This article is a part of Liberal America’s Educated Liberals Series, in which we scour the web to find free online classes and?OpenCourseWare?that address topics of interest to liberals and progressives. We’re going to introduce our readers to the plethora of free online colleges and even some renowned colleges and universities that offer free online courses. Education is power. Let’s become more powerful.
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TED talks are a great way to get some really valuable free information. At the end of 2013, TED compiled a list of their most popular talks of the year. In addition to these 20, you can browse more than 1700 talks on the TED website. That’s a lot of “ideas worth spreading.”
From TED:
As 2013 draws to a close, TED is deeply humbled to have posted?1600+ talks, each representing an idea worth spreading. So which ideas have had the most widespread impact? Below, a look at the 20 most-watched talks as of December 2013. These viewership numbers include all the platforms we track: TED.com, YouTube, iTunes, embed and download, Hulu and more.
Some fascinating things to notice on this list, if you’d like to compare and contrast it to the?most popular talks in 2012, and to the?list we shared back in 2011: Amy Cuddy, Susan Cain, David Blaine and Pamela Meyer are all newcomers to the list, with Cuddy’s talk storming to spot #5 thanks to you sharing it. Meanwhile, Brene Brown’s talk has doubled in its number of views since 2012, with Simon Sinek and Mary Roach’s talks coming close to that line. And finally, Ken Robinson’s classic talk? Well, it has been played nearly 9 million times since last year alone.
But what really makes this list so incredible is the fact that it spans so many areas of interest, from education to happiness, statistics to creativity, tech demos to illusions. We love that this list revels in the wonders of the human brain, as well as in the incredible creatures of the deep sea, and far beyond.
- Sir Ken Robinson?says schools kill creativity?(2006):?23,510,221 views
- Jill Bolte Taylor?s?stroke of insight?(2008): 14,343,197
- Simon Sinek?on?how great leaders inspire action?(2010):?14,228,854
- Brene Brown?talks about the?power of vulnerability?(2010):?12,703,623
- Amy Cuddy?on how?your body language shapes who you are?(2012): 12,682,694
- Pranav Mistry?on?the thrilling potential of SixthSense?(2009):?12,068,105
- Tony Robbins?asks?why we do what we do?(2006):?10,425,014
- David Gallo?s?underwater astonishments?(2007):?10,266,221
- Mary Roach?on?10 things you didn’t know about orgasm?(2009):?9,435,954
- Daniel Pink?on?the surprising science of motivation?(2009):?9.176,053
- Pattie Maes?and Pranav Mistry?demo SixthSense?(2009):?8, 363,339
- Dan Gilbert?asks:?Why are we happy??(2004):?7,788,151
- Hans Rosling?shows?the best stats you’ve ever seen?(2006):?7,685,726
- Elizabeth Gilbert?on?nurturing your creative genius?(2009):?7,593,076
- Steve Jobs?on?how to live before you die?(2005): 7,223,258
- Susan Cain?shares the?power of introverts?(2012): 6,807,240
- Keith Barry?does?brain magic?(2004):?6,371,778
- David Blaine?reveals?how he held his breath for 17 minutes?(2010): 6,359,084
- Pamela Meyer?on?how to spot a liar?(2010): 6,256,589
- Arthur Benjamin?does?mathemagic?(2005):?4,951,918
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Tiffany Willis is the founder and editor-in-chief of Liberal America. An unapologetic member of the Christian Left, she has spent most of her career actively working with ?the least of these? and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. She’s passionate about their struggles. To stay on top of topics she discusses,?subscribe to her public updates on Facebook,?follow her on Twitter, or?connect with her via LinkedIn. She also has a?grossly neglected personal blog?and a?literary quotes blog that is a labor of love. Find her somewhere and join the discussion.
