10 Ted Talks You Have to Watch

There’s certainly a lot for curious people to know, and TED Talks provide a way for those people to quench their thirst for knowledge.

There’s no denying that there’s a lot to learn about in the world- science, technology, art, literature, food, movies, culture, geography.  Each video has a speaker give an engaging lecture to an audience about their topic, some being
informational, some thought-provoking, and some inspirational. If you’re interested in watching a TED talk and exercising your brain, consider starting with one of the ten below.

1.) Sarah Kay’s “If I should have a daughter…”

In her TED Talk that has been viewed over 15 million times, Sarah Kay performs the beautiful poem that is an ode to a potential future daughter of hers. She illustrates the unique, strong, and ever so important bond between a mother and a daughter, making reference to heartbreak, obstacles, and exploring the world, and making sure to emphasize that her daughter can always count on her.

2.) Sir Ken Robinson’s “Do schools kill creativity?”

The question that is discussed in this TED Talk is a hot topic right now and has been for the last few years. As schools move closer to technology and have to meet more and more set standards, parents, teachers, and students alike all wonder if schools even offer the opportunity for imagination and creativity anymore. Sir Ken Robinson’s TED Talk has been heard over seventy-two million times, as he discusses whether schools do in fact kill creativity, and how to fix it if they do.

3.) Tim Urban’s “Inside the mind of a master procrastinator”

Various studies indicate that about 20% of people are chronic procrastinators, and a whopping 95% of people believe they procrastinate at least sometimes. But why do we procrastinate so often when we know we have tasks to do? Tim Urban jumps into the psychology, science, and even the physical structure of the brain behind this phenomenon in a humorous, fascinating TED Talk. This is a can’t-miss video for anyone who has ever put off an
important task.

4.) Angela Lee Duckworth’s “Grit: The power of passion and perseverance

Everyone, at some point in their lives, will face obstacles and adversity, and they will have to find the strength and resources to overcome them. “Grit” is a trait that can help in this task and one that is discussed in Angela Lee Duckworth’s popular TED Talk. She talks about how exactly she defines grit, how having it can make one be more successful, and even what you can do to make yourself more “gritty.”

5.) Susan Cain’s “The power of introverts”

It seems like the world is always loud, busy, and energetic, and this environment can overwhelm and overshadow introverts, who are typically quieter, shyer, and more drawn into themselves than extroverts. This can make it easy to ignore introverts, but as Susan Cain points out, introverts are exceptional in many of their own ways. She touches on how often, in society, it is introverts against the world, but draws on her own experiences on how this can change, and why it’s important to have introverts.

6.) Yuko Manakata’s “The science behind how parents affect child development”

Nature vs. nurture has been one of the biggest debates in all of psychology and parenting for decades. Yuko Munakata takes on that question by examining how parents, and the way they parent, impact the children. Whether you’re a parent or not, her talk is a fascinating look at how siblings are alike or not alike, how different people perceive the same events, and how much children are shaped by their parents. (Spoiler alert: It’s probably not as much as you thought!)

7.) Kelly McGonigal’s “How to make stress your friend”

Stress is something we all deal with, whether it’s because of a job, school, a family member, or a big life change. And having a lot of stress isn’t just a mental issue; it’s a physical issue, too, which is why Kelly McGonigal takes on the problem in her TED Talk. She discusses the biology of stress and challenges her audience and viewers to look at their stress in a whole new way that will bring them more joy instead of dread.

8.) Brené Brown’s “The power of vulnerability”

Oftentimes, the world encourages us to be constantly strong, to fight to overcome obstacles and to bottle up our emotions so we don’t seem weak. But as Brené Brown discusses in her TED Talk that has been viewed over fifty-six million times, we all have a human sense of empathy that we should tap into sometimes to be vulnerable. She talks about conquering shame to express our feelings and embracing all of the vulnerable emotions that truly make us human.

9.) Matt Walker’s “How daylight savings time affects our bodies, minds, and world”

Europe, the majority of North America, and select countries on the rest of the world’s continents observe Daylight Savings Time, which involves setting the clocks back one hour, and then forward one hour at a later time to match up the daylight hours with the time. Matt Walker walks viewers through the physical changes that manipulating time and daylight can cause for humans and even the economy, making you think about DST in a whole new way.

10.) Nabiha Saklayen’s “Could you recover from illness… using your own stem cells?”

Treating illness is a huge part of medicine, and doctors and researchers are constantly working to see if medicine, an organ transplant, or some other procedure will produce the best solution. But Nabiha Saklayen presents another potential solution in her TED Talk: stem cells. Stem cells are cells that are found in every human body and have yet to be specialized for a specific task. What this means is that stem cells can be used anywhere in the human body, and for anything, a fact that is highly appealing to medical professionals anywhere. Nabiha Saklayen walks viewers through the facts, and how technology has improved to the point where our stem cells just might allow us to treat ourselves.

With almost four thousand videos on a variety of subjects, there’s certainly a lot of TED Talks to sift through. Check out one of the ten above, and see if you can learn something new.