TED Talks with English transcript

Jennifer Pluznick: You smell with your body, not just your nose

TEDMED 2016

Jennifer Pluznick: You smell with your body, not just your nose
1,702,806 views

Do your kidneys have a sense of smell? Turns out, the same tiny scent detectors found in your nose are also found in some pretty unexpected places -- like your muscles, kidneys and even your lungs. In this quick talk (filled with weird facts), physiologist Jennifer Pluznick explains why they're there and what they do.

Jimmy Lin: A simple new blood test that can catch cancer early

TED2017

Jimmy Lin: A simple new blood test that can catch cancer early
1,471,238 views

Jimmy Lin is developing technologies to catch cancer months to years before current methods. He shares a breakthrough technique that looks for small signals of cancer's presence via a simple blood test, detecting the recurrence of some forms of the disease 100 days earlier than traditional methods. It could be a ray of hope in a fight where early detection makes all the difference.

Susan Robinson: How I fail at being disabled

TED Residency

Susan Robinson: How I fail at being disabled
1,458,794 views

Born with a genetic visual impairment that has no correction or cure, Susan Robinson is legally blind (or partially sighted, as she prefers it) and entitled to a label she hates: "disabled." In this funny and personal talk, she digs at our hidden biases by explaining five ways she flips expectations of disability upside down.

Noah Feldman: Hamilton vs. Madison and the birth of American partisanship

TED2017

Noah Feldman: Hamilton vs. Madison and the birth of American partisanship
2,087,300 views

The divisiveness plaguing American politics today is nothing new, says constitutional law scholar Noah Feldman. In fact, it dates back to the early days of the republic, when a dispute between Alexander Hamilton and James Madison led the two Founding Fathers to cut ties and form the country's first political parties. Join Feldman for some fascinating history of American factionalism -- and a hopeful reminder about how the Constitution has proven itself to be greater than partisanship.

Tricia Wang: The human insights missing from big data

TEDxCambridge

Tricia Wang: The human insights missing from big data
1,688,539 views

Why do so many companies make bad decisions, even with access to unprecedented amounts of data? With stories from Nokia to Netflix to the oracles of ancient Greece, Tricia Wang demystifies big data and identifies its pitfalls, suggesting that we focus instead on "thick data" -- precious, unquantifiable insights from actual people -- to make the right business decisions and thrive in the unknown.

Anil Seth: Your brain hallucinates your conscious reality

TED2017

Anil Seth: Your brain hallucinates your conscious reality
9,317,527 views

Right now, billions of neurons in your brain are working together to generate a conscious experience -- and not just any conscious experience, your experience of the world around you and of yourself within it. How does this happen? According to neuroscientist Anil Seth, we're all hallucinating all the time; when we agree about our hallucinations, we call it "reality." Join Seth for a delightfully disorienting talk that may leave you questioning the very nature of your existence.

Kate Marvel: Can clouds buy us more time to solve climate change?

TED2017

Kate Marvel: Can clouds buy us more time to solve climate change?
1,287,488 views

Climate change is real, case closed. But there's still a lot we don't understand about it, and the more we know the better chance we have to slow it down. One still-unknown factor: How might clouds play a part? There's a small hope that they could buy us some time to fix things ... or they could make global warming worse. Climate scientist Kate Marvel takes us through the science of clouds and what it might take for Earth to break its own fever.

Adam Alter: Why our screens make us less happy

TED2017

Adam Alter: Why our screens make us less happy
3,737,315 views

What are our screens and devices doing to us? Psychologist Adam Alter studies how much time screens steal from us and how they're getting away with it. He shares why all those hours you spend staring at your smartphone, tablet or computer might be making you miserable -- and what you can do about it.

Liz Hajek: What rivers can tell us about the earth's history

TEDxPSU

Liz Hajek: What rivers can tell us about the earth's history
1,411,824 views

Rivers are one of nature's most powerful forces -- they bulldoze mountains and carve up the earth, and their courses are constantly moving. Understanding how they form and how they'll change is important for those that call their banks and deltas home. In this visual-packed talk, geoscientist Liz Hajek shows us how rocks deposited by ancient rivers can be used as a time machine to study the history of the earth, so we can figure out how to more sustainably live on it today.

Jorge Ramos: Why journalists have an obligation to challenge power

TED2017

Jorge Ramos: Why journalists have an obligation to challenge power
612,151 views

You can kick Jorge Ramos out of your press conference (as Donald Trump infamously did in 2015), but you can never silence him. A reporter for more than 30 years, Ramos believes that a journalist's responsibility is to question and challenge those in power. In this compelling talk -- which earned him a standing ovation midway through -- Ramos explains why, in certain circumstances, he believes journalists must take sides. (In Spanish with English subtitles)

Manu Prakash: Lifesaving scientific tools made of paper

TED2017

Manu Prakash: Lifesaving scientific tools made of paper
1,431,573 views

Inventor Manu Prakash turns everyday materials into powerful scientific devices, from paper microscopes to a clever new mosquito tracker. From the TED Fellows stage, he demos Paperfuge, a hand-powered centrifuge inspired by a spinning toy that costs 20 cents to make and can do the work of a $1,000 machine, no electricity required.

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks: How we can face the future without fear, together

TED2017

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks: How we can face the future without fear, together
1,862,818 views

It's a fateful moment in history. We've seen divisive elections, divided societies and the growth of extremism -- all fueled by anxiety and uncertainty. "Is there something we can do, each of us, to be able to face the future without fear?" asks Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. In this electrifying talk, the spiritual leader gives us three specific ways we can move from the politics of "me" to the politics of "all of us, together."

Sinéad Burke: Why design should include everyone

TEDNYC

Sinéad Burke: Why design should include everyone
1,435,325 views

Sinéad Burke is acutely aware of details that are practically invisible to many of us. At 105 centimeters (or 3' 5") tall, the designed world -- from the height of a lock to the range of available shoe sizes -- often inhibits her ability to do things for herself. Here she tells us what it's like to navigate the world as a little person and asks: "Who are we not designing for?"

Luma Mufleh: Don't feel sorry for refugees -- believe in them

TED2017

Luma Mufleh: Don't feel sorry for refugees -- believe in them
1,715,610 views

"We have seen advances in every aspect of our lives -- except our humanity," says Luma Mufleh, a Jordanian immigrant and Muslim of Syrian descent who founded the first accredited school for refugees in the United States. Mufleh shares stories of hope and resilience, explaining how she's helping young people from war-torn countries navigate the difficult process of building new homes. Get inspired to make a personal difference in the lives of refugees with this powerful talk.

Katrina Spade: When I die, recompose me

TEDxOrcasIsland

Katrina Spade: When I die, recompose me
1,346,082 views

What if our bodies could help grow new life after we die, instead of being embalmed and buried or turned to ash? Join Katrina Spade as she discusses "recomposition" -- a system that uses the natural decomposition process to turn our deceased into life-giving soil, honoring both the earth and the departed.

Anab Jain: Why we need to imagine different futures

TED2017

Anab Jain: Why we need to imagine different futures
1,739,273 views

Anab Jain brings the future to life, creating experiences where people can touch, see and feel the potential of the world we're creating. Do we want a world where intelligent machines patrol our streets, for instance, or where our genetic heritage determines our health care? Jain's projects show why it's important to fight for the world we want. Catch a glimpse of possible futures in this eye-opening talk.

Jim Yong Kim: Doesn't everyone deserve a chance at a good life?

TED2017

Jim Yong Kim: Doesn't everyone deserve a chance at a good life?
1,725,265 views

Aspirations are rising as never before across the world, thanks in large part to smartphones and the internet -- will they be met with opportunity or frustration? Former President of the World Bank Group Jim Yong Kim shares how the institution is working to improve the health and financial futures of people in the poorest countries by boosting investment and de-risking development.

David Miliband: The refugee crisis is a test of our character

TED2017

David Miliband: The refugee crisis is a test of our character
1,454,444 views

Sixty-five million people were displaced from their homes by conflict and disaster in 2016. It's not just a crisis; it's a test of who we are and what we stand for, says David Miliband -- and each of us has a personal responsibility to help solve it. In this must-watch talk, Miliband gives us specific, tangible ways to help refugees and turn empathy and altruism into action.

Richard Browning: How I built a jet suit

TED2017

Richard Browning: How I built a jet suit
2,171,923 views

We've all dreamed of flying -- but for Richard Browning, flight is an obsession. He's built an Iron Man-like suit that leans on an elegant collaboration of mind, body and technology, bringing science fiction dreams a little closer to reality. Learn more about the trial and error process behind his invention and take flight with Browning in an unforgettable demo.

Cheyenne Cochrane: A celebration of natural hair

TEDxBeaconStreet

Cheyenne Cochrane: A celebration of natural hair
1,438,022 views

Cheyenne Cochrane explores the role that hair texture has played in the history of being black in America -- from the heat straightening products of the post-Civil War era to the thousands of women today who have decided to stop chasing a conventional beauty standard and start embracing their natural hair. "This is about more than a hairstyle," Cochrane says. "It's about being brave enough not to fold under the pressure of others' expectations."

Tristan Harris: How a handful of tech companies control billions of minds every day

TED2017

Tristan Harris: How a handful of tech companies control billions of minds every day
2,591,029 views

A handful of people working at a handful of tech companies steer the thoughts of billions of people every day, says design thinker Tristan Harris. From Facebook notifications to Snapstreaks to YouTube autoplays, they're all competing for one thing: your attention. Harris shares how these companies prey on our psychology for their own profit and calls for a design renaissance in which our tech instead encourages us to live out the timeline we want.

Anne Lamott: 12 truths I learned from life and writing

TED2017

Anne Lamott: 12 truths I learned from life and writing
5,458,934 views

A few days before she turned 61, writer Anne Lamott decided to write down everything she knew for sure. She dives into the nuances of being a human who lives in a confusing, beautiful, emotional world, offering her characteristic life-affirming wisdom and humor on family, writing, the meaning of God, death and more.

Sharon Terry: Science didn't understand my kids' rare disease until I decided to study it

TEDMED 2016

Sharon Terry: Science didn't understand my kids' rare disease until I decided to study it
1,352,657 views

Meet Sharon Terry, a former college chaplain and stay-at-home mom who took the medical research world by storm when her two young children were diagnosed with a rare disease known as pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE). In this knockout talk, Terry explains how she and her husband became citizen scientists, working midnight shifts at the lab to find the gene behind PXE and establishing mandates that require researchers to share biological samples and work together.

Tim Ferriss: Why you should define your fears instead of your goals

TED2017

Tim Ferriss: Why you should define your fears instead of your goals
7,442,608 views

The hard choices -- what we most fear doing, asking, saying -- are very often exactly what we need to do. How can we overcome self-paralysis and take action? Tim Ferriss encourages us to fully envision and write down our fears in detail, in a simple but powerful exercise he calls "fear-setting." Learn more about how this practice can help you thrive in high-stress environments and separate what you can control from what you cannot.

Mehdi Ordikhani-Seyedlar: What happens in your brain when you pay attention?

TED2017

Mehdi Ordikhani-Seyedlar: What happens in your brain when you pay attention?
3,083,456 views

Attention isn't just about what we focus on -- it's also about what our brains filter out. By investigating patterns in the brain as people try to focus, computational neuroscientist Mehdi Ordikhani-Seyedlar hopes to build computer models that can be used to treat ADHD and help those who have lost the ability to communicate. Hear more about this exciting science in this brief, fascinating talk.

Justin Davidson: Why glass towers are bad for city life -- and what we need instead

TEDNYC

Justin Davidson: Why glass towers are bad for city life -- and what we need instead
1,518,829 views

There's a creepy transformation taking over our cities, says architecture critic Justin Davidson. From Houston, Texas to Guangzhou, China, shiny towers of concrete and steel covered with glass are cropping up like an invasive species. Rethink your city's anatomy as Davidson explains how the exteriors of building shape the urban experience -- and what we lose when architects stop using the full range of available materials.

Michael Patrick Lynch: How to see past your own perspective and find truth

TED2017

Michael Patrick Lynch: How to see past your own perspective and find truth
1,781,987 views

The more we read and watch online, the harder it becomes to tell the difference between what's real and what's fake. It's as if we know more but understand less, says philosopher Michael Patrick Lynch. In this talk, he dares us to take active steps to burst our filter bubbles and participate in the common reality that actually underpins everything.

Rhiannon Giddens: Songs that bring history to life

TED2016

Rhiannon Giddens: Songs that bring history to life
1,439,796 views

Rhiannon Giddens pours the emotional weight of American history into her music. Listen as she performs traditional folk ballads -- including "Waterboy," "Up Above My Head," and "Lonesome Road" by Sister Rosetta Tharp -- and one glorious original song, "Come Love Come," inspired by Civil War-era slave narratives.

Marlon Peterson: Am I not human? A call for criminal justice reform

TED Residency

Marlon Peterson: Am I not human? A call for criminal justice reform
1,201,492 views

For a crime he committed in his early twenties, the courts sentenced Marlon Peterson to 10 years in prison -- and, as he says, a lifetime of irrelevance. While behind bars, Peterson found redemption through a penpal mentorship program with students from Brooklyn. In this brave talk, he reminds us why we should invest in the humanity of those people society would like to disregard and discard.