TED’s Ballsy Move

Ever find yourself dozing off during a lecture or seminar? Dread walking through those classroom doors because you know exactly what’s on the other side? Just the sight of a teacher standing in front of a blackboard can cause our minds to go on autopilot and possibly miss a key piece of information or a spark of inspiration, no matter how fascinating the topic. With ipads being introduced into the classroom, and the internet slowly being integrated more and more into schools, there arises the very poignant concept that sometimes you have to shake up the format in order to communicate the content. 

The famous TED talks are a popular venue for scientists and success stories to show an audience their perspectives on certain topics. Even TED,  however, has come under fire for its standardized method for delivering these talks. An article in The New Inquiry attacks TED’s tendency to promote ideas only through a Silicon Valley-like atmosphere, driving academics out of the discourse. To combat this kind of criticism TED teamed up with Improv Everywhere to shake its format up a little bit, take everybody’s eyes off the big red TED logo that dominates every stage, and introduce some beach balls into their audience’s lives.