TED Talks
Thomas Piketty: New thoughts on capital in the twenty-first century
French economist Thomas Piketty caused a sensation in early 2014 with his book on a simple, brutal formula explaining economic inequality: r > g (meaning that return on capital is generally higher than economic growth). Here, he talks...
TED Talks
Clay Shirky: How social media can make history
While news from Iran streams to the world, Clay Shirky shows how Facebook, Twitter and TXTs help citizens in repressive regimes to report on real news, bypassing censors (however briefly). The end of top-down control of news is changing...
TED Talks
Richard Ledgett: The NSA responds to Edward Snowden's TED Talk
After a surprise appearance by Edward Snowden at TED2014, Chris Anderson said: "If the NSA wants to respond, please do." And yes, they did. Appearing by video, NSA deputy director Richard Ledgett answers Anderson's questions about the...
TED Talks
TED: The biggest risks facing cities -- and some solutions | Robert Muggah
With fantastic new maps that show interactive, visual representations of urban fragility, Robert Muggah articulates an ancient but resurging idea: cities shouldn't just be the center of economics -- they should also be the foundation of...
TED Talks
TED: Where on Earth will people live in the future? | Parag Khanna
From the return of nomadic living to a climate-disrupted world, author and global strategist Parag Khanna has some predictions for humanity. Get a fascinating glimpse at the future as he tackles an urgent question: Where on Earth will...
TED Talks
TED: How we can bring mental health support to refugees | Essam Daod
The global refugee crisis is a mental health catastrophe, leaving millions in need of psychological support to overcome the traumas of dislocation and conflict. To undo the damage, child psychiatrist and TED Fellow Essam Daod has been...
TED Talks
TED: 3 reasons why we can win the fight against poverty | Andrew Youn
Half of the world's poorest people have something in common: they're small farmers. In this eye-opening talk, activist Andrew Youn shows how his group, One Acre Fund, is helping these farmers lift themselves out of poverty by delivering...
TED Talks
TED: Climate action needs new frontline leadership | Ozawa Bineshi Albert
We can't rely on those who created climate change to fix it, says climate justice organizer Ozawa Bineshi Albert. An Indigenous woman living in the heart of oil and gas country in the US, she's observed an alarming disconnect between...
TED Talks
TED: 100 solutions to reverse global warming | Chad Frischmann
What if we took out more greenhouse gases than we put into the atmosphere? This hypothetical scenario, known as "drawdown," is our only hope of averting climate disaster, says strategist Chad Frischmann. In a forward-thinking talk, he...
TED Talks
TED: How to fix broken supply chains | Dustin Burke
Supply chain challenges are real, but they're not new, says global trade expert Dustin Burke. In the face of disruptions ranging from natural disasters to pandemics, how do we make sure supply chains can keep up? Burke offers a...
TED Talks
TED: How the Panama Papers journalists broke the biggest leak in history | Gerard Ryle
Gerard Ryle led the international team that divulged the Panama Papers, the 11.5 million leaked documents from 40 years of activity of the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca that have offered an unprecedented glimpse into the scope and...
TED Talks
TED: An economic case for protecting the planet | Naoko Ishii
We all share one planet -- we breathe the same air, drink the same water and depend on the same oceans, forests and biodiversity. economist Naoko Ishii is on a mission to protect these shared resources, known as the global commons, that...
TED Talks
TED: Why we need to end the War on Drugs | Ethan Nadelmann
* Viewer discretion advised. This video includes discussion of mature topics and may be inappropriate for some audiences. Is the War on Drugs doing more harm than good? In a bold talk, drug policy reformist Ethan Nadelmann makes an...
TED Talks
TED: How megacities are changing the map of the world | Parag Khanna
I want you to reimagine how life is organized on earth, says global strategist Parag Khanna. As our expanding cities grow ever more connected through transportation, energy and communications networks, we evolve from geography to what he...
TED Talks
Yasheng Huang: Does democracy stifle economic growth?
Economist Yasheng Huang compares China to India, and asks how China's authoritarian rule contributed to its astonishing economic growth -- leading to a big question: Is democracy actually holding India back? Huang's answer may surprise you.
TED Talks
TED: A global food crisis may be less than a decade away | Sara Menker
Sara Menker quit a career in commodities trading to figure out how the global value chain of agriculture works. Her discoveries have led to some startling predictions: "We could have a tipping point in global food and agriculture if...
TED Talks
TED: My 105 days in Taliban prison -- and a call to aid Afghanistan | Safi Rauf
Sharing his experience of being held captive in a Taliban prison for 105 days, humanitarian Safi Rauf talks about his life's mission to get food, medicine and other critical supplies to Afghans in need -- and urges the world to bolster...
TED Talks
Patrick Awuah: How to educate leaders? Liberal arts
A liberal arts education is critical to forming true leaders, says university head Patrick Awuah -- because it builds decision-making skills, an ethical framework and a broad vision. Awuah himself left a career at Microsoft in the US to...
TED Talks
Chris Anderson: TED's nonprofit transition
Chris Anderson gave this talk in 2002, prior to taking over leadership of TED. Co-founder Richard Saul Wurman was leaving, and TED's future was in the balance. He seeks to persuade TEDsters that what was then a for-profit conference had...
TED Talks
Steve Howard: Let's go all-in on selling sustainability
The big blue buildings of Ikea have sprouted solar panels and wind turbines; inside, shelves are stocked with LED lighting and recycled cotton. Why? Because as Steve Howard puts it: “Sustainability has gone from a nice-to-do to a...
TED Talks
Pavan Sukhdev: Put a value on nature!
Every day, we use materials from the earth without thinking, for free. But what if we had to pay for their true value: would it make us more careful about what we use and what we waste? Think of Pavan Sukhdev as nature's banker --...
TED Talks
Neil MacGregor: 2600 years of history in one object
A clay cylinder covered in Akkadian cuneiform script, damaged and broken, the Cyrus Cylinder is a powerful symbol of religious tolerance and multi-culturalism. In this enthralling talk Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum,...
TED Talks
Sanjay Pradhan: How open data is changing international aid
How do we make sure that development and aid money actually goes to the people who most need it? Sanjay Pradhan of the World Bank Institute lays out three guidelines to help relief efforts make the most impact -- while curbing...
TED Talks
TED: The informal settlements reshaping the world | Jota Samper
Creative, sustainable solutions find their home in the thousands of informal neighborhoods across the world. Urban planner Jota Samper believes these often overlooked settlements (also known as slums) should be regarded as hubs of...