« Avec une avance considérable » : le Français Mistral envoie du lourd avec son nouveau modèle d’IA

Mistral frappe fort avec Mistral Large 4, son nouveau modèle géant d’un millier de milliards de paramètres. La pépite française a su créer ce modèle très performant, avec une puissance de calcul pourtant minime par rapport aux Américains et aux Chinois. Et ce n’est pas le seul atout de ce...

Non, ChatGPT ne rend pas votre cerveau moins actif : voici ce que révèle vraiment l'étude

Une récente étude sur l’impact des modèles de langage sur notre cerveau et nos capacités cognitives a été mal interprétée dans certains médias, donnant lieu à une légère désinformation sur la question. 

Un vélo électrique sous la barre des 500 euros ? C'est du jamais vu sur AliExpress

Aussi bien pensé pour les déplacements quotidiens que pour les balades, le MileCity 1 26 pouces permet d'associer le confort d'une assistance électrique et équipement complet. En ce moment sur AliExpress, ce vélo électrique bénéficie d’une remise immédiate et d’un coupon permettant de réduire...

L’IA change de cap : ce pari de Mira Murati peut tout bousculer

Après avoir travaillé chez OpenAI, Mira Murati a fondé Thinking Machines Lab. Son objectif n’est pas de créer des modèles toujours plus complexes, mais de permettre à l’intelligence artificielle de collaborer avec les humains en temps réel.

Après OpenAI, Claude s’échappe à son tour d’un test et pirate trois entreprises sans être détecté !

Après OpenAI, c’est au tour d’Anthropic de reconnaître que son modèle d’IA a réussi à s’échapper d’un environnement pourtant conçu pour le contenir. Plusieurs organisations ont été visées, mais l’explication derrière ces incidents pourrait être bien moins inquiétante qu’elle n’en a l’air.

OpenAI prépare une enceinte intelligente qui va dialoguer avec vous

OpenAI s'apprête à franchir une nouvelle étape en lançant ses premiers appareils grand public. La firme préparerait une enceinte portable sans écran, équipée d'une caméra et de capteurs. Un appareil qui miserait sur GPT-Live pour transformer notre façon d'interagir avec l'IA. Mais OpenAI a...

Anthropic a découvert une zone de pensée secrète au cœur de son IA Claude qui rappelle le cerveau humain

En étudiant les mécanismes internes de Claude, les chercheurs d'Anthropic ont identifié une structure inattendue qui rappelle une théorie majeure des neurosciences. Une découverte qui pourrait faciliter l'analyse des grands modèles de langage, tout en ravivant un débat bien plus vaste.

C’est une première : une IA peut désormais mener seule des recherches scientifiques

Cela fait déjà plusieurs années que les spécialistes de l’intelligence artificielle (IA) essayent d’automatiser la recherche scientifique mais jusqu’ici, les algorithmes étaient incapables de gérer l’ensemble du processus.

Le risque est vertigineux : vos conversations avec une IA pourraient devenir un outil de profilage

À partir de milliers d’échanges avec ChatGPT, des chercheurs montrent que l’IA peut reconstituer des traits de personnalité avec une précision troublante. Une capacité qui pourrait bien ouvrir la voie à de la manipulation de masse personnalisée.

L’AGI pourrait arriver en 2030… mais pas avec les IA actuelles, prévient Demis Hassabis patron de Google DeepMind

Invité du podcast de Y Combinator, le fondateur de DeepMind et lauréat du prix Nobel de chimie a livré une vision lucide des défis qui restent à franchir avant l'intelligence artificielle générale (AGI). Derrière l'optimisme affiché, une question technique fondamentale se pose : les grands...

Image 2.0 est sorti : ChatGPT fait un bond de géant qui aura beaucoup d’impact dans la génération d'images

Jusqu’à maintenant, les textes incrustés sur une image IA étaient révélateur qu’une photo très réaliste était fausse. Avec l’arrivée d’Image 2.0 dans ChatGPT, cela va être désormais plus compliqué….

5 things we learned at day 1 of TEDNext 2025

At the opening session of TEDNext 2025, we explored two big themes: wonder and wisdom. With speakers ranging from a digital artist and a biotech entrepreneur to an Oscar-winning costume designer and a world-famous ballerina, this session had it all.

What exactly is TEDNext? A vibrant, three-day exploration of what’s next, propelling the “future you” to think expansively at every level, from personal to global. The second-ever TEDNext conference, held in Atlanta, continues an expansion of the annual slate of conferences from TED, with a conference designed to spark imagination, embrace possibility and foster dreams about what the next version of “you” can be.

Watch TEDNext 2025 on TED Live, check out more photos from the event and learn more about attending a future TED conference.

Some key takeaways from day 1:

We might be able to turn sunlight and CO2 into lifesaving drugs. Humans learned to “program” biology nearly a century ago by inserting human genes into microbes, turning cells into tiny factories for life-saving drugs like insulin. Today, these methods are costly, resource-intensive and inaccessible to many, says physician and biotech entrepreneur David S. Kim. He presents a potential solution: by reprogramming a cell known as cyanobacteria, which feeds on sunlight and CO2, we could unlock a sustainable “biological factory” for making medicines. He explains the science behind his team’s breakthrough and its potential to manufacture everything from food and fuels to materials and more.

Design is never neutral. What makes someone wicked? Costume designer Paul Tazewell probes this question in his work, demonstrating how clothing speaks a subconscious language that shapes who we view as heroes — and villains. From the period silhouettes of Hamilton and blending colors of West Side Story to the visual dualities of Wicked, Tazewell’s creations challenge stereotypes and inherited perceptions. His main message? If wickedness can be designed, then maybe we can redesign it together, too.

Media literacy is an essential skill of our time. With each leap of technology, humans have had to work double-time to keep up, says journalist and comedian Dave Jorgenson. He explains why media literacy — which he defines as “the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media in various forms” — is a crucial skill in an age of proliferating misinformation. With his own short, absurdist sketches that explain the news, he shows how humor can cut through fear, spark curiosity and cool down hot takes in order to explore nuanced truth.

The stage belongs to all of us. Ballerina and activist Misty Copeland made history in 2015 as the first Black woman to become a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre. Just last month, she retired from the company with a farewell performance, dancing for a world she helped reshape. In a moving talk, she charts the quiet roots of resilience — nourished not by invulnerability but by persistently showing up despite pain, pressure and rejection. She shows how to transform “you don’t belong here” into “this stage is yours, too.”

Atlanta has serious moves. In an incredible mid-session performance, choreographer and cultural architect Sean Bankhead brought music to life through movement, dancing to “On My Mama” by Victoria Monét.

Watch TEDNext 2025 on TED Live, check out more photos from the event and learn more about attending a future TED conference.

Dare to discover: The talks of TED@BCG 2024

We can discover new ideas to design the world we want — if we dare to push through boundaries. In a day of talks and performances, 15 speakers explored precisely how we can break through entrenched obstacles in order to invent and innovate a bold future.

The event: TED@BCG: Dare to Discover, the fifteenth event TED and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) have co-hosted to uplift forward-thinking speakers from around the globe. Hosted by TED’s head of media and curation Helen Walters.

When and where: Thursday, September 12, 2024 at the TED World Theater in New York City

Speakers: Alex Amouyel, Amaryllis Liampoti, Scott Shigeoka, Shalinee Sharma, Mark Abraham, Marielle Remillard, Neveen F. Awad, Andrej Levin, Giorgia Lupi, Ethan Kross, Nikolaus S. Lang, Neeraj Aggarwal, Raja Rajamannar, Kristy Ellmer and Lauren Taylor

The talks in brief:

Alex Amouyel, president and CEO of Newman’s Own Foundation

As CEO of Newman’s Own Foundation, Alex Amouyel challenges the norm of corporate giving by championing the “100% for purpose” movement: the foundation’s unique model of donating all of the profits from the food company it owns. Amouyel demonstrates how we can reimagine business and philanthropy to serve the common good, inviting others to join this small but mighty club envisioning a world where capitalism is turned on its head for the benefit of society.

Amaryllis Liampoti, entrepreneur, business strategist

AI is fundamentally changing how brands connect with consumers, and vice versa. Business strategist Amaryllis Liampoti outlines how, as AI chatbots become increasingly human-like in their capabilities, companies can use them to build deeper relationships with their customers. She shares three key principles to ensure brands are using this powerful tool responsibly.

Scott Shigeoka, curiosity expert

Curiosity is about seeking what unites us rather than clinging to what divides us, says author Scott Shigeoka. Reflecting on his journey across the US, where he purposefully met people with opposing views, he shares why learning to love his inner critic helped him to extend that same grace to others — and why recognizing our shared humanity starts with practicing curiosity.

Shalinee Sharma, CEO and cofounder of Zearn

Math isn’t just for “math kids” — it’s for everyone, says Shalinee Sharma, CEO and cofounder of the math learning platform Zearn. By believing in our abilities, making math meaningful through visual understanding and embracing fun practice through games, we can all develop strong math minds. Let’s give math a second chance and discover its beauty and power together.

Mark Abraham, personalization pioneer

In a world of spam and never-ending ads, it can be frustrating when a business clogs your inbox with meaningless and unhelpful content. So what can brands do to improve the customer experience? Mark Abraham shares the key findings from his groundbreaking research (and new book) on personalization. He explains how brands that embrace a less-is-more attitude will enjoy big wins in customer satisfaction and business growth.

Marielle Remillard, climate strategist

The path to net zero demands a massive amount of materials: billions of solar panels, millions of wind turbines and more. Climate strategist Marielle Remillard‘s research reveals critical shortages ahead — and breaks down why this is both a challenge and the biggest production opportunity since the Industrial Revolution.

Neveen F. Awad, technology change leader

Neveen F. Awad works at the intersection of health care, tech and equity. She highlights a broad shift in health care towards hyper-personalized experiences, including AI-powered medical diagnostics, and makes the case for inclusive innovation that ensures cutting-edge tech benefits everyone, not just a select few.

Andrej Levin, AI strategist

Negotiating over the price of a product can be uncomfortable, particularly in the automotive industry, where haggling is still common. AI strategist Andrej Levin presents research showing many customers would actually pay more for their cars in order to avoid the stress of negotiating — and shows how advancements in AI could enable companies across industries to set optimal fixed prices, making bargaining a thing of the past.

Giorgia Lupi, information designer, data humanist

After developing long COVID, Giorgia Lupi tracked her symptoms meticulously, creating a visual narrative for The New York Times that resonated deeply with many. She describes her shift from tracking symptoms to focusing on collective progress and gratitude, sharing how a new way of looking at data brought herself and others hope.

Ethan Kross, psychologist, neuroscientist, author

Your inner voice is a powerful tool for self-reflection and planning, but it can also trap you in negative thought loops — “chatter,” as psychologist and neuroscientist Ethan Kross calls it. He shows how, with techniques like distanced self-talk, seeking advice from others and experiencing awe, you can harness the potential of your inner voice while minimizing its pitfalls.

Nikolaus S. Lang, geopolitics navigator

What’s the most likely scenario for the future of geopolitics? International business consultant Nikolaus S. Lang forecasts a multipolar world, with multiple spheres of influence aligned along economic, technological and military interests, as opposed to just one or two dominant global powers. He shares why business leaders must prepare for this new geopolitical landscape — or risk their very futures.

Neeraj Aggarwal, chair of the Asia-Pacific region for BCG

Asia’s cultural influence is rapidly growing and fueling innovation around the world, says Neeraj Aggarwal, who has studied these trends for 25 years. From K-pop to manga, he shares how Asia’s burgeoning cultural power goes hand-in-hand with its booming economy — spurring tech breakthroughs and solutions to global challenges that are reshaping the future in creative, unexpected ways.

Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer of Mastercard, in conversation with TED’s Whitney Pennington Rodgers

As CMO of Mastercard, Raja Rajamannar champions an approach to marketing that goes beyond profit, emphasizing purpose-driven strategies that benefit society while boosting business. In conversation with TED current affairs curator Whitney Pennington Rodgers, he shares how Mastercard thinks about marketing as a force for good, leading to innovative solutions like the True Name card for transgender individuals and touch-identifiable cards for the visually impaired.

Kristy Ellmer, change leader

The only constant in today’s world is change. How can we get people excited about change within their organizations? Change leader Kristy Ellmer explains how companies can remedy the high failure rates of corporate transformations by focusing on the human aspect of every stage of their change programs — helping employees not only navigate the process but also see the potential good to come.

Lauren Taylor, customer centricity champion

Why do sustainable products often fail? Lauren Taylor believes it’s because they don’t meet consumers’ core needs (looking at you, paper straws). Offering a blueprint for creating planet-friendly options that are both functional and desirable, she explains how businesses can drive sustainability without asking customers to compromise.

Daring to discover new frontiers of musicality, Ok Cowgirl performs three songs featuring lead vocals from Leah Lavigne and lead guitar from Jake Sabinsky.

TED Fellows program supporting the next generation of innovators with $3M investment from Ballmer Group

At TED, we’re after big ideas and systemic change. To create the generational impact that we want to support in our communities, we cannot go at it alone. For the past 15 years, the TED Fellows program has been committed to finding and supporting the next generation of emerging talent pushing the boundaries in their fields and working to solve the greatest challenges in their communities. 

From criminal justice reformers to education entrepreneurs, conservationists to maternal health innovators, TED provides these emerging leaders with transformational support in the form of communication training, network-building, professional coaching and amplification of their ideas and influence. To date TED Talks by Fellows have been viewed more than 450 million times. TED then nurtures this community of 500+ Fellows from more than 100 countries, connecting and supporting these changemakers over the course of their careers with the goal of having this collective braintrust create systemic change and lasting impact. Fellows directly serve more than 200 million people worldwide annually with their work.

Through their Community Impact vertical, Ballmer Group is committed to building leadership pipelines that help communities address complex issues and achieve measurable and lasting change. Announcing a $3 million commitment to fund the TED Fellows program, Eshauna Smith, Ballmer Group’s Director of Community Impact, said, “Our investment in this effort reflects our belief that advancing economic mobility at scale requires investment in the core supports and platforms needed to grow the innovations being put forth by the diverse set of talented leaders that the TED Fellows program supports.” She added, “We are excited by this partnership and look forward to learning from and with past and future Fellows.”

Lily James Olds, Director of the TED Fellows program, said, “This meaningful investment from Ballmer Group will help TED Fellows evolve and grow over the next three years in new and exciting ways. As we face the most pressing issues of our times – climate change, wealth inequality, social justice and misinformation among them – TED is more committed than ever to supporting these talented innovators pushing boundaries in their fields to create a more informed, creative and just future.”

Ballmer Group’s $3 million investment will strengthen the TED Fellows program by:

1. Elevating investment in community- and network-building among Fellows, with the goal of greater collaboration and impact
2. Providing enhanced support to Fellows who wish to broaden their audience and expand their networks
3. Evolving Fellows content through new formats, distribution models and partnerships — not only to win greater visibility for these innovators’ work but also to inspire the next generation of up-and-coming changemakers globally
4. Committing to field-building through innovative partnerships and convenings, to tackle pressing problems collectively

The Ballmer Group funding will support the TED Fellows program to continue to identify and support 10 new Fellows and 500+ alumni Fellows per year. These Fellows include innovators such as:

• Shivani Siroya, financial inclusion entrepreneur and founder of Tala, a tool that allows anyone with a cell phone to build a financial track record
• Jeffrey Gibson, multidisciplinary artist creating paintings, sculptures, installations and performances that celebrate queer and Indigenous communities
• Larry Irvin, education innovator and the CEO of Brothers Empowered to Teach, providing pathways to careers in education for Black men
• Brittany Young, socioeconomic engineer, disrupting the prison pipeline by creating opportunities in STEM and motorsports

For more information about the TED Fellows, program visit fellows.ted.com and follow on Instagram or LinkedIn.

TED launches TED Audio Collective for podcasts

On February 22, 2021, TED launches the TED Audio Collective to house its growing collection of podcasts.

While broadly known for its global conferences and signature TED Talk videos, TED is also one of the top podcast publishers in the world. TED podcasts are downloaded 1.65 million times per day in virtually every country on earth. Our shows have been consistently ranked by Apple Podcasts as “most downloaded” of the year, and TED Talks Daily was the second most popular show globally on Spotify in 2020. Now the TED Audio Collective expands upon that foundation, creating a home for shows co-developed by TED and our speakers as well as shows developed and produced independently by inspiring thinkers and creators.

The podcasts in the TED Audio Collective are for listeners curious about everything from philosophy and psychology to science, technology, business and unexpected pathways in between — all curated through TED’s lens of “ideas worth spreading.” Here’s a sneak peek of exciting new content to expect over the coming months.

New in the TED Audio Collective:

Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter

Dr. Jen Gunter is on a mission to make us experts on the way our bodies work. Body Stuff is an original show developed by TED that aims to demystify the systems of the body while debunking medical myths along the way. Did you know that you don’t actually need eight glasses of water a day? That you can’t “boost” your immune system?

With humor and wit, Dr. Jen Gunter, a celebrated OB/GYN, pain medicine physician and TED speaker, aims to share accurate, evidence-based medical information in a fun and accessible way.

(Season 1 launches May 2021)

Lost Birds with Mona Chalabi

From COVID to electoral politics, people are turning to data to make sense of the world as never before. But how well do we understand what those numbers actually mean? Interpreting data has never been more timely or relevant to fight misinformation and understand the world around us.

In this original, sound-rich series, data scientist Mona Chalabi will take listeners on an inquiry into the central question: How can we use data to make sense of our lived experiences, and what are the limits of that data? Along the way, she will tackle urgent, random and sometimes deeply personal questions: How does Google calculate walking speeds? What happens when cities get louder? When will my heartache end?

(Season 1 launches June 2021)

Conversations with People Who Hate Me 

TED alum Dylan Marron is joining the TED Audio Collective to continue exploring what happens when online feuders step out from behind the keyboard and get to know the human on the other side of the screen.

In an internet era characterized by comment section wars, devastating clapbacks and anonymous vitriol, Dylan Marron connects people who have clashed online — from old friends to complete strangers — to explore why we believe what we believe, how we relate to each other on the internet and just what a phone call can accomplish. Don’t be fooled by the title! It’s actually a loving show that fosters unlikely connections in an age of increasing digital isolation. 

(New episodes launching Fall 2021)

Design Matters 

The iconic Design Matters with Debbie Millman pulls back the curtain on how incredibly creative people design the arc of their lives. It’s the world’s first podcast about design — an inquiry into the broader world of creative culture through wide-ranging conversations with designers, writers, artists, curators, musicians and other luminaries of contemporary thought. Design Matters joined the TED Audio Collective in October 2020 and is produced independently, with TED amplifying the podcast to its global audience. 

(New episodes every Monday. Watch out for upcoming conversations with Adam Grant, Jacqueline Woodson, Nick Cave and many more.)

Plus, new episodes from:

ZigZag 

Hosted by Manoush Zomorodi, ZigZag is a business show about being human. Manoush takes listeners on a journey to discover new ways we can align our business ambitions with systemic change that’s good for our fellow human beings and the world. In March 2021, Manoush will release season six: “The Zig Zag Project.” Over six weeks, she’ll lead a boot camp for listeners who want to make big changes in their work life by finding ways to align their personal values with their professional ambitions.

(Season 6 launches March 2021)

TED Business 

Columbia Business School professor Modupe Akinola hosts TED Business, a show that explores the most powerful and surprising ideas that illuminate the business world. After hearing a TED Talk, listeners get a mini-lesson from Modupe on how to apply the ideas from the talk to their own lives. Because whatever your business conundrum — how to land that new promotion, set smarter goals, undo injustice at work or unlock the next big thing — there’s a TED Talk for that.

(New episodes every Monday)

WorkLife with Adam Grant 

WorkLife with Adam Grant is back with its fourth season! Organizational psychologist Adam Grant takes listeners inside the minds of some of the world’s most unusual professionals to explore the science of making work not suck. Season four kicks off with a bonus episode where JJ Abrams interviews Adam Grant about his new book, Think Again. 

• Taken for Granted: TED is also launching a companion series inspired by Adam’s popular long-form interviews with luminaries like Esther Perel. Starting with Brené Brown, Malcolm Gladwell, Jane Goodall and Glennon Doyle, he’ll sit down with his favorite thinkers about the opinions and assumptions we should all be revisiting. 

(Season 4 launches March 2021, and Taken for Granted launches February 2021)

The TED Interview 

In The TED Interview, Head of TED Chris Anderson speaks with some of the world’s most interesting people to dig into the most provocative and powerful ideas of our time. From Bill Gates to Monica Lewinsky, Chris follows his curiosity across myriad topics and disciplines, diving deep with the most compelling thinkers from the TED stage and beyond. Entering the sixth season of the show this year, Chris investigates “The Case for Optimism” and why there’s still reason for tremendous hope in these trying times.

(Season 6 launches April 2021, featuring interviews with climate activist Xiye Bastida, inventor of CRISPR Jennifer Doudna and many more.)

TED Radio Hour

In each episode of TED Radio Hour, host Manoush Zomorodi explores a big idea through a series of TED Talks and original interviews, inspiring us to learn more about the world, our communities and, most importantly, ourselves. TED Radio Hour is a co-production of NPR and TED.

(New episodes every Friday. Watch out for an exciting episode in March called “Through The Looking Glass” about the tools that scientists, physicians and artists use to extend our perception of what we can see and our boundaries of consciousness — featuring TED speakers Emily Levesque, Ariel Waldman, Rick Doblin and more.)

Our Partners: TED Partnerships, working in collaboration with the TED team and podcast hosts, strives to tell partner stories in the form of authentic, story-driven content developed in real-time and aligned with the editorial process — finding and exploring brilliant ideas from all over the world. Past and current partners are wide-ranging and diverse, including Accenture, Bonobos, Unilever, Hilton, JP Morgan Chase & Co, Lexus, Marriott Hotels, Morgan Stanley, Warby Parker, Verizon, Women Will, a Grow with Google program and more. Learn more here. 

Other podcasts in the TED Audio Collective: Far Flung with Saleem Reshamwala, Sincerely, X, Checking In with Susan David, TED Talks Daily, TED Health, How to Be a Better Human, TEDx SHORTS, TED en Español and TED in Chinese.

TED announces an exciting new slate of podcasts

TED Travel returns 

Escape with host Saleem Reshamwala and journey across the globe in search of the world’s most surprising and imaginative ideas. TED Travel isn’t a travel show, exactly. It’s a deep dive into the ideas that shape a particular spot on the map, brought to you by the people who live there.

New episodes will take listeners to Lima, Peru, where hip-hop artists are trying to save an endangered language (and restore the nation’s pride along the way); then over to Rapa Nui (aka Easter Island), one of the most remote places on earth, where the pandemic has inspired a complete reimagining of island life; and on a road trip to find a real-life Black utopia in North Carolina — and the possibilities it inspires for future generations.

TED Travel is made possible with support from Marriott Hotels and Women Will, a Grow with Google program.

TED Travel returns with four new episodes beginning October 14.

Design Matters joins the family 

A show about how incredibly creative people design the arc of their lives, the iconic Design Matters with Debbie Millman will join the TED family in October. It’s the world’s first podcast about design: an inquiry into the broader world of creative culture through wide-ranging conversations with designers, writers, artists, curators, musicians and other luminaries of contemporary thought. Design Matters will continue to be produced independently, with TED amplifying the podcast to its global audience. 

Design Matters episodes are available on TED platforms in October.

Sincerely, X is free and available to the public 

Some ideas are too risky to share in the open. Sincerely, X is a space to share those controversial ideas anonymously. Hosted by poet, performer and educator Sarah Kay, this powerful show is a window into stories that usually stay hidden, an honest look at experiences typically too painful or difficult to share.

Previously only on the Luminary app, season two is being made available on all podcast platforms. In the first episode, we hear from a small-town preacher in the Deep South with a radical secret: he doesn’t believe in hell. We’ll also meet a sociopath who reveals what society can learn from her condition; a former cult member who teaches us how to let go of the past; and much more. 

Sincerely, X episodes drop on TED’s platforms October 22, with a new episode every week for 10 weeks.

Also from TED…

TED Business, hosted by Modupe Akinola, associate professor of management at Columbia Business School, will take listeners through some of the most creative and surprising TED Talks that illuminate the business world. Strictly business topics are just the beginning: TED Business will also dig into relevant talks on psychology, science, design, democracy — stretching listeners’ sense of what really matters in business.

Episodes available weekly, starting October 12

TED Health provides a curated selection of the best health-related TED Talks. From smart daily habits to new medical breakthroughs, doctors and researchers share discoveries and ideas about medicine and well-being.

Episodes available weekly, starting October 13

Twenty Thousand Hertz is hosted by Dallas Taylor, creative director of Defacto Sound. The lovingly crafted podcast reveals the stories behind the world’s most recognizable and interesting sounds. In upcoming episodes, modern paleontology shares what dinosaurs really sound like (October 7) and how we might create a sonic utopia in the future (November 11).

New episodes available every other Wednesday

TED Talks Daily, TED’s flagship podcast, will begin publishing talks from Countdown — a global initiative to combat climate change — beginning in mid-October. The first TED Talk to publish will be from Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge, followed by talks from climate impact scholar Johan Rockström, electrification advocate Monica Araya and UK parliament member David Lammy. These talks will also be published in a special Countdown podcast to showcase the most exciting ideas about fighting climate change.

Talks from Countdown will begin publishing October 10

TED Radio Hour investigates the biggest questions of our time with the help of the world’s greatest thinkers. Can we preserve our humanity in the digital age? Where does creativity come from? And what’s the secret to living longer? In each episode, host Manoush Zomorodi explores a big idea through a series of TED Talks and original interviews, inspiring us to learn more about the world, our communities and, most importantly, ourselves.

In October, TED Radio Hour will release an exciting episode featuring the cohost of NPR’s All Things Considered Mary Louise Kelly, biophysicist and neuroscientist Jim Hudspeth, writer and “part-time cyborg” Rebecca Knill, musician and acoustic engineer Renzo Vitale and TED’s own Dallas Taylor, the host of Twenty Thousand Hertz.

New episodes available every Friday

Our partners: TED strives to tell partner stories in the form of authentic, story-driven content developed in real time and aligned with the editorial process — finding and exploring brilliant ideas from all over the world. This season’s podcasts are made possible with support from Change Healthcare, Lexus, Marriott Hotels, Women Will, a Grow with Google program, and more.

Listening to nature: Notes from Session 1 of TED2020

TED looks a little different this year, but much has also stayed the same. The TED2020 mainstage program kicked off Thursday night with a session of talks, performances and visual delights from brilliant, creative individuals who shared ideas that could change the world — and stories of people who already have. But instead of convening in Vancouver, the TED community tuned in to the live, virtual broadcast hosted by TED’s Chris Anderson and Helen Walters from around the world — and joined speakers and fellow community members on an interactive, TED-developed second-screen platform to discuss ideas, ask questions and give real-time feedback. Below, a recap of the night’s inspiring talks, performances and conversations.

Ariel Waldman, Antarctic explorer, NASA advisor

Big idea: Seeing microbes in action helps us more fully understand (and appreciate) the abundance of life that surrounds us. 

How: Even in the coldest, most remote place on earth, our planet teems with life. Explorer Ariel Waldman introduces the thousands of organisms that call Antarctica home — and they’re not all penguins. Leading a five-week expedition, Waldman descended the sea ice and scaled glaciers to investigate and film myriad microscopic, alien-looking creatures. Her footage is nothing short of amazing — like wildlife documentary at the microbial level! From tiny nematodes to “cuddly” water bears, mini sea shrimp to geometric bugs made of glass, her camera lens captures these critters in color and motion, so we can learn more about their world and ours. Isn’t nature brilliant?

Did you know? Tardigrades, also known as water bears, live almost everywhere on earth and can even survive in the vacuum of space. 

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Tracy Edwards, Trailblazing sailor

Big Idea: Despite societal limits, girls and women are capable of creating the future of their dreams. 

How: Though competitive sailing is traditionally dominated by men, women sailors have proven they are uniquely able to navigate the seas. In 1989, Tracy Edwards led the first all-female sailing crew in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race. Though hundreds of companies refused to sponsor the team and bystanders warned that an all-female team was destined to fail, Edwards knew she could trust in the ability of the women on her team. Despite the tremendous odds, they completed the trip and finished second in their class. The innovation, kindness and resourcefulness of the women on Edwards’s crew enabled them to succeed together, upending all expectations of women in sailing. Now, Edwards advocates for girls and women to dive into their dream fields and become the role models they seek to find. She believes women should understand themselves as innately capable, that the road to education has infinite routes and that we all have the ability to take control of our present and shape our futures.

Quote of the talk: “This is about teaching girls: you don’t have to look a certain way; you don’t have to feel a certain way; you don’t have to behave a certain way. You can be successful. You can follow your dreams. You can fight for them.”

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Virtuosic cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, whose standout performance at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made waves with music fans across the world, joins his sister, pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason, for an intimate living room performance of “Muse” by Sergei Rachmaninov and “Spring Song” by Frank Bridge.

And for a visual break, podcaster and design evangelist Debbie Millman shares an animated love letter to her garden — inviting us to remain grateful that we are still able to make things with our hands.

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Dallas Taylor, Host/creator of Twenty Thousand Hertz podcast

Big idea: There is no such thing as true silence.

Why? In a fascinating challenge to our perceptions of sound, Dallas Taylor tells the story of a well-known, highly-debated and perhaps largely misunderstood piece of music penned by composer John Cage. Written in 1952, 4′33″ is more experience than expression, asking the listener to focus on and accept things the way they are, through three movements of rest — or, less technically speaking, silence. In its “silence,” Cage invites us to contemplate the sounds that already exist when we’re ready to listen, effectively making each performance a uniquely meditative encounter with the world around us. “We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to reset our ears,” says Taylor, as he welcomes the audience to settle into the first movement of 4’33” together. “Listen to the texture and rhythm of the sounds around you right now. Listen for the loud and soft, the harmonic and dissonant … enjoy the magnificence of hearing and listening.”

Quote of the talk: “Quietness is not when we turn our minds off to sound, but when we really start to listen and hear the world in all of its sonic beauty.”

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Jane Goodall, Primatologist, conservationist

Big idea: Humanity’s long-term livelihood depends on conservation.

Why? After years in the field reinventing the way the world thinks about chimpanzees, their societies and their similarities to humans, Jane Goodall began to realize that as habitats shrink, humanity loses not only resources and life-sustaining biodiversity but also our core connection to nature. Worse still, as once-sequestered animals are pulled from their environments and sold and killed in markets, the risk of novel diseases like COVID-19 jumping into the human population rises dramatically. In conversation with head of TED Chris Anderson, Goodall tells the story of a revelatory scientific conference in 1986, where she awakened to the sorry state of global conservation and transformed from a revered naturalist into a dedicated activist. By empowering communities to take action and save natural habitats around the world, Goodall’s institute now gives communities tools they need to protect their environment. As a result of her work, conservation has become part of the DNA of cultures from China to countries throughout Africa, and is leading to visible transformations of once-endangered forests and habitats.

Quote of the talk: “Every day you live, you make an impact on the planet. You can’t help making an impact … If we all make ethical choices, then we start moving towards a world that will be not quite so desperate to leave for our great-grandchildren.”

Meaning Seekers: Notes from Session 5 of TEDWomen 2019

Session 5 of TEDWomen 2019 is all about seeking meaning: in our political lives, creative lives, healthcare systems, criminal justice and beyond.

The event: TEDWomen 2019, Session 5: Meaning Seekers, hosted by Helen Walters and Anna Verghese

When and where: Thursday, December 5, 2019, 5pm PT, at La Quinta Resort & Club in La Quinta, California

Speakers: Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Priti Krishtel, Robin Steinberg, Manoush Zomorodi, Denise Ho, Denise Zmekhol, Smruti Jukur, Debbie Millman

The talks in brief:

Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone

Big idea: We can catalyze positive change by channeling feelings of dissatisfaction into collaboration and action.

How? After learning of the devastating rebel invasion of Sierra Leone in 1999, and the details of the 2014 Ebola epidemic, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr was struck by profound feelings of anger and discontent. But instead of becoming frozen and overwhelmed by those feelings, she decided to act. This movement from dissatisfaction to action is the key to creating dramatic change, Aki-Sawyerr says. In 1999, she cofounded the Sierra Leone War Trust for Children, supporting and advocating for refugees of Sierra Leone’s rebel invasion. During the Ebola epidemic, Aki-Sawyerr designed the Western Area Surge Plan, which prioritized collaborating with community members to stop the spread of the virus. Now, as mayor of Freetown, she’s bringing together the city to translate their frustrations into actionable solutions.

Quote of the talk: “The steps to address that deep sense of anger and frustration I felt didn’t unfold magically or clearly. That’s not how the power of dissatisfaction works. It works when you know that things can be better, and it works when you decide to take the risks to bring about that change.”

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Priti Krishtel, pharmaceutical reformer

Big idea: High drug prices are fueling crushing debt, causing families immense hardship, including loss of life. These prices, in turn, are made possible by an outdated patent system that’s easily exploited by the pharmaceutical industry to perpetuate drug monopolies that extend for years beyond their original patents.

How? Between 2006 and 2016, drug patents doubled. But consider this: the vast majority of medicines associated with new drug patents are not new, with nearly eight out of ten being for existing medicines, like insulin or aspirin. Priti Krishtel believes that US patent reforms would dramatically reduce medical costs. We can start by banning new patents for trivially modified drugs, removing financial incentives for the Patent Office (which currently gets paid based on granted patents), increasing the transparency of the patent process, empowering the public to challenge patents in court, and introducing robust patent oversight mechanisms.

Quote of the talk: “The higher a patent wall a company builds, the longer they hold on to their monopoly. And with no one to compete with, they can set prices at whim — and because these are medicines and not designer watches, we have no choice but to pay.”

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Robin Steinberg, public defender, activist, CEO of The Bail Project

Big idea: We need to end the injustice of cash bail in the United States criminal justice system.

Why? In conversation with journalist Manoush Zomorodi (the new host of the TED Radio Hour), Robin Steinberg gives an update on her 2018 TED Talk about the work of her nonprofit The Bail Project. Here’s the problem: on any given night, more than 450,000 people in the US are locked up in jail simply because they don’t have enough money to pay bail. The sums in question are often around $500: easy for some to pay, impossible for others. This has real human consequences: people lose jobs, homes and lives, and it drives racial disparities in the legal system. Now, with support from the The Audacious Project, Steinberg’s nonprofit is scaling up their efforts — growing their revolving bail fund, expanding the on-the-ground presence of their bail disruptors and rolling out a community-based model that gives local support to people before they are convicted of a crime.

Quote of the talk: “Each and every one of us is implicated in what our criminal legal system looks like. There is no escaping that.”

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Denise Ho, singer and democracy activist

Big idea: In a stirring talk and performance, banned Cantopop superstar Denise Ho gives the TED audience a taste of a dissident’s life in 2019 Hong Kong — and a glimpse into a protest movement that persists in the face of constant oppression by the Hong Kong government and their allies on the mainland.

How? As an activist in the 2014 pro-democracy Umbrella Movement, Denise Ho joined her fellow citizens on the streets of Hong Kong for 79 days. Although she was ultimately arrested, censored and banned, she moved her career underground. She remains a crucial voice for democracy and a dedicated fighter in a leaderless movement battling to preserve autonomy for Hong Kong through spontaneous actions that the authorities are unable to predict or control.

Quote of the talk: “Creativity is what the tyrants cannot control, nor repress. WIth their very powerful but slow machine, it takes time for them to react to new ideas. Whether it is the protest on the streets that is taking a new fluidity, or the way that people reinvent themselves, the system needs time to counter it to find solutions. … When they do, we would have already moved on to the next idea.”

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Denise Zmekhol, filmmaker

Big idea: The memory of Pele de Vidro, the iconic São Paulo tower, continues to be a poignant reflection of Brazil’s past, present and future.

Why? The Pele de Vidro (which translates to “Skin of Glass”) has been a symbol of modernity in Latin America since the early-1960s, when Denise Zmekhol’s father designed the São Paulo landmark. Yet, it wasn’t until many years after his death that she learned what went on behind its closed doors. As she reconnected with her late father’s memory and filmed a documentary in 2017, she discovered that “the glass walls of this building became a mirror reflecting the glory and turmoil of our beloved Brazil.” But before she could set foot inside, the unimaginable happened: a massive fire swallowed the iconic building. Zmekhol grieved for the city and her father. But today, she is hopeful. Architects are planning to build a cultural lab at the site of the Pele de Vidro to pay tribute to her father and the landmark that meant so much for so many.

Quote of the talk: “Ironically, only after the building was gone could I understand the role it played in so many lives.”

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Smruti Jukur, urban planner

Big idea: What if those in poverty were a part of the city planning process?

Why? Within many cities there exists another city — informal communities, hundreds of thousands of people strong. 881 million people across the world who live in these settlements and slums — some as large as townships (Kibera, Nairobi; Dharavi, Mumbai; and Khayelitsha, South Africa, to name a few) — are under threat of being displaced at any time in the name of real estate development. Smruti Jukur urges governments and those in power to work in tandem with these settlements, instead of choosing what they think is right for their citizens. Jukur offers a real-world example, happening right now in Mukuru, Nairobi, where respect, empowerment and collaboration is helping leaders and their residents build a more inclusive city for tomorrow.

Quote of the talk: “Poverty only changes affordability. It does not change aspirations.”

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Debbie Millman, designer

Big idea: The ability to create meaning through symbols and logos doesn’t just belong to big corporations. It belongs to all of us. 

Why? Since the early days of human society, we have created community through shared symbols. In fact, some of the first religious symbols were not created by any church or leader, but by communities themselves, explains Debbie Millman. Unique marks and logos have come to indicate ownership or belonging in a variety of ways, from branding cattle to the first trademarked brand in the United States: a beer. But for the last few hundred years, this ability has largely belonged to companies with the means to trademark and advertise something as recognizable as the Nike swoosh. Now, online culture is changing things, Millman says. Social media can amplify messages, and branding has reverted to something created by and for people. The creation of the pussy hat for the 2017 Women’s March is just one example of how the internet grants us the democratic capacity to make shared meaning.

Quote of the talk: “Branding is not just a tool of capitalism. Branding is the profound manifestation of the human spirit.” 

In Case You Missed It: Highlights from TED2019

If we learned anything at TED2019, it’s that life doesn’t fit into simple narratives, and that there are no simple answers to the big problems we’re facing. But we can use those problems, our discomfort and even our anger to find the energy to make change.

Twelve mainstage sessions, two rocking sessions of talks from TED Fellows, a special session of TED Unplugged, a live podcast recording and much more amounted to an unforgettable week. Any attempt to summarize it all will be woefully incomplete, but here’s a try.

What happened to the internet? Once a place of so much promise, now a source of so much division. Journalist Carole Cadwalldr opened the conference with an electrifying talk on Facebook’s role in Brexit — and how the same players were involved in 2016 US presidential election. She traced the contours of the growing threat social media poses to democracy and calls out the “gods of Silicon Valley,” naming names — one of whom, Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Twitter, sat down to talk with TED’s Chris Anderson and Whitney Pennington Rodgers the following day. Dorsey acknowledged problems with harassment on the platform and explained some of the work his team is doing to make it better.

Hannah Gadsby broke comedy. Her words, and she makes a compelling case in one of the most talked-about moments of the conference. Look for her talk release on April 29.

Humanity strikes back! Eight huge Audacious Project–supported ideas launched at TED this year. From a groundbreaking project at the Center for Policing Equity to work with police and communities and to collect data on police behavior and set goals to make it more fair … to a new effort to sequester carbon in soil … and more, you can help support these projects and change the world for good.

10 years of TED Fellows. Celebrating a decade of the program in two sessions of exuberant talks, the TED Fellows showed some wow moments, including Brandon Clifford‘s discovery of how to make multi-ton stones “dance,” Arnav Kapur‘s wearable device that allows for silent speech and Skylar Tibbits‘s giant canvas bladders that might save sinking islands. At the same time, they reminded us some of the pain that can exist behind breakthroughs, with Brandon Anderson speaking poignantly about the loss of his life partner during a routine traffic stop — which inspired him to develop a first-of-its-kind platform to report police conduct — and Erika Hamden opening up about her team’s failures in building FIREBall, a UV telescope that can observe extremely faint light from huge clouds of hydrogen gas in and around galaxies.

Connection is a superpower. If you haven’t heard of the blockbuster megahit Crazy Rich Asians, then, well, it’s possible you’re living under a large rock. Whether or not you saw it, the film’s director, Jon M. Chu, has a TED Talk about connection — to his family, his culture, to film and technology — that goes far beyond the movie. The theme of connection rang throughout the conference: from Priya Parker’s three easy steps to turn our everyday get-togethers into meaningful and transformative gatherings to Barbara J. King’s heartbreaking examples of grief in the animal kingdom to Sarah Kay’s epic opening poem about the universe — and our place in it.

Meet DigiDoug. TED takes tech seriously, and Doug Roble took us up on it, debuting his team’s breakthrough motion capture tech, which renders a 3D likeness (known as Digital Doug) in real time — down to Roble’s facial expressions, pores and wrinkles. The demo felt like one of those shifts, where you see what the future’s going to look like. Outside the theater, attendees got a chance to interact with DigiDoug in VR, talking on a virtual TED stage with Roble (who is actually in another room close by, responding to the “digital you” in real time).

New hope for political leadership. There was no shortage of calls to fix the broken, leaderless systems at the top of world governments throughout the conference. The optimists in the room won out during Michael Tubbs’s epic talk about building new civic structures. The mayor of Stockton, California (and the youngest ever of a city with more than 100,000 people), Tubbs shared his vision for governing strategies that recognize systems that place people in compromised situations — and that view impoverished and violent communities with compassion. “When we see someone different from us, they should not reflect our fears, our anxieties, our insecurities, the prejudices we have been taught, our biases. We should see ourselves. We should see our common humanity.”

Exploring the final frontier. A surprise appearance from Sheperd Doeleman, head of the Event Horizon Telescope — whose work produced the historic, first-ever image of a black hole that made waves last week — sent the conference deep into space, and it never really came back. Astrophysicist Juna Kollmeier, head of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, shared her work mapping the observable universe — a feat, she says, that we’ll complete in just 40 years.  “Think about it. We’ve gone from arranging clamshells to general relativity in a few thousand years,” she says. “If we hang on 40 more, we can map all the galaxies.” And in the Fellows talks, Moriba Jah, a space environmentalist and inventor of the orbital garbage monitoring software AstriaGraph, showed how space has a garbage problem. Around half a million objects, some as small as a speck of paint, orbit the Earth — and there’s no consensus on what’s in orbit or where.

Go to sleep. A lack of sleep can lead to more than drowsiness and irritability. Matt Walker shared how it can be deadly as well, leading to an increased risk of Parkinson’s, cancer, heart attacks and more. “Sleep is the Swiss army knife of health,” he says, “It’s not an optional lifestyle luxury. Sleep is a non-negotiable biological necessity. It is your life support system, and it is mother nature’s best effort yet at immortality.”

In Case You Missed It: Highlights from day 4 of TED2019

Day 4 of TED2019 played on some of the more powerful forces in the world: mystery, play, connection, wonder and awe. Some themes and takeaways from a jam-packed day:

Sleep is the Swiss Army knife of health. The less you sleep, the shorter your life expectancy and the higher your chance of getting a life-threatening illness like Alzheimer’s or cancer, says sleep scientist Matt Walker. It’s all about the deep sleep brain waves, Walker says: those tiny pulses of electrical activity that transfer memories from the brain’s short-term, vulnerable area into long-term storage. He shares some crazy stats about a global experiment performed on 1.6 billion people across 70 countries twice a year, known to us all as daylight savings time. In the spring, when we lose an hour of sleep, we see a 24 percent increase in heart attacks that following day, Walker says. In the autumn, when we gain an hour of sleep, we see a 21 percent reduction in heart attacks.

Video games are the most important technological change happening in the world right now. Just look at the scale: a full third of the world’s population (2.6 billion people) find the time to game, plugging into massive networks of interaction, says entrepreneur Herman Narula. These networks let people exercise a social muscle they might not otherwise exercise. While social media can amplify our differences, could games create a space for us to empathize? That’s what is happening on Twitch, says cofounder Emmett Shear. With 15 million daily active users, Twitch lets viewers watch and comment on livestreamed games, turning them into multiplayer entertainment. Video games are a modern version of communal storytelling, says Shear, with audiences both participating and viewing as they sit around their “virtual campfires.”

We’re heading for a nutrition crisis. Plants love to eat CO2, and we’re giving them a lot more of it lately. But as Kristie Ebi shows, there’s a hidden, terrifying consequence — the nutritional quality of plants is decreasing, reducing levels of protein, vitamins and nutrients that humans need. Bottom line: the rice, wheat and potatoes our grandparents ate might have contained more nutrition than our kids’ food will. Asmeret Asefaw Berhe studies the soil where our food grows — “it’s just a thin veil that covers the surface of land, but it has the power to shape our planet’s destiny,” she says. In a Q&A with Ebi, Berhe connects the dots between soil and nutrition: “There are 13 nutrients that plants get only from soil. They’re created from soil weathering, and that’s a very slow process.” CO2 is easier for plants to consume — it’s basically plant junk food.  

Tech that folds and moves. Controlling the slides in his talk with the swipe on the arm of his jean jacket, inventor Ivan Poupyrev shows how, with a bit of collaboration, we can design literally anything to be plugged into the internet — blending digital interactivity with everyday analog objects like clothing. “We are walking around with supercomputers in our pockets. But we’re stuck in the screens with our faces? That’s not the future I imagine.” Some news: Poupryev announced from stage that his wearables platform will soon be made available freely to other creators, to make of it what they will. Meanwhile Jamie Paik shows folding origami robots — call them “robogami” — that morph and change to respond to what we’re asking them to do. “These robots will no longer look like the characters from the movies,” she says. “Instead, they will be whatever you want them to be.”

Inside the minds of creators. Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt has gotten more than his fair share of attention in his acting career (in which, oddly, he’s played two TED speakers: tightrope walker Philippe Petit and whistleblower Edward Snowden). But as life has morphed on social media, he’s found that there’s a more powerful force than getting attention: giving it. Paying attention is the real essence of creativity, he says — and we should do more of it. Legendary artist and stage designer Es Devlin picks up on that theme of connection, taking us on a tour of the mind-blowing sets she’s created for Beyoncé, Adele, U2 and others; her work is aimed at fostering lasting connections and deep empathy in her audience. As she quotes E.M. Forster: “Only connect!”

We can map the universe — the whole universe. On our current trajectory, we’ll map every large galaxy in the observable universe by 2060, says astrophysicist Juna Kollmeier, head of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). “Think about it. We’ve gone from arranging clamshells to general relativity to SDSS in a few thousand years,” she says, tracing humanity’s rise in a sentence. “If we hang on 40 more, we can map all the galaxies.” It’s a truly epic proposition — and it’s also our destiny as a species whose calling card is to figure things out.

Wonder: Notes from Session 11 of TED2019

Session 11 of TED2019 amazed, enriched, inspired and dazzled — diving deep into the creative process, exploring what it’s like to be a living artwork and soaring into deep space.

The event: Talks and performances from TED2019, Session 11: Wonder, hosted by TED’s Helen Walters and Kelly Stoetzel

When and where: Thursday, April 18, 2019, 5pm, at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, BC

Speakers: Beau Lotto with performers from Cirque du Soleil, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jon Gray, Daniel Lismore, Richard Bona, Es Devlin and Juna Kollmeier

Music: Multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Richard Bona, mesmerizing the audience with his “magic voodoo machine” — weaving beautiful vocal loops into a mesh of sound

Beau Lotto, neuroscientist, accompanied by performers and artists from Cirque du Soleil

• Big idea: Awe is more than an experience; it’s a physiological state of mind, one that could positively influence how we approach conflict and uncertainty.
• How? Humans possess a fundamental need for closure that, when unmet, often turns to conflict-heavy emotions like fear and anger. The antidote may be one of our most profound perceptual experiences: awe. Lotto and his team recorded the brain activity of 280 people before, during and after watching a Cirque du Soleil performance, discovering promising insights. In a state of awe, research shows that humans experience more connection to others and more comfort with uncertainty and risk-taking. These behaviors demonstrate that a significant shift in how we approach conflict is possible — with humility and courage, seeking to understand rather than convince. Read how this talk was co-created by Beau Lotto’s Lab of Misfits and the Cirque du Soleil.
• Quote of the talk: “Awe is neither positive nor negative. What’s really important is the context in which you create awe.”

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, actor, filmmaker and founder of HITRECORD

• Big idea: If your creativity is driven by a desire to get attention, you’re never going to be creatively fulfilled. What drives truly fulfilling creativity? Paying attention.
• How? Social media platforms are fueled by getting attention, and more and more people are becoming experts at it — turning creativity from a joyous expression into a means to an end. But while Joseph Gordon-Levitt certainly knows what it feels like to get attention — he’s been in show business since he was 6, after all — he realized that the opposite feeling, paying attention, is the real essence of creativity. He describes the feeling of being locked in with another actor — thinking about and reacting only to what they’re doing, eliminating thoughts about himself. So get out there and collaborate, he says. Read more about Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s talk here.
• Quote of the talk: “It’s like a pavlovian magic spell: ​rolling, speed, marker ​(clap)​, set and action​. Something happens to me, I can’t even help it. My attention narrows. And everything else in the world, anything else that might be bothering, or that might otherwise grab my attention, it all goes away.”

Jon Gray, designer, food lover, entrepreneur and cofounder of Ghetto Gastro

• Big idea: We can bring people together, connect cultures and break stereotypes through food.
• How? Jon Gray is a founder of Ghetto Gastro, a collective based in the Bronx that works at the intersection of food, art and design. Their goal is to craft products and experiences that challenge perceptions. At first, Gray and his co-creators aimed to bring the Bronx to the wider world. Hosting an event in Tokyo, for example, they served a Caribbean patty made with Japanese Wagyu beef and shio kombu — taking a Bronx staple and adding international flair. Now Ghetto Gastro is bringing the world to the Bronx. The first step: their recently opened “idea kitchen” — a space where they can foster a concentration of cultural and financial capital in their neighborhood.
• Quote of the talk: “Breaking bread has always allowed me to break the mold and connect with people.”

Daniel Lismore, London-based artist who lives his life as art, styling elaborate ensembles that mix haute couture, vintage fabrics, found objects, ethnic jewelry, beadwork, embroidery and more

• Big idea: We can all make ourselves into walking masterpieces. While it takes courage — and a lot of accessories — to do so, the reward is being able to express our true selves.
• How? Drawing from a massive, 6,000-piece collection that occupies a 40-foot container, three storage units and 30 IKEA boxes, Lismore creates himself anew every day. His materials range from beer cans and plastic crystals to diamonds, royal silks and 2,000-year-old Roman rings. And he builds his outfits from instinct, piling pieces on until — like a fashion-forward Goldilocks — everything feels just right.
• Quote of the talk: “I have come to realize that confidence is a concept you can choose. I have come to realize that authenticity is necessary and it’s powerful. I have spent time trying to be like other people; it didn’t work. it’s a lot of hard work not being yourself.”

Es Devlin, artist and stage designer

• Big idea: Art is about communication and expression, and designers have the power to foster lasting connections and deep empathy with their work.
• How? Es Devlin weaves boundless thinking into her stunning stage designs, emphasizing empathy, intimacy and connection for the performers and the audience. As a set designer for some of the world’s most iconic performers and events — including Beyoncé’s Formation tour, Adele’s first live concert in five years, U2 and Kanye West, among many others — Devlin dives into the heart of each performer’s work. She sculpts visual masterpieces that reflect the shape and sound of each artist she works with. Audiences come to shows for connection and intimacy, Devlin says, and it’s the task of set designers, directors and artists to deliver it for the fans.
• Quote of the talk: “Most of what I’ve made over the last 25 years doesn’t exist anymore — but our work endures in memories, in synaptic sculptures in the minds of those who were once present in the audience.”

Juna Kollmeier, astrophysicist

• Big idea: Mapping the observable universe is … a pretty epic proposition. But it’s actually humanly achievable.
• How? We’ve been mapping the stars for thousands of years, but the Sloan Digital Sky Survey is on a special mission: to create the most detailed three-dimensional maps of the universe ever made. Led by Kollmeier, the project divides the sky into three “mappers” that it documents: galaxies, black holes and stars. Our own Milky Way galaxy has 250 billion(ish) stars. “That is a number that doesn’t make practical sense to pretty much anybody,” says Kollmeier. We’re not going to map all of those anytime soon. But galaxies? We’re getting there. On our current trajectory, we’ll map every large galaxy in the observable universe by 2060, she says.
• Quote of the talk: “Black holes are among the most perplexing objects in the universe. Why? Because they are literally just math incarnate in a physical form that we barely understand.”