In this brief talk from TED U 2009, Jonathan Drori encourages us to save biodiversity -- one seed at a time. Reminding us that plants support human life, he shares the vision of the Millennium Seed Bank, which has stored over 3 billion seeds to date from dwindling yet essential plant species.
In this visually dazzling talk, Jonathan Drori shows the extraordinary ways flowering plants -- over a quarter million species -- have evolved to attract insects to spread their pollen: growing 'landing-strips' to guide the insects in, shining in ultraviolet, building elaborate traps, and even mimicking other insects in heat.
Starting with four basic questions (that you may be surprised to find you can't answer), Jonathan Drori looks at the gaps in our knowledge -- and specifically, what we don't about science that we might think we do.
Pollen goes unnoticed by most of us, except when hay fever strikes. But microscopes reveal it comes in stunning colors and shapes -- and travels remarkably well. Jonathan Drori gives an up-close glimpse of these fascinating flecks of plant courtship.
Jonathan Drori commissioned the BBC's very first websites, one highlight in a long career devoted to online culture and educational media -- and understanding how we learn.
This lovely new video, with lots of extreme closeups, walks us through the scientific facility that Jonathan Drori discussed in his 2009 TEDTalk "Why we're storing billions of seeds." For even more, the TED Blog's Q&A with Drori, where he answers our detailed questions about saving and germinating the seeds that represent some 10% of the...
These TEDTalks explore the saying, “Good things come in small packages.” A world with lifesaving microchips, the perfectly engineered foot, and vast worlds constructed on pinheads seem fantastical, but the following speakers have turned their ingenious ideas into fascinating realities.
Frederick Balagadde: Bio-lab on a microchip
The sub-...
Why does the time we spend cramming for life’s most trying tests always escape us before our focus is shifted to battling a more complex problem? During the college years, an unforeseen dichotomy develops where rushing becomes a normal state, whether it be to register for classes or to get through your last semester. But, when it’s over we g...
Marcus Byrne begins today’s talk with the words: “What I want to do today is share my passion for poo with you.”
But before you delve into a Freudian analysis, you should probably know that Byrne is an entomologist who studies dung beetles, of which there are about 6,000 species across the planet. As Byrne shares, “This animal has a brai...
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 ...