Hey, remote control mavericks. Enjoy these talks, full of thoughts on how TV shows pique our fascination and reflect our cultural values.

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.

Birds, a perennial human fascination, entertained medieval homes long before science took them for serious study. "Wisdom of Birds" author Tim Birkhead tours some intriguing birdwatcher lore (dug up in old field journals) -- and talks about the role it plays in ornithology today.

James Cameron's big-budget (and even bigger-grossing) films create unreal worlds all their own. In this personal talk, he reveals his childhood fascination with the fantastic -- from reading science fiction to deep-sea diving -- and how it ultimately drove the success of his blockbuster hits "Aliens," "The Terminator," "Titanic" and "Avatar."

Amanda Williams shares her lifelong fascination with the complexity of color: from her experiences with race and redlining to her discovery of color theory to her work as a visual artist. Journey with Williams to Chicago's South Side and explore "Color(ed) Theory," a two-year art project in which she painted soon-to-be-demolished houses bold, mo...

"My very first film was about a town that disappeared," says documentarian John Paget. It was the beginning of a lifelong fascination with cities and towns across the US that experienced slow-motion declines -- but managed to stage a comeback after an era of demise. From the closure of the iconic Route 66 to the roller-coaster history of Buffalo...

From the Salem witch trials to Jack the Ripper, humanity's historic fascination for true crime content can be traced back to the Middle Ages. But is it ethical to consume these real-life dramas in the way we do? Researcher Lindsey A. Sherrill shares four questions to ask yourself to be a mindful fan of this provocative cultural obsession -- so y...

In her documentary films, Yoruba Richen unites African-American, feminist and LGBTQ voices in a renewed cry for civil rights for all.

Evolutionary ecologist Sara Lewis digs deep into firefly mating rituals to uncover a world of secret languages and strange gifts in these silent sparks.

Doris Kearns Goodwin writes insightful books on the US Presidency (JFK, LBJ, FDR and Lincoln, so far), telling each president's personal story against the backdrop of history.

Shea Hembrey explores patterns from nature and myth. A childhood love of nature, and especially birdlife, informs his vision.

Jennifer Pluznick is on a mission to find out more about olfactory and other sensory receptors.

Lost jobs, wayward lovers, wars and famine -- come to think of it, just about any of life's curveballs -- there's an aphorism for it, and James Geary's got it.

Kathleen McAuliffe specializes in how microbes affect our bodies and influence how we think, feel and act.

Jennifer 8. Lee reports on culture and city life.

Nina Jablonski is author of Skin: A Natural History, a close look at human skin’s many remarkable traits: its colors, its sweatiness, the fact that we decorate it.

About this event: Movement is existential – for centuries it has been a source of fascination and inspiration. This year, TEDxCourtauldInstitute poses itself to question and explore our relationship with movement. From socio-political movements to dance, from transport networks to human biology, movement is interdisciplinary, the ultimate force behind what define...

About this event: The objective of this Salon is to explore, through highly engaged conversation, the provocative and interesting aspects of hair; the value we place on it, why people discriminate based on it, and our fascination with it.

Stephen Webb is a science fiction fan who's passionately interested in what the future might hold for our species.

Zoologist Dr. Lucy King helms the Human-Elephant Coexistence Program for the Kenyan research charity Save the Elephants.

As a child, Huang Yi longed for a robot companion. As an adult, he created a robot to dance with: KUKA.

A fascination with clean lines, modern materials and tiny houses made Christopher C. Deam the perfect designer to rethink the Airstream trailer right down to its aluminum skin.

About this event: The Magic Within Us is borne out of our idea of re-awakening human fascination. In the age of--so they say--shorter attention spans, instant gratification, and technology blurring the depth of our social relationships, we wanted to create a space to celebrate the magic within us.

About this event: Exploring the workings of the criminal mind and our fascination with the illegal

Herbie Hancock is an iconic jazz musician, known as much for his mastery of the traditional as he is for entirely changing the game.

Lalitesh Katragadda builds tools that help groups of people compile information to build something greater than the sum of its parts. His latest fascination: collaborative maps.

Driven by a fascination with the natural world, Victoria Gill believes we would all be happier if we knew the stories behind the organisms and materials we interact with every day.

James Cameron is the director of Avatar, Titanic, Terminator, The Abyss and many other blockbusters. While his outsize films push the bounds of technology, they're always anchored in human stories with heart and soul.

Robin Nagle is an anthropologist with a very particular focus... garbage.

Romulus Whitaker is a scientist and conservationist who slings around the globe to study and protect reptiles.