michael

At the LIFT Conference, in Geneva, Sugata Mitra discusses his "Hole in the Wall" project in India, which proved that kids, without education or instruction, can figure out how to use a PC on their own -- and then teach...

Imagine hearing great, departed pianists play again today, just as they would in person. At the 2007 EG conference, John Q. Walker shows how recordings from the likes of Glenn Gould and Art Tatum can be analyzed for precise keystrokes...

Inspired by James Nachtwey's TED Prize wish, designer Bas Groenendaal shares this prototype camera with TED. The Scope camera has a fresh look and a singular purpose, he says: to be used as a therapeutic instrument for underprivileged children, e.g....

TED.com is looking for an experienced Final Cut Studio editor to work in our Manhattan offices for 3 months. Details below: FILM + VIDEO EDITOR, TEDTalks SoHo-based media company seeks an experienced Final Cut Studio editor to fill a 3-month...

Physicist Patricia Burchat sheds light on two basic ingredients of our universe: dark matter and dark energy. Comprising 96% of the universe between them, they can't be directly measured, but their influence is immense. (Recorded February 2008 in Monterey, California....

Astrobiology Magazine posts an intriguing report today: The American Psychological Association is looking seriously at the question of astronauts' mental health. It's an issue that has sometimes been swept under the rug, says the APA's press release: Historically, astronauts have...

While TED was on vacation last week, Amy Smith's second annual International Development Design Summit 2008 was raging at MIT. For four weeks at IDDS, some 50 students from more than 20 countries designed and built new tools that...

There's a great talk from Clay Shirky in the latest issue of Edge -- about all of our surplus, unused brain power, and what we might be able to do with it if we turn off our TVs: How big...

Animal fan Nellie McKay sings a sparkling tribute to her dear dog. She suggests we all do the same: "Just go right to the pound/ And find yourself a hound/ And make that doggie proud/ 'cause that's what it's all...

Each year, untold numbers of bright young Africans -- doctors and nurses, scientists and programmers -- leave their home countries to live and work abroad. This continental "brain drain" has the predictable effect: Many experts believe the flight of...

Remember Blaise Aguera y Arcas' dazzling demo of Photosynth (one of the Top 10 TEDTalks of all time)? The software has been released this week by Microsoft Live Labs, and it's as much fun to play with as it...

Speaking at the 2007 EG conference, trainer Ian Dunbar asks us to see the world through the eyes of our beloved dogs. By knowing our pets' perspective, we can build their love and trust. It's a message that resonates well...

MIT reports today on the work of professors Yet-Ming Chiang, Angela Belcher and Paula Hammond, who've developed a way to build tiny batteries about half the size of a human cell to power tomorrow's equally tiny devices. The electrolyte of...

The rumpled, avuncular Swedish doctor Lennart Green says, "Pick a card, any card." But what he does with those cards is pure magic -- flabbergasting, lightning-fast, how-does-he-do-it? magic. (Recorded February 2005 in Monterey, California. Duration: 31:08) Watch Lennart Green's 2005...

The photo director for National Geographic, David Griffin knows the power of photography to connect us to our world. In a talk filled with glorious images, he talks about using photos to tell our stories. (Recorded February 2008 in Monterey,...

All humans share some common bits of DNA, passed down to us from our African ancestors. Geneticist Spencer Wells talks about how his Genographic Project will use this shared DNA to figure out how we are -- in all our...

Via Emeka Okafor's blog Timbuktu Chronicles: Kenya Stories, a fascinating new movie about the 2007 business plan competition in Kenya. Soon after the competition, national events took a tragic turn: They are young, ambitious and want to win. 100...

Here's the final installment in our exploration of the TEDTalks archives. Look for brand-new TEDTalks starting Monday, August 18. Thanks for sending us your own archive favorites -- and please continue, by writing to contact@ted.com or joining the conversation on...

For the next week, we're presenting some of our favorite TEDTalks from among the 270+ talks and performances we've posted since June 2006. Look for brand-new TEDTalks starting August 18. Until then, enjoy these gems -- and suggest your own...

We're fans of the Miro player at TED -- in fact, you can download our customized TED Miro player right here, with seven channels of TEDTalks built in, as well as access to thousands more channels of web video...