TED Theme: Inspired by Nature

Who can fail to marvel at the shape of a leaf, the sleek power of a cheetah, the dance of two bodies connecting? These speakers celebrate...
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Video Episodes:

Wade Davis: Gorgeou...
22 Views
17:10:21 02/26/13

Ethnographer Wade Davis explores hidden places in the wider world -- but in this powerful short talk he urges us to save a paradise in his backyard, Northern Canad...

Wade Davis: Gorgeous photos of a backyard wilderness worth saving

Added 02/26/13
22 Views

Wade Davis: Gorgeous photos of a backyard wilderness worth saving

[LESS INFO] 22 VIEWS | ADDED 17:10:21 02/26/13
Ethnographer Wade Davis explores hidden places in the wider world -- but in this powerful short talk he urges us to save a paradise in his backyard, Northern Canada. The Sacred Headwaters, remote and pristine, are under threat because they hide rich tar sands. With stunning photos, Davis asks a tough question: How can we balance society's need for fuels with the urge to protect such glorious wilderness?

Gary Greenberg: The...
10 Views
16:01:38 11/07/12

When photographed under a 3D microscope, grains of sand appear like colorful pieces of candy and the stamens in a flower become like fantastical spires at an amuse...

Gary Greenberg: The beautiful nano details of our world

Added 11/07/12
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Gary Greenberg: The beautiful nano details of our world

[LESS INFO] 10 VIEWS | ADDED 16:01:38 11/07/12
When photographed under a 3D microscope, grains of sand appear like colorful pieces of candy and the stamens in a flower become like fantastical spires at an amusement park. Gary Greenberg reveals the thrilling details of the micro world. ( Filmed at TEDxMaui. )

Cesar Harada: A nov...
54 Views
14:57:06 07/05/12

When TED Senior Fellow Cesar Harada heard about the devastating effects of the BP Oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, he quit his dream job and moved to New O...

Cesar Harada: A novel idea for cleaning up oil spills

Added 07/05/12
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Cesar Harada: A novel idea for cleaning up oil spills

[LESS INFO] 54 VIEWS | ADDED 14:57:06 07/05/12
When TED Senior Fellow Cesar Harada heard about the devastating effects of the BP Oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, he quit his dream job and moved to New Orleans to develop a more efficient way to soak up the oil. He designed a highly maneuverable, flexible boat capable of cleaning large tracts quickly. But rather than turn a profit, he has opted to open-source the design.

Reuben Margolin: Sc...
392 Views
15:00:12 05/02/12

Reuben Margolin is a kinetic sculptor, crafting beautiful pieces that move in the pattern of raindrops falling and waves combining. Take nine minutes and be mesmer...

Reuben Margolin: Sculpting waves in wood and time

Added 05/02/12
392 Views

Reuben Margolin: Sculpting waves in wood and time

[LESS INFO] 392 VIEWS | ADDED 15:00:12 05/02/12
Reuben Margolin is a kinetic sculptor, crafting beautiful pieces that move in the pattern of raindrops falling and waves combining. Take nine minutes and be mesmerized by his meditative art -- inspired in equal parts by math and nature.

Regina Dugan: From ...
979 Views
15:03:36 03/27/12

"What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" asks Regina Dugan, then director of DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. In this br...

Regina Dugan: From mach-20 glider to humming bird drone

Added 03/27/12
979 Views

Regina Dugan: From mach-20 glider to humming bird drone

[LESS INFO] 979 VIEWS | ADDED 15:03:36 03/27/12
"What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" asks Regina Dugan, then director of DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. In this breathtaking talk she describes some of the extraordinary projects -- a robotic hummingbird, a prosthetic arm controlled by thought, and, well, the internet -- that her agency has created by not worrying that they might fail. (Followed by a Q%A with TED's Chris Anderson)

Vijay Kumar: Robots...
627 Views
15:34:51 03/01/12

In his lab at Penn, Vijay Kumar and his team build flying quadrotors, small, agile robots that swarm, sense each other, and form ad hoc teams -- for construction, ...

Vijay Kumar: Robots that fly ... and cooperate

Added 03/01/12
627 Views

Vijay Kumar: Robots that fly ... and cooperate

[LESS INFO] 627 VIEWS | ADDED 15:34:51 03/01/12
In his lab at Penn, Vijay Kumar and his team build flying quadrotors, small, agile robots that swarm, sense each other, and form ad hoc teams -- for construction, surveying disasters and far more.

Garth Lenz: The tru...
27 Views
14:54:08 02/18/12

What does environmental devastation actually look like? At TEDxVictoria, photographer Garth Lenz shares shocking photos of the Alberta Tar Sands mining project -- ...

Garth Lenz: The true cost of oil

Added 02/18/12
27 Views

Garth Lenz: The true cost of oil

[LESS INFO] 27 VIEWS | ADDED 14:54:08 02/18/12
What does environmental devastation actually look like? At TEDxVictoria, photographer Garth Lenz shares shocking photos of the Alberta Tar Sands mining project -- and the beautiful (and vital) ecosystems under threat. (Filmed at TEDxVictoria .)

Simon Berrow: How d...
477 Views
15:52:00 02/16/12

They're the second largest fish in the world, they're almost extinct, and we know almost nothing about them. In this talk, Simon Berrow describes the fascinating b...

Simon Berrow: How do you save a shark you know nothing about?

Added 02/16/12
477 Views

Simon Berrow: How do you save a shark you know nothing about?

[LESS INFO] 477 VIEWS | ADDED 15:52:00 02/16/12
They're the second largest fish in the world, they're almost extinct, and we know almost nothing about them. In this talk, Simon Berrow describes the fascinating basking shark ("Great Fish of the Sun" in Irish), and the exceptional -- and wonderfully low-tech -- ways he's learning enough to save them. (Filmed at TEDxDublin .)

Erik Johansson: Imp...
557 Views
16:01:27 02/10/12

Erik Johansson creates realistic photos of impossible scenes -- capturing ideas, not moments. In this witty how-to, the Photoshop wizard describes the principles h...

Erik Johansson: Impossible photography

Added 02/10/12
557 Views

Erik Johansson: Impossible photography

[LESS INFO] 557 VIEWS | ADDED 16:01:27 02/10/12
Erik Johansson creates realistic photos of impossible scenes -- capturing ideas, not moments. In this witty how-to, the Photoshop wizard describes the principles he uses to make these fantastical scenarios come to life, while keeping them visually plausible.

Cheryl Hayashi: The...
419 Views
15:50:05 12/07/11

Cheryl Hayashi studies spider silk, one of nature's most high-performance materials. Each species of spider can make up to 7 very different kinds of silk. How do t...

Cheryl Hayashi: The magnificence of spider silk

Added 12/07/11
419 Views

Cheryl Hayashi: The magnificence of spider silk

[LESS INFO] 419 VIEWS | ADDED 15:50:05 12/07/11
Cheryl Hayashi studies spider silk, one of nature's most high-performance materials. Each species of spider can make up to 7 very different kinds of silk. How do they do it? Hayashi explains at the DNA level -- then shows us how this super-strong, super-flexible material can inspire.

Cheryl Hayashi: The...
631 Views
15:46:43 12/07/11

Cheryl Hayashi studies spider silk, one of nature's most high-performance materials. Each species of spider can make up to 7 very different kinds of silk. How do t...

Cheryl Hayashi: The magnificence of spider silk

Added 12/07/11
631 Views

Cheryl Hayashi: The magnificence of spider silk

[LESS INFO] 631 VIEWS | ADDED 15:46:43 12/07/11
Cheryl Hayashi studies spider silk, one of nature's most high-performance materials. Each species of spider can make up to 7 very different kinds of silk. How do they do it? Hayashi explains at the DNA level -- then shows us how this super-strong, super-flexible material can inspire.

Robin Ince: Science...
422 Views
16:03:20 11/18/11

Does science ruin the magic of life? In this grumpy but charming monologue, Robin Ince makes the argument against. The more we learn about the astonishing behavior...

Robin Ince: Science versus wonder?

Added 11/18/11
422 Views

Robin Ince: Science versus wonder?

[LESS INFO] 422 VIEWS | ADDED 16:03:20 11/18/11
Does science ruin the magic of life? In this grumpy but charming monologue, Robin Ince makes the argument against. The more we learn about the astonishing behavior of the universe -- the more we stand in awe.

Robin Ince: Science...
554 Views
15:49:50 11/18/11

Does science ruin the magic of life? In this grumpy but charming monologue, Robin Ince makes the argument against. The more we learn about the astonishing behavior...

Robin Ince: Science versus wonder?

Added 11/18/11
554 Views

Robin Ince: Science versus wonder?

[LESS INFO] 554 VIEWS | ADDED 15:49:50 11/18/11
Does science ruin the magic of life? In this grumpy but charming monologue, Robin Ince makes the argument against. The more we learn about the astonishing behavior of the universe -- the more we stand in awe.

Yves Rossy: Fly wit...
411 Views
15:59:54 11/15/11

Strapped to a jet-powered wing, Yves Rossy is the Jetman -- flying free, his body as the rudder, above the Swiss Alps and the Grand Canyon. After a powerful short ...

Yves Rossy: Fly with the Jetman

Added 11/15/11
411 Views

Yves Rossy: Fly with the Jetman

[LESS INFO] 411 VIEWS | ADDED 15:59:54 11/15/11
Strapped to a jet-powered wing, Yves Rossy is the Jetman -- flying free, his body as the rudder, above the Swiss Alps and the Grand Canyon. After a powerful short film shows how it works, Rossy takes the TEDGlobal stage to share the experience and thrill of flying.

Yves Rossy: Fly wit...
491 Views
15:45:15 11/15/11

Strapped to a jet-powered wing, Yves Rossy is the Jetman -- flying free, his body as the rudder, above the Swiss Alps and the Grand Canyon. After a powerful short ...

Yves Rossy: Fly with the Jetman

Added 11/15/11
491 Views

Yves Rossy: Fly with the Jetman

[LESS INFO] 491 VIEWS | ADDED 15:45:15 11/15/11
Strapped to a jet-powered wing, Yves Rossy is the Jetman -- flying free, his body as the rudder, above the Swiss Alps and the Grand Canyon. After a powerful short film shows how it works, Rossy takes the TEDGlobal stage to share the experience and thrill of flying.

Nathalie Miebach: A...
416 Views
15:17:54 10/21/11

Artist Nathalie Miebach takes weather data from massive storms and turns it into complex sculptures that embody the forces of nature and time. These sculptures the...

Nathalie Miebach: Art made of storms

Added 10/21/11
416 Views

Nathalie Miebach: Art made of storms

[LESS INFO] 416 VIEWS | ADDED 15:17:54 10/21/11
Artist Nathalie Miebach takes weather data from massive storms and turns it into complex sculptures that embody the forces of nature and time. These sculptures then become musical scores for a string quartet to play.

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Michael Pawlyn: Using nature's genius in archit...

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Michael Pawlyn: Using nature's genius in architecture
02/10/11

How can architects build a new world of sustainable beauty? By learning from nature. At TEDSalon in London, Michael Pawlyn describes three habits of nature that could transform architecture and society: radical resource efficiency, closed loops, and drawing energy from the sun.