Attend TED

My husband, my two year old and I went to TEDx. it was wonder full. I know we will attend another TED conference soon. 6 months ago

Went to TEDxBoulder this year. Good stuff.

Still want to go to the big game, but that’ll happen, sometime. 2 years ago

Brain Orgasm. 3 years ago

This is usually held in Long Beach, so we wouldn’t need to worry about hotel and bird boarding costs. However, it looks like it’s $6,000/ticket for 2011, which is pretty nuts. Maybe one day I’ll do something worthwhile and I’ll get to speak there; surely they don’t charge their speakers. :P

Anyway, at best, this is many, many years off. 3 years ago

Do one feel the electricity in the air at the conference? It would be nice to be there. It should be different than just watch the talks online. 5 years ago

It is not just invite only, you can apply, although numbers are limited to 1000. And the price is now $6000 per year.

Or if you’re really loaded, you can be a TED Patron, although you have to donate $100,000 per year or more to apply for that one!

I’ll take 2 please… 5 years ago

To realize this goal might take some time, since I’d have to have $4000 spare cash first and even if I had would have to wait, since the TED conference is always sold out one year in advance. But fortunately they started to put some of the TEDTalks (18 minute talks/presentation given during the TED conferences) online a couple of month ago and continue to add talks from older conferences. They even improve the interface, though a lot remains to be done.

Watching these videos is probably the second best thing to actually attending. I watched at least 40 so far, obviously picked those first that seemed most interesting to me, and most of them are either great or genius. They are all thought provoking and inspiring and many are going to change your view of the world. Hans Rosling gave a presentation of the Gapminder software in 2006 (Debunking third-world myths with the best stats you’ve ever seen), opening a completely new perspective on how to see data, only to even top this with his talk in 2007 (New insights on poverty and life around the world). Who would expect a Professor of International Health and studied statistician to get standing ovations for a piece of performance art involving a sword to demonstrate the opportunities in worldwide development? This very well represents the TED mission: spread ideas (in sometimes unexpected ways).

I consider myself well informed, technically up to date, political interested and knowledgeable in many of the subjects frequently discussed at TED, but I’m still blown away by the talks. Spending four days of talks with similarly interested and smart people would probably be a non-stop braingasm. Just thinking about it makes me shiver with excitement. 5 years ago

Maybe later. 5 years ago

He was then invited to be a “Fellow” and met Bono and Jane Goodall. He is changing the world for millions of orphans in Africa. 5 years ago

The annual conference in Monterey, CA for the movers and shakers in Technology, Entertainment, Design. It’s invitation-only. My goal is to be the kind of person who gets invited to TED. 7 years ago