TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Talks have become a phenomenon since they were first conceived in 1984. The TED media organization has since broadened its reach to include Talks on cultural, political, and other topics. It has posted thousands of Talks online for free distribution under the slogan “ideas worth spreading.”
24/7 Tempo has compiled a list of the most viewed TED Talks of all time, reviewing TED data. Talks are ranked based on the total number of views on the TED site as of Jan. 10, 2022.
The results are more than a cultural barometer: The topics people are most interested in aren’t ripped from the headlines. In fact, some of them were debated by the ancient Greeks. (See here for some ancient inventions you thought were modern.)
The most viewed TED Talk is “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” by author and educator Sir Ken Robinson, from February 2006. He challenged the way children are educated, arguing for a radical rethinking of how schools cultivate creativity, and an acknowledgement of multiple types of intelligence. Students with restless minds and bodies — far from being cultivated for their energy and curiosity — are ignored or even stigmatized, with terrible consequences. “We are educating people out of their creativity,” he said. (These are the states with the best and worst early education.)
Click here to see the most viewed TED talks of all time
The second most viewed TED Talk is “Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are” by social psychologist Amy Cuddy. In June 2012 she said not only does body language affect how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. She argued that “power posing” — standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident — can boost feelings of confidence, and might improve our chances for success.
At No. 3 is “Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator” from February 2016. We’d like to summarize blogger Tim Urban’s TED Talk for you. Maybe tomorrow.
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
25. The Thrilling Potential of SixthSense Technology
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 19,215,730
> Speaker: Pranav Mistry
> Profession: Director of Research, Samsung Research America
> When aired: November 2009
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Source: Drew Angerer / Getty Images
24. The Surprising Science of Happiness
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 19,906,032
> Speaker: Dan Gilbert
> Profession: Psychologist; happiness expert
> When aired: February 2004
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23. Your Elusive Creative Genius
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 20,587,825
> Speaker: Elizabeth Gilbert
> Profession: Writer
> When aired: February 2009
22. The Happy Secret to Better Work
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 24,311,789
> Speaker: Shawn Achor
> Profession: Psychologist
> When aired: May 2011
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21. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 25,410,685
> Speaker: Angela Lee Duckworth
> Profession: Psychologist
> When aired: April 2013
20. 10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 26,125,295
> Speaker: Celeste Headlee
> Profession: Writer and radio host
> When aired: May 2015
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19. Strange Answers to the Psychopath Test
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 27,856,723
> Speaker: Jon Ronson
> Profession: Writer, filmmaker
> When aired: March 2012
18. The Puzzle of Motivation
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 27,988,935
> Speaker: Dan Pink
> Profession: Author
> When aired: July 2009
17. My Stroke of Insight
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 28,068,941
> Speaker: Jill Bolte Taylor
> Profession: Neuroanatomist
> When aired: February 2008
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Source: Courtesy of Kelly McGonigal
16. How to Make Stress Your Friend
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 28,187,216
> Speaker: Kelly McGonigal
> Profession: Health psychologist
> When aired: June 2013
15. How I Held My Breath for 17 Minutes
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 28,555,814
> Speaker: David Blaine
> Profession: Illusionist, endurance artist
> When aired: October 2009
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14. The Danger of a Single Story
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 29,698,519
> Speaker: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
> Profession: Novelist
> When aired: July 2009
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13. The Power of Introverts
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 30,277,366
> Speaker: Susan Cain
> Profession: Quiet revolutionary
> When aired: February 2012
12. The Art of Misdirection
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 30,996,109
> Speaker: Apollo Robbins
> Profession: Gentleman thief
> When aired: June 2013
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11. How to Spot a Liar
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 31,673,825
> Speaker: Pamela Meyer
> Profession: Lie detector
> When aired: July 2011
10. 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Orgаsm
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 37,254,592
> Speaker: Mary Roach
> Profession: Writer
> When aired: February 2009
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9. Looks Aren’t Everything. Believe Me, I’m a Model.
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 38,215,933
> Speaker: Cameron Russell
> Profession: Model
> When aired: October 2012
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8. What Makes a Good Life? Lessons from the Longest Study on Happiness
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 41,336,356
> Speaker: Robert Waldinger
> Profession: Psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, Zen priest
> When aired: November 2015
Source: Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images for Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
7. The Next Outbreak? We’re Not Ready
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 43,312,525
> Speaker: Bill Gates
> Profession: Philanthropist
> When aired: March 2015
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6. How to Speak So That People Want to Listen
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 48,907,239
> Speaker: Julian Treasure
> Profession: Sound consultant
> When aired: June 2013
5. The Power of Vulnerability
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 56,408,185
> Speaker: Dr. Brené Brown
> Profession: Vulnerability researcher
> When aired: June 2010
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4. How Great Leaders Inspire Action
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 57,437,810
> Speaker: Simon Sinek
> Profession: Leadership expert
> When aired: September 2009
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3. Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 59,328,763
> Speaker: Tim Urban
> Profession: Blogger
> When aired: February 2016
2. Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 63,757,789
> Speaker: Amy Cuddy
> Profession: Social psychologist
> When aired: June 2012
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Source: timwilson / Flickr
1. Do Schools Kill Creativity?
> Views as of Jan. 10, 2022: 72,334,535
> Speaker: Sir Ken Robinson
> Profession: Author, educator
> When aired: February 2006
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