Thursday, 9 May 2013

Brain Juice - What On Earth Is TED?

Aye TaiTai used her vacation time to explore the various apps on her "smart" phone. One of those apps that she discovered pre-installed was TED. It is represented by this logo (Quick, go check your phone!):


So, what on earth is TED?

TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, under the slogan "ideas worth spreading".

TED was founded in 1984 as a one-off event. The annual conference began in 1990, in Monterey, California with an early emphasis was technology and design, consistent with its origins in the Silicon Valley. Since June 2006, the talks have been offered for free viewing online. As of May 2013, over 1,400 talks are available free online. 

Why Aye TaiTai recommends TED for those seeking to increase their brain juice:

  • TED is available online and on mobile platforms (i.e. You can watch TED instead of looking at your own reflection on the window in the train!).
  • TED covers a wide range of topics, e.g. Entertainment, Business, Global Issues (Phew, not just "technology"!).
  • TED has customized "playlists" for those seeking to emulate the wisdom of "the smart ones", e.g. Daryl Hannah (the mermaid), Barbra Streisand (the one that "All I Ask Of You"), Bill Gates (the Microsoft guy), Ryuichi Sakamoto (the guy who wrote the music for The Last Emperor and Little Buddha).
  • Best of all, TED is FREE! (Cheapo cheapo!)

Convinced to give up Candy Crush for TED yet?

(From BlogspotChud)

TED is available online at http://www.ted.com/talks.