How to build a company where the best ideas win

Build a meritocracy of ideas. Open in your browser

This week on TED.com September 9, 2017

Talk of the week Ray Dalio: How to build a company where the best ideas win 16:33 minutes · Filmed Apr 2017 · Posted Sep 2017 · TED2017 What if you knew what your coworkers really thought about your ideas? Ray Dalio makes the business case for radical transparency, with a system for decision-making that can create an idea meritocracy where people can speak up and say what they really think -- yes, even contradicting the boss. Learn how these strategies helped Dalio create one of the world's most successful hedge funds, and how you can harness the power of data-driven group decision-making in your own life. Watch now »

Playlist of the week How to navigate questionable information Learn to spot the difference between fact and fiction — and navigate the gray areas in between — with these 4 informative talks. Watch » 4 TED Talks • Total run time 46:06

This week's new TED Talks Why do young people join terrorist groups? These extremists aren't all naturally violent sociopaths -- many of them are deliberately recruited and radicalized in a process that doesn't fit into a neat pattern. Erin Marie Saltman discusses the push and pull factors that cause people to join extremist groups and shares innovative ways to prevent and counter radicalization. Watch » In a mind-bending talk that blurs the line between science and art, Tomás Saraceno shares his gorgeous, air-inspired sculptures and installations designed to usher in a new era: the "Aerocene." From giant, cloud-like playgrounds suspended 22 meters in the air to a balloon sculpture that travels the world without burning a single drop of fossil fuel, Saraceno's work invites us to explore. (In Spanish with English subtitles.) Watch » When the astronauts saw Earth from space for the first time, it changed them forever. Benjamin Grant aims to provoke this same feeling of overwhelming scale and beauty in each of us ... through a series of stunning, perspective-shifting satellite images. Come fly with him. Watch » Underneath every shiny new megacity, there's often a story of communities lost. In this moving, poetic talk, OluTimehin Adegbeye details how government land grabs are destroying the lives of thousands who live in the coastal communities of Lagos, Nigeria, to make way for a "new Dubai." As she says: "The only cities worth building, indeed the only futures worth dreaming of, are those that include all of us, no matter who we are or how we make homes for ourselves." Watch »

Read more on ideas.ted.com Society: How can countries help refugees? Let them work » Bold ideas that allow everyone to contribute at their best We humans: 14 genius writing tips from Anne Lamott » So many of us say we’ll start writing “as soon as”... here's how to start now Tech: If you really want to remember a moment, don't take a photo » The surprising reasons to keep your phone in your pocket

Quote of the Week “ So what's the problem with being radically truthful and radically transparent with each other? Neuroscientists tell me it has to do with how our brains are prewired. There's a part of our brain that would like to know our mistakes and look at our weaknesses so we could do better. And then there's a part of our brain which views all of this as attacks. In other words, there are two you's inside you: there's an emotional you and there's an intellectual you, and often they're at odds." Ray Dalio How to build a company where the best ideas win

TEDWomen 2017: Join us November 1-3 in New Orleans A place for building relationships over conversations that matter ... TEDWomen 2017 features three days of TED Talks, community dinners and activities in one of America's most beloved cities, New Orleans. At this time of deep divides and rising challenges, we'll hear from bridge builders around the world—entrepreneurs, innovators, artists and storytellers, thought leaders from business and government—who'll engage with the issues of the moment and the deep truths that empower. Learn more about TEDWomen 2017 »

Sincerely, x audio podcast This week on Sincerely, X, a podcast from TED and Audible where speakers share ideas anonymously. Episode 8 features a woman whose bravery after a devastating assault allowed her to reclaim her own personal power. Available now on Apple Podcasts, the TED Android app, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

 

You are receiving this email because you've subscribed to our mailing list. We also send out daily emails, if you can't get enough of us. We love you too. Copyright © 2017 TED, All rights reserved. You're receiving the TED Talks weekly newsletter because you subscribed to it on TED.com. (Was this forwarded by a friend? You can sign up here: http://www.ted.com/newsletter ) Our mailing address is: TED 330 Hudson Street 11th Floor New York, NY 10013 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list   update subscription preferences   view email in browser

Could a robot pass a university entrance exam?

(and what does that mean for our kids?) Open in browser

This week on TED.com September 2, 2017

Talk of the week Noriko Arai: Can a robot pass a university entrance exam? 13:37 minutes · Filmed Apr 2017 · Posted Aug 2017 · TED2017 Meet Todai Robot, an AI project that performed in the top 20 percent of students on the entrance exam for the University of Tokyo -- without actually understanding a thing. While it's not matriculating anytime soon, Todai Robot's success raises alarming questions for the future of human education, says creator Noriko Arai. She asks: How can we help kids excel at the things that humans will always do better than AI? Watch now »

Playlist of the week Live out your sci-fi dreams (10 talks) Imagine a life living among the stars, traversing the universe, interacting with aliens ... Watch » Total run time 1:56:11

This week's new TED Talks When she opened up a tire recycling shop in Compton, California, Niki Okuk showed that another economic reality is possible -- one that values community and sustainability instead of profit by any means necessary. In this thoughtful talk, Okuk shares a vision for how working-class people can organize and own the businesses they work for, making decisions for themselves and enjoying the fruits of their labor. Is it time to fire the boss? Watch » We're so used to narratives out of Africa being about war, poverty and devastation, says TED Fellow Wanuri Kahiu. Where's the fun? Introducing "AfroBubbleGum" -- African art that's vibrant, lighthearted and without a political agenda. Rethink the value of all that is unserious as Kahiu explains why we need art that captures the full range of human experiences, both the weighty and the silly. Watch » Could it be wrong to help children in need by starting an orphanage? In this eye-opening talk about the bad consequences of good intentions, Tara Winkler speaks out against the spread of orphanages in developing countries, caused in part by foreign donors who sincerely want to help. Watch » What's stopping the US government from recording your phone calls, reading your emails and monitoring your location? Very little, says cybersecurity expert Jennifer Granick -- and if you've ever participated in a protest or attended a gun show, you're likely a person of interest. Learn how to protect yourself. Watch » Digital archaeologist Chance Coughenour is using pictures -- your pictures -- to reclaim antiquities that have been lost to conflict and disaster. After crowdsourcing photographs of destroyed monuments, museums and artifacts, Coughenour creates 3D reconstructions, preserving the memory of our global, shared, human heritage. Find out more about how you can help. Watch » We all have origin stories and identity myths, our tribal narratives that give us a sense of security and belonging. But sometimes our small-group identities can keep us from connecting with humanity as a whole -- and even keep us from seeing others as human. In a powerful talk about how we understand who we are, Chetan Bhatt challenges us to think creatively about each other and our future. Watch »

Read more on ideas.ted.com Tech: The technology that made the American West possible: barbed wire » How one simple invention changed history  Business: How to turn the world's worst plant into creative products » Creating jobs by weaving an invasive weed into baskets and more We humans: How to find out where you belong » Feel like you don't fit in? 5 ways to find (and create) your community

Quote of the Week “ We humans can understand meaning. That is something which is very, very lacking in AI. But most students just pack in the knowledge without understanding the meaning of the knowledge. That is not knowledge, that is just memorizing, and AI can do the same thing. So we have to think about a new type of education." Norika Arai Can a robot pass a university entrance exam?

Sincerely, X: Mood changer This week on Sincerely, X, a podcast from TED and Audible: An anonymous speaker shares the private techniques she uses to take power back from her own depression. Available now on Apple Podcasts, the TED Android app, or wherever you get your podcasts.

 

You are receiving this email because you've subscribed to our mailing list. We also send out daily emails, if you can't get enough of us. We love you too. Copyright © 2017 TED, All rights reserved. You're receiving the TED Talks weekly newsletter because you subscribed to it on TED.com. (Was this forwarded by a friend? You can sign up here: http://www.ted.com/newsletter ) Our mailing address is: TED 330 Hudson Street 11th Floor New York, NY 10013 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list   update subscription preferences   view email in browser

Weapons of math destruction

Blind faith in big data must end. Open in your browser

This week on TED.com August 26, 2017

Cathy O'Neil: Weapons of math destruction  13:18 minutes · Filmed Apr 2017 · Posted Aug 2017 · TED2017 Algorithms decide who gets a loan, who gets a job interview, who gets insurance and much more -- but they don't automatically make things fair. Mathematician and data scientist Cathy O'Neil coined a term for algorithms that are secret, important and harmful: "weapons of math destruction." Learn more about the hidden agendas behind the formulas. Watch now »

Playlist of the week Secrets to understanding life From work and happiness, to love and success (and everything else in between), these 10 talks offer insights on some of life's biggest secrets. Watch » 10 TED Talks • Total run time 2:32:27

This week's new TED Talks (a few more than usual) "Music is everywhere, and it is in everything," says musician and college student Anika Paulson. Guitar in hand, she plays through the beats of her life in an exploration of how music connects us and makes us what we are. Watch » Imagine a computer that can emulate the human brain, in all its complex thoughts and processes. What might it want? Social scientist Robin Hanson plays out a future scenario starring the "ems" -- emulated brains that can think, feel and work like the human brains they're copied from. Enjoy this rapid-fire, mind-blowing glimpse at a hypothetical future. Watch » Your cells are coated with sugars that store information and speak a secret language. What are they trying to tell us? Your blood type, for one -- and, maybe, that you have cancer. Chemical biologist Carolyn Bertozzi researches how sugars on cancerous cells interact with (and sometimes trick) your immune system. Learn more about how your body detects cancer, and how the latest cancer-fighting medicines could help your immune system beat the disease. Watch » Should your driverless car kill you -- if it means sparing the lives of five pedestrians? In this useful primer on the moral dilemmas of driverless cars, Iyad Rahwan explores how new technology can challenge our own morality. In his lab, he asks real people to make the same moral judgments we're going to expect from our cars -- and his ongoing work reveals the ethical trade-offs we're willing (and not willing) to make. Watch » With charm and searching insight, poet David Whyte meditates on the frontiers of the past, present and future, sharing two long-form poems inspired by a hike along El Camino de Santiago. Make quiet time to watch and savor. Watch » Every artist has a name, and every artist has a story. Laolu Senbanjo's story started in Nigeria, where he was surrounded by the culture and mythology of the Yoruba. He shares what he calls the Sacred Art of the Ori, art that uses skin as canvas and connects artist and muse through mind, body and soul. Watch »

Read more on ideas.ted.com We humans: Understanding the mysteries of heartbreak » When love ends, why does it hurt so much?   Science: Should we use gene editing to produce disease-free babies? A scientist who helped discover CRISPR weighs in Quiz: Can you match the president to the eye chart? An unusual and revealing look at US history

Quote of the Week “ Everyone uses algorithms. They just don't write them in code. Let me give you an example. I use an algorithm every day to make a meal for my family. The data I use is the ingredients in my kitchen, the time I have, the ambition I have. My definition of success is: a meal is successful if my kids eat vegetables. It's very different from if my youngest son were in charge. He'd say success is if he gets to eat lots of Nutella. But I get to choose success. I am in charge. My opinion matters. That's the first rule of algorithms. Algorithms are opinions embedded in code." Cathy O'Neil The era of blind faith in big data must end

ted radio hour: Hardwired How much of who we are is biology? How much is learned? And how much can we change? This week on the TED Radio Hour, explore how genes and experience collaborate -- and compete -- to make us who we are. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, the TED Android app, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Sincerely, x: Rescued by ritual This week on TED's audio podcast Sincerely, X: How one woman found a way to heal the trauma of a violent marriage. Tune in to hear how she created a private ritual, which her doctor now recognizes and recommends as a tool for recovery from abuse. Available now on Apple Podcasts, the TED Android app, or wherever you get your podcasts.

 

You are receiving this email because you've subscribed to our mailing list. We also send out daily emails, if you can't get enough of us. We love you too. Copyright © 2017 TED, All rights reserved. You're receiving the TED Talks weekly newsletter because you subscribed to it on TED.com. (Was this forwarded by a friend? You can sign up here: http://www.ted.com/newsletter ) Our mailing address is: TED 330 Hudson Street 11th Floor New York, NY 10013 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list   update subscription preferences   view email in browser

How boredom can lead to your most brilliant ideas

Learn to love being bored. Open in browser

This week on TED.com August 19, 2017

Talk of the week Manoush Zomorodi: How boredom can lead to your most brilliant ideas 16:13 minutes · Filmed Apr 2017 · Posted Aug 2017 · TED2017 Do you sometimes have your most creative ideas while folding laundry, washing dishes or doing nothing in particular? It's because when your body goes on autopilot, your brain gets busy forming new neural connections that connect ideas and solve problems. Learn to love being bored as Manoush Zomorodi explains the connection between spacing out and creativity. Watch now »

Playlist of the week Where do ideas come from? How does the metaphorical lightbulb go off? These 9 talks explore the nature of ideas themselves: where they come from, how they evolve, and how to nurture them. Watch » 9 TED Talks • Total run time 2:18:49

Among this week's new TED Talks The traditional ways to turn art into money (like record sales) have been broken by the internet, leaving musicians, writers and artists wondering how to make a living. Which is why musician Jack Conte created Patreon, a way for artists on the internet to get paid by their fans. Could payment platforms like this change what it means to be an artist in the digital age? Watch » Harvard Law professor Ronald Sullivan fights to free wrongfully convicted people from jail -- in fact, he has freed some 6,000 innocent people over the course of his career. He shares heartbreaking stories of how (and why) people end up being put in jail for something they didn't do. Watch » When Richard J. Berry, the mayor of Albuquerque, saw a man on a street corner holding a cardboard sign that read "Want a job," he decided to take him up on it. He and his staff started a citywide program to help homeless people by giving them day jobs and a place to sleep. Find out how your city can replicate Albuquerque's success in this frank and optimistic talk. Watch » What's one secret to longevity? According to psychologist Susan Pinker, it's not a sunny disposition or a low-fat, gluten-free diet -- in fact, by studying communities where people live longest, it turns out that close personal relationships and face-to-face interactions matter most. Learn more about what it takes to live to 100 and beyond. Watch »

Read more on ideas.ted.com Opinion: We must unite to confront religious violence now » Behind this week's headlines, why — and how — to stand together in the face of hate We humans: How your to-do list shapes your personality » There's the personality you're born with, and the one you develop Politics: A powerful insight about race in the United States » The conversation Americans need to have

Quote of the Week “ Fear is like a disease. When it moves, it moves like wildfire. But what happens when, even in the face of that fear, you do what you've got to do? That's called courage. And just like fear, courage is contagious." Damon Davis Courage is contagious

Sincerely, x: equality executive This week on Sincerely, X, the new podcast from TED and Audible: Why does corporate America have so few female executives, despite overwhelming evidence that gender equality is good for business? Rare insight from C-suites and boardrooms. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, the TED Android app, or wherever you get your podcasts.

 

You are receiving this email because you've subscribed to our mailing list. We also send out daily emails, if you can't get enough of us. We love you too. Copyright © 2017 TED, All rights reserved. You're receiving the TED Talks weekly newsletter because you subscribed to it on TED.com. (Was this forwarded by a friend? You can sign up here: http://www.ted.com/newsletter ) Our mailing address is: TED 330 Hudson Street 11th Floor New York, NY 10013 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list   update subscription preferences   view email in browser