Please suggest good TED talks.

April 5, 2010 10:14 AM

Please help me with TED talk suggestions - both video and in-person.

I am making suggestions to an organization to do a TEDx event - basically a smaller version of TED - but in a developing country (Eastern European though - high literacy, bad economy, corruption, etc.).

Interests would probably relate to new models of development, environmentalism on the cheap, anti-corruption, technology for development, innovative and cheap ways to use technology. An example of a topic that wouldn't be of interest would be "eat better" (they already eat well and organically!) and maybe self-help/personal organization.

1. Could MeFites please suggest TED talk videos that the group could watch and discuss?

2. There is also an opportunity to bring one or two speakers to the event. Suggestions for TED talk type people that would be good travelers (it gets a bit rough...) and at the level of inspiration that would be worthy of a keynote speaker?

posted by k8t to Grab Bag (9 answers total)

Sendhil Mullainathan (Harvard economist) did an excellent TED talk on psychological obstacles to solving problems using affordable and effective technology. He's particularly interested in developing countries (having been born in one).
posted by Jaltcoh at 10:49 AM on April 5, 2010

And as you can see from that first link, he also studies corruption.
posted by Jaltcoh at 10:51 AM on April 5, 2010

"Researcher Kamal Meattle shows how an arrangement of three common houseplants, used in specific spots in a home or office building, can result in measurably cleaner indoor air." Video
posted by selton at 11:31 AM on April 5, 2010

igniteshow.com is like a shorter version of TED. I'm sure you can find plenty of ideas there.
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:25 PM on April 5, 2010

This one was game changing for me

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

as well as this one

http://www.ted.com/talks/itay_talgam_lead_like_the_great_conductors.html
posted by andreinla at 3:00 PM on April 5, 2010

Shaffi Mathir's Talk on fighting corruption for profit with an income-scalable model.
posted by iNfo.Pump at 3:07 PM on April 5, 2010

Hans Rosling. Look's like several of his talks are up now - i'd suggest his 2006 talk first.

Also, you can view by tag, there's "development" and "corruption"
posted by at at 5:16 AM on April 9, 2010

forgot my link:
http://www.ted.com/talks/tags
posted by at at 9:09 PM on April 9, 2010

This spreadsheet of TED talks ranked by "PostRank engagement data" might help.
posted by evariste at 2:05 PM on May 16, 2010