8 Future-Forward Ted Talks

In 2021 and beyond tech will continue to change our everyday lives.

But how will it change the world for the better? Find out in this collection of thought-provoking TED Talks.

1. What will the pharmacy of the future look like? Personalised pills, 3D printed at home.

Should we change the way we prescribe drugs? Physician Daniel Kraft calls for a smarter approach to healthcare. Many drugs don't work for those they're prescribed for and can cause side effects. There are also challenges around dosage and patients taking the medicines as they should.

In this TED Talk Kraft makes a compelling case for leveraging tech to make a change. Thanks to the internet of things and connected devices, real-time data could be used by healthcare professionals to improve prevention and lead to personalised medications that adapt to individual needs.

2. SpaceX could soon be flying you across the globe in 30 minutes.

What's next for SpaceX? Find out from employee number seven at Elon Musk's pioneering aerospace company who is now its President. Engineer Gwynne Shotwell discusses the exciting race to put people into orbit, taking humanity to Mars and space travel for earthlings.

3. Creating Google Search for the Earth.

Could the surface of the each soon be as easily searchable as the internet? Will Marshall and his team at Planet are already on a mission to index the entire Earth using satellites. Now they're using AI to index all the objects on the planet which could make ships, trees, houses and everything else on Earth searchable. 

4. How Arduino is open-sourcing imagination.

From toys to satellite gear, Arduino has inspired thousands of people around the globe to make the coolest things imaginable. Find out more about this easy-to-use open-source microcontroller from Massimo Banzi who helped invent it.

5. The way we trust has changed.

There has been a shift in who we trust. Instead of placing our trust in institutions we increasingly rely on others, who are often strangers. Just look at the rise in popularity of platforms like Airbnb and Uber.  

6. What could a driverless world look like?

Transportation geek Wanis Kabbaj finds inspiration in the genius of biology to design the transit systems of the future. In this forward-thinking talk, explore exciting concepts like detachable buses, flying taxis and networks of suspended magnetic pods that could help make a driverless world a reality.

7. What AI is - and isn't.

Educator and entrepreneur Sebastian Thrun wants us to use AI to free humanity of repetitive work and unleash our creativity. In an inspiring, informative conversation with TED Curator Chris Anderson, Thrun discusses the progress of deep learning, why we shouldn't fear AI and how society will be empowered if dull, tedious work is done with the help of machines. 

8. Could a smog vacuum cleaner transform our cities?

Daan Roosegaarde uses tech and creative thinking to produce imaginative, earth-friendly designs. In this TED Talk, he presents his latest projects from Van Gough inspired bike paths in Eindhoven to a smog vacuum cleaner in Beijing.