TEDTalks | Soaring through the ocean, walking the Earth

Here's another edition of TEDTalks newsletter. Enjoy!

Recently on TED.com: Graham Hawkes flies through the ocean, John Francis walks the Earth, and Tim Brown shoots a few playful ideas around. James Surowiecki talks about social media and the news, and biologist Luca Turin explains how we smell what we smell.    Graham Hawkes: Fly the seas on a submarine with wings Graham Hawkes takes us aboard his graceful, winged submarines to the depths of planet Ocean (a.k.a. "Earth"). It's a deep blue world we landlubbers rarely see in 3D. Watch this talk >>     John Francis: I walk the Earth For almost three decades, John Francis has been a planetwalker, traveling the globe by foot and sail with a message of environmental respect and responsibility (for 17 of those years without speaking). A funny, thoughtful talk with occasional banjo. Watch this talk >>   Tim Brown: The powerful link between creativity and play At the 2008 Serious Play conference, designer Tim Brown talks about the powerful relationship between creative thinking and play -- with many examples you can try at home (and one that maybe you shouldn't). Watch this talk >>     James Surowiecki: The moment when social media became the news James Surowiecki pinpoints the moment when social media became an equal player in the world of news-gathering: the 2005 tsunami, when YouTube video, blogs, IMs and txts carried the news -- and preserved moving personal stories from the tragedy. Watch this talk >>   Luca Turin: The science of scent What's the science behind a sublime perfume? With charm and precision, biophysicist Luca Turin explains the molecular makeup -- and the art -- of a scent. Watch this talk >>       COMING UP THIS WEEK Samantha Power tells the story of a complicated hero, Sergio Vieira de Mello -- a UN diplomat who walked a thin moral line, negotiating with the world's worst dictators and abusers of power. It's a powerful, tragic story, told with a fiery passion. And Charles Elachi from NASA's JPL talks about the Mars Explorer, in a talk from Serious Play 2008. Plus much more!   JOIN THE CONVERSATION Become a free member of TED.com to join the discussion on our hundreds of Talks and Themes. We're discussing Tim Brown's talk on the link between creative thinking and play: Tj Green says: Life is more about war than play. DNA copying errors and survival strategies are extremely creative, if you do not mind the collateral damage. We are far more creative when we are interacting with each other, and our environment, so play makes a lot of sense. Patrick Andrews adds: Playfulness seems like a recipe for mental health, as well as a technique for creativity. I'm starting to think that some kind of bifurcation is occurring between the people who can sustain playful behaviour all their lives (at least some of the time) and those in whom it gets stifled early. And in this post-US-election week, we're passionately discussing Jonathan Haidt's talk on the difference between liberals and conservatives: Donovan Chandler writes: It sounds like a lot of conservative-leaning people have felt insulted by this video. Please note, before feeling slighted, that Jonathan is asking a predominantly liberal audience to consider the validity and necessity of conservative values. As Jonathan is saying, we really do need to find some way to "step outside of the matrix" and rise above the bickering that's so easy to fall into. Thomas Fisher suggests: I believe the Libertarian would rate high in the Harm/Safe, Fairness, AND Purity moral elements. But not so much the In-Group or Authoritarian. "Purity" of the individual as expressed in personal virtue and sound judgment. That's also why Libertarianism doesn't work. People aren't individually pure and wise when they're alone; they're sneaky and often greedy. Join these conversations and more than 300 others by joining TED.com -- it's free!   TEDTalks are brought to you with the support of: and   You're receiving this weekly newsletter from TED because you subscribed to it from our website, TED.com. To unsubscribe, follow the link below. For all other comments, email us at contact@ted.com.

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Inspiring Ideas from TED

I was surfing through the TED site and thought to myself how wonderful it is that we live a time where anyone with access to the internet and little time can hear [and see] inspiring people. We can learn from the greatest minds - it's just a click away. Think about that for just a second -- a little as 30 years ago, you would have to be at Harvard or Yale or Stanford to listen to some of these people - see their presentations, to experience their passion. Now, it's right there, just a click away - so why not inspire yourself today and learn something new. Enjoy.

This week on TED.com, John Hodgman goes in search of lost time, while Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi helps us find our flow. Kristen Ashburn shares powerful, humbling images of AIDS in Zimbabwe, while Paul MacCready offers a soaring talk on his work to save the planet. And this week we celebrate the 2009 TED Prize winners: oceanographer Sylvia Earle, SETI's Jill Tarter and maestro Jose Antonio Abreu. Read more about all 3 winners on TED.com, and catch up with winners from 2005-2008 on TEDPrize.org. John Hodgman: A brief digression on matters of lost time Humorist John Hodgman rambles through a new story about aliens, physics, time, space and the way all of these somehow contribute to a sweet, perfect memory of falling in love. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Creativity, fulfillment and flow Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi asks, "What makes a life worth living?" Money cannot make us happy, he says -- instead, he looks to people who find pleasure and lasting satisfaction in activities that bring about a state of "flow." Kristen Ashburn: Heartrending pictures of AIDS In this moving talk, documentary photographer Kristen Ashburn shares unforgettable images of the human impact of AIDS in Africa. Paul MacCready: Nature vs. humans, and what we can do about it In 1998, aircraft designer Paul MacCready looks at a planet on which humans have utterly dominated nature, and talks about what we all can do to preserve nature's balance. His contribution: solar planes, superefficient gliders and the electric car. Listen for MacCready's rule to live by: "I spend about 15 percent of my time trying to save the world." JOIN THE CONVERSATION Become a free member of TED.com to join the discussion on our hundreds of Talks and Themes. We're discussing Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi on flow: Anthony Samules writes: As a working musician I completely concur with this presentation -- the easy, bread-and-butter gigs that employ fewer skills to face fewer challenges become a source of boredom and apathy. But if you stick with it, you start to figure out how to get more of the gigs which do employ your skills, and in which you embrace the challenges with more of your awareness. And at those times you do enter the state of flow, and I experience this exactly as described. Evan Bonifacio writes: So very true. I am an animator, and have had jobs at TV cartoon companies where the general consensus about our work is, "it's good enough for TV." And we all collect our paycheck at the end of the week. In my spare time I do more quality work, spending hours and hours in that state of "flow." Perfecting the animation right down to the subtle eye movements of a character. I don't receive a paycheck for this, but it leaves me with more satisfaction than any amount of money could ever provide. Steve Gottschalk writes: The quote from the composer about the feeling he experiences while composing music sounds very much like Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor's stroke. It's as though the composer is experiencing that right-brained connection to the universe that Dr. Taylor described in her TEDTalk and is channeling it. That raises interesting questions about the nature and value of music. And a great comment on Aubrey de Grey's talk "Why we age, and how we can avoid it": Alex Lamb writes: Youth is fetishised. Let's celebrate aging. Some beautiful words from Naomi Wolf: "She reacts and speaks and shows emotion, and grows into her face. Lines trace her thought and radiate from the corners of her eyes after decades of laughter, closing together like fans as she smiles ... The darkening under her eyes, the weight of her lids, their minute cross-hatching, reveal that what she has been part of has left her its complexity and its richness. She is darker, stronger, looser, tougher, sexier." Join these conversations and more than 300 others by joining TED.com -- it's free! INTERESTED IN ATTENDING TED? Places are still available for TED@PalmSprings, the simulcast event for TED2009, held in gorgeous Palm Springs, California. Watch every minute of TED in a comfortable, loungey environment hosted live by Kelly and Rives -- and enjoy amazing conversations, great parties, exhibits and Palm Springs-only fun. Learn more and register here >> TEDTalks are brought to you with the support of: and

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New News Letter | TED Talks

Enjoy this new email newsletter I'm getting - TED.com is one of those amazing sites that takes the idea of the internet to a whole new level. I'm basically posting the newsletter as I received it -- but take the time to go there and sign up for yourself -- and enjoy a whole world of ideas, inspiration and excitement....Arnie. This week on TED.com, Garrett Lisi talks us through his grand new theory of how the universe works -- in a beautiful, symmetrical way. Paola Antonelli continues the brain-stretching exercises with a walk-through of her show "Design and the Elastic Mind." Cultural critic Virginia Postrel cautions us about the seductive power of glamour, while Dr. Dean Ornish celebrates the power of the body to heal and be well (and shares some simple steps we can take to help our bodies do their best). Garrett Lisi: A beautiful new theory of everything Physicist and surfer Garrett Lisi presents a controversial new model of the universe that -- just maybe -- answers all the big questions. If nothing else, it's the most beautiful 8-dimensional model of elementary particles and forces you've ever seen. Watch this talk >> Paola Antonelli: Design and the elastic mind MOMA design curator Paola Antonelli walks through the groundbreaking show "Design and the Elastic Mind" -- full of ideas, products and designs that reflect the multi-tasking, quickly shifting way we think now. (You can see the exhibit online.) Watch this talk >> Virginia Postrel: The power of glamour In a timely talk, cultural critic Virginia Postrel muses on the true meaning, and the powerful uses, of glamour -- which she defines as any calculated, carefully polished image designed to impress and persuade. Watch this talk >> Dean Ornish: Healing and other natural wonders Dean Ornish talks about simple, low-tech and low-cost ways to take advantage of the body's natural desire to heal itself. Watch for his jaw-dropping stats on the obesity epidemic -- and a few very compelling reasons not to go on the Atkins Diet. Watch this talk >> JOIN THE CONVERSATION Become a free member of TED.com to join the discussion on our hundreds of Talks and Themes. We're discussing Doris Kearns Goodwin's TEDTalk, "Learning from past presidents in moments of crisis": Sharon Beck writes: This was one of my favorite talks so far. I guess it's because I have always admired Abraham Lincoln more than any other President, and she told the story so beautifully. As I read the comments, I was shocked to see any negatives at all. It just goes to show that there's something for everyone at TED. Candy Leung writes: The difference between Lincoln and LBJ seems to be whom they chose to surround them at times of difficulties. At least the former had friends who saw his moments of vulnerability early enough, whereas LBJ only realised he needed that rather too late. Ultimately, love is the bedrock of life, and the source of energy and motivation for ambition and play. Andre Natta writes: Perhaps the lesson learned from Ms. Goodwin's words is to remember that we can find the purpose to press on, regardless of what obstacles are in our way. I'll thank Ms. Goodwin for that any day of the week. And we are grappling to understand the E8 model in Garrett Lisi's's talk "Beautiful new theory of everything": Grant Brayshaw writes: E8 looks like the universe's genome. Beautiful work. Dan Gross says: As Lisi speaks of nature's "perfect balance" across multiple dimensions, I can only think of a giant game of Sudoku on a nanoparticle level. Simply amazing Timothy Wood writes: Wow. I am very impressed. I feel very stupid, but very impressed. In the social sciences there is this dirty little word called "physics envy" ... If anyone's ever wondered what it is that makes people envious, well, there you go. Join these conversations and more than 300 others by joining TED.com -- it's free!

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