Synopsis
Want TED Talks on the go? Every weekday, this feed brings you our latest talks in audio format. Hear thought-provoking ideas on every subject imaginable -- from Artificial Intelligence to Zoology, and everything in between -- given by the world's leading thinkers and doers. This collection of talks, given at TED and TEDx conferences around the globe, is also available in video format.
Episodes
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How I'm fighting bias in algorithms | Joy Buolamwini
09/03/2017 Duration: 08minMIT grad student Joy Buolamwini was working with facial analysis software when she noticed a problem: the software didn't detect her face -- because the people who coded the algorithm hadn't taught it to identify a broad range of skin tones and facial structures. Now she's on a mission to fight bias in machine learning, a phenomenon she calls the "coded gaze." It's an eye-opening talk about the need for accountability in coding ... as algorithms take over more and more aspects of our lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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A scientific approach to the paranormal | Carrie Poppy
03/03/2017 Duration: 13minWhat's haunting Carrie Poppy? Is it ghosts or something worse? In this talk, the investigative journalist narrates her encounter with a spooky feeling you'll want to warn your friends about and explains why we need science to deal with paranormal activity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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"Rollercoaster" | Sara Ramirez
03/03/2017 Duration: 05minSinger, songwriter and actress Sara Ramirez is a woman of many talents. Joined by Michael Pemberton on guitar, Ramirez sings of opportunity, wisdom and the highs and lows of life in this live performance of her song, "Rollercoaster." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Smelfies, and other experiments in synthetic biology | Ani Liu
27/02/2017 Duration: 07minWhat if you could take a smell selfie, a smelfie? What if you had a lipstick that caused plants to grow where you kiss? Ani Liu explores the intersection of technology and sensory perception, and her work is wedged somewhere between science, design and art. In this swift, smart talk, she shares dreams, wonderings and experiments, asking: What happens when science fiction becomes science fact? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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A robot that eats pollution | Jonathan Rossiter
22/02/2017 Duration: 14minMeet the "Row-bot," a robot that cleans up pollution and generates the electricity needed to power itself by swallowing dirty water. Roboticist Jonathan Rossiter explains how this special swimming machine, which uses a microbial fuel cell to neutralize algal blooms and oil slicks, could be a precursor to biodegradable, autonomous pollution-fighting robots. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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An electrifying acoustic guitar performance | Rodrigo y Gabriela
14/02/2017 Duration: 04minGuitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela combine furiously fast riffs and dazzling rhythms to create a style that draws on both flamenco guitar and heavy metal in this live performance of their song, "The Soundmaker." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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New nanotech to detect cancer early | Joshua Smith
08/02/2017 Duration: 12minWhat if every home had an early-warning cancer detection system? Researcher Joshua Smith is developing a nanobiotechnology "cancer alarm" that scans for traces of disease in the form of special biomarkers called exosomes. In this forward-thinking talk, he shares his dream for how we might revolutionize cancer detection and, ultimately, save lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The incredible inventions of intuitive AI | Maurice Conti
06/02/2017 Duration: 15minWhat do you get when you give a design tool a digital nervous system? Computers that improve our ability to think and imagine, and robotic systems that come up with (and build) radical new designs for bridges, cars, drones and much more -- all by themselves. Take a tour of the Augmented Age with futurist Maurice Conti and preview a time when robots and humans will work side-by-side to accomplish things neither could do alone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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What time is it on Mars? | Nagin Cox
03/02/2017 Duration: 13minNagin Cox is a first-generation Martian. As a spacecraft engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Cox works on the team that manages the United States' rovers on Mars. But working a 9-to-5 on another planet -- whose day is 40 minutes longer than Earth's -- has particular, often comical challenges. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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How to get better at the things you care about | Eduardo Briceño
01/02/2017 Duration: 11minWorking hard but not improving? You're not alone. Eduardo Briceño reveals a simple way to think about getting better at the things you do, whether that's work, parenting or creative hobbies. And he shares some useful techniques so you can keep learning and always feel like you're moving forward. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Why you should love statistics | Alan Smith
31/01/2017 Duration: 12minThink you're good at guessing stats? Guess again. Whether we consider ourselves math people or not, our ability to understand and work with numbers is terribly limited, says data visualization expert Alan Smith. In this delightful talk, Smith explores the mismatch between what we know and what we think we know. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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A young scientist's quest for clean water | Deepika Kurup
27/01/2017 Duration: 08minDeepika Kurup has been determined to solve the global water crisis since she was 14 years old, after she saw kids outside her grandparents' house in India drinking water that looked too dirty even to touch. Her research began in her family kitchen -- and eventually led to a major science prize. Hear how this teenage scientist developed a cost-effective, eco-friendly way to purify water. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The ethical dilemma of designer babies | Paul Knoepfler
23/01/2017 Duration: 18minCreating genetically modified people is no longer a science fiction fantasy; it's a likely future scenario. Biologist Paul Knoepfler estimates that within fifteen years, scientists could use the gene editing technology CRISPR to make certain "upgrades" to human embryos -- from altering physical appearances to eliminating the risk of auto-immune diseases. In this thought-provoking talk, Knoepfler readies us for the coming designer baby revolution and its very personal, and unforeseeable, consequences. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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How online abuse of women has spiraled out of control | Ashley Judd
18/01/2017 Duration: 16minEnough with online hate speech, sexual harassment and threats of violence against women and marginalized groups. It's time to take the global crisis of online abuse seriously. In this searching, powerful talk, Ashley Judd recounts her ongoing experience of being terrorized on social media for her unwavering activism and calls on citizens of the internet, the tech community, law enforcement and legislators to recognize the offline harm of online harassment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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What happens when you have a disease doctors can't diagnose | Jennifer Brea
17/01/2017 Duration: 16minFive years ago, TED Fellow Jennifer Brea became progressively ill with myalgic encephalomyelitis, commonly known as chronic fatigue syndrome, a debilitating illness that severely impairs normal activities and on bad days makes even the rustling of bed sheets unbearable. In this poignant talk, Brea describes the obstacles she's encountered in seeking treatment for her condition, whose root causes and physical effects we don't fully understand, as well as her mission to document through film the lives of patients that medicine struggles to treat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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To solve old problems, study new species | Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado
12/01/2017 Duration: 12minNature is wonderfully abundant, diverse and mysterious -- but biological research today tends to focus on only seven species, including rats, chickens, fruit flies and us. We're studying an astonishingly narrow sliver of life, says biologist Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado, and hoping it'll be enough to solve the oldest, most challenging problems in science, like cancer. In this visually captivating talk, Alvarado calls on us to interrogate the unknown and shows us the remarkable discoveries that surface when we do. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Meet the inventor of the electronic spreadsheet | Dan Bricklin
11/01/2017 Duration: 12minDan Bricklin changed the world forever when he codeveloped VisiCalc, the first electronic spreadsheet and grandfather of programs you probably use every day like Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets. Join the software engineer and computing legend as he explores the tangled web of first jobs, daydreams and homework problems that led to his transformational invention. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The next step in nanotechnology | George Tulevski
10/01/2017 Duration: 09minNearly every other year the transistors that power silicon computer chip shrink in size by half and double in performance, enabling our devices to become more mobile and accessible. But what happens when these components can't get any smaller? George Tulevski researches the unseen and untapped world of nanomaterials. His current work: developing chemical processes to compel billions of carbon nanotubes to assemble themselves into the patterns needed to build circuits, much the same way natural organisms build intricate, diverse and elegant structures. Could they hold the secret to the next generation of computing? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Are you a giver or a taker? | Adam Grant
03/01/2017 Duration: 13minIn every workplace, there are three basic kinds of people: givers, takers and matchers. Organizational psychologist Adam Grant breaks down these personalities and offers simple strategies to promote a culture of generosity and keep self-serving employees from taking more than their share. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.