Themes

All Themes

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  A Greener Future?

  119 Talks

  The environmental debate has traditionally been characterized as a conflict between economic progress and preservatio...

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  Africa: The Next Chapter

  52 Talks

  In June 2007, TED held its first conference in Africa, titled "Africa: The Next Chapter." Thought leaders from across...

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  Animals That Amaze

  65 Talks

  What do animals have to do with technology, entertainment, design and the world of ideas? More than you might think. ...

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  Architectural Inspiration

  45 Talks

  TED has a love affair with buildings. Big or small, we cherish the inspired visions behind them. But Joshua Prince-Ra...

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  Art Unusual

  152 Talks

  Image: Maira Kalman Provocative, multidisciplinary and often technology-driven, new modes of art and performance d...

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  Best of the Web

  34 Talks

  From lectures at little-known forums to famous speeches that made history, our "Best of the Web" collection features ...

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  Bold Predictions, Stern Warnings

  172 Talks

  These passionate, fearless speakers don’t mince words. They identify the most difficult problems and propose bold sol...

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  Celebrating TEDWomen

  33 Talks

  Over the past several years, a flood of fascinating data from the worlds of education, microfinance and more has show...

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  Design That Matters

  125 Talks

  These speakers celebrate the power of design to unravel social stalemate and to save and enrich lives. Inventor De...

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  Evolution's Genius

  95 Talks

  TED adores great design. A growing number of speakers focus their Talks on the most elegant designs that exist: those...

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  Food Matters

  24 Talks

  A cornucopia of great TEDTalks about food: growing it, cooking it, consuming it -- and making sure there's enough for...

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  Hidden Gems

  17 Talks

  Here are some talks that you may not have stumbled on yet -- and that we think you'll love. Sasa Vucinic lays out a b...

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  How the Mind Works

  143 Talks

  At a conference about ideas, it’s important to step back and consider the engine that creates them: the human mind. H...

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  How We Learn

  87 Talks

  Teachers of all kinds can find fresh resources -- and inspiration -- in this batch of TEDTalks. Some talks may shake ...

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  Inspired by Nature

  126 Talks

  Who can fail to marvel at the shape of a leaf, the sleek power of a cheetah, the dance of two bodies connecting? Thes...

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  Is There a God?

  28 Talks

  While TED has no official stance on religion, speakers do occasionally venture (bravely) into this contentious territ...

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  Listening to Teachers

  26 Talks

  Everyone has big ideas about education -- and some of the most powerful ideas are coming out of classrooms, where ded...

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  Live Music

  61 Talks

  Some great tunes from the TED stage. Watch legendary musicians like Herbie Hancock -- or discover new talents and new...

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  Master Storytellers

  165 Talks

  Nowhere has the timeless power of narrative been more apparent than at TED: here, storytellers both professional and ...

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  Media With Meaning

  98 Talks

  A well-told story makes change. It's a simple truth -- and it's inspiring and energizing to see this truth put into p...

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  Medicine Without Borders

  126 Talks

  The fields of medicine and health care exhibit perhaps the most profound examples of human ingenuity. Many new hea...

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  Might You Live a Great Deal Longer?

  35 Talks

  If this collection of provocative speakers proves even partially right, we may all live to a (very) ripe old age. ...

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  Mission Blue Voyage

  19 Talks

  On April 6-10, 2010, inspired by Sylvia Earle's TED Prize wish, a group of 100 scientists, activists and philanthropi...

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  Not Business as Usual

  174 Talks

  The digital revolution has changed much more than technology, entertainment and design. It has completely transformed...

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  Numbers at Play

  29 Talks

  We all use numbers every day -- but some people have more fun with them than others. The talks in this Theme show off...

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  Ocean Wonders

  43 Talks

  Dive into TED's archive of ocean talks -- from Tierney Thys' love affair with the big old goofy sunfish to Robert Bal...

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  Peering into Space

  49 Talks

  To gaze upward and know we're part of a vast system of heavenly bodies -- it is simultaneously humbling and utterly t...

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  Presentation Innovation

  78 Talks

  Great speakers hold the power to captivate and inspire. This collection highlights speakers who go one step further -...

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  Rethinking Poverty

  97 Talks

  The catchphrase goes, "Make poverty history." But how? These speakers' innovative ideas may convince you to forget th...

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  Spectacular Performance

  90 Talks

  This collection of extraordinary dancers, actors, musicians, magicians and storytellers will bring both sides of your...

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  Tales of Invention

  223 Talks

  TED has always loved a good creation story. No matter the scale -- kitchen, continent, or solar system -- invention g...

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  Talks from TED Fellows

  50 Talks

  The TED Fellows program brings up-and-coming scientists, artists, thinkers and doers to TED, where they can use the p...

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  Technology, History and Destiny

  112 Talks

  Kevin Kelly says technology is evolving -- just like humans did. So where is it going? Where will it take us? What wi...

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  TED in 3 Minutes

  28 Talks

  If you're hungry for inspiration, but short on time, these snack-sized talks are for you. In 3 minutes, more or less,...

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  TED Prize Winners

  20 Talks

  Every year, TED names three new recipients for the TED Prize. These are the winners' acceptance talks, where they rev...

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  The Charter for Compassion

  8 Talks

  The Talks in this Theme look at compassion, the best idea humanity's ever had. Leaders from many faiths, science writ...

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  The Creative Spark

  307 Talks

  How are we inspired? Where might our imaginations take us? What does creativity look like in its wildest form? These ...

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  The Power of Cities

  35 Talks

  In the last 3,000 years, the history of humankind has been tied to the history of cities. With half of the world's po...

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  The Rise of Collaboration

  75 Talks

  Yochai Benkler dubs it 'the wealth of networks." Howard Rheingold's term is "smart mobs." It's the idea of technology...

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  To Boldly Go ...

  92 Talks

  At TED, the spirit of adventure runs deep. An explorer's tale can move us, enrich our knowledge and awaken the wander...

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  Unconventional Explanations

  191 Talks

  Sometimes the best way to reach the right answer is to be unafraid of asking the question sideways. Take Jonathan Hai...

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  War and Peace

  69 Talks

  TEDTalks offer many perspectives on war -- from Thomas Barnett's bracing realpolitik to James Nachtwey's powerful pho...

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  What Makes Us Happy?

  87 Talks

  It's perhaps the most universal human yearning: to be happy. But this simplest of goals so often eludes us. We're not...

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  What's Next in Tech

  178 Talks

  The contemplation and, often, introduction of new technology is integral to TED: you might say it's embedded in our g...

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  Whipsmart Comedy

  49 Talks

  Great truths can come of great laughs. Rives' lyrical language unfolds around a series of historical coincidences ...

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  Women Reshaping the World

  74 Talks

  These TEDTalks share one thing in common: big, bold ideas about women's roles in the world. Data-driven insights that...

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  Words About Words

  61 Talks

  Language is the stuff of thought -- the more we know about it, the better we will understand ourselves. These speaker...