Common knowledge is the secret engine of social life, letting us coordinate everything from meet-ups to markets to international diplomacy. In this fascinating talk, experimental cognitive scientist Steven Pinker explores its momentous...

Hope isn’t just a feeling, but a skill you can practice, explains climate activist Xiye Bastida. Taking cues from the resilience of nature, she shows why trusting Indigenous leaders who’ve protected the planet for generations can help...

You’re invited into a bold new vision for the climate movement — a space of trust and honesty, where artists inspire action and everyone has a role to play. Social impact leader Matthew Phillips explores how shared purpose and...

Too many people believe in something closer to freedom from speech rather than freedom of speech, says attorney Greg Lukianoff. In a timely talk, he warns against the rise of "mob censorship" — and reminds us why free speech is the best...

While doom and gloom may wake people up, joy keeps them in the fight, says drag queen and environmentalist Pattie Gonia. With humor, creativity and a dress made of thrifted shower curtains and upcycled pink flamingo pool floaties, Pattie...

Seventy-two percent of the world's population lives under some sort of autocratic rule, says freedom fighter Leopoldo Lopez. In a rousing call to defend democracy worldwide, he shares the story of his imprisonment and exile for leading...

When it comes to tackling the climate crisis, the majority of the workforce in Africa believes their role is in the labor-intensive, low-income work — not in the strategic, analytical or leadership-based spaces, says climate visionary...

Dana R. Fisher calls herself an "apocalyptic optimist" based on her research as a sociologist of large social movements. Her studies suggest that ever-increasing climate disasters will get people out in the streets demanding the action...

What's the best way to develop and implement solutions to social problems? TED Fellow and human rights activist Monica Malta discusses why traditional, top-down policymaking often fails by excluding key voices and missing root causes....

Afghan activist Nila Ibrahimi shares her experience using song to protest — and ultimately reverse — oppressive laws in Afghanistan just before the Taliban took back control of the country. In a brief Q&A with Head of TED Chris Anderson,...

What if your $1 donation could result in a $100 contribution to a cause you believe in? That's the promise of quadratic funding: a new kind of crowdfunding model that uses math to distribute funds based on the number of contributors,...

Corruption is often defined as misuse of a position of power for personal gain. And while corruption in politics is nothing new, it isn't limited to the political sphere; it can happen in schools, sports, businesses, or religious...

How can Israelis and Palestinians achieve peace? Palestinian peacemaker Aziz Abu Sarah and Israeli peacemaker Maoz Inon discuss the immeasurable tragedies they've experienced growing up in the region — and how they choose reconciliation...

We're programmed to think every issue is binary: "us vs. them." But Daniel Lubetzky, the founder of KIND Snacks, says the real enemy isn't a person but a mindset. He introduces a new initiative that aims to bring together "builders" from...

As climate change leads to more and more natural disasters, a group of workers is showing up at one site after another to rebuild and repair. Labor organizer Saket Soni tells the stories of Resilience Force — the group of mostly...

What does it mean to be an active citizen? It's about more than just voting and paying taxes, says social entrepreneur Gabriel Marmentini. He explains why we can't rely on the state alone to solve all our problems — and presents the four...

In a part of the United States with more than 17,000 years of human history, cultural preservation advocate Tracie Revis is working to turn the Ocmulgee Mounds into Georgia's first national park and preserve. This park would be...

Israel and Palestine have grappled with enduring territorial disputes and complex geopolitical tensions across generations. In this profound TED Membership conversation, Palestinian peace activist Ali Abu Awwad and Israeli founder of...

On paper, law professor Samar Ali and public affairs strategist Clint Brewer seem to come from very different — and perhaps opposing — backgrounds. But their friendship shows why political polarization in the US isn't as intractable as...

Theater has the power to transform the most pressing issues of our time from news stories into human stories, says director and playwright Amir Nizar Zuabi. Recounting his work on the journey of Little Amal — a 13-foot puppet symbolizing...

Democracy is more fun and inviting when you take it into your own hands, says creator and activist Sofia Ongele. Sharing how she's using coding and social media to defend democracy, Ongele invites us to identify our own creative...

Storyteller Golriz Lucina recounts how the historic sacrifice of Iranian 19th-century poet and mystic Táhirih planted the seeds for the "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests today, offering an inspiring lesson in the value of acting with...

Today, Hungary is in the gray zone between a dictatorship and a democracy, says activist Tessza Udvarhelyi. "This did not happen overnight." In a rousing talk, she reminds us just how close any country can come to authoritarianism — and...

Democracy is the most compelling vision we have for self-governance, says freedom advocate Yordanos Eyoel. Taking a stand against predatory and opportunist authoritarian forces, she shares how to reimagine, accelerate and protect the...