Regional Interest
Have You Met TED?
Fun and Engaging Talks Win Fans, Build Community
By Su Clauson-Wicker
Moderator katherine Fralin walker introduces a TED talk.
Have you ever wondered what we learn before we’re born? Or how Sixth Sense works? And why good design matters? These are just a few of the topics explored in TED talks given by leaders in their fields, including Steve Jobs and J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books. The videotaped talks have been watched by millions of people online and are the focal point of TED discussion groups around the world. TED is a nonprofit organization dedicated to what it calls “Ideas Worth Spreading.” It began as a conference to bring together people from the worlds of technology, entertainment, and design, hence the acronym. It has grown into an international phenomenon that now sponsors two annual conferences— one in California and one in Edinburgh, Scotland— along with an annual TED Prize, a Fellows program, a TED talks website, and other projects. The online site offers a thousand free talks on science, psychology, art, business, and other subjects. (Apple also has a TED talks app, Twitter has a feed, YouTube shows the top ten talks, and Linkedin has a TED discussion group.) “We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives, and ultimately, the world,” says TED’s mission statement. The group challenges “the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers” to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes or less. Many have. TED discussion groups are coordinated independently by interested communities and are designed to stimulate discussion
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Fall 2012 | CarilionClinic.org
“People trust TED talks to be interesting, and they always are.” — Katherine Fralin Walker