"Classification of mathematical problems as linear and nonlinear is like classification of the Universe as bananas and non-bananas."

-- unknown

TEDTalks are the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. TEDTalks are all great stories, so pull up a chair and let yourself be surprised, informed, and entertained.

TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Here are a few that touch on important ideas in math education:

Margaret Wertheim: The beautiful math of coral

Snowflakes, fractals, the patterns on a leaf -- there's beauty to be found at the intersection of nature and physics, beauty and math.

Arthur Benjamin Does "Mathemagic"

 Arthur Benjamin makes numbers dance. In his day job, he's a professor of math at Harvey Mudd College; in his other day job, he's a "Mathemagician," taking the stage in his tuxedo to perform high-speed mental calculations, memorizations and other astounding math stunts.

 Peter Donnelly Shows How Stats Fool Juries.

Oxford mathematician Peter Donnelly reveals the common mistakes humans make in interpreting statistics -- and the devastating impact these errors can have on the outcome of criminal trials.

Steven Strogatz on The Elements of Math 

Steven Strogatz, an award-winning professor, takes readers from the basics to the baffling in a 15-part series on mathematics. Beginning with a column on why numbers are helpful, he goes on to investigate topics including negative numbers, calculus and group theory, finishing with the mysteries of infinity. He is the author of  The Calculus of Friendship, the story of his 30-year correspondence with his high school calculus teacher.

"Why are numbers beautiful? It's like asking why is Beethoven's Ninth Symphony beautiful. If you don't see why, someone can't tell you. I know numbers are beautiful. If they aren't beautiful, nothing is." -- Paul Erdös

“Mathematics expresses values that reflect the cosmos, including orderliness, balance, harmony, logic, and abstract beauty.”  ― Deepak Chopra