The magic of truth and lies (and iPods) | Marco Tempest

www.ted.com Using three iPods like magical props, Marco Tempest spins a clever, surprisingly heartfelt meditation on truth and lies, art and emotion.
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of 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. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at www.ted.com/translate.

[@ThisNameIsVeryClever]

I absolutely love that quote at the end of the presentation.

[@FxJayT]

I don't see why he shouldn't be given a standing ovation. It was a brilliant presentation, well choreographed. The amount of effort and skill that he put in is definitely well deserving of one.

[@finix65]

I would've given him a standing ovation!! There was a great message and an amazing way of presenting it!!

[@orbsandtea]

I've watched so many TED talks that it hurts. Only a handful of them, however, are not deserving of a standing ovation.

[@LuckyMarketGameplay]

Great change of pace from TED. I've always loved magic.

[@IDaireYou]

I just love this video! What he says really sticks in your mind. I also love how he does the "magic" with the iPods/iPhones. How??

[@rakketakke]

that was one of the most amazing talks ive seen in a long time. Awesome

[@InternalLife]

Brilliant. It's more about life than technology and magic. Love it! :) Great illustration with the iPods, even though those videos were pre-recorded.

[@templecharas]

simply amazing...the presentation,,the magic...wonderful

[@Lasbike]

The amount of work and synchronization this requires is pretty big. Nice

[@ItsAJETT]

My teacher showed us this in class last year, I've been hooked ever since.

[@TheFbgpwl26]

I watched this video 11 years ago, but I am still very impressed

[@Crazee108]

Whoa. That was amazingly choreographed! And great message too.

[@mittfh]

Great video, great message and great illusions. To the unimpressed, consider how this was created: he first devised the script and probably storyboarded all his actions and what was happening on each iPod at the time. He produced three different, largely self-running presentations, timed to the second. He wrote an application to synchronise data streams across all three iPods (mentioned right at the beginning before the presentation 'proper'), and finally rehearsed, rehearsed, rehearsed.

[@kathyfann]

Very good Job! I was entertained. Thank You

[@ondreya3000]

Truly amazing presentation! Feel good quality too!

[@Missponybiss]

this was absolutely great! fantastic performance!

[@TAHANIHASAN72]

Cooooool, wish to see more, anywhere I can go to see more of his stuff ...

[@RayTanZL]

Brilliant Timing !

[@dylanlawless1]

I love his accent "eet is thee greatest deeceptieon"

[@DancingChakra]

I NEEDED to see this. Remarkable!

[@JayPee]

I never watch anything by TED, but the was put together very well.

[@BeliseoftheNIne]

Absolutely beautiful.

[@KrisKehasukjaren88]

that dude just made a commercial on the spot...haha

[@Shrek_Holmes]

people don't think beyond what they see. they think that somehow he managed to change the image through screens even tho he said that he used a software to sync the ipods screens.

[@KrisKehasukjaren88]

hahaha people want to believe in greater things because it can push the threshold of human potential.

[@Shrek_Holmes]

Kris Kehasukjaren and that was quite a commercial right there.

[@libanlibanliban]

Amazing! loved it.

[@ninjakid165]

Wow I really liked that quote about music! Im practicing clair de lune right now! what a coincidence!

[@zbcrazy]

Pre-recorded or not, it was still awesome. It still took a whole lot of creativity and good timing.

[@RustyCyler]

I've watched a lot TED talks and this was a pretty damn good one.

[@DarkAura971]

In the beginning, I thought that it wouldn't be that good. But later on I thought it was awesome. This isn't just a "digital magic show." If someone said what he said using a powerpoint, most people would consider it to be more of a TED talk. It's a great, short TED talk that is really awesome

[@FedorLejepekov]

Really positive presentation!

[@elmo2you]

simply amazing. for those not understanding the standing ovation, did you actually understand the message of the talk? some of the comments clearly illustrate an ability for watching, maybe listening but surely not understanding what is being said.

[@markrozario]

this was the most amazing TED i've seen in a long while.. Wow. Although I don't agree that ART is a lie.

[@eluap]

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the "Magic of Macy's"! DECEPTION.

[@Thimmet]

That was brilliant!

[@PixelSlayer247]

Jeez, that is a really awesome bit of tech. I finally have a reason to get one or more, potentially!

[@abc123icuucme]

It's not always what you say but how you say it. If I were there I would have given him a standing O. Great talk, great performance.

[@ayitey]

I clapped for this guy when I watched this talk, Impressive.

[@TheAngryBum]

I want to like this more than once, that was some fatastically coreographed slight of hand!

[@SpiderPigggg]

That was freaking AWSM!

[@disneykid321]

wow this is really amazing!

[@TwistedGalaxy]

I thoroughly enjoyed that

[@hmx222]

that's really marvelous!!

[@JohnBorgy]

Reminds me of one of my favorite quotes that I horribly quote "A Politician tells lies to get what he wants, where a writer uses lies to tell the truth.

[@patriciaannlazaro]

THIS IS SO AWESOME!!!

[@ShinkaTV]

I'm not sure what I learned, but that was very well done

[@MrSonny6155]

WOW! This is truly art! Oooohhhh wwaaiiitttt...

[@lhrdst1]

Amazing!

[@ZopteY]

Good job!

[@michaelmichael6981]

omg that made me cry that was so so so nice ;)

[@gerrenx7]

that was great!

[@iamacommenter6243]

That was amazing

[@Misconceptionizer]

Great video! Does anyone know the name of the song at 4:18?

[@Huynguyenkimnhat]

WOW, it's crazy to see some people struggle in ted talks for 20 minutes but still cannot bring a clear argument, while this guy only needs 6 minutes to provide such concise and attractive speech

[@TheVeedubb]

@TheVeedubb that is why people are so impressed, the presentation is amazing

[@Thingamuhjig95]

this just inceptioned me

[@RarewareLover]

Loving it!

[@gr8fulCO]

Fantastic!

[@cexino]

what a talented artist

[@NguyenLe-vc4ir]

Amazing.

[@Floydhartmanmusic]

Awesome!!

[@elchafa337]

pretty pretty good, but i agree that the standing ovation should be reserved for more transcendental talks.

[@kaushiksk]

Such Mastery! Who said humans arent perfect?

[@wasonnnn]

awesome thanks a lot!

[@evan8396]

btw at 1:18 if you look at the ipod on top's top left corner, you will see a part of a wing that is on the back

[@AxelTiger]

Very good, I enjoyed it alot :)

[@fatimaezzahraesaad5882]

amazing !

[@kalvhult]

How can this not be seen as the essence of innovation?

[@collin0622]

really amazing

[@thenaimis]

@labradodlenz yes, especially the "lies" and "deception" part.

[@paralangara1]

Beautiful

[@alejandros2338]

I THINK THIS IS MY FAVORITE VIDEO IN YOU TUBE

[@icecreamforever]

Very good... very good indeed!

[@LPRpgler25]

Herr andjelkovic und andjelkovic Dennis aus der barnabitengasse12a: voll cool Frau Naplava !

[@DheerajKandel]

At 1:19 the butterfly sticks to the back of the top ipod, you can see a portion of its wing, but anyways this guy is a genius !!!!

[@bintobean]

1:19 The butterfly sticker thing is sticking under the Ipod. Still a great video though!

[@HarsimranSinghMegaShipz]

WoW!!!! Mesmerizing act

[@magicorubik]

Great trick using Ipods!!!!!! Awesome!!!!

[@Bfm3308]

Amaizing, just my words.

[@RichardRampe]

Great video

[@gegegirl79]

Ahhh......I'm lost for words ......wow........

[@4Zfight]

My daughter loves this guy and his magic.

[@oshinsr]

Wow, that was so cool!

[@dimo2395]

What's the piano song being played at 4:17?

[@ukahe]

This is really true... If you want to lie, you have to lie to yourself first then you can lie to others

[@Amouniza]

good one!

[@SoothingPine]

Great.... Thanks

[@wewillrun101]

you can see the edge of the butterfly's wing hanging off the top ipod at 1:17

[@naharidavid]

brilliant.

[@thebermudaI]

This video was more subtle than some TED talks; the possibility of all art being deception has interesting implications, which he seems to have left the viewer to explore independently. If all art is deception, then are humans innately liars - if so, what purpose does honesty serve? If they are opposites, how can we value both art and honesty? Is the solution to say that art and life are separate - or are they intrinsic, and virtues made irrelevant? The video was enlightening, at least for me.

[@aaaac4260]

台灣字幕關於孫子兵法的翻譯很突出👍！ The subtitle of Taiwan version of Sun Tzu stands out from other Chinese translations!

[@horusleung123]

Amazing

[@Pianofy]

Standing ovations stop having meaning if you give everyone one. Fun talk nonetheless!

[@NickCombs]

Well, that was a lovely, emotional presentation, but we learn from the truth, not lies.

[@decibelchild]

this was done better than another video he did

[@heytakeitorleaveit]

AMAZING

[@marteta94]

WOW amazing.

[@GregXu]

awesome.

[@dookiecheez]

So entertaining!

[@Justin-Lim]

You can say he is the most creative digital artist out there

[@NextToNothing123]

at 1:19 you can see the tip of the plastic butterfly's wing stuck under the ipod