i would be very surprised if there is a btc talk @ ted in the next time. bticoin is more an anarchic grassroots movement, not top-down from the industry and leaders.

For, based on this alone.

then who?

Youre right, clearcoin was shutdown.  Gavin backing away slowly?
Thats ok, new people pick up the gauntlet. 

While I agree completely with the idea of someone giving a TED talk about Bitcoins, I fear we're going to stall when it comes to deciding who that someone should be. It can't be someone who thinks this is just an experiment, but it also can't be someone who thinks it's a panacea. No religious zealots, but also no anarchist hackers. No bankers, no libertarians, no drug lords... What we need is a philosopher who can explain the concept of money to a bright audience, take on the usual battery of anti-bitcoin arguments and knock them down one by one, hopefully while eliciting a chuckle or two from the crowd...

Does such a beast exist? I hope so, but doubt it.

hahaha, oh god where has that link been all my life.