dynamic and insightful discussion. Unlike most TEDx even...