The evangelical pastor/megachurch comparison was spot on. Exactly what I picked up on when the whole Kony2012 thing was going on.
It seemed like a self-serving publicity stunt, designed to shift attention away from gigantic problems, which seem unsolvable and need real innovators and pioneers, and towards an emotional justice effort where we can all be the great savior by doing almost nothing at all. Now everybody can feel like Jesus/Liam Neeson simply by retweeting/reposting a campaign that was never going to change anything - nor did anyone really care about it working anyway. Meanwhile, political inaction caused a hundred times more death and destruction all over the world. Literally, just the other day, I was wondering whatever happened to Kony2012. I just remembered that the guy running the campaign went completely nuts and then there was silence.

Unfortunately, TED has become the atheist/scientist hipster version of "spreading the gospel". We don't need gospel though, we need political actions. Though I have to admit, I still love at least half of the TED talks. And to be fair, many of them are still truly inspiring and making a difference especially to entrepreneurs in poor countries.

But if I had to choose one speech to replace all TED talks, it would be Neil DeGrasse Tyson on space/science as culture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNxnCzz5oQE

It's true. He does have a point.

He presented a very encapsulating overview of the etheric mechanisms, which is important for somebody to do.

My point - if you don't agree, you didn't understand what he said. (because he was straight forward, nor vague or ambiguous)

Thought.. not exactly that, but bits of what he said, other TED presenters have talked about, before.

People are myopic cretins that are only interested in the now for themselves.

You want them to make a world that is not like that?

We need to change humans before we can change the world humans create for themselves.

This guy just likes to think he is far smarter than he is. He just wants everyone to know he owns a thesaurus. Ted talks don't mean to change the world, they are to get information and ideas out to the public. We choose what to do with that info. Having said that this is my favorite. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO0TUI9r-So

This talk would not be possible without the freedom of Ted talks.

The evangelical/mega church comparison is flawed, because there is no freedom to think for yourself and express it, especially not against their own institution. If you would, they would make you leave the church and ban you from ever returning. They don't want their sugarcoated dream destroyed by anyone. Honesty is not tolerated there. Ben Bratton has an important point. I will have to ponder about it some more. Nevertheless still love TED.