Ask HN: What are some of the best non-technical talks of all time?

[prakhar897]

Here's mine:

1. Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo&list=PLrekO4JKU4v0oxfgug1sOuaDORDEXf_vp&index=12

2. Strange answers to the psychopath test | Jon Ronson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYemnKEKx0c&list=PLrekO4JKU4v0oxfgug1sOuaDORDEXf_vp&index=4

3. The thrilling potential of SixthSense technology | Pranav Mistry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrtANPtnhyg&list=PLrekO4JKU4v0oxfgug1sOuaDORDEXf_vp&index=8

4. Steve Jobs MIT Class: What he learnt after he was fired from Apple? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXUhLbV8Nrg&list=PLrekO4JKU4v0oxfgug1sOuaDORDEXf_vp&index=22&t=8s

5. Eric Liu: Why ordinary people need to understand power https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd0JH1AreDw&list=PLrekO4JKU4v0oxfgug1sOuaDORDEXf_vp&index=24

6. Peter Lynch 1994 Lecture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72Pq5zKEi_g&list=PLrekO4JKU4v0oxfgug1sOuaDORDEXf_vp&index=20

[tsycho]

"This is water", by David Foster Wallace.

https://youtu.be/8CrOL-ydFMI

[prakhar897]

Here's mine:

1. Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo&list=PLrekO4JKU4...

2. Strange answers to the psychopath test | Jon Ronson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYemnKEKx0c&list=PLrekO4JKU4...

3. The thrilling potential of SixthSense technology | Pranav Mistry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrtANPtnhyg&list=PLrekO4JKU4...

4. Steve Jobs MIT Class: What he learnt after he was fired from Apple? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXUhLbV8Nrg&list=PLrekO4JKU4...

5. Eric Liu: Why ordinary people need to understand power https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd0JH1AreDw&list=PLrekO4JKU4...

6. Peter Lynch 1994 Lecture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72Pq5zKEi_g&list=PLrekO4JKU4...

[yesenadam]

Many 19th C essays were originally lectures delivered to an audience—almost all of Emerson's essays, for example. There was a huge lecture circuit across the U.S. Maybe my favourite talks are William James' On a Certain Blindness in Human Beings (1890s), and its sequel What Makes a Life Significant.

https://archive.org/details/onsomeoflifeside00jameiala/page/...

[yesenadam]

They Became What They Beheld: Medium, Message, Youtubery by Vi Hart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm-Jjvqu3U4

p.s. OP, if you put your links in a comment, people will be able to click on them.

[prakhar897 → yesenadam]

Thanks, Added in Comments.

[xq3000]

To me, “Acres of Diamonds” is one of those.

https://www.temple.edu/about/history-traditions/acres-diamon...

[type0]

Megan Phelps-Roper on Why She Left the Westboro Baptist Church https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhR-gYhs6CI

[11001100]

How the Tyrannosaurs Ruled the World with David Hone (55min)

https://youtu.be/f-jD7kQvyPs

[litmus]

"of all time" is often too strong of a qualifier for me. I would say "talks that I want to rewatch the moment they come to mind."

Charlie Kaufman's Bafta Lecture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRfXcWT_oFs

Gabor Mate, Prisoners of Childhood https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9B5mYfBPlY

I consider Bret Victor's inventing on principle a non-technical talk, so yeah that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUv66718DII

Quel Solaar, on creativity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJmqaWq7PJY