Wonder: Notes from Session 1 of TEDNext 2024

TED’s Monique Ruff-Bell (left) and Helen Walters host at TEDNext 2024 on October 22, 2024, at Pullman Yards in Atlanta, GA. (Photo: Gilberto Tadday / TED)

For the inaugural session of the very first TEDNext conference, a poet, a comic, an astrophysicist, one of the world’s most popular authors and other trailblazing speakers explored a theme that keeps the world spinning: wonder, and how it can transform our thinking.

What exactly is TEDNext? A vibrant, three-day exploration of what’s next, propelling the “future you” to drive change at every level, from personal to global. The first-ever TEDNext conference, held in Atlanta, kicks off an expansion of the annual slate of conferences from TED and is designed to spark imagination, embrace possibility and foster dreams about what the next version of you can be and do.

The event: Talks from Session 1 of TEDNext 2024, hosted by TED’s Helen Walters and Monique Ruff-Bell

When and where: Tuesday, October 22, 2024, at Pullman Yards in Atlanta, Georgia

Speakers and performers: Safiya Sinclair, Lisa Kaltenegger, Adam Munder, Malcolm Gladwell, Leo Villareal, Athena Kugblenu, Shu Takada

Nature is “the natural archway to wonder,” says poet Safiya Sinclair. Performing “Marigolds: A Letter to Wonder,” an original poem she created for TEDNext, she explores the fragility of life with imagery of youthful joys and floral beauty, reflecting on the enduring presence of those who have passed.

Signs of life are written in a planet’s light, says alien world explorer Lisa Kaltenegger. Thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope, which can catch light from small planets lightyears away and illuminate the “chemical fingerprints” of their atmospheres, Kaltenegger explains how we are closer than ever to discovering whether or not we’re alone in the universe.

When routine interactions like doctor’s appointments force Deaf people to rely on makeshift communication tools or even their young children as interpreters, we lose the human connection that makes conversations meaningful, says communication advocate Adam Munder. That’s the driving force behind OmniBridge, an AI platform Munder is building with Intel to translate ASL in real-time, turning previously frustrating encounters into natural conversations. Joined onstage by ASL interpreter Christan Hansen and TED’s Hasiba Haq, Munder demos how the new translation platform works, showing how it can allow both Deaf and hearing people to simply be themselves.

In his 2000 bestseller The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell tells the story of how crime fell in New York City in the 1990s, centering his explanation on a criminology theory known as the “broken windows theory.” Now, 25 years after publishing his breakout book, he’s here with a new message: “I made a mistake. I’m sorry.” He shares how his analysis contributed to the rise of the NYPD’s infamous stop-and-frisk policy — and shows why no journalist should adopt a stance of certainty when trying to make sense of the world.

Artist Leo Villareal transformed the experience of getting lost at Burning Man (back in the days before billionaires knew what it was) into a groundbreaking artistic practice, using custom-coded light patterns to create massive installations that turn urban infrastructure into communal gathering spaces. What began with a simple beacon of 16 strobe lights to help him get home in the desert has evolved into monumental works like “The Bay Lights” in San Francisco, an installation featuring 25,000 LEDs mounted on the suspender cables of the Bay Bridge, and London’s “Illuminated River” project, which unites the bridges of the Thames into a single luminous artwork, proving that public art can reshape how we experience our cities.

Whether it’s pretending you’re “fine” or saying you’ll be there in five minutes when you haven’t left yet, we all tell little lies, explains comedian and writer Athena Kugblenu. She humorously breaks down why fibbing is sometimes the right thing to do, helping us all become “fib-literate.”

For six-time world yo-yo champion Shu Takada, a yo-yo isn’t just a toy; it’s an art form. In a mesmerizing performance, he combines music, dance and acrobatics with his signature, incredible yo-yo moves, elevating this childhood pastime into a breathtaking spectacle.

Check out more photos from TEDNext 2024 and learn more about attending a future TED conference.