Watching monkeys make friends: Q&A with Lauren Brent
We know other primates are a lot like us. But how close are they, and what can we learn about ourselves from them? Lauren Brent is a primato...
LOL is its own language: Q&A with John McWhorter
Kids these days are “speaking” a new language, right under our noses and literally right under the table. But is texting making us dumber? N...
5 fascinating cars of the future
It’s 2012. And many of us no doubt imagined that flying cars would be all the rage by now. While that hasn’t happened yet, some major drivin...
Who do you want to speak at TED2013? Vote in TED’s global talent search
TED headed on the road this spring, combing the globe for untapped talent to speak at TED2013. Holding one-night salons in 14 cities —...
6 great things microbes do for us
The word ‘microbe’ sounds scary — we associate them with the flu, ebola, flesh-eating disease, you name it. But microbiologist Dr. Jon...
10 online games … with a social purpose
Game designer Jane McGonigal firmly believes that video games are not just about mashing buttons and getting to the next level. In fact, dur...
Young musicians who’ve shared a stage with their idols
When 21-year-old guitar whiz Usman Riaz was growing up in Pakistan, he often found himself entranced by videos of Preston Reed, one of the p...
6 very promising oil spill cleanup innovations
Two years ago, a chance discussion with a group of Gulf of Mexico fishermen changed the course of Cesar Harada’s life. The TED Senior...
Made your 200-year plan yet? 3 other majorly long-term projects
Do you have a 5-year plan? A 10-year plan? Even if you’ve mapped out your life 20 years into the future, chances are that multidisciplinary ...