Okay. This is what I assumed, although I didn't know the history. Thanks once again for an interesting post. The problem I run up against with TED talks, podcasts, documentaries et al. is that I can think and read much more quickly than any of these people can speak. I can't really even sit through all but the most interesting lectures anymore because I'd rather read a transcript to save my time for better things. So I have a problem with the format. But I still mean to watch the one thenewgreen linked below just so I can have an opinion.
Watch the RSA one. It emphasizes your point - mainly that "people standing on a stage" are not necessarily the most interesting or efficient way to promote knowledge.
Yeah, I will watch both. I've got some viewing to do tonight it looks like. The reason I ask all this is that my only decent professor was asked to give a TED talk somewhere next year and he asked me over breakfast last week what the hell the point of them was. Doing some lazy hubski-research.