TED Talks have always been a little light on the science and heavy on the cultural etherealism. That's cool, they are obviously successful and you can't charge anyone outside government-grant funded academics or corporate-funded scientists a lot of money to attend a conference on just science but people will pay a lot more if you also throw in speculation about the future, a human rights activist and a dobro player.
TEDx took that to a whole new level - these franchised events just grabbed whoever they could grab and it was open season for woo, pseudoscience and mysticism to be ensconced under a technology and science umbrella.
The party had to end eventually and someone at TED took notice that they had become sort of a running joke. So they're no longer letting their brand promote hysterical nonsense about GMOs, curing cancer with food or how diet fads can cure autism. They're like the anti-Kickstarter, which has gone the other way and banned biology.
Natural News declared, of course, that TED was in cahoots with Monsanto. Because that is what crackpots say about everyone who dismisses their dangerous homeopathic, alternative and voodoo medical beliefs.
No more health hoaxes? No more 'vaccines cause autism' stuff? This ain't your older brother's TED talks any more.
Read an analysis at: Natural News attacks TED for tightening standards by Jennifer Raff, Violent Metaphors
Other links:
A Letter To The TEDx Community On TEDx and Bad Science - Lara Stein, TEDx Director and Emily McManus, TED.com Editor
TED aligns with Monsanto, halting any talks about GMOs, 'food as medicine' or natural healing by Mike Adams, NaturalNews.com
