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100 Incredible Talks from the World’s Top Thinkers

May 31st, 2010

Have you ever wanted to pick the brains of the smartest people in the world? It’s possible! Check out these talks and lectures from some of the biggest thinkers in the world, and you’ll boost your IQ by a few points.

Science

Find scientific questions and answers at the heart of these talks.

1. The Art of Science Television: Paula Apsell will tell you about science TV’s future. [MIT]
2. RL Circuits, Inductance, and Magnetic Field Energy: Walter Lewin introduces the basic concepts of electromagnetism and more in this lecture. [MIT]
3. A New Kind of Science: You can look into a new kind of science with Stephen Wolfram. [MIT]
4. Stephen Petranek Counts Down the Armageddon: Stephen Petranek lectures on the challenges of preserving the human race. [TED]
5. Globalization of Science: You can study the globalization of science in this lecture. [MIT]
6. Narratives of Science: You will find a discussion on the narratives of science in this lecture. [MIT]
7. Hooke’s Law and Simple Harmonious Motion: You can learn the fundamentals of Hooke’s Law from Walter Lewin. [MIT]

Art & Architecture

Check out these talks to study art, architecture, and design.

8. The Design Genius of Charles + Ray Eames: This lecture highlights the creativity of Charles and Ray Eames. [TED]
9. Rome of Constantine and a New Rome: In this lecture, you will learn about the architecture of Constantine the Great. [Yale]
10. Hiding in Plain Sight: This lecture discusses the artwork of the Haida in history. [UWTV]
11. Rebuilding New Orleans and the Challenge of Affordable Housing: Check out this lecture to see why New Orleans can be rebuilt. [Virginia]
12. William McDonough on Cradle to Cradle Design: Watch this lecture to learn about green-minded architecture. [TED]
13. Ken Robinson Says Schools Kill Creativity: Ken Robinson’s lecture is all about creativity in schools. [TED]
14. The True Face of Leonardo: You will learn about the facial image of da Vinci in this lecture. [TED]
15. Hidden City: Hidden City will give you insight into the relationship of music and architecture. [Gresham]
16. Janine Benyus Shares Nature’s Designs: Janine Benyus show examples of nature influencing the products and systems we have today. [TED]
17. New Media Futures: New Media Futures explains disruptive media and its impact on film. [Princeton]
18. Salvador Dali: You’ll hear interviews with Salvador Dali here. [BBC]
19. The State of Architecture in America: Sarah Goldhagen discusses American architecture in this lecture. [WBEZ]
20. The Art of Surviving the Entertainment World: You can learn how to survive the entertainment world with this lecture. [Boston College]
21. Art and Understanding: Art and Understanding will help you understand what exactly art is. [Columbia]
22. Cameron Sinclair on Open-Source Architecture: In this lecture, Cameron Sinclair discusses open source collaboration for solving world housing crises. [TED]
23. Do Movies Have a Future: Watch this lecture to explore the future of movies. [Princeton]
24. Two Cities: The Buildings of London and Paris in Music and Film: This lecture highlights some of the most interesting buildings in London and Paris. [Gresham]
25. Creativity and Mental Illness: Creativity and Mental Illness provides insight into the madness of creativity. [Gresham]
26. Stefan Sagmeister Shares Happy Design: Watch this lecture to learn about good design. [TED]
27. Issues in Art Preservation: This lecture explains the preservation of art. [UCLA]
28. The Public in Architecture: You can learn about the intersection of the public and architecture from this lecture. [Princeton]
29. The Origins of Modern Criticism: In this lecture, you’ll learn about modern criticism. [Columbia]
30. Evelyn Glennie Shows How to Listen: Deaf percussionist Evelyn Glennie shows you how to listen with more than your ears. [TED]
31. The Theater of Politics, the Politics of Theater: You can learn about art, entertainment, and politics in this lecture. [UCTV]
32. The Question of Beauty in Architecture: See beauty’s application in architecture with this lecture. [Gresham]
33. Healing Through Dance: Through this lecture, you’ll learn about the healing properties of dance. [UCTV]
34. Vic Muniz Makes Art with Wire, Sugar: Check out this lecture to see Vik Muniz make art with just about anything. [TED]
35. Shakespeare from Page to Stage: See how Shakespeare goes from the page to theater productions through this lecture. [UCTV]
36. Heritage Transformed: Check out Thom Mayne’s lecture about heritage in architecture. [UCLA]
37. Chris Bangle Says Great Cars are Art: Chris Bangle shares car design as an art form. [TED]
38. Elizabeth Gilbert on Nurturing Creativity: Elizabeth Gilbert believes that we all have a genius in us. [TED]

Business & Finance

These talks provide insight into economics and business from the people who know it best.

39. Education, Discretionary Power and Emerging Entrepreneurial Societies: Pedro Aspe’s lecture talks about central conditions for an entrepreneurial society. [Stanford]
40. Turning Your Passion into Your Success: In this lecture, you’ll learn about creating success from passion. [UCTV]
41. Beyond Firefighting: Take a new look at financial market regulation with Beyond Firefighting. [Princeton]
42. Understanding the Crisis in the Markets: A panel of Harvard experts sheds light on developments in the US and world markets. [Harvard]
43. Advice to Young Scientists and Entrepreneurs: You will find advice for scientists and entrepreneurs in this lecture from Tina Nova. [UCTV]
44. Challenges to the Global Economy: This lecture offers insight into problems with the global economy. [MIT]
45. Financial Considerations for New Ventures: You can learn about financial considerations for new ventures in this lecture. [UCTV]
46. The Economics of Climate Change: In this lecture, you will see how economics are influenced by climate change. [Berkeley]
47. Peace and Commerce: Learn about world trade from Peace and Commerce. [Gresham]
48. The Journey of an Entrepreneur Who Dreamed Big: Dale Carlsen’s lecture follows an entrepreneurial journey. [UCTV]
49. Why Not?: Barry Nelebff’s lecture lectures on using everyday ingenuity to solve problems. [Yale]
50. Fool’s Gold: Fool’s Gold examines unrestrained greed. [Princeton]
51. Charles Leadbeater on Innovation: Charles Leadbeater’s lecture explains why innovation isn’t just for professionals anymore. [TED]
52. Shrinking the Economy: Dr. Robert Hoffman’s lecture considers whether the recession was brought on by talk. [Nottingham]
53. Financial Crises: Alan Blinder’s lecture takes a look at the details of financial crises. [Princeton]
54. Creating Value for All: Creating Value for All will give you strategies for doing business with the poor. [Princeton]
55. The US and the World’s Recession: You can get a look into inflation and recession from Roberto Rigobon’s lecture. [MIT]
56. The Future of Banking in a Global Economy: Watch Vikram Pandit’s lecture to learn about creating a better financial future. [Princeton]
57. Understanding the 21st Century Consumer: This lecture from Janice Roberts will give you insight into today’s consumers. [Stanford]
58. The Post-Crisis Consumer: Watch John Gerzema’s lecture about consumers after the financial crisis. [TED]
59. The Coming Generational Storm: Laurence J. Kotilkoff tells you what you need to know about America’s economic future. [MIT]
60. Trends in Venture Capital Interest: Watch this lecture to learn about current areas of exploration in venture capital. [Stanford]
61. Economics of Free: In this lecture, you will learn about the new business model of free. [Stanford]
62. A Kinder, Gentler Philosophy of Success: Watch this lecture to learn about success and failure.

Law & Politics

Check out these talks to study the law and politics at work.

63. Introduction to Copyright Law: Watch Keith Winstein’s lecture to find an introduction to copyright law and American law. [MIT]
64. The Brain and the Law: The Brain and the Law discusses law and neuroscience. [Princeton]
65. Larry Lessig on Laws that Choke Creativity: Larry Lessig lectures on laws that have an impact on creativity. [TED]
66. The World is Flat 3.0: Thomas Friedman’s lecture explains why the world is flat. [MIT]
67. Thomas Barnett Draws a New Map for Peace: Watch this lecture for a refreshingly simple look at peace. [TED]
68. Moral Rights: The Future of Copyright Law?: This lecture discusses the moral rights of authors. [Princeton]
69. Climate Change: Law & Policy: Learn about the details of law and policy in climate change from this lecture. [Berkeley]

Health & Medicine

See some of the amazing things being done in health and medicine in these talks.

70. The Battle of the Diets: Christopher Gardner’s lecture considers whether or not anyone is winning at losing. [Stanford]
71. Jill Bolte Taylor’s Stroke of Insight: Jill Bolte Taylor is a brain scientist who had a massive stroke, and she tells her story here. [TED]
72. Aubrey de Grey Says We Can Avoid Aging: Aubrey de Gray believes that aging is a condition we can cure. [TED]
73. VS Ramachandran on Your Mind: Check out this lecture to see what brain damage can reveal. [TED]
74. Biological Clocks: Biological Clocks takes a look at concepts of time. [Gresham]
75. Social Entrepreneurship in Medical Care: Tarun Khanna lectures on entrepreneurs with medical solutions. [Stanford]
76. Hans Rosling Shows the Best Stats You’ve Ever Seen: Hans Rosling’s lecture shares statistics about the developing world. [TED]
77. The Future of Bioethics: You can learn about issues in bioethics from Andrea Vicini. [Boston College]

Technology

Listen to these talks to see the future of technology.

78. Between Human and Machine: You can learn about the interactions between humans and machines. [MIT]
79. Jonathan Harris: The Web’s Secret Stories: Jonathan Harris’ lecture shares the emotional world of the Web. [TED]
80. Semaphores: Watch this lecture for an overview of semaphores, their signals, usage, and more. [Stanford]
81. Putting Human Agency into the Equation: Check out William Uricchio’s lecture about he social construction of technology. [MIT]
82. Jimmy Wales on the Birth of Wikipedia: Jimmy Wales explains how Wikipedia was born. [TED]
83. John Maeda on the Simple Life: John Maeda discussing paring down to basics at the intersection of technology and art. [TED]
84. Technology and Humanity in the 21st Century: Learn about technology and humanity through this lecture from Michael Dertouzos. [MIT]
85. Art and Technology: This lecture explains how high tech tools have impacted art and technology. [MIT]
86. Introduction to Robotics: This lecture will introduce you to modeling, creating, and controlling robot systems. [Stanford]

Psychology

Pick your brain with the help of these talks.

87. Al Seckel Says Our Brains are Mis-wired: This cognitive neuroscientist discusses perceptual illusions. [TED]
88. Dan Ariely Asks, Are We in Control of Our Own Decisions: Dan Ariely explains why we’re not as rational as we think. [TED]
89. Psychology, Sex, and Evolution: Paul Bloom lectures on the psychology of sex and evolution. [Yale]
90. Barry Schwarts on the Paradox of Choice: This psychologist explains why choice makes us more paralyzed and dissatisfied. [TED]
91. Dan Gilbert Asks, Why are We Happy?: Dan Gilbert’s lecture is all about our psychological immune system. [TED]
92. Sigmund Freud: You will find an introduction to Sigmund Freud in this lecture. [Yale]
93. Michael Shermer on Strange Beliefs: Michael Shermer shows us how we convince ourselves to believe. [TED]
94. Malcolm Gladwell on Spaghetti Sauce: Follow Malcolm Gladwell on the pursuit of the perfect spaghetti sauce. [TED]

Reading & Writing

These talks offer big ideas on reading and writing.

95. The Idea of the Autonomous Artwork: You can explore the origins of formal literary criticism in this lecture. [Yale]
96. Amy Tan on Creativity: Amy Tan talks about the creative process in this lecture. [TED]
97. Deconstruction II: Learn the literary theory of deconstruction from Paul Fry in this lecture. [Yale]
98. James Geary, Metaphorically Speaking: James Geary’s lecture takes a look at the metaphor. [TED]
99. Writing About Wrongs: Philip Gourevitch’s lecture is all about his experience writing about tragedies. [Princeton]
100. An Evening with Jim and Joy Carroll Wallis: Jim and Joy Carroll Wallis take a look at religion, politics, and writing. [UCTV]