Software Downloads

Jimmy Wales assembled “a ragtag band of volunteers,” gave them tools for collaborating, and created Wikipedia, the self-organizing, self-correcting, never-finished encyclopedia of the future. Here, he explains how the collaborative approach works, and why it succeeds. Along the way, he debunks some controversies, explains the “neutral point-of-view policy” and why it is non-debatable; and details the Wikipedia governance model: a democracy with a bit of aristocracy and some monarchy thrown in.

In this quietly persuasive talk, Sasa Vucinic tells how being an independent radio broadcaster in the former Yugoslavia led him to create the Media Development Loan Fund, a radically new way to support independent media. He explains the importance of creating media businesses rather than mere journalistic entities, and proposes his vision (since realized) to issue “free press bonds,” publicly traded securities that support independent media in developing and transitioning countries.

Why do people succeed? Because they’re smart? Or lucky? How about: Neither. Richard St. John compacts more than a decade of research into an unmissable 3-minute slideshow on the real secrets of success. (Hint: Passion, persistence, and pushy mothers help.) Inspired by a chance encounter with a high school student who asked him how to become a success, St. John interviewed more than 500 successful people, then distilled what they told him into eight simple principles.

Actor Anna Deavere Smith brings the TED audience to their feet as she gives life to a series of quintessential Americans. Smith transforms herself in and out of character as she embodies legendary author Studs Terkel, followed by convict Paulette Jenkins, a Korean merchant in Los Angeles after the 1992 riots, and finally a rodeo bull rider. The monologues are drawn verbatim from interviews she conducted for On the Road: A Search for American Character.

Why do people see the Virgin Mary on cheese sandwiches or hear demonic lyrics in “Stairway to Heaven”? Using video, images and music, professional skeptic Michael Shermer explores these and other phenomena, including UFOs and alien sightings. He offers cognitive context: In the absence of sound science, incomplete information can combine with the power of suggestion (helping us hear those Satanic lyrics in Led Zeppelin). In fact, he says, humans tend to convince ourselves to believe: We overvalue the “hits” that support our beliefs, and discount the more numerous “misses.”

Psychologist Barry Schwartz takes aim at a central belief of western societies: that freedom of choice leads to personal happiness. In Schwartz’s estimation, all that choice is making us miserable. We set unreasonably high expectations, question our choices before we even make them, and blame our failures entirely on ourselves. His relatable examples, from consumer products (jeans, TVs, salad dressings) to lifestyle choices (where to live, what job to take, whom and when to marry), underscore this central point: Too many choices undermine happiness.

Arctic explorer Ben Saunders recounts his harrowing solo journey to the North Pole, complete with gorgeous images, anecdotes, and never-before-seen video. After failing to reach the Pole on an earlier expedition, Saunders explains how he re-examined everything — from his sawed-off 2-gram toothbrush, to a super-optimized 6,000-calorie-a-day diet, to a boost in communication that allowed him to blog daily — to ensure success for his 2004 trek. He wraps up with the plan for his next record-breaking ski trip, an expedition across Antarctica to the South Pole and back.

Tony Robbins makes it his business to know why we do the things we do. The pioneering life coach has spoken to millions of people through his best-selling books and three-day seminars.

Why you should listen to him: Tony Robbins might have one the world’s most famous smiles; his beaming confidence has helped sell his best-selling line of self-help books, and fill even his 10,000-seat seminars. What’s less known about the iconic motivational speaker is the range and stature of his personal clients. From CEOs to heads of state to Olympic athletes, a wide swath of high-performing professionals (who are already plenty motivated, thank you very much) look to him for help reaching their full potential.

Robbins’ expertise in leadership psychology is what brought him to TED, where his spontaneous on-stage interaction with Al Gore created an unforgettable TED moment. It also perfectly demonstrated Robbins’ direct — even confrontational — approach, which calls on his listeners to look within themselves, and find the inner blocks that prevent them from finding fulfillment and success. Some of his techniques — firewalking, for example — are magnets for criticism, but his underlying message is unassailable: We all have the ability to make a positive impact on the world, and it’s up to us, as individuals, to overcome our fears and foibles to reach that potential.

Robbins has won many accolades for his work — including his memorable performance in the Jack Black comedy Shallow Hal. (It was a small but vital role.) His Anthony Robbins Foundation works with the homeless, elderly and inner-city youth, and feeds more than 2 million people annually through its International Basket Brigade.
“What Tony delivers is an ever crescendoing call-and-response oratory that often gives the proceedings a teetering, Pentecostal kind of energy. ”
GQ

Pilobolus dance company members Otis Cook and Jennifer Macavinta perform the sensuous duet “Symbiosis.” Does it trace the birth of a human relationship, or the co-evolution of a pair of symbiotic species? That’s left for you to decide. Gorgeous, organic choreography blurs the boundaries between the two performers, who use the body’s own geometry to lift, move and combine. The music, recorded by the Kronos Quartet on Nonesuch Records, is a compilation of works: “God Music” from Black Angels by George Crumb, “Fratres” by Arvo Pärt, and “Morango … Almost a Tango” by Thomas Oboe Lee.

Echoing the catchphrase, Acumen Fund founder Jacqueline Novogratz asks, “How do you make poverty history?” She draws on her experiences financing businesses in Rwanda (microcredit), Tanzania (bed nets) and India (drip irrigation), to support her conviction that “People don’t want handouts: They want to make their own decisions, to solve their own problems.” Traditional aid doesn’t fit into this worldview. Novogratz advocates building viable systems with people on the ground to deliver critical and affordable goods and services to the poor, in ways that are financially sustainable and scalable.