J.J. Abrams creates an actual mystery box
[ted id=205] J.J. Abrams’ talk has perhaps the best title of all time: “The mystery box.” In it, the Star Trek director and Lost co-creator ...
Books to get you ready for TED2014
TED2014, our 30th anniversary conference, is less than a month away! If you’re counting the days like we are, get a head start by reading so...
A few ways to make the world more awesome: A chat with Kid President
Robby Novak seems like a regular ol’ 10-year-old boy with a big laugh and a tendency to fidget, if you ignore the fact that he’s also a YouT...
The daily battles of life, cut from paper and animated in 3D
Béatrice Coron doesn’t so much tell stories, as cut them. At TED2011, the French-born artist shared how she creates intricate, fantastical w...
David Blaine shares the last magic trick that boggled his mind
David Blaine, the magician, illusionist and endurance artist, is back on prime time TV tonight with the special, David Blaine: Real or Magic...
The next evolutions of thumb wrestling
No one is exactly sure who invented thumb wrestling. According to Wikipedia, Julian Koenig — the advertising copywriter who helped coi...
9 memorable, manic moments of jealousy in literature
“When we feel jealous, we tell ourselves a story. We tell ourselves a story about other people’s lives,” says Parul Sehgal, an editor for Th...
The Muslims Are Coming!: Fellows Friday with Negin Farsad
Ever bowled with a Muslim? Why not? Negin Farsad wants to know. The comedian and filmmaker’s new documentary The Muslims Are Coming! follows...
Studying human nature by picking pockets: A Q&A with Apollo Robbins
If you ever meet Apollo Robbins in person, hold onto your wallet. The professional sleight-of-hand artist, who has been studying magic for m...