Each year, TED offers a variety of different TED entertainment talks that focus on everything from the power of gaming, to music to film - and yes, robots. Check out some of these fantastic talks from TED conferences over the years. Some are bound to blow your mind, others will make you laugh and some will simply make you stop and listen. This list is VoteRanked, so be sure to vote for your favorites!
In this 2011 TED talk, renowned composer Eric Whitacre explains the genius behind his 2010 viral video that featured a virtual choir, hundreds of voices strong. He also introduces a snippet from his newest work, "Sleep," which includes a choir of more than 2,000 voices.
In this 2011 TED conference presentation, puppeteers Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones wow the audience with their amazing new puppet, Joey the War Horse. This incredibly lifelike horse demonstrates the virtually endless possibilities in puppetry. Astonishing.
Spoken word poet Sarah Kay, founder of Project V.O.I.C.E, gives an ovation-worthy performance during this TED talk from 2011. Kay explains, through her performance, how she'll teach her daughter to handle the ups and downs of the world when she gets older. She then explains that she uses spoken word poetry to try and "work things out" and solve problems in her life. She uses this to teach her students to do the same.
In this incredible TED performance from 2011, violinist Robert Gupta and cellist Joshua Roman perform Halvorsen's "Passacaglia" for the audience in a jaw-droppingly great duet.
Gifted photographer Paul Nicklen presents gorgeous photographs and images from the Antarctic in this TED 2011 talk, allowing the autience to learn more about the wildlife living in endangered environments. His underwater photos of the leopard seal are a wonder to behold.
Syyn Labs President Adam Sadowsky explains in this 2010 TED talk how he and his team came up with the idea for a music video for the band OK Go. The video for "This Too Shall Pass" features an incredibly complicated and remarkable Rube Goldberg machine.
Musician and songwriter Andrew Bird gives an incredible performance at TED2010, demonstrating his abilities as a literal one-man orchestra. He plays everything. EVERYthing.
Terry Moore is the director of the Radius Foundation. In this video from the first-ever three-minute TED conference talk in 2005, Moore explains that he's found a new way to tie his shoes. It seems simple, right? It's not. Behold, the stronger knot!
Game designer Jane McGonigal explains that it is possible to save the world through online gaming in this TED talk from TED2010. She says her research indicates that this type of gaming can be used to help solve some of the world's most urgent problems.
In this TED talk from TEDWomen in 2010, Johanna Blakley, deputy director of the media-focused think tank the Norman Lear Center at USC, explains how social media can bring about the end of gender. The focus is more on what you do online, what your interests are - not whether you are male or female, how much you make, or how old you are.
In this talk from TEDSalon London 2010, designer Thomas Thwaites explains how he attempted to build an electric toaster from scratch - mining the materials needed for it and then trying to get everything together. His journey provides some interesting insights about how consumers and designers are all connected.
Author (and avid runner) Christopher McDougall offers insights into runners' seemingly insatiable need to run in this TED talk from 2010. From the earliest runners, who ran to survive, to modern times, what inspires us to keep on running?
Physician Charles Limb is also a musician. In this TED talk, Limb discusses how the brain works during musical improvisation. What happens in the brains of those creative minds during the process? Lim offers some fascinating insight into how our brains work when we're playing literally off the tops of our heads.
MIT's Cynthia Breazeal explains her love of robots in this 2010 TED talk, and her team's work with them may eventually put them in our homes, interacting with us on a day to day basis. Her social robots can be part of our daily lives, teaching and playing along with us. Check out Leonardo - the cutest robot. Ever.
Software developer Mike Matas demonstrates the first feature-length, interactive digital book for iPad. In this talk from 2011, Matas explains how the book allows users to interact with the book ("Our Choice" by Al Gore) in ways that they can't currently. Users can see photos with audio and maps, allowing for a complete experience.
Think you know how to whistle? You've got nothing on world champion whistler Geert Chatrou. In this 2010 TED presentation, Chatrou performs a stunning whistling demonstration and then discusses his unique craft.
Not familiar with the amazing Ahn Trio? Sisters Maria, Lucia and Angella are a wonder to behold. During TEDWomen in 2010, the women performed "Oblivion" by AStor Piazzolla on cello, piano and violin.
In this TEDxBoston 2010 talk, Seth Priebatsch of the mobile start-up SCVNGR, discusses his idea for building a "game layer" on top of the world. Like the so-called "social layer" with Facebook, gaming can be used in a similar way to build a framework and steer behavior (in a game of sorts), influencing commerce, education, and more.
In this TED talk from 2010, cartoonist Jim Toomey explains how he uses his comic strip, "Sherman's Lagoon," to share his love of the ocean through a talking shark, Sherman.
High school math teacher Dan Meyer makes a persuasive argument for a new way to teach kids about math in this TED talk from March 2010. He says need to learn more about formulating math problems and less about actually solving them. He says the way students are taught math today is all wrong - and offers some ways to get it right.
Babble founders Rufus Griscom and Alisa Volkman, business partners and parents, present a hilarious - and very frank - discussion on parenting in this TEDWomen talk from 2010. The pair take on the four facts that they say parents never admit to, explaining why they should. They discuss many of the parenting "taboos" that should be addressed in the open.
In this compelling TED talk from 2010, arts administrator Ben Cameron discusses how live theater, music and dance can continue to thrive in an age when the Internet and other rapidly evolving technologies bring so much into our homes. What will keep us going out to see the performing arts, when we have access to so much from the comfort of our own couch?
Legendary singer-songwriter Jackson Browne performs a new song, "If I Could Be Anywhere," during this TED performance from 2010. Browne wrote the song during a trip that was put together to try and figure out ways to save the world's oceans.
Carlo Ratti, director of the MIT SENSEable City Lab, demonstrates his unique approach to visualizing city life by studying how electronics (and sensors) relate to the constructed environment. The result? A way to literally monitor things like cars and buildings - a real-time control system of sorts.
Painter and sculptor Alwar Balasubramaniam presents his unique perspective on art in this TED talk from 2009. In it, he explains his philosophy about how art affects perception and context. Do we really understand what something is? How do we extract meaning from what we're seeing?
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