If you want to make a better hip replacement, who better to turn to than… a snake? While these hip-less creatures might seem like a weird choice for help with this particular issue, a major part of creating comfortable, long-lasting...

Tapping into the transformational power of costume, concept artist Machine Dazzle takes us on a maximalist journey through art, history and fashion. From a jaw-droppingly intricate '60s bouffant ensemble to a 24-hour show of extravagant...

In an astonishing talk and tech demo, neurotechnologist Conor Russomanno shares his work building brain-computer interfaces that could enable us to control the external world with our minds. He discusses the quickly advancing...

If we're going to solve the climate crisis, we need to talk about construction. The four main building materials that humans currently use -- concrete, steel, masonry and wood -- have a heavy environmental impact, but what if we had a...

In all the conversations about improving education for children, the voices of students, teachers and community members are often left out. Educational designer Punya Mishra offers a method to shift that paradigm, taking us through new...

Fasten your seat belt as software engineer Alex Koster takes us on a journey in what he calls the "software dream car" of the future. He breaks down how massive technological shifts are transforming the automotive industry and paints a...

Anthony and Squeaks find out how you can put telescopes in different places to help you see further away and get better pictures of things in space!

When human rights advocate Manu Peni returned to Papua New Guinea from abroad, he built a home for himself using modern techniques -- and promptly learned a harsh lesson on how the newest ideas aren't always the best ideas. Peni calls...

What does an in-flight meal look like when you're traveling to Mars? Designer Phnam Bagley envisions a future where astronauts have nourishing, flavorful food reminiscent of home -- a giant leap from their current staple of...

Imagine a boat that propels by moving its "tail" from side to side, just like a fish. That's the kind of machine that TED Fellow Robert Katzschmann's lab builds: soft-bodied robots that imitate natural movements with artificial, silent...

Buildings are bad news for the climate -- but they don't have to be. While our structures are currently responsible for a third of global energy consumption and emissions, a future where they create more energy than they consume is...

Architecture can't ignore the realities of climate change. For time-tested solutions that perform under extreme conditions, designer Alyssa-Amor Gibbons says we should look to traditional buildings. Taking us to her home of Barbados,...

In this video Paul Andersen explains how many possible solutions are developed in the design process. As many solutions to the problem are identified using a brainstorming process. These solutions are compared to the specific...

What if we could "grow" clothes from microbes, furniture from living organisms and buildings with exteriors like tree bark? TED Fellow Suzanne Lee shares exciting developments from the field of biofabrication and shows how it could help...

What do nanobots, better water filtration, and space colonization have in common? They're all being made possible by advances in 3D Printing!

There are about 450 million diabetics around the world, and while we do already have a reliable way of measuring blood sugar, it requires patients to prick their finger each time they want a reading. Is there a better way?

In 2004, construction began on a new building in Dubai, promising a revolutionary design that would dwarf the rest of the world's skyscrapers. Five years later, the 828-meter Burj Khalifa was complete, surpassing the previous...

Greenhouse gases are colorless, scentless and invisible, making them exceptionally hard to measure. Fortunately, some tools and techniques can help -- one of the most powerful being artificial intelligence, says green technologist...

How do companies like SpaceX make sudden breakthroughs on decades-old challenges? Emerging tech expert Antoine Gourévitch explains how deep tech -- a new approach to innovation that merges science, engineering and design thinking -- is...

Many ancient sites had some truly amazing effects on sound waves, suggesting that early cultures may have built spaces to evoke certain sensation. And by studying the acoustics of these structures, we can learn new things...

Daniel Kraft offers a fast-paced look at the next few years of innovations in medicine, powered by new tools, tests and apps that bring diagnostic information right to the patient's bedside.

If you have a tattoo, you're part of a rich cultural history that dates back at least 8,000 years. Where did this practice of body modification come from, and how has its function changed over time? Addison Anderson tracks the history of...

Today, about one-tenth of the world's population are southpaws. Why are such a small proportion of people left-handed -- and why does the trait exist in the first place? Daniel M. Abrams investigates how the uneven ratio of lefties and...

Imagine a distant future when humans reach beyond Earth, forge cities on planets thousands of light-years away, and maintain a galactic web of trade and transport. What would it take to make that leap? And where would we get enough...