About TED

What is TED?

TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. Along with two annual conferences — the TED Conference and TEDGlobal — TED includes the award-winning TED Talks video site, the Open Translation Project and TED Conversations, the inspiring TED Fellows and TEDx programs, and the annual TED Prize.

TED conferences bring together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes or less).

On TED.com, they make the best talks and performances from TED and partners available to the world, for free. More than 1500 TED Talks are now available, with more added each week. All of the talks are subtitled in English, and many in other languages, too.

We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and, ultimately, the world. So they’re building a clearinghouse of free knowledge from the world’s most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other. This site, launched in April 2007, is an ever-evolving work in progress, and you’re an important part of it.

TED Talks began as a simple attempt to share what happens at the TED Conference with the world. Under the moniker “ideas worth spreading,” talks were released online and rapidly attracted a global audience in the millions. Indeed, the reaction was so enthusiastic that the entire TED website has been reengineered around TED Talks, with the goal of giving everyone on-demand access to the world’s most inspiring voices. As of November 2012, TED Talks have been viewed more than one billion times.

 

What is TED about?  Its about sharing ideas.

TED Curator Chris Anderson