TED Talks
Beeban Kidron: The shared wonder of film
Movies have the power to create a shared narrative experience and to shape memories and worldviews. British film director Beeban Kidron invokes iconic film scenes -- from Miracle in Milan to Boyz n the Hood -- as she shows how her group...
TED Talks
Alexander MacDonald: How centuries of sci-fi sparked spaceflight
Long before we had rocket scientists, the idea of spaceflight traveled from mind to mind across generations. With great visuals, TED Fellow and NASA economist Alexander MacDonald shows how 300 years of sci-fi tales -- from Edgar Allan...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The Chinese legend of the butterfly lovers | Lijun Zhang
Although only boys were allowed at the Confucius Academy, what Zhu Yingtai wanted was to go to school. She begged her parents to let her attend dressed as a boy and, seeing her determination and clever disguises, they finally agreed— as...
TED Talks
TED: Powerful photos that honor the lives of overlooked women | Smita Sharma
In some parts of the world, girls are as likely to be married off or trafficked as they are to be educated. Photojournalist and TED Fellow Smita Sharma thoughtfully depicts overlooked girls and young women, while making sure not to...
TED Talks
David Griffin: How photography connects us
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 how we all use photos to tell our stories.
TED Talks
TED: If trees could speak | Elif Shafak
How do we tell stories of humanity and nature at a time when our planet is burning? Novelist Elif Shafak invites us to listen to the trees, whose experience of time, stillness and impermanence is utterly different from our own. "Hidden...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The myth of Narcissus and Echo | Iseult Gillespie
One day, Echo was drifting through the woods and fell in love with a handsome young hunter named Narcissus. Cursed by Hera to only repeat the last words spoken by another, Echo was unable to converse with him and was soon cruelly...
TED Talks
JD Schramm: Break the silence for suicide attempt survivors
Even when our lives appear fine from the outside, locked within can be a world of quiet suffering, leading some to the decision to end their life. At TEDYou, JD Schramm asks us to break the silence surrounding suicide and suicide...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The myth of Loki and the master builder | Alex Gendler
Asgard, a realm of wonders, was where the Norse Gods made their home. There Odin's great hall of Valhalla towered above the mountains and Bifrost, the rainbow bridge, anchored itself. Though their domain was magnificent, it stood...
TED Talks
Photographing the hidden story - Ryan Lobo
* Viewer discretion advised. This video includes discussion of mature topics and may be inappropriate for some audiences. Ryan Lobo has traveled the world, taking photographs that tell stories of unusual human lives. In this haunting...
TED Talks
TED: The data behind Hollywood's sexism | Stacy Smith
Where are all the women and girls in film? Social scientist Stacy Smith analyzes how the media underrepresents and portrays women -- and the potentially destructive effects those portrayals have on viewers. She shares hard data behind...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The myth of Jason, Medea, and the Golden Fleece | Iseult Gillespie
In Colchis, the hide of a mystical flying ram hangs from the tallest oak, guarded by a dragon who never sleeps. The only way Jason can pry it from King Aeetes' clutches and win back his promised throne is by facing three perilous tasks—...
TED Talks
David Holt: The joyful tradition of mountain music
Folk musician and storyteller David Holt plays the banjo and shares photographs and old wisdom from the Appalachian Mountains. He also demonstrates some unusual instruments like the mouth bow -- and a surprising electric drum kit he...
TED Talks
Sarah Kay: "A Bird Made of Birds"
"The universe has already written the poem you were planning on writing," says Sarah Kay, quoting her friend, poet Kaveh Akbar. Performing "A Bird Made of Birds," she shares how and where she finds poetry. (Kay is also the host of TED's...
TED Talks
The web as art - Jonathan Harris
* Viewer discretion advised. This video includes discussion of mature topics and may be inappropriate for some audiences. At the EG conference in December 2007, artist Jonathan Harris discusses his latest projects, which involve...
TED Talks
TED: How a "Hi Level" mindset helps you realize your potential | Cordae
What does it take to build a legacy? Hip-hop artist Cordae tells how he went from mixtape-dropping high school kid to Grammy-nominated music star whose "Hi Level" mindset helps him achieve his dreams.
TED Talks
TED: If a story moves you, act on it | Sisonke Msimang
Stories are necessary, but they're not as magical as they seem, says writer Sisonke Msimang. In this funny and thoughtful talk, Msimang questions our emphasis on storytelling and spotlights the decline of facts. During a critical time...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The myth of Loki's monstrous children | Iseult Gillespie
Odin, the king of Asgard, was plagued by nightmares. Three fearsome figures haunted his dreams: a massive, writhing shadow; a shambling, rotting corpse; and worst of all, a monstrous beast with a deadly bite. Though their true forms were...
TED Talks
TED: Intimate photos of a senior love triangle | Isadora Kosofsky
Photographer and TED Fellow Isadora Kosofsky is a chronicler of love, loss and loneliness. In this searching talk, she shares photos from her four years documenting the lives of a senior citizen love triangle -- and reveals what they can...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The myth of Ireland's two greatest warriors | Iseult Gillespie
Cú Chulainn, hero of Ulster, stood at the ford at Cooley, ready to face an entire army single handedly— all for the sake of a single bull. The army in question belonged to Queen Meadhbh of Connaught. Enraged at her husband's possession...
TED Talks
TED: How I accidentally changed the way movies get made | Franklin Leonard
How does Hollywood choose what stories get told on-screen? Too often, it's groupthink informed by a narrow set of ideas about what sells at the box office. As a producer, Franklin Leonard saw too many great screenplays never get made...
TED Talks
Ananda Shankar Jayant: Fighting cancer with dance
Renowned classical Indian dancer Ananda Shankar Jayant was diagnosed with cancer in 2008. She tells her personal story of not only facing the disease but dancing through it, and gives a performance revealing the metaphor of strength that...
TED Talks
Jon M. Chu: The pride and power of representation in film
On the heels of the breakout success of his film "Crazy Rich Asians," director Jon M. Chu reflects on what drives him to create -- and makes a resounding case for the power of connection and on-screen representation.
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The Norse myth that inspired "The Lord of the Rings" | Iseult Gillespie
The dwarves were master craftspeople. One dwarf, Andvari, forged marvelous creations. He often took the form of a fish and, one day, he swam to the land of the water nymphs, who guarded mounds of gold. When the nymphs laughed at his...