TED Head Chris Anderson’s Best 5 Ted Talks

by Darpan Sachdeva

Chris Anderson, in his role as the curator of TED, highlights the following Best 5 Ted Talks that hold a prominent position for him in delving into the multitude of insights TED provides.

As the curator of TED, he has been in the forefront for nearly every presentation or performance on the event’s stage, and he names these five “quirky” picks.

1. David Deutsch: Chemical scum that dream of distant quasars

Legendary scientist David Deutsch puts theoretical physics on the back burner to discuss a more urgent matter: the survival of our species. The first step toward solving global warming, he says, is to admit that we have a problem.

2.Clay Shirky: Institutions vs. collaboration.

In this prescient 2005 talk, Clay Shirky shows how closed groups and companies will give way to looser networks where small contributors have big roles and fluid cooperation replaces rigid planning.

3. Nancy Etcoff : Happiness and its surprises

Why is Etcoff’s talk, “Happiness and its surprises” one of Anderson’s all-time faves?

“This is one of a whole collection of talks on happiness that have really changed my thinking and, um, I think actually made me happier.”

Cognitive researcher Nancy Etcoff looks at happiness — the ways we try to achieve and increase it, the way it’s untethered to our real circumstances, and its surprising effect on our bodies.

4. Bryan Stevenson: We need to talk about an injustice

In an engaging and personal talk — with cameo appearances from his grandmother and Rosa Parks — human rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson shares some hard truths about America’s justice system, starting with a massive imbalance along racial lines: a third of the country’s black male population has been incarcerated at some point in their lives. These issues, which are wrapped up in America’s unexamined history, are rarely talked about with this level of candor, insight and persuasiveness.

5. Steven Pinker and Rebecca Newberger Goldstein: The long reach of reason

Here’s a TED first: an animated Socratic dialog! In a time when irrationality seems to rule both politics and culture, has reasoned thinking finally lost its power? Watch as psychologist Steven Pinker is gradually, brilliantly persuaded by philosopher Rebecca Newberger Goldstein that reason is actually the key driver of human moral progress, even if its effect sometimes takes generations to unfold. The dialog was recorded live at TED, and animated, in incredible, often hilarious, detail by Cognitive.

Darpan Sachdeva is the CEO and Founder of Nobelthoughts.com. Driven by a profound dedication to Entrepreneurship, Self-development, and Success over an extended period, Darpan initiated his website with the aim of enlightening and motivating individuals globally who share similar aspirations. His mission is to encourage like-minded individuals to consistently pursue success, irrespective of their circumstances, perpetually moving forward, maintaining resilience, and extracting valuable lessons from every challenge.