Backed by stunning illustrations, David Christian narrates a complete history of the universe, from the Big Bang to the Internet, in a riveting 18 minutes. This is "Big History": an enlightening, wide-angle look at complexity, life and humanity, set against our slim share of the cosmic timeline.

Time is measured in seconds, minutes and hours. But these talks show it isn't always so simple.

In a TED Talk, speakers share a bold idea in 18 minutes or less. Want to watch the TED Talks you saw on "60 Minutes" with Charlie Rose? Here are the six talks highlighted in the story, at full length. For more, check out the list of all 50 talks shown for even a split-second.

Designer Philippe Starck -- with no pretty slides to show -- spends 18 minutes reaching for the very roots of the question "Why design?" Listen carefully for one perfect mantra for all of us, genius or not.

Bill Gates hopes to solve some of the world's biggest problems using a new kind of philanthropy. In a passionate and, yes, funny 18 minutes, he asks us to consider two big questions and how we might answer them. (And see the Q&A on the TED Blog.)

When we asked Bill Gates to curate a list of his favorite talks, his first response was, “There are too many to pick, really.” Here, he's whittled it down to 13 essentials.

Huge ideas from physics.

What is TED? This primer of 11 classic TED Talks show you the wide range of topics covered -- and introduce you to beloved speakers like Amy Cuddy, Brené Brown, Sir Ken Robinson and Chimamanda Adichie. Find your next favorite talk ...

Dinosaurs once roamed the Earth. What were they like, why did they disappear, and what can we learn from them?

Meander through Earth's lengthy timeline with these talks that go way, way back to the beginning of everything (as we know it so far, that is).

TED is dedicated to researching and sharing knowledge that matters through short talks and presentations. Our goal is to inform and educate global audiences in an accessible way. Scientists, researchers, technologists, business leaders, artists, designers and other world experts take the TED stage to present “Ideas Worth Spreading”: valuable new...

Enjoy these simply wow talks, which will have you thinking about the possibilities for hours.

Be transported through the centuries with these talks for your inner (and outer) history buff.

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.

Mark Roth's research has reawakened an unusual notion from the annals of science: reversible metabolic hibernation. Yes, putting living organisms into suspended animation -- and bringing them back safely.

These are some of the TED Talks that had you looking at the world differently by the time the credits rolled (in no specific order).

Living in a city means accepting a certain level of dysfunction: long commutes, noisy streets, underutilized spaces. Carlos Moreno wants to change that. He makes the case for the "15-minute city," where inhabitants have access to all the services they need to live, learn and thrive within their immediate vicinity -- and shares ideas for making u...

When is the last time you did absolutely nothing for 10 whole minutes? Not texting, talking or even thinking? Mindfulness expert Andy Puddicombe describes the transformative power of doing just that: Refreshing your mind for 10 minutes a day, simply by being mindful and experiencing the present moment. (No need for incense or sitting in uncomfor...

In this highly personal talk from TEDMED, magician and stuntman David Blaine describes what it took to hold his breath underwater for 17 minutes -- a world record (only two minutes shorter than this entire talk!) -- and what his often death-defying work means to him. Warning: do NOT try this at home.

A powerhouse of scientific leadership in Africa, Christian Happi sequences and studies the genomes of infectious diseases like Ebola, HIV and coronavirus.

About this event: "Changing the World One Idea at a Time" Overview for TEDxGreenbrookSchool Evening – 4/11/13 6:00 WELCOME & TEDx Intro Video (8 minutes) 6:08 Student Speeches (11 minutes) and introduction of next speaker 6:19 Speaker: Tommy Voris (TITLE TBD, 18 minutes), introduce next speaker 6:38 Speaker: Bob Bales ("Formula for Friends...

Keller Rinaudo is CEO and co-founder of Zipline, building drone delivery for global public health customers. (He's also co-founder of Romotive, makers of the tiny robot, Romo.)

About this event: Bringing the best ideas in the Southwest to the stage in 18 minutes or less

About this event: 18 minutes of inspiration from each of the top lecturers and inspirers of Iceland coming together to spread ideas and tell there story.

Bhakti Sharma is a record-breaking Indian open water swimmer.

A list of the talks mentioned in TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking. Chris Anderson's comments on each talk (in the grey italics) indicate why they were included in the book. Use the book index for more info.

Traditionally, Tom Rielly closes the TED Conference with a merciless 18-minute monologue, skewering all the speakers with his deadpan delivery, spot-on satire and boundary-less performance (complete with PowerPoint, pratfalls and partial nudity).

About this event: After a Talk of 18 minutes on Global environmental Issues. The attendee are invited to answers some questions while exposing a country position. The UN Simulation is an opportunity to learn values and earn new solution focused skills of communication, negotiation and Diplomacy.

About this event: 11 intervenants (dont 7 sur scène et 4 diffusés en vidéo) se sont succèdés pour partager - au cours des fameux « Talks » de 18 minutes qui ont fait la renommée de TED - leurs expériences, leurs projets et leurs idées novatrices, dans un cadre d’échange, d’ouverture et d'humanisme.

About this event: Bringing together the brightest minds at Ben Gurion University & the Negev, TEDxBGU is a thought-provoking event dedicated to spreading innovative and inspiring ideas in short talks under 18 minutes. Join us for an evening of wonder, curiosity and awe. The make you go into it, the more you'll take out.