TED: Who? What? Where? Why?

So, what’s the big idea?

The group behind the TED conferences tries to answer that question every year, with its slate of thinkers and teachers from around the globe.

TED – Technology, Entertainment and Design – isn’t trying to revolutionize the world.

Rather, the organization aims to arm the masses with the power of knowledge because, TED’s mission statement says, ideas are worth spreading.

“An idea can be created out of nothing except an inspired imagination: An idea weighs nothing,” the TED website declares.

“(An idea) can be transferred across the world at the speed of light for virtually zero cost and yet an idea, when received by a prepared mind, can have extraordinary impact.”

In just 18 minutes or less, TED’s visionary educators – ranging from world leaders to grassroots activists, business magnates to comedians – enlighten and engage audiences on topics such as ethics, food security, society, arts and technology.

But the reason the talks are so fascinating is because speakers cross these themes with knowledge from their respective fields.

How do philosophy and moral principles fit with technology and movie soundtracks? Computer scientist Damon Horowitz did just that at a recent independent TED conference – known as TEDx – in California’s Silicon Valley.

While outspoken environmental activists can preach about climate change in hopes of furthering the green movement, a photographer such as Edward Burtynsky explaining his haunting pictures of landscapes destroyed by industry can have a more profound effect.

Michelle Obama, Al Gore, Steve Jobs, Jane Goodall and Jamie Oliver are just some of the hundreds of famed speakers who have taken to TED stages since 1990, when TED became an annual event.

The first TED conference was actually held in 1984, but only as a one-time event created by architect and graphic designer Richard Saul Wurman and fellow graphic designer Harry Marks.

Going Global

The goal, then and now: to make information accessible and understandable.

That one-off conference has grown into a truly global event.

The main TED Conference takes place each spring in Long Beach, California, and its twin event, TEDGlobal is now held in Edinburgh in summer.

But, independent TEDx events are put together by community and school groups around the world, everywhere from Tokyo to Baghdad – to Halifax.

It doesn’t matter how big the location is, as long as the organizers subscribe to TEDx guidelines, such as not promoting the event, or including commercial, religious or political agendas.

The event, TED’s website says, should be “designed to inspire and delight.”

Beyond the stages and auditoriums, TED is open to anyone with Internet access.

TED Conference, TEDGlobal and TEDx events have live video streams online or at the very least post videos from locally-hosted talks.

It’s presence on YouTube and various social media sites have helped share the “ideas worth sharing” to the most far-flung places.

TED videos and transcripts are available in 81 languages – even in Esperanto – thanks to a network of volunteer translators.

More on all things TED and the "Ideas worth spreading" here.