TED-Talks (Auswahl)

[Ratiomania]

Michael Specter: The danger of science denial

"Vaccine-autism claims, "Frankenfood" bans, the herbal cure craze: All point to the public's growing fear (and, often, outright denial) of science and reason, says Michael Specter. He warns the trend spells disaster for human progress."

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/michael_specter_the_danger_of_science_denial.html

Sam Harris: Science can answer moral questions

"Questions of good and evil, right and wrong are commonly thought unanswerable by science. But Sam Harris argues that science can -- and should -- be an authority on moral issues, shaping human values and setting out what constitutes a good life."

http://www.ted.com/talks/sam_harris_science_can_show_what_s_right.html

Dan Dennett on dangerous memes

"Starting with the simple tale of an ant, philosopher Dan Dennett unleashes a devastating salvo of ideas, making a powerful case for the existence of memes -- concepts that are literally alive."

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/dan_dennett_on_dangerous_memes.html

Dan Dennett on our consciousness

"Philosopher Dan Dennett makes a compelling argument that not only don't we understand our own consciousness, but that half the time our brains are actively fooling us."

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/dan_dennett_on_our_consciousness.html

Dan Dennett's response to Rick Warren

"Philosopher Dan Dennett calls for religion -- all religion -- to be taught in schools, so we can understand its nature as a natural phenomenon. Then he takes on The Purpose-Driven Life, disputing its claim that, to be moral, one must deny evolution."

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/dan_dennett_s_response_to_rick_warren.html

Dan Dennett: Cute, sexy, sweet, funny

"Why are babies cute? Why is cake sweet? Philosopher Dan Dennett has answers you wouldn't expect, as he shares evolution's counterintuitive reasoning on cute, sweet and sexy things (plus a new theory from Matthew Hurley on why jokes are funny)."

Julia Sweeney on letting go of God

"Julia Sweeney (God Said, "Ha!") performs the first 15 minutes of her 2006 solo show Letting Go of God. When two young Mormon missionaries knock on her door one day, it touches off a quest to completely rethink her own beliefs."

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/dan_dennett_cute_sexy_sweet_funny.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/julia_sweeney_on_letting_go_of_god.html

Richard Dawkins on militant atheism

"Richard Dawkins urges all atheists to openly state their position -- and to fight the incursion of the church into politics and science. A fiery, funny, powerful talk. "

http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_dawkins_on_militant_atheism.html

Richard Dawkins on our "queer" universe

"Biologist Richard Dawkins makes a case for "thinking the improbable" by looking at how the human frame of reference limits our understanding of the universe."

http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_dawkins_on_our_queer_universe.html

Douglas Adams: Parrots, the universe and everything

"Blind river dolphins, reclusive lemurs, a parrot as fearless as it is lovelorn ... Douglas Adams' close encounters with these rare and unusual animals reveal that evolution, ever ingenious, can be fickle too -- in a University of California talk that sparkles with his trademark satiric wit."

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/douglas_adams_parrots_the_universe_and_everything.html

James Randi's fiery takedown of psychic fraud

"Legendary skeptic James Randi takes a fatal dose of homeopathic sleeping pills onstage, kicking off a searing 18-minute indictment of irrational beliefs. He throws out a challenge to the world's psychics: Prove what you do is real, and I'll give you a million dollars. (No takers yet.)"

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/james_randi.html

Michael Shermer on strange beliefs

"Why do people see the Virgin Mary on a cheese sandwich or hear demonic lyrics in "Stairway to Heaven"? Using video and music, skeptic Michael Shermer shows how we convince ourselves to believe -- and overlook the facts."

http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_shermer_on_believing_strange_things.html

Michael Shermer: The pattern behind self-deception

"Michael Shermer says the human tendency to believe strange things -- from alien abductions to dowsing rods -- boils down to two of the brain's most basic, hard-wired survival skills. He explains what they are, and how they get us into trouble."

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/michael_shermer_the_pattern_behind_self_deception.html

Hans Rosling shows the best stats you've ever seen

"You've never seen data presented like this. With the drama and urgency of a sportscaster, statistics guru Hans Rosling debunks myths about the so-called "developing world.""

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/hans_rosling_shows_the_best_stats_you_ve_ever_seen.html

Hans Rosling's new insights on poverty

Researcher Hans Rosling uses his cool data tools to show how countries are pulling themselves out of poverty. He demos Dollar Street, comparing households of varying income levels worldwide. Then he does something really amazing.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/hans_rosling_reveals_new_insights_on_poverty.html

Hans Rosling on HIV: New facts and stunning data visuals

Hans Rosling unveils new data visuals that untangle the complex risk factors of one of the world's deadliest (and most misunderstood) diseases: HIV. He argues that preventing transmissions -- not drug treatments -- is the key to ending the epidemic.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/hans_rosling_the_truth_about_hiv.html

Hans Rosling: Let my dataset change your mindset

Talking at the US State Department this summer, Hans Rosling uses his fascinating data-bubble software to burst myths about the developing world. Look for new analysis on China and the post-bailout world, mixed with classic data shows.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/hans_rosling_at_state.html

Hans Rosling: Asia's rise -- how and when

Hans Rosling was a young guest student in India when he first realized that Asia had all the capacities to reclaim its place as the world's dominant economic force. At TEDIndia, he graphs global economic growth since 1858 and predicts the exact date that India and China will outstrip the US.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/hans_rosling_asia_s_rise_how_and_when.html

Hans Rosling on global population growth

The world's population will grow to 9 billion over the next 50 years -- and only by raising the living standards of the poorest can we check population growth. This is the paradoxical answer that Hans Rosling unveils at TED@Cannes using colorful new data display technology (you'll see).

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/hans_rosling_on_global_population_growth.html

Hans Rosling: The good news of the decade?

Hans Rosling reframes 10 years of UN data with his spectacular visuals, lighting up an astonishing -- mostly unreported -- piece of front-page-worthy good news: We're winning the war against child mortality. Along the way, he debunks one flawed approach to stats that blots out such vital stories.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/hans_rosling_the_good_news_of_the_decade.html

Hans Rosling and the magic washing machine

What was the greatest invention of the industrial revolution? Hans Rosling makes the case for the washing machine. With newly designed graphics from Gapminder, Rosling shows us the magic that pops up when economic growth and electricity turn a boring wash day into an intellectual day of reading.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/hans_rosling_and_the_magic_washing_machine.html

[Ratiomania]

Ben Goldacre: Battling bad science

Every day there are news reports of new health advice, but how can you know if they're right? Doctor and epidemiologist Ben Goldacre shows us, at high speed, the ways evidence can be distorted, from the blindingly obvious nutrition claims to the very subtle tricks of the pharmaceutical industry.

http://www.ted.com/talks/ben_goldacre_battling_bad_science.html

Eric Mead: The magic of the placebo

Sugar pills, injections of nothing -- studies show that, more often than you'd expect, placebos really work. At TEDMED, magician Eric Mead does a trick to prove that, even when you know something's not real, you can still react as powerfully as if it is. (Warning: This talk is not suitable for viewers who are disturbed by needles or blood.)

http://www.ted.com/talks/eric_mead_the_magic_of_the_placebo.html

Thomas Goetz: It's time to redesign medical data

Your medical chart: it's hard to access, impossible to read -- and full of information that could make you healthier if you just knew how to use it. At TEDMED, Thomas Goetz looks at medical data, making a bold call to redesign it and get more insight from it.

http://www.ted.com/talks/thomas_goetz_it_s_time_to_redesign_medical_data.html

Anders Ynnerman: Visualizing the medical data explosion

Today medical scans produce thousands of images and terabytes of data for a single patient in mere seconds, but how do doctors parse this information and determine what's useful? At TEDxGöteborg, scientific visualization expert Anders Ynnerman shows us sophisticated new tools -- like virtual autopsies -- for analyzing this myriad data, and a glimpse at some sci-fi-sounding medical technologies in development. This talk contains some graphic medical imagery.

http://www.ted.com/talks/anders_ynnerman_visualizing_the_medical_data_explosion.html

Peter Donnelly shows how stats fool juries

Oxford mathematician Peter Donnelly reveals the common mistakes humans make in interpreting statistics -- and the devastating impact these errors can have on the outcome of criminal trials.

http://www.ted.com/talks/peter_donnelly_shows_how_stats_fool_juries.html

Nina Jablonski breaks the illusion of skin color

Nina Jablonski says that differing skin colors are simply our bodies' adaptation to varied climates and levels of UV exposure. Charles Darwin disagreed with this theory, but she explains, that's because he did not have access to NASA.

http://www.ted.com/talks/nina_jablonski_breaks_the_illusion_of_skin_color.html

Naomi Klein: Addicted to risk

Days before this talk, journalist Naomi Klein was on a boat in the Gulf of Mexico, looking at the catastrophic results of BP's risky pursuit of oil. Our societies have become addicted to extreme risk in finding new energy, new financial instruments and more ... and too often, we're left to clean up a mess afterward. Klein's question: What's the backup plan?

http://www.ted.com/talks/naomi_klein_addicted_to_risk.html

Daniel Kahneman: The riddle of experience vs. memory

Using examples from vacations to colonoscopies, Nobel laureate and founder of behavioral economics Daniel Kahneman reveals how our "experiencing selves" and our "remembering selves" perceive happiness differently. This new insight has profound implications for economics, public policy -- and our own self-awareness.

http://www.ted.com/talks/daniel_kahneman_the_riddle_of_experience_vs_memory.html

Dan Ariely: Beware conflicts of interest

In this short talk, psychologist Dan Ariely tells two personal stories that explore scientific conflict of interest: How the pursuit of knowledge and insight can be affected, consciously or not, by shortsighted personal goals. When we're thinking about the big questions, he reminds us, let's be aware of our all-too-human brains.

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_ariely_beware_conflicts_of_interest.html

Dan Ariely on our buggy moral code

Behavioral economist Dan Ariely studies the bugs in our moral code: the hidden reasons we think it's OK to cheat or steal (sometimes). Clever studies help make his point that we're predictably irrational -- and can be influenced in ways we can't grasp.

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_ariely_on_our_buggy_moral_code.html

Dan Ariely asks, Are we in control of our own decisions?

Behavioral economist Dan Ariely, the author of Predictably Irrational, uses classic visual illusions and his own counterintuitive (and sometimes shocking) research findings to show how we're not as rational as we think when we make decisions.

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_ariely_asks_are_we_in_control_of_our_own_decisions.html

Laurie Santos: A monkey economy as irrational as ours

Laurie Santos looks for the roots of human irrationality by watching the way our primate relatives make decisions. A clever series of experiments in "monkeynomics" shows that some of the silly choices we make, monkeys make too.

http://www.ted.com/talks/laurie_santos.html

Mechai Viravaidya: How Mr. Condom made Thailand a better place

At TEDxChange, Thailand's "Mr. Condom," Mechai Viravaidya, walks us through the country's bold plan to raise its standard of living, starting in the 1970s. First step: population control. And that means a lot of frank, funny -- and very effective -- talk about condoms.

http://www.ted.com/talks/mechai_viravaidya_how_mr_condom_made_thailand_a_better_place.html

Leonard Susskind: My friend Richard Feynman

What's it like to be pals with a genius? Onstage at TEDxCaltech, physicist Leonard Susskind spins a few stories about his friendship with the legendary Richard Feynman, discussing his unconventional approach to problems both serious and ... less so.

http://www.ted.com/talks/leonard_susskind_my_friend_richard_feynman.html

Stephen Hawking asks big questions about the universe

In keeping with the theme of TED2008, professor Stephen Hawking asks some Big Questions about our universe -- How did the universe begin? How did life begin? Are we alone? -- and discusses how we might go about answering them.

http://www.ted.com/talks/stephen_hawking_asks_big_questions_about_the_universe.html

Murray Gell-Mann on beauty and truth in physics

Armed with a sense of humor and laypeople's terms, Nobel winner Murray Gell-Mann drops some knowledge on TEDsters about particle physics, asking questions like, Are elegant equations more likely to be right than inelegant ones?

http://www.ted.com/talks/murray_gell_mann_on_beauty_and_truth_in_physics.html

Lee Smolin on science and democracy

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.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lee_smolin_on_science_and_democracy.html

Lee Cronin: Making matter come alive

Before life existed on Earth, there was just matter, inorganic dead "stuff." How improbable is it that life arose? And -- could it use a different type of chemistry? Using an elegant definition of life (anything that can evolve), chemist Lee Cronin is exploring this question by attempting to create a fully inorganic cell using a "Lego kit" of inorganic molecules -- no carbon -- that can assemble, replicate and compete.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lee_cronin_making_matter_come_alive.html

Larry Brilliant wants to stop pandemics

Accepting the 2006 TED Prize, Dr. Larry Brilliant talks about how smallpox was eradicated from the planet, and calls for a new global system that can identify and contain pandemics before they spread.

http://www.ted.com/talks/larry_brilliant_wants_to_stop_pandemics.html

Bruce Aylward: How we'll stop polio for good

Polio is almost completely eradicated. But as Bruce Aylward says: Almost isn't good enough with a disease this terrifying. Aylward lays out the plan to continue the scientific miracle that ended polio in most of the world -- and to snuff it out everywhere, forever.

http://www.ted.com/talks/bruce_aylward_how_we_ll_stop_polio.html

Bill Gates on mosquitos, malaria and education

Bill Gates hopes to solve some of the world's biggest problems using a new kind of philanthropy. In a passionate and, yes, funny 18 minutes, he asks us to consider two big questions and how we might answer them. (And see the Q&A on the TED Blog.)

http://www.ted.com/talks/bill_gates_unplugged.html

Kary Mullis' next-gen cure for killer infections

Drug-resistant bacteria kills, even in top hospitals. But now tough infections like staph and anthrax may be in for a surprise. Nobel-winning chemist Kary Mullis, who watched a friend die when powerful antibiotics failed, unveils a radical new cure that shows extraordinary promise.

http://www.ted.com/talks/kary_mullis_next_gen_cure_for_killer_infections.html

Kary Mullis celebrates the experiment

Biochemist Kary Mullis talks about the basis of modern science: the experiment. Sharing tales from the 17th century and from his own backyard-rocketry days, Mullis celebrates the curiosity, inspiration and rigor of good science in all its forms.

http://www.ted.com/talks/kary_mullis_on_what_scientists_do.html

Eric Berlow: How complexity leads to simplicity

Ecologist Eric Berlow doesn't feel overwhelmed when faced with complex systems. He knows that more information can lead to a better, simpler solution. Illustrating the tips and tricks for breaking down big issues, he distills an overwhelming infographic on U.S. strategy in Afghanistan to a few elementary points.

http://www.ted.com/talks/eric_berlow_how_complexity_leads_to_simplicity.html