TED Talks
2806 articlesHow the wealth gap is reshaping politics | Xochitl Gonzalez
Wealth inequality gets talked about as an economic problem. Writer Xochitl Gonzalez makes the case that it's a civic one, too — a slow, quiet threat to democracy. Drawing on her re…
Every kid needs a champion | Rita Pierson
Rita Pierson, a teacher for 40 years, once heard a colleague say, "They don't pay me to like the kids." Her response: "Kids don't learn from people they don't like.'" A rousing cal…
How to make learning as addictive as social media | Luis von Ahn
When technologist Luis von Ahn was building the popular language-learning platform Duolingo, he faced a big problem: Could an app designed to teach you something ever compete with …
4 steps to unlock your kid’s math potential | Shalinee Sharma
Math isn't just for "math kids" — it's for everyone, says learning expert Shalinee Sharma. She outlines four simple steps to transform your approach to math, creating an environmen…
How video games can level up the way you learn | Kris Alexander
Video games naturally tap into the way we learn: they focus our attention and track our progress as we head toward a clear goal. Kris Alexander, a professor of video game design an…
How schools can nurture every student's genius | Trish Millines Dziko
Forget home economics and standardized tests, education visionary Trish Millines Dziko has a much more engaging and fulfilling way for students to develop real-world skills. Get sc…
Grit: The power of passion and perseverance | Angela Lee Duckworth
Leaving a high-flying job in consulting, Angela Lee Duckworth took a job teaching math to seventh graders in a New York public school. She quickly realized that IQ wasn't the only …
What's the biggest barrier to thriving? A philosopher and a space architect answer | Ariel Ekblaw and Meghan Sullivan
Philosopher Meghan Sullivan and space architect Ariel Ekblaw don't usually work at the same altitude ... but put them in a room together, and they'll answer the big questions. Draw…
Meet the youngest-ever mayor in Japan's history | Ryosuke Takashima
TED Fellow Ryosuke Takashima is the youngest-ever mayor in Japan's history — but he doesn't consider himself a politician. His approach to leadership is simple: listen to as many v…
The missing half of music history | Gabriella Di Laccio
Who decides which voices survive? It's a question classical singer Gabriella Di Laccio never thought to ask until she found an encyclopedia listing thousands of women composers fro…
How to tap into your awareness -- and why meditation is easier than you think | Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
Meditation asks you to slip into a state of serene presence. But why does something that sounds effortless often feel so difficult? In this lighthearted invitation, spiritual leade…
The 60 seconds that make or break a conversation | Chris Fenning
What's your point? Communication expert Chris Fenning reveals how the first 60 seconds can make or break a workplace conversation — and shares a three-step framework to help you ge…
This is what the birth of the universe sounded like | Mark Whittle
What sound came after the Big Bang? Astronomer Mark Whittle takes us back to the infant cosmos, where massive sound waves pulsed through primordial gas in a pattern that's still tr…
Sunday Pick: How to quit (and why it matters) with Anthony Klotz | from Fixable
During the pandemic, Anthony Klotz predicted the “Great Resignation”: a mass exodus of unhappy workers leaving their jobs after COVID epiphanies. Now, he’s seeing a different patte…
The art of the novel | Ann Patchett
Ann Patchett’s newest book “Whistler” is a love story born from grief. In this TED Talks Daily Book Club interview, Patchett tells host Elise Hu about her writing process for the n…
Who controls your city's money? | Trinity Tran
What if your city could borrow money from its own bank instead of private lenders? TED Fellow Trinity Tran is leading the push for public banks — which are owned by the people thro…
The shape-shifting sounds of the accordion | Maria Telesheva
Musician Maria Telesheva plays the accordion like a second set of lungs, showcasing this powerhouse instrument and its impressive 226 buttons — whether she’s playing Bach or the Be…
Dolly Parton is burning up, not burning out | from WorkLife with Adam Grant
Dolly Parton's hit songs — like "9 to 5," "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" — have captured generation after generation. In this episode, recorded around the release of "Run, R…
How 180 strangers built a library together | Rebecca Toh
Does the fix for a fragmented world begin with a shared bookshelf? Photographer Rebecca Toh traces how she joined with 180 other people to build a community-funded library where st…
How to fix Africa's learning crisis | Rapelang Rabana
By 2030, nearly half the world's young people will be African. Yet for decades, the continent's learning crisis was treated with systems unfit for reality on the ground. Social ent…