Tim O'Reilly founded O'Reilly Media with the long-term vision of changing the world by spreading the knowledge of tech innovators. It’s a mission that very much dovetails with TED. Below, O'Reilly picks his favorite TEDTalks and give notes about why each one had a major impact on him.
Willie Smits: How to restore a rainforest
“I loved the deep systems thinking in Willie Smits' talk. If we want to get there, we need to start here...”
Jen Pahlka: Coding a better government
“‘Are we just a crowd of voices, or are we a crowd of hands?’ Jen Pahlka puts the notion of government participation in a new and powerful context.”
Bonnie Bassler: How bacteria "talk"
“I found the insights in this talk fascinating; it completely changed my mental model of how illness comes about.”
Benjamin Zander: The transformative power of classical music
“Ben Zander gives a bravura performance and a mind-deepening talk about how passion drives interest and creativity. My favorite TEDTalk ever.”
Kary Mullis' next-gen cure for killer infections
“I loved this talk for the way that Kary combined his personal experience, folksy delivery and clear teaching about a really important problem. And he gets across that Nobel Prize winners don't always come from the background you expect.”
Ken Robinson says that schools kill creativity
“Anyone who has kids will resonate to this talk. Our schools so often let down our children, and we let them do it. Sir Ken Robinson inspires us to do better.”
Donald Sadoway: The missing link to renewable energy
“This should be a model for all TEDTalks. Donald Sadoway is tackling an important problem, but he's also a master teacher, so we aren't just ‘wowed’ (as is so often the case), we come away having learned something new.”
Hans Rosling: Stats that reshape your worldview
“Now that everyone is into data visualization, it's difficult to imagine just how amazing this talk was when it first was given. Hans has a unique ability to make numbers talk.”
Jeff Han demos his breakthrough touchscreen