TED Talks with English transcript

Andrew Dent: To eliminate waste, we need to rediscover thrift

TEDNYC

Andrew Dent: To eliminate waste, we need to rediscover thrift
1,373,310 views

There's no such thing as throwing something away, says Andrew Dent -- when you toss a used food container, broken toy or old pair of socks into the trash, those things inevitably end up in ever-growing landfills. But we can get smarter about the way we make, and remake, our products. Dent shares exciting examples of thrift -- the idea of using and reusing what you need so you don't have to purchase anything new -- as well as advances in material science, like electronics made of nanocellulose and enzymes that can help make plastic infinitely recyclable.

Play
Erica Stone: Academic research is publicly funded -- why isn't it publicly available?

TEDxMileHighWomen

Erica Stone: Academic research is publicly funded -- why isn't it publicly available?
1,001,002 views

In the US, your taxes fund academic research at public universities. Why then do you need to pay expensive, for-profit journals for the results of that research? Erica Stone advocates for a new, open-access relationship between the public and scholars, making the case that academics should publish in more accessible media. "A functioning democracy requires that the public be well-educated and well-informed," Stone says. "Instead of research happening behind paywalls and bureaucracy, wouldn't it be better if it was unfolding right in front of us?"

Play
Sauti Sol: The rhythm of Afrobeat

TEDGlobal 2017

Sauti Sol: The rhythm of Afrobeat
290,317 views

From Beyoncé to Drake and beyond, the world is rocking to the rhythm of Afrobeat. Feel the music as Kenyan afro-pop superstars Sauti Sol take the TED stage to perform three songs: "Live and Die in Afrika," "Sura Yako" and "Kuliko Jana."

Play
Tara Houska: The Standing Rock resistance and our fight for indigenous rights

TEDWomen 2017

Tara Houska: The Standing Rock resistance and our fight for indigenous rights
1,057,420 views

Still invisible and often an afterthought, indigenous peoples are uniting to protect the world's water, lands and history -- while trying to heal from genocide and ongoing inequality. Tribal attorney and Couchiching First Nation citizen Tara Houska chronicles the history of attempts by government and industry to eradicate the legitimacy of indigenous peoples' land and culture, including the months-long standoff at Standing Rock which rallied thousands around the world. "It's incredible what you can do when you stand together," Houska says. "Stand with us -- empathize, learn, grow, change the conversation."

Play
Lera Boroditsky: How language shapes the way we think

TEDWomen 2017

Lera Boroditsky: How language shapes the way we think
9,816,653 views

There are about 7,000 languages spoken around the world -- and they all have different sounds, vocabularies and structures. But do they shape the way we think? Cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky shares examples of language -- from an Aboriginal community in Australia that uses cardinal directions instead of left and right to the multiple words for blue in Russian -- that suggest the answer is a resounding yes. "The beauty of linguistic diversity is that it reveals to us just how ingenious and how flexible the human mind is," Boroditsky says. "Human minds have invented not one cognitive universe, but 7,000."

Play
Drew Philp: My $500 house in Detroit -- and the neighbors who helped me rebuild it

TEDNYC

Drew Philp: My $500 house in Detroit -- and the neighbors who helped me rebuild it
1,348,024 views

In 2009, journalist and screenwriter Drew Philp bought a ruined house in Detroit for $500. In the years that followed, as he gutted the interior and removed the heaps of garbage crowding the rooms, he didn't just learn how to repair a house -- he learned how to build a community. In a tribute to the city he loves, Philp tells us about "radical neighborliness" and makes the case that we have "the power to create the world anew together and to do it ourselves when our governments refuse."

Play
Vikram Sharma: How quantum physics can make encryption stronger

TED@Westpac

Vikram Sharma: How quantum physics can make encryption stronger
1,181,090 views

As quantum computing matures, it's going to bring unimaginable increases in computational power along with it -- and the systems we use to protect our data (and our democratic processes) will become even more vulnerable. But there's still time to plan against the impending data apocalypse, says encryption expert Vikram Sharma. Learn more about how he's fighting quantum with quantum: designing security devices and programs that use the power of quantum physics to defend against the most sophisticated attacks.

Play
Raphael Arar: How we can teach computers to make sense of our emotions

TED@IBM

Raphael Arar: How we can teach computers to make sense of our emotions
1,255,602 views

How can we make AI that people actually want to interact with? Raphael Arar suggests we start by making art. He shares interactive projects that help AI explore complex ideas like nostalgia, intuition and conversation -- all working towards the goal of making our future technology just as much human as it is artificial.

Play
Rei: "my mama" / "BLACK BANANA"

TED Salon Brightline Initiative

Rei: "my mama" / "BLACK BANANA"
499,185 views

Singer-songwriter Rei brings her mix of indie rock and blues to the TED stage in a performance of two songs, "my mama" and "BLACK BANANA."

Play
Judith Heumann: Our fight for disability rights -- and why we're not done yet

TEDxMidAtlantic

Judith Heumann: Our fight for disability rights -- and why we're not done yet
1,130,125 views

Four decades ago, Judith Heumann helped to lead a groundbreaking protest called the Section 504 sit-in -- in which disabled-rights activists occupied a federal building for almost a month, demanding greater accessibility for all. In this personal, inspiring talk, Heumann tells the stories behind the protest -- and reminds us that, 40 years on, there's still work left to do.

Play
David Lang: Let's protect the oceans like national parks

TEDxBerkeley

David Lang: Let's protect the oceans like national parks
1,459,319 views

You don't have to be a scientist to help protect the world's oceans, says underwater drone expert and TED Fellow David Lang -- in fact, ordinary citizens have pulled together to save the planet's natural treasures many times in history. Lang asks us to take a lesson from the story of the US National Parks Service, offering a three-point plan for conserving underwater wonders.

Play
Leo Igwe: Why I choose humanism over faith

TEDGlobal 2017

Leo Igwe: Why I choose humanism over faith
1,209,901 views

As a humanist, Leo Igwe doesn't believe in divine intervention -- but he does believe in the power of human beings to alleviate suffering, cure disease, preserve the planet and turn situations of poverty into prosperity. In this bold talk, Igwe shares how humanism can free Africans from damaging superstitions and give them the power to rebuild the continent.

Play
Sally Kohn: What we can do about the culture of hate

TEDWomen 2017

Sally Kohn: What we can do about the culture of hate
1,346,684 views

We're all against hate, right? We agree it's a problem -- their problem, not our problem, that is. But as Sally Kohn discovered, we all hate -- some of us in subtle ways, others in obvious ones. As she confronts a hard story from her own life, she shares ideas on how we can recognize, challenge and heal from hatred in our institutions and in ourselves.

Play
Kyra Gaunt: How the jump rope got its rhythm

Small Thing Big Idea

Kyra Gaunt: How the jump rope got its rhythm
453,746 views

"Down down, baby, down down the roller coaster..." Hip-hop owes a lot of the queens of double dutch. Ethnomusicologist Kyra Gaunt takes us on a tour of the fascinating history of the jump rope.

Play
Bob Stein: A rite of passage for late life

TED Residency

Bob Stein: A rite of passage for late life
1,199,843 views

We use rituals to mark the early stages of our lives, like birthdays and graduations -- but what about our later years? In this meditative talk about looking both backward and forward, Bob Stein proposes a new tradition of giving away your things (and sharing the stories behind them) as you get older, to reflect on your life so far and open the door to whatever comes next.

Play
Soka Moses: For survivors of Ebola, the crisis isn't over

TEDMED 2017

Soka Moses: For survivors of Ebola, the crisis isn't over
919,448 views

In 2014, as a newly trained physician, Soka Moses took on one of the toughest jobs in the world: treating highly contagious patients at the height of Liberia's Ebola outbreak. In this intense, emotional talk, he details what he saw on the frontlines of the crisis -- and reveals the challenges and stigma that thousands of survivors still face.

Play
Ndidi Nwuneli: The role of faith and belief in modern Africa

TEDGlobal 2017

Ndidi Nwuneli: The role of faith and belief in modern Africa
918,858 views

Ndidi Nwuneli has advice for Africans who believe in God -- and Africans who don't. To the religious, she advises against using God to outsource responsibility for what happens in their lives. To the non-religious, she asks that they keep an open mind and work with faith-based organizations, especially on issues like health care and education. "There's so much potential that can be realized when we walk across the divide of faith and, hand in hand, try to solve many of our problems," Nwuneli says.

Play
Amishi Jha: How to tame your wandering mind

TEDxCoconutGrove

Amishi Jha: How to tame your wandering mind
4,149,461 views

Amishi Jha studies how we pay attention: the process by which our brain decides what's important out of the constant stream of information it receives. Both external distractions (like stress) and internal ones (like mind-wandering) diminish our attention's power, Jha says -- but some simple techniques can boost it. "Pay attention to your attention," Jha says.

Play
Eve Abrams: The human stories behind mass incarceration

TEDWomen 2017

Eve Abrams: The human stories behind mass incarceration
967,055 views

The United States locks up more people than any other country in the world, says documentarian Eve Abrams, and somewhere between one and four percent of those in prison are likely innocent. That's 87,000 brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers -- predominantly African American -- unnecessarily separated from their families, their lives and dreams put on hold. Using audio from her interviews with incarcerated people and their families, Abrams shares touching stories of those impacted by mass incarceration and calls on us all to take a stand and ensure that the justice system works for everyone.

Play
Adong Judith: How I use art to bridge misunderstanding

TEDGlobal 2017

Adong Judith: How I use art to bridge misunderstanding
1,006,269 views

Director and playwright Adong Judith creates provocative art that sparks dialogue on issues from LGBTQ rights to war crimes. In this quick but powerful talk, the TED Fellow details her work -- including the play "Silent Voices," which brought victims of the Northern Ugandan war against Joseph Kony's rebel group together with political, religious and cultural leaders for transformative talks. "Listening to one another will not magically solve all problems," Judith says. "But it will give a chance to create avenues to start to work together to solve many of humanity's problems."

Play
Glen Henry: What I've learned about parenting as a stay-at-home dad

TEDxMidAtlantic

Glen Henry: What I've learned about parenting as a stay-at-home dad
1,269,855 views

Glen Henry got his superpowers through fatherhood. After leaving behind a job he hated and a manager he didn't get along with, he went to work for an equally demanding boss: his kids. He shares how he went from thinking he knew it all about being a stay-at-home parent to realizing he knew nothing at all -- and how he's now documenting what he's learned.

Play
Sophie Andrews: The best way to help is often just to listen

TEDMED 2017

Sophie Andrews: The best way to help is often just to listen
1,669,271 views

A 24-hour helpline in the UK known as Samaritans helped Sophie Andrews become a survivor of abuse rather than a victim. Now she's paying the favor back as the founder of The Silver Line, a helpline that supports lonely and isolated older people. In a powerful, personal talk, she shares why the simple act of listening (instead of giving advice) is often the best way to help someone in need.

Play