Plot Synopsis

TED TALKS is a series of three specials scheduled to air on PBS in 2016, with each program having a unique theme. The first special, "Science and Wonder," filmed at New York's The Town Hall theater and hosted by best-selling author and comedian Baratunde Thurston, features talks delivered before a live audience. Each talk examines the riddles of the universe that keep leading scientists awake at night, taking viewers on a journey examining the relationship between science and art, a look deep inside the human body, disappearing landscapes, and the world of Pixar animation as speakers look at the future of nanotechnology, the science of light, and the rise of genetic manipulation. Featured speakers include: Danielle Feinberg, Pixar's director of photography, who explains how she builds a 3D world inside a computer, using math, science and code to create stories with soul and wonder; Juan Enriquez, leading authority in genomic code and Evolving Ourselves author, who delves into the complex ethical questions raised by the rise of intelligent design; Paula Hammond, MIT's Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering, who reveals new technologies being developed to kill cancer cells; Artist Zaria Forman, who uses her work to bring attention to the imminent perils of climate change; and Radiolab's Latif Nasser takes us on an investigative journey high above the Arctic Circle to solve the mystery of a tiny fragment of bone from thousands of years ago.