The Science of a Great TED Talk: What Makes a Speech Go Viral

Getting chosen to speak at a TED conference is no easy feat.

Attending a TED conference -- as in, sit in the audience -- is a little like applying for college, with a short essay-style application with questions like "What are you passionate about?" But to speak at a conference is even harder. TED's content director Kelly Stoetzel and her team review thousands of candidates and whittle them down to 60-70 speakers for the twice-a-year, week-long conferences.