If an asteroid were headed for Earth, we'd all band together and figure out how to stop it, just like in the movies, right? And yet, when faced with major, data-supported, end-of-the-world problems in real life, too often we retreat into partisan shouting and stalemate. Jonathan Haidt shows us a few of the very real asteroids headed our way -- s...

Psychologist Jonathan Haidt asks a simple, but difficult question: why do we search for self-transcendence? Why do we attempt to lose ourselves? In a tour through the science of evolution by group selection, he proposes a provocative answer.

How can the US recover after the negative, partisan presidential election of 2016? Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt studies the morals that form the basis of our political choices. In conversation with TED Curator Chris Anderson, he describes the patterns of thinking and historical causes that have led to such sharp divisions in America -- and...

Psychologist Jonathan Haidt studies the five moral values that form the basis of our political choices, whether we're left, right or center. In this eye-opening talk, he pinpoints the moral values that liberals and conservatives tend to honor most.

Jonathan Haidt studies how -- and why -- we evolved to be moral and political creatures.

Modern politics turns you off? Here’s how to reconnect — and take charge of your world.

How do politics affect psychology, influence behavior and create polarization? A quest to demystify what the political does to society and the mind (and vice versa).

Brandon Boyd, lead singer of Incubus, says, "I hope to one day perform live music on the moon. Perhaps if all goes according to plan, we can make a TED Talk out of it!" We eagerly await this event. Until then, here are his favorite talks.

An exploration of faith’s place in our current, tumultuous times.

Photo: James Duncan Davidason Author and UVA psychology professor Jonathan Haidt kicks off his TED2012 talk with a provocative question: "how many of you think of yourselves as religious?" Some people raise their hands, but not so many. Another question: "Do you think of yourselves as spiritual in any shape or form?" The majority of peopl...

With less than a week until America casts ballots in what has become one of the most controversial US presidential elections in history, TED invited the social psychologist and expert on the psychology of morality Jonathan Haidt to talk about our divisions -- and how we might heal. In conversation with TED curator Chris Anderson at TED HQ...

In the final days of 2012, as Congress worked to hammer out a last-minute deal to avoid the fiscal cliff, it was difficult to turn on any American news source and not see political finger-pointing. Words like “extremist,” “angry” and “sharply divided” floated in the ether. Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt has long been interested in how...

With just two weeks to go before the 2012 presidential election in the US, eyes around the world are on the contest between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. As shown in last night’s debate, the election may well come down to a few key issues. So what matters most to Americans? The TED Blog read this Gallup poll on the issues that citizens want ...

Foreign Policy magazine has picked its annual list of the 100 Top Global Thinkers and, nestled among their ranks, are many a TED Speaker. Below, watch the talks from those who appear on the 2012 list, as well as what number on the list they occupy. 3. Bill Clinton talks “rebuilding Rwanda” and Hillary Clinton makes a surprise appearance a...

The term “fiscal cliff” has gained traction in the U.S. news in the past few months, at least in part because it paints a vivid metaphorical picture. Popularized by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, the term refers to the ill economic consequences that could occur if Congress does not change its course on several policies by January 1, ...

In this session, TED is hosting a dinner party on stage, with various TED attendees and some speakers sitting on stage throughout. Seth Godin, Stewart Brand and Sir Ken Robinson are all primed and ready to jump in with discussion of those we are about to hear. Namely: Rebecca Newberger Goldstein writes novels that explore questions of phi...

The day was February 12, 1809. The place was Shrewsbury, England. The person born there: Charles Darwin. With the publication of his classic, On the Origins of Species, Darwin set the wheels in motion for a dramatic transformation of the way human beings understand the world and how we came to exist in it . Here, seven speakers who’ve discus...

Today, we're thrilled to announce the TED2012 speaker program. This year’s conference program includes explorers, storytellers, photographers, scientists, pioneers and educators, visionaries and thinkers from all parts of the globe. Themed “Full Spectrum,” TED2012 will take place from February 27 through March 2 in Long Beach, CA, and Palm S...

North Korean borderlands. Hotel rooms outfitted with binoculars to peer across the river at the forbidden land, spotty phone connections and a bridge partially destroyed by Korean War-era bombs, and smugglers of diamonds, watches and expensive face creams: This is the Chinese-North Korean border, a world of shifting identities and coded lang...

Some TED Talks are memorable for their big, overarching themes. Others we remember for the small details -- a random anecdote, the speaker's facial hair. The anthropologist who swallowed a sword? The talk with huge photos of people's faces everywhere? The famous writer who runs into the house to write down an idea before it's lost forever? B...

About this event: The first TEDx conference organized in Hungary offered a program of 27 intensive and inspiring talks arranged into 5 sessions. Session 1: A World We Could Live In We embark on our journey as we glimpse into a world of our possibilities, into a world that would simply make more sense, and a world that is quite possible… · The Surprising S...

Find repose by exciting the mind. Some of the world's leading thinkers offer the books that inspired them and their work. Skim the list for your favorite speakers, or get nerdy on a topic you've always wanted to know more about. Below find 52 books, recommended by TED speakers. Creativity Creative Confidence, by Tom Kelley and David Kelley Cr...

In 2013, TED published more than 250 talks, each with an idea worth spreading. And yet, certain ideas seemed to resonate throughout the year, as if speakers at different events were singing parts of the same choral symphony. As 2013 draws to a close, here is a look at some of the big ideas we parsed this year. Consider it the rousing finale ...

Using simple, delightful illustrations, designer Stefan Sagmeister shares his latest thinking on happiness -- both the conscious and unconscious kind. His seven rules for life and design happiness can (with some customizations) apply to everyone seeking more joy.

Conservatives and liberals both believe that they alone are motivated by love while their opponents are motivated by hate. How can we solve problems with so much polarization? In this talk, social scientist Arthur Brooks shares ideas for what we can each do as individuals to break the gridlock. "We might just be able to take the ghastly holy war...

Every seven years, designer Stefan Sagmeister closes his New York studio for a yearlong sabbatical to rejuvenate and refresh their creative outlook. He explains the often overlooked value of time off and shows the innovative projects inspired by his time in Bali.

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...

Jonathan Haidet, in his funny and extremely informative talk, discusses the sciences behind vaccines, and what he, as a student, can do to educate the population.