Videos
Global health and development
Hans Rosling, rock star statistician, dismantles myths about global poverty and international development
(and his second talk is even better, but start with the first)
Elizabeth Pisani, journalist-turned-HIV epidemiologist, on the “irrational” behavior that spreads HIV
Esther Duflo, international development economist, on figuring out what actually works by testing it (this is apparently a novel and controversial idea in the field of economics)
Environmental and cultural health
Wade Davis, ethnographer, on what we can learn from the world’s endangered traditional cultures, and the importance of preserving them
Bill Gates‘s ambitious plan to get the world to zero carbon emissions
Jamie Oliver, TV chef, on ignorance of nutrition among children and families, and his anti-obesity crusade
Michael Pollan, botanist, envisions a sustainable food system by taking the plant’s view of evolution
Dan Barber, chef, on sustainability in the fish farming industry
Human behavior and philosophy
Dan Gilbert, psychology researcher, on what really makes people happy
Barry Schwartz, on the many disadvantages of excessive freedom of choice
Sam Harris, arguing that science can and should make moral prescriptions
Dan Pink on how external rewards can actually disincentivize people
John Francis, who spent 17 years not speaking or using motorized transportation, by choice
Creativity, writing, storytelling
Ken Robinson, educator, on how schools discourage creativity and why we need to change that
Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love, on a healthier approach to the creative process
JK Rowling, author of Harry Potter, on the benefits of failure
Chimamanda Adichie, author of One Half of a Yellow Sun, on literature and cultural identity
Dave Eggers, author of What is the What, on engaging children in writing
Meta
Sebastian Wernicke analyses stats from the TED web site itself to construct the best and worst possible TED talk
