The 20 Most Popular TED Talks Ever

have become a worldwide phenomenon.

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It's a platform where the brightest minds — scientists, designers, inventors —  go to spread their ideas. Many of these leaders deliver their insights at TED conferences around the world, which are then uploaded onto TED.com.

To date, the talks have received over 800 million pageviews. TED has just released a list of the top 20 talks of all time, which we've compiled here.

Vijay Kumar
TED
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#20 - Vijay Kumar demos robots that fly like birds

Views: 3,535,340

University of Pennsylvania professor Vijay Kumar spent countless hours in the General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception (GRASP) Lab. The result: flying robots that can sense each other, move together in formation, and can even adjust their formation if one of the robots drops out.

With these robots, Kumar sees a lot of potential“[Agile aerial] robots like this have many applications. You can send them inside buildings as first responders to look for intruders, maybe look for biochemical leaks … [or they] can be used for transporting cargo.”

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#19 - Mary Roach reveals the most surprising facts about orgasm

Views:  3,810,630 

The reason behind this video's popularity isn't just in the topic, it's also the humor and wit of Mary Roach. Roach details her findings from hours of obscure research into the unknown and centuries-old topic of the orgasm. In the end, she gives viewers 10 bold and surprising claims about the sexual climax. (Viewer discretion is advised).

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#18 - Keith Barry hacks the most complex thing in nature, the human brain

Views: 3,847,893

Keith Barry is well known in Europe for his mind-blowing (literally) stunts. Some call him a magician, others call him a brain hacker. Whatever the name, Barry entertains with "brain magic," composing routines that exploit the human mind's loopholes and bugs. The effect: a revealing look into the complex software between our ears. 

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#17 - Johnny Lee transforms the Wii remote into fascinating objects

Views: 3,869,417

Digg.com rated Johnny Lee's Wii remote hack as the Internet's #1 tech demo of all time. Among some of the feats he can achieve by tinkering with a $40 Wii remote: creating a digital whiteboard, a touchscreen, and a head-mounted 3D viewer. Hard to picture in your head? Watch the video and see. 

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#16 - Jeff Han shows why computer mouses will soon become obsolete

Views: 3,891,251

Jeff Han demonstrates the accessibility and simplicity of a cheap, multi-touch, pressure sensitive, touchscreen for computers that may make the point-and-click era a thing of the past. Aside from the honor of being on this list, his work earned a spot on Time Magazine's list of the world's 100 Most Influential People. 

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#15 - Stephen Hawking ponders the deepest questions about the universe

Views: 4,153,105

Everyone wonders how the universe began, how life began, and whether we are alone or not. Stephen Hawking, already a household name, delves into these deep and ever-evolving questions, making the most complex concepts understandable to normal people.

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#14 - Dan Gilbert reveals the science behind happiness

Views: 4,269,082

Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert explains the fallacy behind the notion that to achieve happiness, one must get what they want. He uses psychology and neuroscience to explain that what we think makes us happy is, oftentimes, flat out wrong. 

As Gilbert explains it, “Natural happiness is what we get when we get what we wanted, and synthetic happiness is what we make when we don’t get what we wanted. In our society, we have a strong belief that synthetic happiness is of an inferior kind.”

 


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#13 - Elizabeth Gilbert says everyone is a genius

Views: 4,538,037

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of "Eat, Pray, Love," discusses the impossible expectations we have for people we deem geniuses. She believes that instead of labeling a select few people as a genius, we all have something in us that is genius. Gilbert states, “I have had work or ideas come through me from a source that I honestly cannot identify. What is that thing?"

 



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#12 - Arthur Benjamin shares the power of understanding mathematics

Views: 4,658,425

Mathematics professor Arthur Benjamin makes lightning-quick calculations for his audience, solves three-digit squares and even guesses a few birthdays of viewers. Benjamin thinks his skills aren't just good for entertainment, either. “I think if our students, if our high school students — if all of the American citizens — knew about probability and statistics, we wouldn’t be in the economic mess that we’re in today.”





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#11 - Dan Pink delves into the science behind motivation

Views: 4,706,241

Previously a speech writer for Al Gore, Dan Pink is now a career analyst, studying the puzzle of motivation. He offers advice to managers who want to get the most out of their employees. First off, he tells them to forget the traditional forms of reward that, in the end, actually "dulls thinking and blocks creativity."

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#10 - Brené Brown discusses the power of vulnerability, courage, authenticity and shame

Views: 4,763,038

These four emotions and characteristics are things we come into contact with every day, and Brené Brown has spent the last ten years studying them. In a speech filled with quotable material, her most poignant remark may be this: “You’re imperfect, and you’re wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging."

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#9 - Hans Rosling argues why the U.S. is not the most powerful nation in the world

Views: 4,966,643

Hans Rosling believes the notion of "the West and the rest" is flat-out wrong, and he uses statistics and discussions of global health and poverty to support his point. He's personally debated Fidel Castro and is also an accomplished sword swallower — which explains how he can deliver a riveting presentation.

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#8 - Steve Jobs told Stanford grads how to live life before you die

Views: 5,444,022

This is one of the most popular speeches of all time, for its poignancy and resonance. Jobs delivered a simple lesson to graduates: Pursue your dreams, don't dwell on failures, and seek opportunity. And above all, do not fear death — live before you die.

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#7 - Simon Sinek discusses how and why great leaders inspire action

Views: 6,050,294

Simon Sinek has a simple question he believes to be the root of all inspiration behind great people: Why? Sinek has spent his life's work (dabbling in advertising before losing his passion) trying to convince people to do what inspires them. As Sinek states, "People don’t buy what you do; people buy why you do it.”

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#6 - Tony Robbins says that an 'invisible force' is what motivates us

Views: 6,879,488

One of the most famous motivational speakers in the world, Tony Robbins has held 10,000-seat seminars, and spoken with Olympic athletes, heads of state, and CEOs. In this speech (which includes a famous TED moment in which he spontaneously high-fives with the spectating Al Gore), Robbins discusses what motivates us, what he calls the "invisible force."

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#5 - Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry show how the real world and infinite world of data interact

Views: 7,467,580

MIT's Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry demonstrate SixthSense, a wearable device with a projector that allows the real world and the world of data to interact. The idea behind the technology: transforming the computer from a distinct object into a source of intelligence embedded in our environment.  

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#4 - David Gallo reveals the mystery behind the sea creatures of the deep

Views: 7,879,541

A pioneer in ocean exploration, David Gallo provides us with a look into life miles below the water's surface. Included in the footage of his explorations are a cuttlefish that changes colors, a camouflaged, nearly-invisible octopus, and a fish with neon light.

"Today we’ve only explored about 3 percent of what’s out there in the ocean," he tells the audience. "Already we’ve found the world’s highest mountains, the world’s deepest valleys, underwater lakes, underwater waterfalls … . There’s still 97 percent, and either that 97 percent is empty or just full of surprises.” 

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#3 - Pranav Mistry uses the SixthSense to reveal a paper laptop

Views: 9,223,263

Inventor Pranav Mistry takes a deeper look at the SixthSense by the unveiling a new, paradigm-shifting paper "laptop." A Q&A with Mistry leads to the announcement that he will open-source SixthSense, allowing its possibilities to be discovered, and experienced, by all. 

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#2 - Jill Bolte Taylor demonstrates what a stroke does to the brain

Views: 10,409,851

Jill Bolte Taylor, a brain scientist, learned firsthand what a stroke does to the human mind when a blood vessel in her brain burst one morning. Witnessing her motion, speech, and self-awareness shut down one-by-one, Bolte spent the next eight years relearning how to think, walk, and talk. While the left side of her brain was permanently damaged, the right side experienced a windfall of creative energy. Today, she serves as a powerful voice for brain recovery. 

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#1 - Sir Ken Robinson says that schools are educating us out of our creativity

Views: 13,409,417

Sir Ken Robinson tops the list with his speech that calls into question our whole conception of education. As Robinson explains, we need to radically rethink our schools, encouraging and cultivating creativity and acknowledging the presence of multiple types of intelligence. Robinson believes we are educating people out of their creativity. "If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original", Robinson says. 

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Now learn more from the smartest minds

Nilofer Merchant
Duncan/TED

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