Ask HN: What is your favorite TED talk? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: What is your favorite TED talk?

#41

Post by ned » Tue, Jan 20, 2009, 10:37 PM UTC

Barry Schartz on the Paradox of Choice. http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/barry_schwartz_on_the_par...

To paraphrase his talk: There is an "official dogma" that more choice equals more happiness. In reality, we have gone too far, and now more choice induces: 1. paralysis (you have so many choices that you give up and don't choose anything), 2. regret (if what you choose isn't perfect, you can only blame yourself), 3. high expectations and the impossibility to be pleasantly surprised.

Re: Ask HN: What is your favorite TED talk?

#42

Post by xenophanes » Tue, Jan 20, 2009, 10:39 PM UTC

pietro wrote: post #39

xenophanes wrote: post #21

the David Deutsch one.

"What is our place in the cosmos?" http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/david_deutsch_on_our_plac... My favorite, too.

He's written for this blog, if you're interested.

http://www.settingtheworldtorights.com/

Re: Ask HN: What is your favorite TED talk?

#43

Post by llimllib » Tue, Jan 20, 2009, 10:59 PM UTC

I'm shocked that nobody mentioned Ron Eglash's talk on African Fractals: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/ron_eglash_on_african_fra...

Re: Ask HN: What is your favorite TED talk?

#44

Post by bporterfield » Tue, Jan 20, 2009, 11:11 PM UTC

I've always loved this one, great message and a good speaker

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/robert_ballard_on_explori...

"NASA's 1 year budget would fund NOAA's budget to explore the oceans for 1,600 years"

Re: Ask HN: What is your favorite TED talk?

#45

Post by bporterfield » Tue, Jan 20, 2009, 11:11 PM UTC

I've always loved this one, great message and a good speaker

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/robert_ballard_on_explori...

"NASA's 1 year budget would fund NOAA's budget to explore the oceans for 1,600 years"

Re: Ask HN: What is your favorite TED talk?

#46

Post by bporterfield » Tue, Jan 20, 2009, 11:12 PM UTC

I've always loved this one, great message and a good speaker

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/robert_ballard_on_explori...

"NASA's 1 year budget would fund NOAA's budget to explore the oceans for 1,600 years"

Re: Ask HN: What is your favorite TED talk?

#47

Post by bporterfield » Tue, Jan 20, 2009, 11:13 PM UTC

I've always loved this one, great message and a really good speaker

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/robert_ballard_on_explori...

"NASA's 1 year budget would fund NOAA's budget to explore the oceans for 1,600 years"

Really eye-opening talk about ocean exploration, or lack thereof. This guy has discovered some amazing things.

Re: Ask HN: What is your favorite TED talk?

#48

Post by dcminter » Tue, Jan 20, 2009, 11:45 PM UTC

rsayers wrote: post #7

Clifford Stoll, guy was all over the place, but I found his talk rather amusing and even a bit enlightening.

Yep. It's a bit self-consciously whacky, but he had a serious point to make and brought it across really well.

Re: Ask HN: What is your favorite TED talk?

#49

Post by dustineichler » Tue, Jan 20, 2009, 11:48 PM UTC

Dean Kamen tech talk wasn't elegant but meaningful

Re: Ask HN: What is your favorite TED talk?

#50

Post by fiaz » Wed, Jan 21, 2009, 12:06 AM UTC

The following had an impact on me:

Tony Robbins

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/tony_robbins_asks_why_we_...

Daniel Gilbert

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_...

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_o...

It's hard for me to pick a favorite. I hope at least one of them is useful to you.