Coaches kept telling Maxwell Pearce to stick to the fundamentals. Good thing he didn’t listen. A Harlem Globetrotter and artist, he went on to build a global reputation for gravity-defying dunks and a theory that the same playful rule-breaking is what powers progress in every field. In this joyful talk, he makes the case that play isn’t the opposite of serious work — it’s the secret ingredient behind it. (Recorded at Play@TED on May 14, 2026)

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What do the story of Oedipus and your insurance premiums have in common? They are both driven by self-fulfilling prophecies. Philosopher and TED Fellow Carissa Véliz traces the hidden power of prediction, from Roman emperors who banned prophets to the AI algorithms quietly making decisions about your life right now. We tend to associate predictions with knowledge, she says, but they’re actually attempts to grab power. So the next time someone tells you a specific outcome is inevitable, remember: they aren’t describing the future — they’re selling it.