TED — Best Videos According to Hacker News

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We the People, and the Republic we must reclaim | Lawrence Lessig

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“This TED lecture[0] is only 18 minutes long and it offers rather a chilling perspective on any sensible reform.”

8 HN recommenders · 2013–2026

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How to green the world's deserts and reverse climate change | Allan Savory

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“This is the idea behind this fantastic TED talk”

9 HN recommenders · 2013–2023

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Animations of unseeable biology | Drew Berry | TED

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“I had a much greater appreciation for how our bodies are made up of trillions of tiny protein machines.”

7 HN recommenders · 2017–2025

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Michael Levin: The electrical blueprints that orchestrate life | TED

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“If you have 20 minutes to watch this ted talk interview I highly recommend it.”

7 HN recommenders · 2021–2026

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How not to be ignorant about the world | Hans and Ola Rosling

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“I promise it is not a waste of your time.”

5 HN recommenders · 2015–2023

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The best stats you've ever seen | Hans Rosling

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“the original 2007 Gapminder talk[1] still surprised and educates people today”

5 HN recommenders · 2013–2026

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We're building a dystopia just to make people click on ads | Zeynep Tufekci

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“This TED talk[0] on persuasion architectures brings up some interesting moral arguments against this idea.”

6 HN recommenders · 2017–2026

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Keep your goals to yourself | Derek Sivers

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“I did not really put two and two together until I saw this talk[0] many years ago and it clicked.”

2 HN recommenders · 2010–2023

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6 ways mushrooms can save the world | Paul Stamets | TED

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“He has a brilliant TED talk on the world-changing potential of fungi research [1].”

4 HN recommenders · 2018–2022

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Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator | Tim Urban | TED

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“absolutely legendary TedX talk that humanizes procrastination”

5 HN recommenders · 2016–2023

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How Great Leaders Inspire Action | Simon Sinek | TED

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“I think this video by Simon Sinek explains very well why Apple is successful.”

4 HN recommenders · 2011–2022

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Massive-scale online collaboration | Luis von Ahn

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“I highly recommend watching the TED talk by Luis von Ahn, creater of CAPTCHA and reCAPTCHA.”

4 HN recommenders · 2012–2022

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How one tweet can ruin your life | Jon Ronson

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“I'm reminded of this TED talk in these scenarios, by a journalist and author who interviewed many people who have been publicly shamed”

5 HN recommenders · 2018–2025

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Pop an ollie and innovate! | Rodney Mullen | TED

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“talks a bit about the relationship between hacking and skateboarding in his TED talk”

4 HN recommenders · 2018–2021

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Moral behavior in animals | Frans de Waal

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“Here is one of his excellent must-watch Ted talks -”

3 HN recommenders · 2019–2024

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Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong | Johann Hari | TED

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“This is my favourite addiction talk.”

5 HN recommenders · 2017–2025

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The paradox of choice | Barry Schwartz | TED

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“My favourite TED talk pairing is Dan Gilbert's Surprising Science of Happiness”

4 HN recommenders · 2010–2022

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Religions and babies | Hans Rosling

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“Then watch this video to understand the real trends in population growth.”

4 HN recommenders · 2013–2024

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How to tie your shoes | Terry Moore

TED

“You are probably tying a granny knot instead of a square knot.”

4 HN recommenders · 2015–2026

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Learning from dirty jobs | Mike Rowe

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“This guy is a big proponent of more down to earth careers and I agree with everything he says”

4 HN recommenders · 2012–2018

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Hans Rosling: Debunking third-world myths with the best stats you've ever seen

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“There is a great TED talk by Hans Rosling showing the same improving global condition through different metrics.”

4 HN recommenders · 2011–2017

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Are athletes really getting faster, better, stronger? | David Epstein

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3 HN recommenders · 2014–2020

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Why our IQ levels are higher than our grandparents' | James Flynn

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“This is an argument made by James Flynn in his amazing TED talk”

3 HN recommenders · 2020–2024

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My stroke of insight | Jill Bolte Taylor | TED

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“I highly recommend this video if you want to hear about what life is when the right hemisphere is in control”

2 HN recommenders · 2010–2024

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Do schools kill creativity? | Sir Ken Robinson | TED

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“I love this Ted talk”

3 HN recommenders · 2017–2025

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Do we see reality as it is? | Donald Hoffman | TED

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“I encourage you to watch Donald Hoffman's 2015 TED Talk”

3 HN recommenders · 2016–2024

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Daniel Suarez: The kill decision shouldn't belong to a robot

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“I often plug Daniel Suarez's great Kill Decision talk and book”

3 HN recommenders · 2013–2025

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The puzzle of motivation | Dan Pink | TED

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“I highly recommend taking a look at the work of Daniel Pink related to money as an incentive.”

3 HN recommenders · 2010–2026

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Laws that choke creativity | Larry Lessig

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“Here is some sound reasoning on the topic from Larry Lessig”

2 HN recommenders · 2011–2012

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The call to learn | Clifford Stoll

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“He's brilliant, bonkers, and wonderful company.”

3 HN recommenders · 2010–2025

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The psychology of evil | Philip Zimbardo

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“Here's Zimbardo's TED talk on what makes people do evil”

2 HN recommenders · 2012–2024

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James Kunstler: How bad architecture wrecked cities

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“Here's a far more engaging critique of car-first design by James Kunstler”

4 HN recommenders · 2011–2024

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Understanding the rise of China | Martin Jacques

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“I highly recommend Martin Jacques' Ted talk [0] on this very subject from over 7 years ago.”

1 HN recommenders · 2018–2019

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Why city flags may be the worst-designed thing you've never noticed | Roman Mars

TED

“one must watch the short talk on state and country flags”

3 HN recommenders · 2017–2023

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Jonathan Haidt: The moral roots of liberals and conservatives

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“Jonathon Haidt has actually done some great scientific work on the real differences between liberals and conservatives.”

3 HN recommenders · 2016–2018

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The surprising science of happiness | Dan Gilbert

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“is one of the best TED talks of all time”

2 HN recommenders · 2021–2026

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Beware online "filter bubbles" | Eli Pariser

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“The Filter Bubble Ted talk is what motivated me to dump social media.”

2 HN recommenders · 2012–2025

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Beats That Defy Boxes | Reggie Watts | TED

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“His TED talk is one for the ages”

2 HN recommenders · 2013–2022

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Hans Rosling: Global population growth, box by box

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“Totally changed (well, confirmed) my world view. Start here”

2 HN recommenders · 2013–2020

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David Deutsch: A new way to explain explanation

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“it's a very tight talk and you should start from the beginning”

2 HN recommenders · 2022–2026

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How the US Is Destroying Young People’s Future | Scott Galloway | TED

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“covers a lot of the current reality young people face entering the workforce.”

2 HN recommenders · 2024–2025

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Strange answers to the psychopath test | Jon Ronson | TED

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“In my opinion it is one of the greatest talks of all time and it gave me goosebumps.”

2 HN recommenders · 2021–2022

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Let's teach for mastery -- not test scores | Sal Khan

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“Here is a TED talk where Sal Khan of Khan Academy talks about this”

2 HN recommenders · 2016–2018

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Thomas Thwaites: How I built a toaster -- from scratch

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“a great example of the hidden complexities of”

2 HN recommenders · 2019–2025

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Conrad Wolfram: Teaching kids real math with computers

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“But isn't maths boring at school because we're teaching it wrong?”

2 HN recommenders · 2012–2020

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The next outbreak? We’re not ready | Bill Gates | TED

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“It's impressive how the details are similar to coronavirus.”

2 HN recommenders · 2020–2021

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Are we in control of our decisions? | Dan Ariely

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“talks about the very significant differences in organ donation rates between countries”

2 HN recommenders · 2011–2017

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Ralph Langner: Cracking Stuxnet, a 21st-century cyber weapon

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“The Stuxnet TED talk [0] was really interesting”

2 HN recommenders · 2011–2021

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SpaceX's plan to fly you across the globe in 30 minutes | Gwynne Shotwell

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“Another interesting watch is the TED talk by SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell earlier this year.”

2 HN recommenders · 2018–2025

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Alan Kay: A powerful idea about teaching ideas

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“You'll see kids using the software to explore robotics and do physics of gravitation.”

2 HN recommenders · 2009–2024

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Make love, not porn (Adult content) | Cindy Gallop

TED

“she raises some good points so I recommend the video (it's 4 minutes).”

2 HN recommenders · 2012–2017

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The $8 billion iPod | Rob Reid

TED

“Rob Reid did a funny 5min TED Talk on this”

2 HN recommenders · 2012–2026

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Sebastian Seung: I am my connectome

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“found this TED talk that visualizes the problem pretty well”

2 HN recommenders · 2013–2015

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Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are | Amy Cuddy | TED

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“I am reminded of this interesting talk by Amy Cuddy on body language”

2 HN recommenders · 2013–2021

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How to Make Stress Your Friend | Kelly McGonigal | TED

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“Anecdotally, I did feel less anxious than usual in the days after I first watched the video.”

2 HN recommenders · 2016–2020

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The riddle of experience vs. memory | Daniel Kahneman

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“Daniel Khaneman talks about the experiencing self versus the remembering self”

2 HN recommenders · 2010–2019

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The illusion of consciousness | Dan Dennett

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“I recommend the TED talk or the Google talk where he highlights this example as a way to gain insight into what consciousness may be.”

2 HN recommenders · 2020–2023

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How to grow fresh air | Kamal Meattle

TED

“There is also a Ted talk about taking this to an extreme, which does seem to anecdotally work”

2 HN recommenders · 2016–2026

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How AI Could Save (Not Destroy) Education | Sal Khan | TED

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“Sal Khan gave a good Ted Talk on his thoughts around AI in Education.”

2 HN recommenders · 2023–2026

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Your Brain Hallucinates Your Conscious Reality | Anil Seth | TED

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“This TED talk has a great example where the same sound sounds different to you based on what you expect to hear”

2 HN recommenders · 2017–2026

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Let's use video to reinvent education | Salman Khan

TED

“Watching Khan's TED talk[2] is pretty inspiring.”

2 HN recommenders · 2011–2012

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The dirty secret of capitalism -- and a new way forward | Nick Hanauer

TED

“The only way we can change things on a larger scale is to change the incentives, to change the overarching goals.”

2 HN recommenders · 2019–2023

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See how the rest of the world lives, organized by income | Anna Rosling Rönnlund

TED

“It helps me put stuff in perspective”

2 HN recommenders · 2018–2023

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Is the world getting better or worse? A look at the numbers | Steven Pinker

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“tl;dr: it's getting better. We're living longer, homicides are down, fewer wars and autocracies, etc..”

2 HN recommenders · 2018–2022

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Donald Sadoway: The missing link to renewable energy

TED

“He made a lot of media around this technology 10 years ago. See the TedTalk”

1 HN recommenders · 2013–2025

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The mathematics of love | Hannah Fry

TED

“Her ted talk about the math of love is so great.”

1 HN recommenders · 2021–2026

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Where good ideas come from | Steven Johnson

TED

“Here's a talk where he addresses it briefly”

1 HN recommenders · 2010–2020

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You aren't at the mercy of your emotions -- your brain creates them | Lisa Feldman Barrett

TED

“I like the talks by Lisa Feldman Barrett”

1 HN recommenders · 2018–2019

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Your elusive creative genius | Elizabeth Gilbert

TED

“The idea of a "muse", and "genius" is something that visits you (not something you are).”

2 HN recommenders · 2011–2021

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Can we build AI without losing control over it? | Sam Harris

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“(Worth a watch if you have 15 mins).”

1 HN recommenders · 2017–2023

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How to rob a bank (from the inside, that is) | William Black

TED

“The far more significant cause of the Great Recession was outright fraud.”

1 HN recommenders · 2015–2023

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Innovating to zero! | Bill Gates

TED

“Here's Bill Gates explaining why nuclear is not optional”

1 HN recommenders · 2011–2025

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A kinder, gentler philosophy of success | Alain de Botton

TED

“Alain De Botton gives a very eloquent TED talk about this”

1 HN recommenders · 2009–2021

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The mathematician who cracked Wall Street | Jim Simons

TED

“Full-length Numberphile interview”

1 HN recommenders · 2019–2024

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How to start a movement | Derek Sivers

TED

“I can't count how many people I've shown your leadership talk to”

1 HN recommenders · 2010–2020

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Imaging at a trillion frames per second | Ramesh Raskar

TED

“Seriously, watch it. Very cool.”

1 HN recommenders · 2012–2019

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The thrilling potential of SixthSense technology | Pranav Mistry

TED

“This looks like an attempt to commercialise the ideas in”

1 HN recommenders · 2016–2023

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How we can use light to see deep inside our bodies and brains | Mary Lou Jepsen

TED

“[1] is a good quick place to start and judge if you want to study their brainscanner in more depth.”

1 HN recommenders · 2018–2024

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How economic inequality harms societies | Richard Wilkinson

TED

“here's a talk that spends 17 minutes listing studies showing that this is in fact about inequality, not average income”

1 HN recommenders · 2012–2016

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The surprising habits of original thinkers | Adam Grant | TED

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“You can watch his TED talk here [2] to get some ideas.”

1 HN recommenders · 2018–2021

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Optical illusions show how we see | Beau Lotto

TED

“Here's a fun video to watch”

1 HN recommenders · 2017–2023

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Beware, fellow plutocrats, the pitchforks are coming | Nick Hanauer

TED

“Nick Hanauer understood this fourteen years ago.”

1 HN recommenders · 2018–2026

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Chris Urmson: How a driverless car sees the road

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“This video shows why staying in your lane on a highway (what Tesla autopilot does) and dealing with city streets are two just completely different things”

2 HN recommenders · 2015–2022

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The nightmare videos of childrens' YouTube — and what's wrong with the internet today | James Bridle

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“This TED talk sums up why I'll never allow my child to go on YouTube.”

1 HN recommenders · 2018–2025