Since its founding in 1984, the TED nonprofit has hosted thousands of short speeches around the world on technology, entertainment, and design. It began posting video of the presentations online in 2006, and there are now more than 2,100 TED Talks that have been viewed well over a billion times.
In addition to the chance to practice listening to English, we will also enhance our knowledge in many different fields through regularly watching Ted Talks, conveyed by famous speakers. Very interesting, isn’t it? In this writing, we will introduce to you the 10 most popular presentations that not only are advantageous but also inspirational.
1) Do schools kill creativity? – Ken Robinson
In this talk, the speaker mentions the current issues of education, which are always acute problems of our society. And Mr. Ken Robinson makes everyone became interested and realized that the current education system had been degraded. Robinson believes that 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. All of us need to work together to create an efficient education system that can nurture children’s creativity, not a system that can kill kids’ curiosity.
2) Your body language shapes who you are – Amy Cuddy
It can be said that body language not only can affect the way others judge us, but also can change the way they used to. In this talk Amy Cuddy- a social psychologist, explains “how your body language shapes who you are”. She explains how assuming a high-power pose, like standing with your feet spread and planting your hands on your hips, can increase your feelings of dominance and lower your stress. With her confident posture,she proves that body language plays an important role to us in many different aspects and fields, including science.
Let’s watch this Ted Talk video and discover more about body language!
3) How great leaders inspire action – Simon Sinek
In his presentation, Simon Sinek writes down a very simple model that has given the best leaders inspiration – starting with a yellow circle and the question “Why?”. He even includes Apple, Martin Luther King, and the Wright brothers, etc., in his speech. Sinek has spent his life’s work trying to convince people to do what inspires them. “People don’t buy what you do,” he says. “People buy why you do it.” Very interesting, right?
4) The power of vulnerability – Brene Brown
Brene Brown is a researcher studying human connection, which includes the ability of people to empathize, to get closed or to love. With inspirational speech mixed with funny and witty way of talking, she shows people an insight from her research. One of the main points in the presentation is to understand yourself first and then understand others. 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.”
A very informative presentation worth watching!
5) 10 things you didn’t know about or.gasm – Mary Roach
The author of “Bonk”, Mary Roach, has thoroughly researched an obscure scientific subject into the unknown and centuries-old topic of the or.gasm. The topic isn’t the only reason this talk is so popular — it’s also the humor and wit of Mary Roach. In the end, she gives listeners 10 extremely surprising things about sexual pleasure, from the weirdest to the funniest.
6) My stroke of insight – Jill Bolte Taylor
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.
7) Why we do what we do – Tony Robbins
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 — something he calls the “invisible force.”
8) The puzzle of motivation – Dan Pink
In this presentation, Dan Pink delves into the science behind motivation. Career analyst, Dan Pink, explores the issue of encouragement by starting with a fact which all social scientists know while most management executives do not: Traditional rewards are not always as effective as we think.
We invite you to listen to his TED talk, to discover stories of clarity and possibly, a progressive path.
9) The thrilling potential of SixthSense technology – Pranav Mistry
Pranav Mistry’s 2009 talk is an interesting look at wearable technology in its infancy.
While the video has lost its ability to awe over the years, it remains a charming peek inside Mistry’s mind at this time, since he would go on to become a Samsung executive responsible for breakthroughs in smartwatches.
10) Looks aren’t everything. Believe me, I’m a model – Cameron Russell
Cameron Russell confesses that she has won the “genetic lottery”: she is tall, beautiful and an underwear model. However; don’t judge her just because of her appearance. In this brave speech, Cameron satirically looks at the modeling industry, which creates a captivating image of her when she was even not enough 16 years old. “If you ever are wondering, ‘If I have thinner thighs and shinier hair, will I be happier?’ you just need to meet a group of models, because they have the thinnest thighs and the shiniest hair and the coolest clothes, and they’re the most physically insecure women probably on the planet,” she says.
What is the TED Talk that you like the most? Give us your opinion at the comment section below. Thank you for reading and see you in the next writing!
