TED Talks cover an incredible breadth of topics -- from mathematical origami to self-repairing architecture to personalized medicine. Some talks explore what lies at the very essence of TED — the act of talking. The 9 talks below explore the various dynamics of speech — from phonology to cognition to the socio-cultural role of language in society. These talks at times offer insight into the struggle for self-expression and at other times engage in contentious linguistic debates. As a whole, they provide a holistic and layered view of speech and language. Because what would TED be without talking? less