TED Talks with English transcript

17:02

We the Future

Chad Frischmann: 100 solutions to reverse global warming

2018-09-252,009,406 views

Readability: 5.5

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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 shares solutions to climate change that exist today -- conventional tactics like the use of renewable energy and better land management as well as some lesser-known approaches, like changes to food production, better family planning and the education of girls. Learn more about how we can reverse global warming and create a world where regeneration, not destruction, is the rule.

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13:54

TEDxUWLaCrosse

Dawn Wacek: A librarian's case against overdue book fines

2018-02-081,672,580 views

Readability: 3.5

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Libraries have the power to create a better world; they connect communities, promote literacy and spark lifelong learners. But there's one thing that keeps people away: the fear of overdue book fines. In this thought-provoking talk, librarian Dawn Wacek makes the case that fines don't actually do what we think they do. What if your library just ... stopped asking for them altogether?

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11:37

TED@BCG Toronto

Nadjia Yousif: Why you should treat the tech you use at work like a colleague

2018-10-031,619,893 views

Readability: 4.3

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Imagine your company hires a new employee and then everyone just ignores them, day in and day out, while they sit alone at their desk getting paid to do nothing. This situation actually happens all the time -- when companies invest millions of dollars in new tech tools only to have frustrated employees disregard them, says Nadjia Yousif. In this fun and practical talk, she offers advice on how to better collaborate with the technologies in your workplace -- by treating them like colleagues.

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12:08

TED@BCG Toronto

Chieh Huang: Confessions of a recovering micromanager

2018-10-032,046,643 views

Readability: 3.6

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Think about the most tired you've ever been at work. It probably wasn't when you stayed late or came home from a road trip -- chances are it was when you had someone looking over your shoulder, watching your each and every move. "If we know that micromanagement isn't really effective, why do we do it?" asks entrepreneur Chieh Huang. In a funny talk packed with wisdom and humility, Huang shares the cure for micromanagement madness -- and how to foster innovation and happiness at work.

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13:54

TED Salon Brightline Initiative

Teresa Bejan: Is civility a sham?

2018-10-231,652,624 views

Readability: 5.2

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What exactly is civility, and what does it require? In a talk packed with historical insights, political theorist Teresa Bejan explains how civility has been used as both the foundation of tolerant societies and as a way for political partisans to silence and dismiss opposing views. Bejan suggests that we should instead try for "mere civility": the virtue of being able to disagree fundamentally with others without destroying the possibility of a common life tomorrow. (This talk contains mature language.)

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14:57

TED@BCG Toronto

Julia Dhar: How to disagree productively and find common ground

2018-10-033,677,517 views

Readability: 4.7

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Some days, it feels like the only thing we can agree on is that we can't agree -- on anything. Drawing on her background as a world debate champion, Julia Dhar offers three techniques to reshape the way we talk to each other so we can start disagreeing productively and finding common ground -- over family dinners, during work meetings and in our national conversations.

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09:20

TEDxSydney

Suzie Sheehy: The case for curiosity-driven research

2018-06-141,736,184 views

Readability: 4.8

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Seemingly pointless scientific research can lead to extraordinary discoveries, says physicist Suzie Sheehy. In a talk and tech demo, she shows how many of our modern technologies are tied to centuries-old, curiosity-driven experiments -- and makes the case for investing in more to arrive at a deeper understanding of the world.

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15:30

TED Salon Brightline Initiative

AJ Jacobs: My journey to thank all the people responsible for my morning coffee

2018-06-072,645,856 views

Readability: 3.1

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Author AJ Jacobs embarked on a quest with a deceptively simple idea at its heart: to personally thank every person who helped make his morning cup of coffee. More than one thousand "thank yous" later, Jacobs reflects on the globe-trotting journey that ensued -- and shares the life-altering wisdom he picked up along the way. "I discovered that my coffee would not be possible without hundreds of people I take for granted," Jacobs says.

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12:23

TEDxCambridge

Erez Yoeli: How to motivate people to do good for others

2018-05-032,228,025 views

Readability: 3.9

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How can we get people to do more good: to go to the polls, give to charity, conserve resources or just generally act better towards others? MIT research scientist Erez Yoeli shares a simple checklist for harnessing the power of reputations -- or our collective desire to be seen as generous and kind instead of selfish -- to motivate people to act in the interest of others. Learn more about how small changes to your approach to getting people to do good could yield surprising results.

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11:14

TED@BCG Toronto

Alexander Belcredi: How a long-forgotten virus could help us solve the antibiotics crisis

2018-10-031,510,048 views

Readability: 4.8

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Viruses have a bad reputation -- but some of them could one day save your life, says biotech entrepreneur Alexander Belcredi. In this fascinating talk, he introduces us to phages, naturally-occurring viruses that hunt and kill harmful bacteria with deadly precision, and shows how these once-forgotten organisms could provide new hope against the growing threat of antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

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14:12

We the Future

Michael Green: The global goals we've made progress on -- and the ones we haven't

2018-09-251,598,306 views

Readability: 4

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"We are living in a world that is tantalizingly close to ensuring that no one need die of hunger or malaria or diarrhea," says economist Michael Green. To help spur progress, back in 2015 the United Nations drew up a set of 17 goals around important factors like health, education and equality. In this data-packed talk, Green shares his analysis on the steps each country has (or hasn't) made toward these Sustainable Development Goals -- and offers new ideas on what needs to change so we can achieve them.

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16:21

TEDxVeniceBeach

Franklin Leonard: How I accidentally changed the way movies get made

2017-10-151,599,217 views

Readability: 4.3

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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 because they didn't fit the mold. So he started the Black List, an anonymous email that shared his favorite screenplays and asked: Why aren't we making these movies? Learn the origin story of some of your favorite films with this fascinating insider view of the movie business.

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12:13

TED Salon Samsung

Finn Lützow-Holm Myrstad: How tech companies deceive you into giving up your data and privacy

2018-09-261,878,535 views

Readability: 4.4

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Have you ever actually read the terms and conditions for the apps you use? Finn Lützow-Holm Myrstad and his team at the Norwegian Consumer Council have, and it took them nearly a day and a half to read the terms of all the apps on an average phone. In a talk about the alarming ways tech companies deceive their users, Myrstad shares insights about the personal information you've agreed to let companies collect -- and how they use your data at a scale you could never imagine.

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11:49

TED@BCG Toronto

Dolly Chugh: How to let go of being a "good" person -- and become a better person

2018-10-033,946,584 views

Readability: 4

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What if your attachment to being a "good" person is holding you back from actually becoming a better person? In this accessible talk, social psychologist Dolly Chugh explains the puzzling psychology of ethical behavior -- like why it's hard to spot your biases and acknowledge mistakes -- and shows how the path to becoming better starts with owning your mistakes. "In every other part of our lives, we give ourselves room to grow -- except in this one, where it matters most," Chugh says.

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10:01

TED Salon Samsung

Tamas Kocsis: The case for a decentralized internet

2018-09-261,692,944 views

Readability: 4.9

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Who controls the internet? Increasingly, the answer is large corporations and governments -- a trend that's threatening digital privacy and access to information online, says web developer Tamas Kocsis. In this informative talk, Kocsis breaks down the different threats to internet freedom and shares his plan to build an alternative, decentralized network that returns power to everyday users.

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14:25

TEDxMileHigh

Mara Mintzer: How kids can help design cities

2017-11-111,613,286 views

Readability: 4.6

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Adults tend to think of kids as "future citizens" -- their ideas and opinions will matter someday, just not today. But kids make up a quarter of the population, so shouldn't they have a say in what the world they'll inherit will look like? Urban planner Mara Mintzer shares what happened when she and her team asked kids to help design a park in Boulder, Colorado -- and how it revealed an important blind spot in how we construct the built environment. "If we aren't including children in our planning, who else aren't we including?" Mintzer asks.

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15:22

We the Future

Özlem Cekic: Why I have coffee with people who send me hate mail

2018-09-251,841,276 views

Readability: 3.4

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Özlem Cekic's email inbox has been full of hate mail since 2007, when she won a seat in the Danish Parliament -- becoming the first female Muslim to do so. At first she just deleted the emails, dismissing them as the work of fanatics, until one day a friend made an unexpected suggestion: to reach out to the hate mail writers and invite them to meet for coffee. Hundreds of "dialogue coffee" meetings later, Cekic shares how face-to-face conversation can be one of the most powerful forces to disarm hate -- and challenges us all to engage with people we disagree with.

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18:44

We the Future

Graham Allison: Is war between China and the US inevitable?

2018-09-253,544,118 views

Readability: 4.3

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Taking lessons from a historical pattern called "Thucydides's Trap," political scientist Graham Allison shows why a rising China and a dominant United States could be headed towards a violent collision no one wants -- and how we can summon the common sense and courage to avoid it.

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08:35

TED Salon Verizon

Fadi Chehadé and Bryn Freedman: What everyday citizens can do to claim power on the internet

2018-09-201,526,164 views

Readability: 4.2

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Technology architect Fadi Chehadé helped set up the infrastructure that makes the internet work -- essential things like the domain name system and IP address standards. Today he's focused on finding ways for society to benefit from technology. In a crisp conversation with Bryn Freedman, curator of the TED Institute, Chehadé discusses the ongoing war between the West and China over artificial intelligence, how tech companies can become stewards of the power they have to shape lives and economies and what everyday citizens can do to claim power on the internet.

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09:42

TEDxLondon

Julia Shaw: A memory scientist's advice on reporting harassment and discrimination

2018-07-011,624,490 views

Readability: 4.7

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How do you turn a memory, especially one of a traumatic event, into hard evidence of a crime? Julia Shaw is working on this challenge, combining tools from memory science and artificial intelligence to change how we report workplace harassment and bias. She shares three lessons to apply if you've been harassed or discriminated against -- and introduces Spot: a free, anonymous, online reporting tool that helps empower victims.

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13:38

TED@BCG Toronto

Vinay Shandal: How conscious investors can turn up the heat and make companies change

2018-10-031,652,752 views

Readability: 4.4

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In a talk that's equal parts funny and urgent, consultant Vinay Shandal shares stories of the world's top activist investors, showing how individuals and institutions can take a page from their playbook and put pressure on companies to drive positive change. "It's your right to have your money managed in line with your values," Shandal says. "Use your voice, and trust that it matters."

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11:27

TED2018

A Tribe Called Red: "We Are the Halluci Nation"

2018-04-10242,821 views

Readability: 6.9

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A Tribe Called Red creates music that acts as a gateway into urban, contemporary indigenous culture, celebrating all of its layers and complexity. In a set that blends traditional powwow drums and vocals with hip-hop and electronic music, the DJ collective tells stories of the First Nations in beats and images -- expanding on the concept of the "Halluci Nation," inspired by the poet, musician and activist John Trudell.

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14:26

We the Future

Henrietta Fore: How we can help young people build a better future

2018-09-251,771,486 views

Readability: 3.6

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A massive generation of young people is about to inherit the world, and it's the duty of everyone to give them a fighting chance for their futures, says UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore. In this forward-looking talk, she explores the crises facing them and details an ambitious new global initiative, Generation Unlimited, which aims to ensure every young person is in school, training or employed by 2030.

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17:48

TEDxLondonBusinessSchool

Alex Edmans: What to trust in a "post-truth" world

2017-05-121,695,337 views

Readability: 4.2

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Only if you are truly open to the possibility of being wrong can you ever learn, says researcher Alex Edmans. In an insightful talk, he explores how confirmation bias -- the tendency to only accept information that supports your personal beliefs -- can lead you astray on social media, in politics and beyond, and offers three practical tools for finding evidence you can actually trust. (Hint: appoint someone to be the devil's advocate in your life.)

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12:42

TEDxSanFrancisco

Sebastien de Halleux: How a fleet of wind-powered drones is changing our understanding of the ocean

2017-10-101,689,099 views

Readability: 4.8

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Our oceans are unexplored and undersampled -- today, we still know more about other planets than our own. How can we get to a better understanding of this vast, important ecosystem? Explorer Sebastien de Halleux shares how a new fleet of wind- and solar-powered drones is collecting data at sea in unprecedented detail, revealing insights into things like global weather and the health of fish stocks. Learn more about what a better grasp of the ocean could mean for us back on land.

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18:32

TEDxMidAtlantic

Rachel Wurzman: How isolation fuels opioid addiction

2017-10-271,794,730 views

Readability: 5.6

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What do Tourette syndrome, heroin addiction and social media obsession all have in common? They converge in an area of the brain called the striatum, says neuroscientist Rachel Wurzman -- and this critical discovery could reshape our understanding of the opioid crisis. Sharing insights from her research, Wurzman shows how social isolation contributes to relapse and overdose rates and reveals how meaningful human connection could offer a potentially powerful source of recovery.

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16:53

TEDxUofT

Matt Russo: What does the universe sound like? A musical tour

2018-03-101,688,064 views

Readability: 3.8

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Is outer space really the silent and lifeless place it's often depicted to be? Perhaps not. Astrophysicist and musician Matt Russo takes us on a journey through the cosmos, revealing the hidden rhythms and harmonies of planetary orbits. The universe is full of music, he says -- we just need to learn how to hear it.

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11:52

TED Salon Samsung

Kate Darling: Why we have an emotional connection to robots

2018-09-262,403,010 views

Readability: 4.4

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We're far from developing robots that feel emotions, but we already have feelings towards them, says robot ethicist Kate Darling, and an instinct like that can have consequences. Learn more about how we're biologically hardwired to project intent and life onto machines -- and how it might help us better understand ourselves.

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12:23

We the Future

Johan Rockström: 5 transformational policies for a prosperous and sustainable world

2018-09-251,652,623 views

Readability: 5.7

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In a talk about how we can build a robust future without wrecking the planet, sustainability expert Johan Rockström debuts the Earth3 model -- a new methodology that combines the UN Sustainable Development Goals with the nine planetary boundaries, beyond which earth's vital systems could become unstable. Learn more about five transformational policies that could help us achieve inclusive and prosperous world development while keeping the earth stable and resilient.

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10:01

TEDxPittsburgh

Darieth Chisolm: How revenge porn turns lives upside down

2018-06-161,741,252 views

Readability: 4.3

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What can you do if you're the victim of revenge porn or cyberbullying? Shockingly little, says journalist and activist Darieth Chisolm, who found herself living the nightmare scenario of having explicit photos taken without her knowledge or consent posted online. She describes how she's working to help victims and outlines the current state of legislation aimed at punishing perpetrators.

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