What are the best TED talks?

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Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2017/01/02/what-are-the-best-ted-talks.html

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I liked David Blaine’s talk at the Ted Med conference. He described how he was able to hold his breath for 17 minutes.

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I can hold my breath for ten minutes!

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Decision Making the Corporate Way: Creative Thinking and Career Considerations

  • Carter J. Burke, Weyland-Yutani Corporation
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This is the only TED Talk you need to see. Middlebrow megachurch infotainment.

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Not sure if you’re trivializing climate change with your wish for Lord Humogous’s take on it, but here’s David Roberts, who has written many thoughtful climate pieces for Grist.org and Vox.com. Climate Change is Simple.

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When I hear the phrase “TED Talk” I release the safety catch on my Browning.

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He’s not much of a public speaker.

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“I’ll Be Fine: The Many Ways in Which Technology Will Bring a Glorious Future to People Who Have Money.”

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The first Best that comes to mind for me:

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Just don’t have an open-casket viewing. Half my friends being who they are, I might not make it into the ground with many 'shrooms left :confused:

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I really like those ones where someone yells ‘shut up Ted!’ right at the beginning and then he just stands there looking like a doofus.

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Does TedX count?

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I got this one. The best TED talk is one you didn’t have to watch.

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Hans Rosling’s talks, on visualizing surprising data about worldwide birthrates etc., are all pretty great. https://www.ted.com/speakers/hans_rosling

Bob Full on designing robots by studying animals. https://www.ted.com/speakers/robert_full

Lots of amazing deep sea creatures: https://www.ted.com/talks/david_gallo_shows_underwater_astonishments

I don’t believe in manned space exploration, and this one nonetheless made me stand up and cheer. https://www.ted.com/talks/bill_stone_explores_the_earth_and_space

I wish more people were taking Beschizza’s request seriously here. TED is vast and not quickly dip-into-able, so really in need of curation like he’s asking for.

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I find that people who proudly declare they listen to “TED Talks” are on par with folks sharing photos of themselves with a captive tiger on Tinder.

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True, his delivery is flat but I appreciated the subject matter.

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Ben Goldacre on academic publishing and medical trials.

Also, Sebastian Wernicke on the artificiality of TED Talks (segues nicely with Benjamin Bratton’s talk, above.

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