Induction Activities :: Feeds

Atmospheric astonishments

Sometimes when you're busy peering into space, space comes to you. This chance footage of a huge meteor rocketing through the sky is just awesome:

Many lucky witnesses were also treated to a sonic boom. Did any Canadian or northern-U.S. TEDsters see this in person? (Or hear odd noises on your mobile devices around 5pm MST on Thursday?) Do tell!

Alan Kay: The Graphic Novel

To present BusinessWeek writer Steve Hamm's new book, The Race for Perfect: Inside the Quest to Design the Ultimate Portable Computer, his own magazine asked the artist Joseph Lambert to turn one chapter into a graphic adaptation. Lambert illustrates the role of Alan Kay, "whose ideas shaped the development of today’s laptops, handhelds, and smartphones." It begins with a look at Kay's own idiosyncratic education. Watch Alan Kay's TEDTalk to hear more of his thoughts on education, creativity and curiosity.

Image: Joseph Lambert/ BusinessWeek

TED's Chris Anderson honored by WITNESS

Update: Last night, WITNESS' 4th annual Focus for Change benefit honored TED's Chris Anderson. WITNESS was founded by Peter Gabriel to harness the power of video to fight injustice -- by putting cameras in the hands of oppressed people and helping them become firsthand witnesses. Watch Peter Gabriel's TEDTalk about his work with WITNESS -- a powerful, personal story. And watch Chris Anderson's own TEDTalk to understand his vision for TED.

Accepting the award on behalf of the TED community, Chris commented on some similarities between WITNESS and TED. Both sought ways to use technology as a force for good as the world gets ever more interconnected, he said:

"And we're both in the business of nurturing new kinds of heroes for the 21st century. You're turning technology-empowered story-tellers into heroic human rights activists. We're trying to create a new form of hero called, for want of a better word ... a teacher. One of the most thrilling aspects of the past couple years at TED has been giving a platform to people who have been doing amazing work all their lives, but who no one has really known about. Seeing their work and their ideas spreading to milllions of people around the globe courtesy of little 18-minute lectures captured on video and released on the Internet ... now that's exhilarating."

Image: Chris Anderson of TED accepts his award from WITNESS founder Peter Gabriel. Photo courtesy Tom Rielly.

Pondering the design of the universe: George Smoot on TED.com

At Serious Play 2008, astrophysicist George Smoot shows stunning new images from deep-space surveys, and prods us to ponder how the cosmos -- with its giant webs of dark matter and mysterious gaping voids -- got built this way. (Recorded May 2008 in Pasadena, California. Duration: 19:00.)

Watch George Smoot's talk from Serious Play 2008 on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 300+ TEDTalks -- including more talks about what or who designed the universe.

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A new phase opens tomorrow for the Charter for Compassion

You have 8 hours left to contribute to the Preamble of the Charter for Compassion. Tonight at midnight EST, writing begins on the next phase: the Affirmations.

In the Affirmations section of the Charter, you can contribute by writing short descriptions of the eight core elements of compassion:

Compassion as empathy, not pity.
Compassion as concrete action.
Compassion as a lens for scripture.
Compassion’s role as a spiritual tool.
Compassion as fundamental to all faiths.
Compassion as an urgent global need.
Compassion as concern for everybody.
Compassion and the Golden Rule.

The response so far to the Charter has been moving and powerful. Thanks to all who have contributed, and we'll see you tomorrow in the next phase.

Welcome to Nollywood, Nigeria's gonzo film industry: Franco Sacchi on TED.com

Zambia-born filmmaker Franco Sacchi tours us through Nollywood, Nigeria's booming film industry (said to be the world's 3rd largest). Listen for stories of guerrilla filmmaking and brilliance under pressure from crews that can shoot a full-length feature in a week. (Recorded June 2007 in Arusha, Tanzania. Duration: 17:34.)

Watch Franco Sacchi's talk from TEDGlobal 2007 on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 300+ TEDTalks -- including more talks about film.

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We've got captcha

This past weekend, we added a captcha system to TED.com's "Send this user an email" feature. We're using reCaptcha, which harnesses the mighty power of captcha to help digitize old books and newspapers. Right now, reCaptcha is decoding texts from the Internet Archive (watch Brewster Kahle talk about the Internet Archive on TED.com).

We take our users' privacy and security really seriously. If you've gotten unwelcome email or spam through the TED.com member email system, please forward the whole email to me, including the header information with the date, to contact@ted.com.

Fashion, passion, and about a million other things: Isaac Mizrahi on TED.com

Fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi spins through a dizzying array of inspirations -- from '50s pinups to a fleeting glimpse of a hole in a shirt that makes him shout "Stop the cab!" What else keeps him creative and passionate about everything? His TV chatfest, his work with Mark Morris, his cabaret act, and his ... cooking show? Inside this rambling, chatty talk are real clues to living a happy, creative life, from a man who has perfected the art. (Recorded February 2008 in Monterey, California. Duration: 14:16.)

Watch Isaac Mizrahi's talk on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 300+ TEDTalks -- including more talks about creativity.

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The Clock of the Long Now, and where to put it: Stewart Brand on TED.com

Futurist Stewart Brand works on the Clock of the Long Now, a timepiece that counts down the next 10,000 years. It's a beautiful project that asks us to think about the far, far future. Here, he discusses a tricky side problem with the Clock: Where can we put it? (Recorded February 2004 in Monterey, California. Duration: 23:23.)

Watch Stewart Brand's talk about the Clock of the Long Now on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 300+ TEDTalks -- including more talks about the future.

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Investing in a free press: An archive talk from Sasa Vucinic on TED.com

A free press -- papers, magazines, radio, TV, blogs -- is the backbone of any true democracy (and a vital watchdog on business). Sasa Vucinic, a journalist from Belgrade, talks about his new media fund, which supports free media by selling bonds. As one TED member writes: "The opening clip is full of power and meaning. It is sufficient to get you hooked for the rest of this amazing talk." (Recorded July 2005 in Oxford, UK. Duration: 18:12.)

Watch Sasa Vucinic's talk from TEDGlobal in Oxford on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 300+ TEDTalks -- including more talks about Media That Matters.

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Write the Charter for Compassion

By recognizing that the Golden Rule is fundamental to all world religions, the Charter for Compassion can inspire people to think differently about religion.

This Charter is being created in a collaborative project by people from all over the world. It will be completed in 2009. You can help write the charter. Or inspire others by sharing your own story of compassion.

Learn more on the Charter for Compassion site, or:

dive in and start helping to write the preamble >>

join the Facebook group >>

help translate the 3-minute video >>

watch and discuss Karen Armstrong's TEDTalk >>

Exoplanets: spotted!

Phil Plait at Bad Astronomy shares the thrill:

This is incredible: For the first time, ever, astronomers have captured an optical image of a planet orbiting a star like our own.

(Calm down. Breathe, breathe.)

Read the whole post to find out what's in the picture below:

Jules: A robot that mimics faces

Via 37signals: Video of Jules, the robot who can make faces. Read more about Jules in the Daily Mail -- or just watch:

Tidying up art: Ursus Wehrli on TED.com

Artist and comedian Ursus Wehrli shares his vision for a cleaner, more organized, tidier form of art -- by deconstructing the paintings of modern masters into their component pieces, sorted by color and size. Beyond the whimsy, of course, is a serious message, to honor and balance creativity and messiness, form and chaos. (Recorded February 2005 in Monterey, California. Duration: 15:57.)

Watch Ursus Wehrli's talk from TED2005 on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 300+ TEDTalks -- including more talks about art.

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Google Flu Trends uses web search to track real flu

From Google.org (headed by 2006 TED Prize winner Larry Brilliant) comes this neat data display: Google Flu Trends. The project came about after some Google search engineers wondered if, in communities where more people searched on the term "flu," there might actually be more flu. After talking with the Predict and Prevent group at Google.org, they came up with a tool that, they write:

uses aggregated Google search data to estimate flu activity in your state up to two weeks faster than traditional flu surveillance systems.

An animated graph shows how, last year, Google data edges the CDC's. You can also visit the site to find the nearest available flu shot in the US.

The story of the Mars Rovers: Charles Elachi on TED.com

At Serious Play 2008, Charles Elachi shares stories from NASA's legendary Jet Propulsion Lab -- including tales and video from the Mars Rover project. (Recorded May 2008 in Pasadena, California. Duration: 28:17.)

Watch Charles Elachi's talk from Serious Play 2008 on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 300+ TEDTalks -- including more talks about exploration.

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Help translate the Charter for Compassion video

Whatever else we believe in, most of us believe in the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. When Karen Armstrong won the TED Prize, she wished for the Charter for Compassion, a document that affirms this core belief. The Charter will prove that most people around the world -- no matter our religion -- share this ideal.

To help start the project, we've created a beautiful short video about the Charter. Listen for powerful stories of one-on-one compassion, and reaffirm your own belief in the power of voices united to share the Golden Rule. (The film is directed by Jesse Dylan, who also directed "Yes We Can.")

So far the Charter team and our wonderful volunteers have translated the video into Spanish, Portuguese, French and German. You can help expand that list!

If you are interested, go to dotSUB and register. Then go to our video, choose the language you want to translate the video into, and you’re ready to translate. (Write to armstrong [at] ted.com with any technical issues.)

Shaking hands with the devil: Samantha Power on TED.com

Political scientist Samantha Power tells the story of a complicated hero, Sergio Vieira de Mello. This UN diplomat walked a thin moral line, negotiating with the world's worst dictators to help their people survive crisis. It's a compelling story told with a fiery passion. (Recorded February 2008 in Monterey, California. Duration: 23:08.)

Watch Samantha Power's talk on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 300+ TEDTalks -- including more talks about politics.

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How science is like democracy: Lee Smolin on TED.com

Physicist Lee Smolin talks about how the scientific community works: as he puts it, "we fight and argue as hard as we can," but everyone accepts that the next generation of scientists will decide who's right. And, he says, that's how democracy works, too. (Recorded February 2003 in Monterey, California. Duration: 12:25.)

Watch Lee Smolin's talk on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 300+ TEDTalks -- including more talks about physics.

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New underwater amazements from the Census of Marine Life

Via LiveScience, this report:

An astounding batch of new deep-sea discoveries, from strange shark behavior to gigantic bacteria, was announced today by an international group of 2,000 scientists from 82 nations.

The Census of Marine Life is a 10-year project to determine what's down there.

At their meeting in Spain this week, COML researchers will be reporting hundreds of discoveries from their most recent census projects, such as:

+ the ancestor of many deep-sea octopus species, still living in the Southern Ocean -- and an octopus "expressway" in the deep sea off Antarctica
+ at least 85 new species of zooplankton
+ a fascinating shark behavior in the Pacific

Download the Highlights Report -- full of jaw-dropping photos, news and art from the sea. Select the "Highlights Report with live links to press releases, photo galleries, video, etc. (PDF, 4.2 MB)."

Last month, COML researcher Sylvia Earle won the 2009 TED Prize, along with SETI's Jill Cornell Tarter and maestro José Antonio Abreu.

Ushahidi launches in the Congo

Ushahidi is a crowdsourcing tool that lets ordinary people report the news via txt, email and the web -- a crucial thing in fast-developing crises when there's little mainstream media on the ground. Ushahidi was built in a few days earlier this year, in response to the chaos following the Kenyan elections. It's become a vital tool for mapping outbreaks of violence, and for tracking efforts of peace, in Kenya and in South Africa during the summer of 2008.

Now Ushahidi has launched in the Democratic Republic of Congo, so that locals can contribute reports on the Eastern Congo conflict. Visit the DRC page to read reports, or report an incident by texting +0992592111. And visit Ushahidi's home page to find out how you can help develop the tool into an open-source platform for reporting breaking news in Africa.

Help stop PEWS: Post-election withdrawal syndrome

Looking for something to do with your spare energy post-Nov. 4? Find some inspiration in TEDTalks on:

Social change, activism and fighting poverty >>

Creativity and art >>

Way-new education >>

Suggest your own favorites in the comments below or via email to contact@ted.com.

The science of scent: Luca Turin on TED.com

What's the science behind a sublime perfume? With charm and precision, biophysicist Luca Turin explains the molecular makeup -- and the art -- of a scent. (Recorded February 2005 in Monterey, California. Duration: 15:53.)

Watch Luca Turin's talk on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 300+ TEDTalks -- including more talks about beauty.

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RSS troubles with TED?

Update: I'm hearing more and more reports of RSS troubles during our Big Re-Upload -- for instance, for some people using Google Reader, which picks up on every change to a video asset. I apologize for the duplicate RSS listings that some of you are seeing (and hope that, among the multiple hits, there's a TEDTalk you always meant to watch that might become a new favorite).

But if the duplicates are overloading your feed reader, consider switching to the TED Blog feed for the duration of our re-upload project -- all the new TEDTalks are announced here as well. Or follow us on Twitter.

If you've found another workaround, drop a note in the comments below or email contact@ted.com.

The story of Serious Play

Our TEDTalk today, from Ideo's Tim Brown, comes from the 2008 Art Center Design Conference, wonderfully named Serious Play. Curated by the design legend Chee Pearlman, the Serious Play conference was held this past May at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.

A nice benefit of holding a conference at a design school: plenty of student art to record speakers and small moments in fresh ways. The image above -- which will make perfect sense once you've watched Tim Brown's TEDTalk -- comes from the Art Center College's flickr photostream. (Here's another take on the same talk ...)

Watch for more TEDTalks from Serious Play in the coming weeks and months.