Next time you’re on PCH or walking down from Mount Olympus — formally known as the Center for Communication and Business — why don’t you play a TED Talk? TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is a “global set of conferences” that sport the slogan, “Ideas Worth Sharing.” The beauty of TED Talks is that anyone can be a mini-professor after 15-minutes or fewer. So, without further ado, here are my “Top 10 Ted Talks.”
“The Mystery Box” by J.J. Abrams
J.J. Abrams takes the TED audience on a mystery tour throughout his childhood, beginning with a box, during TED 2007. Through his stories, Abrams reveals the “magic” behind the man.
“The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Adichie
Our culture is comprised of our voices. Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Adichie warns in this TEDGlobal talk from 2009, that if we as a people only have one voice and tune out the others, “we risk a critical misunderstanding” of the world around us.
“How Schools Kill Creativity” by Sir Ken Robinson
In this talk, Sir Ken Robinson presents the most entertaining but also deeply moving case for revising the current education system during TED 2006. He moves for an educational system that not only tolerates creativity but also encourages it.
“Here’s How We Take Back the Internet” by Edward Snowden
Edward Snowden (obviously still banned from the U.S.) appeared by a telepresence robot to speak during TED 2014 about his beliefs on surveillance and freedom regarding the Internet. Snowden, the defamed NSA “whistleblower,” proposed, “the right to data privacy is not a partisan issue, but requires a fundamental rethink of the role of the Internet in our lives — and the laws that protect it.” He advocates that, “Your rights matter because you never know when you’re going to need them.” The TED Talk is conducted by Chris Anderson with an appearance and discussion by Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web.
“Why a Good Book Is a Secret Door” by Mac Barnett
Mac Barnett, award-winning novelist, speaks at TEDxSonoma County 2014, about the ability of books — children’s books in particular — to be a port to another dimension. Light-hearted Barnett gives personal anecdotes to enforce his belief that children deserve the best stories that writers can give.
“I’m the Son of a Terrorist. Here’s How I Chose Peace.” by Zak Ebrahim
Zak Ebrahim was just seven years old when his father, terrorist El-Sayyid Nosair, contributed to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Ebrahim’s TED 2014 Talk is extremely powerful and proposes the question: “Can a son deviate from his father’s path?” Ultimately, no one knows better than Ebrahim.
“Try Something New for 30 Days” by Matt Cutts
Matt Cutts in his TED 2011 Talk questions the audience if there’s anything they’ve wanted to do (or not do) but haven’t. His advice is to try it for 30 days. One month. His short but powerful talk sheds light on how we as people view and achieve our goals and aspirations.
“Can Design Save Newspapers?” by Jacek Utko
Jacek Utko is a Polish newspaper designer based in Eastern Europe whose occupation is to redesign newspapers. Utko doesn’t do this only to make dead tree bark more appealing, but ultimately increase circulation by up to 100 percent. This poses the question: “Can quality design save the newspaper industry?” “It just might,” he said.
“After Your Final Status Update” by Adam Ostrow
Social media is an ever-present entity in our constantly evolving world. Many of us have some kind of social media presence, our personality encapsulated within 140 characters. Adam Ostrow at TEDGlobal 2011 proposed a question: “What happens to that personality after you’ve died?” Ostrow asks, could we continue to live after death?
“Why I Love a Country That Once Betrayed Me” by George Takei
While George Takei is known and loved by many for his work on Star Trek, they may not realize Takei’s life before the hit TV show. An activist for human rights and an avid social media presence, he is forged by his family’s forced entry into an internment camp for Japanese-Americans during World War II as a “security measure.” Now almost 70 years later, Takei during TEDxKyoto 2014 reminisces on how his time in the Rohwer Interment Camp shaped his beliefs on democracy and patriotism.
Honorable mention: “How to Live before You Die” by Steve Jobs
Although this was not given on an official TED stage, the late Steve Jobs is featured on the TED website for his 2005 Stanford University commencement speech. Jobs, former CEO and co-founder of Apple, and co-founder and former chief executive of Pixar Animation Studios, urged the graduating class to pursue their dreams and “see the opportunities in life’s setbacks,” which include death itself.
All talks can be found on TED’s webpage: www.TED.com.
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Follow Madison Harwell on Twitter: @mad_har
