I keep getting emails sent to me linking to fascinating talks on TED.com — this one by Hans Rosling in particular.

The TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) conference “brings together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes).” Most of their talks are archived on their site and are impossible to stop watching and the topics have expanded beyond the three that make up the T. E. and the D.

If you haven’t checked out the site, today is a good day to start. They just unveiled some of their talks from this summer’s “Africa: The Next Chapter” topic conference.

Here’s how they suggest you get started:

Euvin Nadoo set the scene on day one, describing a continent poised to light up.

George Ayittey roused the audience, alternating from lacerating criticism of Africa’s “hippo generation” to an inspiring appeal for the “cheetah generation” to rise.

Ngozi Okono-Iweala, the final speaker, provided a tour-de-force, telling powerful personal stories and showing how the different pieces of the aid vs trade argument, which had animated the conference all week, could be reconciled.

And 19-year-old William Kamkwamba won a standing ovation for his shy 3-minute interview, revealing how as a 14-year-old he had solved his parents’ energy needs in a village with no electricity.

Enjoy!