I have published multiple videos and discussions spawned by the TED conference that happens every year in Long Beach, CA
I find the talks inspiring and the fact that the videos are available to the general public and spawn additional ideas and responses is what makes TED so influential.
An article from FastCompany Online makes mention of several of the best features of TED.
Additionally, they point out some of their favorite videos. I must say that Patti Maes and Pranav Mistry’s Sixth Sense talks still; capture my imagination of the future of personal computing. Barry Schwartz’s Paradox of Choice is also very compelling.
| 1) Jill Bolte Taylor My Stroke of Insight 2008 When the neuroscientist picks up a human brain with a spinal cord attached, the audience gasps. When she’s done talking about her stroke, they’re crying. |
6) Dan Pink Surprising Science of Motivation 2009 The science proves that intrinsic motivation works better than extrinsic rewards, but your boss doesn’t understand. Pink explains how to tell her. |
| 2) Patti Maes and Pranav Mistry Sixth Sense Demo 2009 The MIT Media Lab researchers debut a spooky Minority Report — style wearable interface. |
7) Hans Rosling The Best Stats You’ve Ever Seen 2006 The Swedish professor dances through a spectacular animation of world development. |
| 3) Ken Robinson Schools Kill Creativity 2006 This highly influential talk spawned a viral 2010 follow-up and made the creativity expert a star; Robinson says he now “gets stopped in airports.” |
 Benjamin ZanderOn Music and Passion 2008 TED hosts performances as well as talks. This blends the two, with Zander at the grand piano. |
| 4) Tony Robbins Why We Do What We Do 2006 Robbins high-fives Al Gore in this video. “One of the best TED moments of all time,” says TED video chief June Cohen. |
9) Barry Schwartz The Paradox of Choice 2006 In a baggy T-shirt, with glasses sliding down his nose, Schwartz gives a profound, witty discourse on why more freedom doesn’t equal more happiness. |
| 5) Elizabeth Gilbert Nurturing Creativity 2009 The best-selling author bares her struggle to repeat the success of Eat, Pray, Love. |
10) V.S. Ramachandran On Your Mind 2007 A brain scientist in a leather jacket tell us how “this 3-pound mass of jelly … can contemplate the meaning of infinity.” |
I would also recommend taking a look at several of the best performance videos on TED. (click on TED and select talks re-sized to ‘beautiful’ and related to ‘entertainment’)
