TED is based on the assumption that all we need is a clever new idea.

Resisting and reversing the privatization of water systems.

Al Jazeera correspondents in Egypt have been arrested for interviewing members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

When a government accuses someone of publishing "false news", or says it is illegal to interview someone because he's been declared a terrorist (or even convicted in a fair trial of a terrorist act), that's manifest tyranny.

The US-backed government of Yemen did something similar to Abdulelah Haidar Shaye, imprisoning him at Obama's request for interviewing people in al Qa'ida.

The UK censorship filter blocks more than porn. It blocks access to sex education sites, even help-lines.

It also blocks many free software sites, and even amnesty.org.

These schemes always make mistakes, and this is proof that that continues to happen. But let's not be distracted by the mistakes. Even if they could fix all the mistakes, which they can't, that would not make censorship acceptable. Fixing 90% of the mistakes, which maybe they could do, would not make it acceptable either. Down with censorship and the tyrannical rulers that impose it!

Psychological evidence shows that plain paper packs, not covered by "cool" branding, make cigarettes less attractive and encourage quitting.

That is supported by a study in Australia which compared smokers that got plain packs with smokers using the same cigarette brands in attractive packs.

There is no direct evidence yet about whether it reduces cigarette consumption. That would take more time. However, it is unlikely to hurt.