Michael Shermer: Why people believe strange things

By Eric on Friday, October 30, 2009
Filled Under: Authors, TEDTalks

"Why do people see the Virgin Mary on cheese sandwiches or
 hear demonic lyrics in "Stairway to Heaven"? Using video,
 images and music, professional skeptic Michael Shermer
 explores these and other phenomena, including UFOs and
 alien sightings."

Amy Tan: Where does creativity hide?

By Eric on Friday, October 16, 2009
Filled Under: Authors, TEDTalks

"Novelist Amy Tan digs deep into the creative process,
 journeying through her childhood and family history and
 into the worlds of physics and chance, looking for hints
 of where her own creativity comes from. It's a wild ride
 with a surprise ending."

Dan Gilbert: Exploring the frontiers of happiness

By Eric on Friday, July 24, 2009
Filled Under: Authors, TEDTalks

"Dan Gilbert presents research and data from his exploration
 of happiness -- sharing some surprising tests and
 experiments that you can also try on yourself. Watch
 through to the end for a sparkling Q&A with some familiar
 TED faces."

Benjamin Wallace: Does happiness have a price tag?

By Eric on Friday, July 17, 2009
Filled Under: TEDTalks

"Can happiness be bought? To find out, author Benjamin
 Wallace sampled the world's most expensive products,
 including a bottle of 1947 Chateau Cheval Blanc, 8
 ounces of Kobe beef and the fabled (notorious) Kopi
 Luwak coffee. His critique may surprise you."

Elizabeth Gilbert: A new way to think about creativity

By Eric on Friday, July 10, 2009
Filled Under: TEDTalks

"Author Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we
 expect from artists and geniuses -- and shares the radical
 idea that, instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all
 of us "have" a genius. It's a funny, personal and
 surprisingly moving talk."