Do you ever watch TED talks? I love them. There was a time when I would watch one every weekday to keep me inspired and in the loop regarding cutting edge ideas and motivating stories. I even held a TED lunch hour open to anyone on campus who wanted to check out a short TED talk and chat about it afterwards (it may be time to bring that back). For those of you who may be unfamiliar with TED, here is a copy of their mission.
TED is on a mission to discover and spread ideas that spark imagination, embrace possibility and catalyze impact. Our organization is devoted to curiosity, reason, wonder and the pursuit of knowledge — without an agenda. We welcome people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world and connection with others, and we invite everyone to engage with ideas and activate them in your community.
Basically, TED talks bring captivating speakers to the stage in order to share their expertise in a given field or on a given topic. The topics cover nearly everything from rock climbing to neuroscience and everything in between. They really do offer something for everyone. I was wondering about the origins of TED talks, and just how far they have come. I did some digging (digging = google searching) and found some interesting facts.
Here are five things you might like to know about TED.
- TED was co-founded in 1984 by Richard Saul Wurman and Harry Marks. Wurman is an architect and graphic designer who has published over 90 books, he was inspired by the convergence of technology, entertainment, and design. Marks who died in 2019 was a broadcast designer who made his mark in American television graphics. He worked for CBS, ABC, and NBC during his career. While the first TED Conference had some illuminating topics including the groundbreaking 3D graphics of Lucasfilm, it ended up losing money and was shelved until 1990.
- 1990 saw the TED Conference become an annual event held in Monterey California, with the dais expanding to include a broader range of speakers including philosophers, scientists, and business leaders. In 2001 Chris Anderson’s nonprofit acquired the TED Conference, with Anderson becoming the new curator. Anderson is British businessman and journalist who made his mark in publishing magazines and websites, at the height of his business, Anderson’s company was responsible for over 150 magazines and websites. Under Anderson’s leadership TED grew in various ways, but none more important than giving free on-line access to what are now referred to as TED talks. There was also an expansion of TED talks into TED Global, TED Active, TED Radio Hour, TED Fellows, TEDx and TED-Ed. Anderson has even given TED talks such as THIS TED-Ed on public speaking.
- The most popular TED talk of all time took place in 2006 and was given by creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson. He speaks on the origins of modern education, and how those origins lead to a very specific style of education. A style that doesn’t foster creativity. He speaks to the importance of education and the need for more focus on the creative aspects of education such as dance and drama. Robinson’s talk has garnered over 75,000,000 views, and despite being nearly 20 years old, it is as relevant today as it was back then.
- If you are looking for a way to bring TEDx to your community, it isn’t an unrealistic goal. You can check for details on at TED.com. Essentially it boils down to brainstorming a theme, requesting a license, getting commitments from speakers, organizing, and promoting. The TED website has specific guidelines and instructions to help. I personally think that almost any community would benefit from a local TEDx, and I can say from experience that they are really fun to be a part of.
- Today, you can find speakers from nearly all walks of life, including rock climbing. I won’t list every climber who has ever given a TED talk, but there are a few that you may really enjoy. Of course, starting with Alex Honnold is always a great bet! Another deservedly popular TED alum/climber is from Hugh Herr, who covers biomechatronics as head of the MIT Media Lab. Herr lost both of his legs in a climbing accident and has found a way to overcome that loss, to not only climb again, but to appreciate this accident as an opportunity. Other TED climbers include Matthew Childs, Alison Levine, Robbie Philips, Tommy Caldwell, Kent Stewart, Ed Viesturs, Nina Williams, and a personal favorite from a very young Ashima Shirashi. In her talk, Ashima, at the age of 14, hits on one of the most important lessons that climbers bring into everyday life. Failure is necessary for growth, or as Ashima says as she quotes Bill Gates, “Success is a lousy teacher”. I couldn’t agree more!
Climbers make for great TED presenters, but whether you a climber or not, TED has something for everyone, if you’ve never had the opportunity to get lost in a few of these talks, I strongly recommend it. And if you are thinking about hosting a local TEDx I recommend that as well. I would be happy to help you organize it if there is any way I can help.
There are a million different lessons to be gleaned from hanging out with TED, these were five!
V5 (5 things 1 Topic)
thedihedral.com 
Geeze !! Another great blog. The speakers, the topics & entertainment are all endless. I love that they added youth & I hope some elementary teachers use your example & show the children what they can do thru these young speakers. I receive a weekly email with “new ideas” for me to check out & I am now disciplined to only open it if I have time knowing I will not just watch one!
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That is great Sunyamar!
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Did have a quick look on the TED website and a number of UK towns and cities do run an event. Wales, where I live, have some down south and up north later on in the year. I live Mid-Wales! No access through internet screen viewing though. Attendance only. The last local event near my area was 2010. It was actually presented in the small town of Machynlleth which is where my wife’s Wholefood shop is. It’s interesting that our local community consists of the ecological supporting type that, in the way you describe here, would be ideal for this type of holistic discussion. Although, the locally based Centre for Alternative Technology have probably picked up the mantle for organising such presentations. Great read again. Cheers and All the Best.
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You should absolutely think about organizing a talk. It takes some work, but the connections you make will be worth the effort for sure!
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That would be a project starting in its infancy re: subjects etc. I am beginning to think of the conversations surrounding the VeeDub Bus as a central iconic base and chatting about certain well being subjects with people on a one to one. A promotional theme basically. I’ll look into the TED philosophy more. From little acorns…….. Thanks for your encouraging words. Cheers.
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Just watched the most viewed TED again! This time I ordered Sir Ken Robinson book, Element. Another reason I limit my hours on TED😂
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HA, I’m sure Sir Kenny is happy you did!
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A really informative and interesting piece answering questions I already had but hadn’t quite formulated. Thanks.
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I appreciate that very much, thank you!
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I love TED talks, but don’t find time for enough of them. I used to listen to the TED Hour podcast. I think it would be cool to have a local TEDx – our community would support it, for sure.
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You would be perfect to organize it, if you have the time!
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I’ve never been, just watch the talks on-line, my altime fave is the cave guy (he has a rock band and wants to try space travel…the these was Steppenwolf)…and others….lots of positive stuff
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I’ll have to check that out, thanks for the heads up!
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I have watched a few of this series. They are really inspirational!!
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Really good right!
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This entry is great. A couple that I have enjoyed are Paul Stamets, Diana Adams, and Nadine Burke. The venue is like your own personal keynote.
For those who liked Sir Kenneth Robinson’s talk, they should watch “Most Likely to Succeed” (2015) directed by Whiteley–I don’t show often movies, but this one is rated highly by grad students.
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These are awesome recommendations, I can’t wait to check them out, thank you!
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