Amazing photos of Africa -- taken from a flying lawn chair

From above, patterns emerge ... [Open in browser]( [TED]( This week on TED.com January 27, 2018 [Talk of the week]( [George Steinmetz: Photos of Africa, taken from a flying lawn chair]( 10:44 minutes · Filmed Aug 2017 · Posted Jan 2018 · TEDGlobal 2017 George Steinmetz's spectacular photos show Africa from the air, taken from the world's slowest, lightest aircraft. Join Steinmetz to discover the surprising historical, ecological and sociopolitical patterns that emerge when you go low and slow in a flying lawn chair. [Watch now »]( [Playlist of the week]( [Gorgeous, awe-inspiring images of Earth from above]( Get a bird's-eye view of Earth's mesmerizing beauty, from the sky and outer space. [Watch »]( 6 TED Talks • Total run time 1:15:07 [this week's new TED Talks]( Do you dream of living off the grid? Explore the energy revolution that's happening right now in villages and towns across Africa -- off-grid solar energy. Amar Inamdar introduces us to proud owners of off-grid solar kits, and shows how this technology can meet two big goals: energy access for all and a low-carbon future. "Every household a proud producer as well as consumer of energy," Inamdar says. "That's the democracy of energy." [Watch »]( We already live among robots: smart thermostats and dishwashers and other technology designed to give humans just a little extra help. What will a future with even more robots look like? Social scientist Leila Takayama shares the unique challenges of designing for human-robot interactions. As we think about robotic futures, it may actually lead us to a better understanding of ourselves. [Watch »]( Can we solve the problem of ocean plastic pollution and extreme poverty -- at the same time? That's the ambitious goal of The Plastic Bank, a worldwide chain of stores where everything from school tuition to cooking fuel is available to buy in exchange for plastic garbage -- which is then sorted, shredded and recycled. Join David Katz to learn more about this step towards closing the loop in the circular economy. [Watch »]( Think we're winning the battle against HIV? Maybe not ... as the next wave of drug-resistant viruses arrives on the scene. In an eye-opening talk, TED Fellow Edsel Salvana describes the new and aggressive HIV subtype AE that's currently plaguing his home of the Philippines -- and warns us about what might become a new global epidemic. [Watch »]( [Read more on ideas.ted.com]( [Psychology:]( do you deliver first, the good news or [the bad news?]( Daniel Pink shares new findings about human nature [Business:]( Practical money advice from a self-taught [financial advisor >>]( Curtis "Wall Street" Carroll turned his life around by learning the stock market [Tech:]( Inside the quest to build “Holy Braille,” an [e-tablet for blind people >>]( A team in Michigan has found an ingenious solution ... bubbles [Science:]( A major cause of obesity may be [hiding in your gut >>]( One day, you might be able to eat microbes to help you lose weight Quote of the Week “ All that plastic we collect, we add value to: we sort it, we remove labels, we remove caps. We either shred it or we pack it into bales and get it ready for export. Now, it's no different than walking over acres of diamonds." [David Katz What if you could turn plastic trash into cash?]( ted radio hour: can we trust the numbers? Data, statistics and algorithms dominate every aspect of our lives. But how accurate are they, and how fair? This hour, TED speakers explore the ups and downs of relying too much on the numbers. Listen on [Apple Podcasts]( [NPR]( the [TED Android App]( or wherever you go for podcasts [Facebook] Join us on [Facebook]( [Twitter] Follow us [@TEDTalks]( You are receiving this email because you've subscribed to our mailing list. We also send out [daily emails]( if you can't get enough of us. We love you too. Copyright © 2018 TED, All rights reserved. You're receiving the TED Talks weekly newsletter because you subscribed to it on TED.com. (Was this forwarded by a friend? You can sign up here: ) Our mailing address is: TED 330 Hudson Street 11th FloorNew York, NY 10013 [Add us to your address book](//ted.us1.list-manage.com/vcard?u=07487d1456302a286cf9c4ccc&id=934d447288) [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( [view email in browser](