In an exclusive preview of his book The Stuff of Thought, Steven Pinker looks at language and how it expresses what goes on in our minds -- and how the words we choose communicate much more than we realize.

Steven Pinker charts the decline of violence from Biblical times to the present, and argues that, though it may seem illogical and even obscene, given Iraq and Darfur, we are living in the most peaceful time in our species' existence.

Steven Pinker's book The Blank Slate argues that all humans are born with some innate traits. Here, Pinker talks about his thesis, and why some people found it incredibly upsetting.

Was 2017 really the "worst year ever," as some would have us believe? In his analysis of recent data on homicide, war, poverty, pollution and more, psychologist Steven Pinker finds that we're doing better now in every one of them when compared with 30 years ago. But progress isn't inevitable, and it doesn't mean everything gets better for everyo...

Psychologist Angela Duckworth studies the traits that allow us to stick to our goals — and she chose four great talks that explore other facets of how human beings behave.

Steven Pinker is a professor of cognitive science (the study of the human mind) who writes about language, mind and human nature.

Language isn’t set in stone. It changes all the time -- and in turn, our language changes us. These talks explore how new words come to be.

Here's a TED first: an animated Socratic dialog! In a time when irrationality seems to rule both politics and culture, has reasoned thinking finally lost its power? Watch as psychologist Steven Pinker is gradually, brilliantly persuaded by philosopher Rebecca Newberger Goldstein that reason is actually the key driver of human moral progress, eve...

The most notable talks of 2018, chosen by TED Curator Chris Anderson.

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.

Once you watch these talks, you may not be able to get them out of your head. These talks have staying power and, as you go about everyday life, we bet you'll find yourself thinking of them often.

As Wittgenstein wrote, "The limits of my language mean the limits of my world." Watch talks by linguists, data analysts and word nerds.

Linguist and psychologist Steven Pinker's talk at the end of TED2018 Session 1 argued enthusiastically that humanity has, as a whole, made remarkable progress toward prosperity, peace and happiness — backing up his assertions with charts that showed an optimistic trajectory. But is that the whole story? A roundtable of TED Fellows — includin...

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.

What. A. Year. These 25 TED Talks helped us make better decisions, taught us some fascinating science, gave us some hope for humanity and showed us what it's like to climb 3,000 feet ... without a rope.

Photo: James Duncan Davidson Steven Pinker  is a linguist and psychologist. Rebecca Newberger Goldstein is a philosopher and novelist. The pair are also married, and they have taken to the TED stage, in front of a dinner table with several luminaries, to have a very public argument, or, in their rather more academic terms, a Socratic dial...

After his mainstage talk on the opening night of TED, psychologist Steven Pinker sat down with Chris Anderson to dive into his new book, Enlightenment Now. The two examined some criticisms of the book and the thesis behind it, dug into the data, and then threw the floor open for questions, in a session that offered the luxury of time to real...

Several members of the TED community are popping in the news this week. Below, some highlights: Dan Berkenstock’s Skybox Imaging, which uses small satellites to create close to real-time imagery of the planet, has been bought by Google. The internet giant’s website explains, "Skybox’s satellites will help keep our maps accurate with up-to-d...

With summer dwindling to its last few days, it's time to put away the beach reads and get the mind back in gear with heartier fare. Why not start with some of the amazing books written by recent TED speakers? Here, some picks. Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer Retells the tale of a forgetful writer's journey to becoming U.S. Memory ...

Intriguing reads from around the Internets this week: Two journalists on why the red line on chemical warfare is necessary. [Foreign Affairs] The story of Sara Josephine Baker, a doctor who saved 90,000 inner-city children by the time she died in 1945. [NYRB] "You can't defend the humanities by declaring it off limits to amateurs." ...

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...

TED Talks cover an incredible breadth of topics -- from mathematical origami to self-repairing architecture to personalized medicine. Some talks explore what lies at the very essence of TED -- the act of talking. The 10 talks below explore the various dynamics of speech -- from phonology to cognition to the socio-cultural role of language in...

I want to give you the back story behind today's TED Talk and make the case that it's one of the most significant we've ever posted. And I'm not just talking about its incredible animation. I'm talking about its core idea. Two years ago the psychologist Steven Pinker and the philosopher Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, who are married, came t...

Are people born violent, or is violence something learned? And what can be done to keep human beings from harming one another? These are questions on our minds as Congress debates gun control measures. Today’s episode of TED Radio dives into this dark end of human nature. In this episode – the fifth in season two --  psychologist Philip Zimba...

Anxiety could be the price that we have to pay for freedom, suggests psychologist Steven Pinker. When it comes to happiness, many people are underachievers. Americans are laggards among their first-world peers, and their happiness has stagnated in the era sometimes called the American Century. The Baby Boomers, despite growing up in peace and p...

Below, just a few of the intriguing headlines involving members of the TED community this week: TED Fellow Antonio Torres is creating a"living" amphitheater in Lake Forest, Illinois. Made from netted straw, wildflowers and vines, it will bloom throughout the summer and fall while it hosts performances. (Read more about Antonio’s work.) Jac...

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...

The theme of TED2018 is The Age of Amazement, and these speakers’ books are bursting with wonders of every kind: intellectual, scientific, urban, technological, economic, historical, aquatic, even extraterrestrial. TED2018, our biggest conference of the year, takes place April 10 through 14 in Vancouver. The talks from the conference will be re...

As usual, the TED community has lots of news to share this week. Below, some highlights. Flip the switch. Sangeeta Bhatia is the senior author on a paper that makes the genome editing power of CRISPR responsive to ultraviolet light. As detailed in academic journal Angewandte Chemie, the researchers developed a system where gene editing oc...

This week, so much TED-related news hit the transom. Below, some of the highlights. Artist Olafur Eliasson (watch his TED Talk) muses on his latest work -- “Little Sun,” a miniature solar-powered lamp that puts five hours of sunlight in your pocket -- in this awesome video from our friends at The Creators Project. The best part: the video b...