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Series
Small Thing Big Idea
This original TED series celebrates the lasting genius of everyday objects so perfectly designed that they changed the world around them.
Season 2
Season 1
03:23
Paola Antonelli
Why pasta comes in all shapes and sizes
3 minutes 23 seconds
03:01
A.J. Jacobs
The evolution of the coffee cup lid
3 minutes 1 second
03:06
David Biello
How the compass unlocked the world
3 minutes 6 seconds
03:14
Debbie Millman
The function and fashion of eyeglasses
3 minutes 14 seconds
03:13
Jennifer 8. Lee
Why 1.5 billion people eat with chopsticks
3 minutes 13 seconds
03:17
Chip Kidd
Why books are here to stay
3 minutes 17 seconds
03:33
Jon Gray
The power of the Afro pick
3 minutes 33 seconds
03:23
Yves Béhar
How surfboards connect us to nature
3 minutes 23 seconds
03:01
Michael Bierut
The genius of the London Tube Map
3 minutes 1 second
03:19
Paola Antonelli
The 3,000-year history of the hoodie
3 minutes 19 seconds
03:26
Caroline Weaver
Why the pencil is perfect
3 minutes 26 seconds
03:34
Daniel Engber
How the progress bar keeps you sane
3 minutes 34 seconds
03:22
Kyra Gaunt
How the jump rope got its rhythm
3 minutes 22 seconds
02:07
Isaac Mizrahi
How the button changed fashion
2 minutes 7 seconds
02:55
David Rockwell
The hidden ways stairs shape your life
2 minutes 55 seconds
03:20
Margaret Gould Stewart
How the hyperlink changed everything
3 minutes 20 seconds