Science & Technology

The Creativity and Community Behind Fanfiction | Cecilia Aragon | TED

Author, professor and fanfiction writer Cecilia Aragon has observed how this incredible outlet for creativity encourages and empowers young people to embrace their imagination. Detailing her research into the vast online fanfiction community, Aragon shares its potential to foster a sense of belonging, strengthen writing skills and shape the future of literature. If you love…

Published

4 years ago

March 29, 2022

CYBER TECH TV

If you love watching TED Talks like this one, become a TED Member to support our mission of spreading ideas:

Follow TED!
Twitter:
Instagram:
Facebook:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:

The TED Talks channel features talks, performances and original series from the world’s leading thinkers and doers. Subscribe to our channel for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.

For more fascinating talks from TED Women:

TED’s videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy (). For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at

#TED #CeciliaAragon

Up Next

What Does a Voice of the Future Sound Like? | Reeps One | TED Countdown

Don't Miss

iPhone SE (2022) vs. iPhone 13 Pro Camera Comparison

32 Comments

Ashmi Roy

March 29, 2022 at 3:02 pm

Wow????

Reply
Aisadal

March 29, 2022 at 3:07 pm

Omg, finally, a TedTalk just for people like me! Real talk tho, never thought I’d see fanfiction pop up in TedTalks, so I’m really ecstatic ????

Reply
C Buckley

March 29, 2022 at 3:19 pm

My oldest is into several fan fiction authors

Reply
Joey Beato Batil

March 29, 2022 at 3:21 pm

Finally a TedTalk with relativity UwU

Reply
Starr C

March 29, 2022 at 3:22 pm

I clicked so fast

Reply
MAX

March 29, 2022 at 3:31 pm

wow… as a person who had written fanfic before, I didn’t expect to see something like this on TED of all places…

Reply
Zero Mind

March 29, 2022 at 4:04 pm

Hey all, my dad passed away couple months ago from covid he also was fighting colon cancer. Im trying save his beautiful car from greedy bank. If any of has ability or interest in helping i set up GoFundMe save my dads car. Its cool if u can’t help, i had to try. YouTube wouldn’t let me link it. ????️

Reply
The Warrior

March 29, 2022 at 4:06 pm

This is my favorite Ted Talk ever

Reply
NovaGirl

March 29, 2022 at 4:07 pm

i never wrote down my fanfiction but I have my own fanfic world that has evolved with my tastes. been reading fanfics for over 20 years and found some favorite authors and stories. sadly some of these authors have stopped writing for one reason or another.

I still find joy in finding new fandoms and new characters.

Reply
GzeroAnimations

March 29, 2022 at 4:23 pm

when will ted himself show up to talk

Reply
Leandro Fernández

March 29, 2022 at 4:56 pm

Well, two of my favorites hobbies have come together: Fanfiction and Ted Talks. I concur 100% with the talk as I have see the evolution of many authors in the site and the diversity of topics.
It never ceases to amaze me the opportunities that we have to better ourselves (some times unintentionally).
I was awaiting for her to mention an autor to see if I recognize them.
Kudos!!

Reply
Amargo Patrias

March 29, 2022 at 4:58 pm

Being Geek in a school filled with students, sometimes you just want to be invisible in a way that many people may understand your personality on how it is fiction to prove that geeks have emotions and are not cold-hearted humans. Well, being exposed to books most specifically to the importance of it in our lives, many people may cancel you.

Reply
Amargo Patrias

March 29, 2022 at 4:58 pm

Being Geek in a school filled with students, sometimes you just want to be invisible in a way that many people may understand your personality on how it function to prove that geeks have emotions and are not cold-hearted humans. Well, being exposed to books most specifically to the importance of it in our lives, many people may cancel you.

Reply
Faris Hanafiah

March 29, 2022 at 5:12 pm

Fanfiction does sound great for boosting creativity and imagination, but always never forget the toxic fandom who don’t want to see anything that they don’t agree upon.

Reply
English IELTS

March 29, 2022 at 5:37 pm

Hello everyone ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Reply
rachel b

March 29, 2022 at 5:51 pm

conclusion: lisez des fanfictions!!

Reply
bloodyredfox

March 29, 2022 at 6:08 pm

never thought i would find fanfiction on a ted talk lol

Reply
Jeon Haru

March 29, 2022 at 6:44 pm

*Where are those K-Pop FF writers & Readers*

Reply
- not in my vocabulary
  
  March 29, 2022 at 8:06 pm
  
  literally 99% of all viewers ???????? anyways heya armyy ????????????????
  
  Reply
not in my vocabulary

March 29, 2022 at 8:07 pm

ARMYs: *nervous laughter*

Reply
gem

March 29, 2022 at 10:37 pm

Fanfiction communities can represent a creative & supportive outlet for alot of kids, but also can be an unsupervised environment where some very damaging & harmful ideas festers among those impressionable young individuals, especially the romanticism of themes like violence, abuse, r@pe, even p.€.d.0.philia!
Alot of those writers and their fans like to claim that “fiction” has no influence on reality, which not true.

Reply
Mr. C

March 29, 2022 at 10:41 pm

This is how religions get started..

Reply
Mr. C

March 29, 2022 at 10:45 pm

Can’t believe she didn’t mention the Narnia trilogy.

Reply
Sam R

March 29, 2022 at 10:46 pm

I love this so much, I am glad Ted talks finally got to the point where they are relatable

Reply
This isn't allowed

March 29, 2022 at 11:27 pm

What I like also is that each fandom has it’s style because people who tend to like a certain thing tend to have similar age or tastes. When I go from one fandom to another the type of works I find is different and it’s just so cool. Certain fandoms also prefer certain websites.

Reply
Caroline Whiteside

March 30, 2022 at 1:35 am

It wasn’t really a thing when I was a kid but I started my own fan fiction journey five years ago aged 50 and I concur, it definitely taught me how to write. I hadn’t written a word of fiction since I left school and this new hobby is so freeing and fun. I’ve gathered a lovely community of support around my writing too. They may be around the world, but the friendships are real and I’ve even met a few of them. For those who say fan fiction isn’t good writing, I say phooey. Some of my favourite writers write fan fiction and on the whole it’s as good, if not better than ‘traditional’ published writing.

Reply
karalyn irving

March 30, 2022 at 2:49 am

Everything this woman said is true. I got my start on wattpad. 13 years old, I wrote a 73 chapter book based on a marvel movie. It ended up getting thousands of comments, and HUNDREDS of thousands of views. I’m currently working on writing and publishing my first fiction novel.

Reply
A. Demaske

March 30, 2022 at 3:31 am

Don’t forget older writers!! The distributed networks include MFAs, published authors, professionals of all fields. Every age group benefits from the community, and today’s teenage fanfic authors become the old guard.

Reply
Nathi kevin

March 30, 2022 at 8:23 am

This brought tears to my eyes ????

Reply
ViperZang

March 30, 2022 at 12:59 pm

Imagine talking about FanFiction, and not mentioning “The Subspace Emissary’s Worlds Conquest” It’s still the longest work of fiction in history, right?

Reply
Michele Mccoy

March 31, 2022 at 1:55 pm

It’s not just teenagers who read and write fanfic. I have several friends who are adults who have gone on to publish their original works. And there’s more on archive of our own…

Reply
Malcolm Pagett

April 1, 2022 at 9:06 pm

I think the My little pony fanfiction is something people may want to give a miss.

Reply

Science & Technology

Learn What VCs Actually Want, From a Founder Who’s Raised $1B l Build Mode

Investors want founders who understand the financial reality of their business. Messy data, misunderstood metrics, or waiting until you’re nearly out of cash to start fundraising can cost founders leverage, valuation, and even a term sheet. In this episode of Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Sasha Orloff, founder and CEO of Puzzle…

Published

10 hours ago

August 20, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

In this episode of Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Sasha Orloff, founder and CEO of Puzzle and Startup Battlefield alum, to talk about what he’s learned from building companies that have raised more than $1 billion collectively.

Sasha breaks down what investors look for during fundraising, which financial metrics founders should know by heart, and why VCs don’t expect your startup to be perfect—they expect you to understand its reality. He also shares how he nearly lost a term sheet because his data room wasn’t ready, how fundraising diligence changes as a startup grows, and why getting your financial house in order can help founders raise with more confidence and leverage.

They get into:
– What raising more than $1 billion across multiple companies taught Sasha about fundraising
– Why investors value founders who have a strong grasp of their company’s financial reality
– The financial metrics founders should know before pitching VCs
How investor expectations change from pre-seed and seed through Series A, B, and beyond
– Why revenue growth and the quality of that revenue are critical fundraising metrics
– How runway, margins, sales efficiency, and profitability factor into investor decisions
– Why waiting until you’re running out of cash can hurt your fundraising leverage
– How Sasha nearly lost a term sheet because his data room wasn’t ready
– Why financial organization and compliance can influence investor confidence and startup valuations
– What founders should have prepared for the due diligence process
– Why VCs don’t expect perfection—and why being honest about what isn’t working can make for a stronger pitch
– How Sasha’s own fundraising and finance frustrations ultimately led him to build Puzzle
– How AI could change the way startups manage accounting and understand their financial health

Chapters:
00:00 – Why VCs Want Founders Who Understand Reality
01:26 – Sasha Orloff’s Journey to Building Puzzle
05:05 – Why Puzzle Started With Startup Founders
08:38 – What Founders Should Know Before Fundraising
11:08 – What Investors Look for During Due Diligence
14:37 – Understanding the Financial Health of Your Startup
17:52 – The Financial Mistakes Founders Make
20:19 – When Startups Need Accountants and Finance Teams
24:04 – How Sasha Almost Lost a Term Sheet
26:10 – The Financial Metrics Founders Should Know Cold
28:20 – Lessons From Raising $1B+ Across Multiple Companies
31:45 – Why Financial Readiness Matters to Investors
33:49 – How AI Is Changing Startup Accounting
37:17 – Inside Puzzle’s Series A With General Catalyst
38:52 – Launching Puzzle at Startup Battlefield
40:38 – Sasha’s Advice for Early-Stage Founders

Subscribe to Build Mode:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Wherever you like to listen
New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday.

Science & Technology

How Satellites and AI Can Protect the Planet | Robbie Schingler | TED

Published

12 hours ago

August 20, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Space technologist Robbie Schingler cofounded a satellite company that images the whole planet every day, making visible changes on Earth. He shows how pairing that data with AI creates a “planetary intelligence” we can use to spot emerging threats we might not have seen otherwise. Now he asks: Can we close the gap between seeing a crisis coming and actually stopping it? (Followed by a note from TED guest curators Divya Siddarth and Audrey Tang) (Recorded at TED2026 on April 14, 2026)

Join us in person at a TED conference:
Become a TED Member to support our mission:
Subscribe to a TED newsletter:

Follow TED!
Instagram:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:
Facebook:
X:

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less) — plus originals, podcasts and exclusive content. Look for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design as well as science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit for our entire library, transcripts, translations and personalized recommendations.

Watch more:

TED videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with the TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a request at

#TED #TEDTalks #Tech #ClimateChange

CNET

That Voicemail Isn’t Real, It’s AI. The New Wave of AI-Impersonation Scams

Scammers are using AI to impersonate high-profile targets, such as celebrities and politicians. Here’s how you can stay safe. You can find the products mentioned in this article linked below Commerce Link *CNET may get a commission on these offers Link to CNET article: Read more about X on CNET.com: Timecode Chapters: 00:00 The Threat…

Published

15 hours ago

August 20, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Scammers are using AI to impersonate high-profile targets, such as celebrities and politicians. Here’s how you can stay safe.

You can find the products mentioned in this article linked below
Commerce Link
*CNET may get a commission on these offers

Link to CNET article: Read more about X on CNET.com:

Timecode Chapters:
00:00 The Threat of AI Impersonation
01:25 How Deepfakes Are Used in Politics
04:07 The Rise of Hyper-Personalized Fraud
05:42 Testing a Voice Clone on My Boss
07:11 Audio Blind Taste Test With My Sister
11:10 How to Stay Vigilant Against AI Clones

Video Credits:
Host: Katelyn Chedraoui
Scripted by:Katelyn Chedraoui
Producer: Numi Prasarn
Camera: Carly Marsh
Video Editor: Jon Gomez
Thumbnail Designer: Zooey Liao

Add CNET as a trusted news source
Never miss a deal again! See CNET’s browser extension 👉
Check out CNET’s Amazon Storefront:
Subscribe to CNET on YouTube:
Follow us on TikTok:
Follow us on Instagram:
Follow us on Bluesky:
Like us on Facebook:
CNET’s AI Atlas:
Follow us on X:
Visit CNET.com: