Save it to your desktop! | Alan Resnick

Summary

TED Talks Daily: "Save it to your desktop!" with Alan Resnick

Date: June 17, 2026
Host: Elise Hu
Guest: Alan Resnick (Comedian, Visual Artist)
Event: TED Next 2025

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Overview

In this surreal and comedic TED Talk, Alan Resnick, known for his absurdist visual art and work with Adult Swim, presents an impassioned and tongue-in-cheek case for a radically simple digital organization method: save everything to your desktop. By blending offbeat humor, personal anecdotes, and mock-serious logic, Resnick’s "life-changing" advice satirizes both our fraught relationship with technology and our endless search for productivity hacks. The episode is highly visual and contains multiple audience interactions, which Elise Hu occasionally explains for listeners.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Problem: Fear of Technology and Misuse of Computers

• People’s tech anxiety: Resnick opens by reflecting on nationwide computer usage, joking that most people are intimidated or confused by technology.
  • Quote [05:03]:

    "The number one thing I’ve noticed all over is that people are afraid of computers. They’re scared. And don’t get me started on the Internet, you guys. Has anyone here ever been online?" – Alan Resnick

• Comedic take on internet dangers and data privacy:
  • Quote [05:06]:

    "These sick people have your data. Are you comfortable with that? I’m not."

2. The “One Simple Trick”: Save It to Your Desktop

• Central advice:
  • Quote [04:09 / 05:51]:

    "Tonight, I’m going to share with you my one simple trick that's going to make your life a lot easier. It’s going to protect your data, and it’s going to calm you down. … Save it to your desktop. It’s as simple as that." – Alan Resnick

• Promise of a better life:
  • Quote [09:09]:

    "If you follow my simple rule, save it to your desktop. You’re not only gonna have an awesome desktop, you’re actually gonna have a wicked awesome life." – Alan Resnick

3. The Vibrating Skin Metaphor & Physicality of Computing (06:54–07:56)

• Surreal explanation: Resnick delivers an elaborate bit about “vibrating skin,” “the visible spectrum,” and how touching a computer “phases” vibrations to zero, likening it to a child’s birthday wish.
• Audience participation: Uses a flashlight on an audience member to illustrate a point about perception.
  • Elise Hu’s visual description [06:54]:

    “Alan … shines it directly into the eyes of an audience member in the first row… who … nods, yes.”

4. The Physical Desktop Analogy (08:48–11:50)

• Visual metaphor: Onstage, a cluttered physical desk is brought out to match his chaotic computer desktop projected on screen.
  • Quote [09:09]:

    “The desktop is a little like my desktop surface, right? … What kind of things can you save to your desktop? Anything.”

• Organization (or lack thereof): He lists everything that could end up on the desktop, bridging from emails to “zip disks” to family photos.

5. The Problem with Toolbars (10:50–11:35)

• Satirical critique:
  • Quote [10:50]:

    “You think America’s got an obesity problem? You think we have a fentanyl problem? Folks, we have a toolbar problem. Stop using your toolbar. There is room for everything you need right here on the desktop.”

6. Saving the Objects You Love, Digitally and Physically (11:59–13:08)

• DIY digitization bit: Resnick describes, in deliberately convoluted terms, how to digitize a beloved 3D object using a camera, a bucket of black water, and “boolean the axis,” ending with a call to “save it to your desktop.”
  • Quote [13:06]:

    “Say it with me. Come on. What are we going to do? Save it to your desktop. Yes.”

7. Life-Changing (and Absurd) Promises (13:08–13:43)

• Hyperbolic benefits: Keeping everything on the desktop ensures you'll “never be lonely again,” “be happy,” and “people will love you.”
  • Quote [13:08]:

    “If you do this, you will always have the things you want and need and love and you will know exactly where to find them. You never have to be lonely again. You will be happy and people will love you.”

• Mock-prophetic “warnings” about the future of tech:
  • Quote [13:43]:

    “In one year’s time, people will literally be blah, blah, blah, blah, talking to their computers. In two years, people are gonna be walking around with glasses so powerful they’re never gonna need to come home. And in three years time, computers will have gotten so small they will literally fit on a piece of breakable glass.”

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Notable Quotes and Moments

• On computer use [05:33]:

  "Okay, shut up. No Internet. This is wrong. This is incorrect. I hate to say this, but you’re using your computer wrong." – Alan Resnick
  (The abrupt, comedic shutdown of the host’s answer.)

• On organizing files [10:45]:

  "Let’s just pick a random file, okay? Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, catch a tiger by the — oh, this is a little embarrassing. This is actually an old poem I wrote … Why whisper when a yell can travel just as far? A whisper yelled is a whisper heard." – Alan Resnick
  (Unexpectedly poetic amid the absurdity.)

• On physical and digital desktops [09:09]:

  “Now check this out. This is cool. The desktop is a little like my desktop surface, right?... anything can go on there.”

• On future tech dystopias [13:43]:

  "In three years’ time, computers will have gotten so small they will literally fit on a piece of breakable glass.” – Alan Resnick

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Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:09 | Alan Resnick begins his talk / comedic intro | | 05:03 | Computer fears and internet anxieties | | 05:26 | Audience interaction: Elise Hu on using computers | | 06:54 | Flashlight bit; visible and invisible vibrations explained | | 08:48 | Visual reveals: Alan’s chaotic desktop (digital & physical) | | 09:09 | Desktop as metaphor for life and its organization | | 10:45 | Reading an old poem from a saved file | | 10:50 | Critique of toolbars/docks | | 11:59 | Digitizing a physical object for the desktop | | 13:08 | Comic promise of desktop salvation/life improvement | | 13:43 | Absurd predictions for computing’s future |

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Tone and Style

Resnick’s delivery is deliberately absurd and deadpan, blending mock-expertise with sudden tangents and exaggerated claims. Audience answers are treated with surprise, while physical comedy and visual gags abound—carefully narrated by host Elise Hu for audio listeners. The mood is playful, satirical, and lightly surreal, poking fun at self-help and digital organization.

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Summary

Alan Resnick's TED Talk is a satirical masterclass on digital “organization,” lampooning our hopes that a simple tech tip might unlock happiness and fulfillment. His advice—save everything to your desktop—is both an organizational anti-tip and a sharp sendup of motivational speaking. Using physical comedy, audience banter, and over-the-top scenarios, Resnick leaves listeners amused, bewildered, and reminded not to take tech advice—or themselves—too seriously.

Transcript

[Elise Hu]

You're listening to TED Talks Daily, where we bring you new ideas to spark your curiosity every day. I'm your host, Elise Hu. Many of the talks that we share change the way we think. Some change the way we work. This talk may change the way you use your desktop.

[Alan Resnick]

Tonight, I'm gonna share with you my one simple trick that's gonna make your life a lot easier. It's gonna protect your data, and it's gonna calm you down.

[Elise Hu]

That's comedian and visual artist Alan Resnick, who's best known for his surrealist work with the Cartoon Network's beloved nighttime TV block Adult Swim. But in this absurdist talk, he's here to tell us that we've been using our computers wrong, or specifically our desktops. And it is completely, sincerely, 100% earnest. Really? Or is it?

[Alan Resnick]

If you follow my simple rule, save it to your desktop. You're not only going to have an awesome desktop, you're actually going to have a wicked awesome life.

[Elise Hu]

And just a quick heads up, this talk is quite visual. So as I do sometimes, I will be jumping in at a few points throughout to describe key moments on stage. If you are able, please visit Ted.com to watch the video version. Also, it's coming up right after a short break. This episode is brought to you by LinkedIn. Running a small business means every hire matters. A bad hire can cost you time, money and momentum. A good hire? They can help grow your business. But finding great talent isn't easy, especially when you don't have the time or resources to sift through piles of resumes to find the right fit. That's why LinkedIn built Hiring Pro, your new hiring partner that screens candidates for you. So instead of sorting through applications, you spend your time talking to candidates who are actually a good fit. With Hiring Pro, you can hire with confidence, knowing you're getting the best talent for your business. In fact, according to LinkedIn, those hiring with LinkedIn are 24% less likely to need to reopen a role within 12 months compared to the leading competitor or join the 2.7 million small businesses using LinkedIn to hire. Get started by posting your job for [e-mail] TEDTalk terms and conditions apply. This episode is sponsored by Kohler Smart Toilets. The objects we interact with most are often the ones we notice least. But what if the most overlooked space in your home could be the most considered? Kohler Smart Toilet challenges that assumption. Their Vailsmart toilet is a sculptural silhouette that isn't just intentional, it's a philosophy that design changes everything. The kohlervale Smart toilet is sleek with a rounded shape that's more like architecture than just plumbing. And it goes beyond looks. The touchscreen controls and customizable cleansing features offer a level of comfort and cleanliness that exceeds expectations. It's all about elevating those ordinary daily rituals into something extraordinary through thoughtful design. Kohler has been pushing these boundaries for over 150 years, mastering that balance of stunning form and high performance function. That's a long time to get it right and it shows in every detail. Experience the difference of Kohler Smart Toilets. Find out [e-mail] this episode is brought to you by Walmart Business. The best leaders might tell you the work that moves an organization forward doesn't happen in spreadsheets or supply chain emails. It happens when you have the space to think big. That's the idea behind Walmart Business. It's built to take the friction out of running an organization so your team isn't losing hours to procurement logistics when they could just be focused on the problems that actually matter. With an ever expanding business assortment, everyday low prices and fast, reliable shipping, Walmart Business keeps your operations running smoothly. Shop online, in store or through the Walmart Business app, however, works best for you. Simpler operations, smarter spending. It's Walmart built for your business. Sign up for a free Walmart business [e-mail]. And now our TED Talk of the Day.

[Alan Resnick]

My name is Alan Resnick, and if you don't know me, I'm a bit of a tech head. What does that mean? It means an average day for me is spent surfing the web, checking my emails and just clicking on links. That's sort of me in a nutshell. And when I'm not doing that, I tour the country and I teach people how to use computers. And the number one thing I've noticed all over is that people are afraid of computers. They're scared. And don't get me started on the Internet, you guys. Has anyone here ever been online? Two, three hands. You guys gotta get online. It's incredible. I'm telling you, there's some crazy stuff online, you guys. I don't have time to get into it right now, but they have photos and videos of people online and they're performing a kind of love that I am not comfortable with.

[Audience Member]

Okay,

[Alan Resnick]

and they have your data. They do. These sick people have your data. Are you comfortable with that? I'm not. But I have a question for you guys and it is a real question. How do you use your computer how do you guys use your computers? Just curious. Can we get her a mic? How do you use your computer?

[Elise Hu]

Well, I usually use my computer for work, so emails and sending messages to folks.

[Alan Resnick]

Okay, shut up. No Internet. This is wrong. This is incorrect. I hate to say this, but you're using your computer wrong. You know, not use. I don't love that word, use. We don't use computers, do we?

[Audience Member]

Now?

[Alan Resnick]

I think of computers a little like grandparents, actually. You wouldn't use your grandmother. Right? But your grandmother can make your life easier if you use her properly. So what is the proper way to use a computer? Tonight, I'm going to share with you my one simple trick that's going to make your life a lot easier. It's going to protect your data, and it's going to calm you down. Okay, here it is. Desktops. Desk desktops. What is he saying? Desktop. I can't hear. What are you saying? I'm saying save it to your desktop. It's as simple as that. Save it to your desktop. Okay. Yeah, we can clap for that. That's pretty cool. That is pretty cool. You're going, Alan, it can't be that easy. It is, but before we can talk about desktops, we have to talk about something else. My skin. Look at. Whoa. My skin is vibrating. But it's vibrating. It's very hard to tell. This is vibrating, too, but I think you'll be able to see this. Can you see that? You see light? Light vibrates, too. Are you. I need a response. Can you see that? You can. Okay.

[Elise Hu]

At least here, the. That Alan is referring to is a large flashlight, which he's just picked up from the table beside him. He shines it directly into the eyes of an audience member in the first row, who, after he says, can you see that, nods, yes.

[Alan Resnick]

That's because of the eye brain system, the visible spectrum. Rods and cones. Rods and cones. Rods and cones. But my skin is vibrating, too. But it vibrates at a rate that you can't see or perceive. But dogs and pets can actually hear. They hear our skin. So I know you like to touch a little dog's head, but that passive action is actually causing them extreme inner ear pain. So you shouldn't touch dogs. But here's what you didn't know. My computer vibrates, too. Did you know that computers vibrate? And they happen to vibrate at the exact opposite rate as human skin? That's amazing. So when you're working with a computer, those vibrations are phasing, and when you touch a computer, you have A vibration rate of 0. There is only one moment in every person's life when they have a vibration rate of zero, and that is on their fifth birthday when they. When they blow out the candle. So you're going, Alan, you convince me. If working with computers feels even half as good as a little boy's birthday, then sign me up. The glove is off and we're ready to change our lives forever. But how? Desktop. I already told you. Desktop, Desktop. Save it to your desktop. I already said that. Save it to your desktop. Okay, I think you're ready. Do you guys want to see my desktop? I can't hear you. Do you guys want to see my desktop? Come on. Okay, let's do it. Here we go. Let's get it booted up. Here it is. It's my desktop.

[Audience Member]

Whoa.

[Alan Resnick]

That's amazing. You're going, alan. I could never have something like that.

[Elise Hu]

At this point, we see a mirrored image of Alan's computer desktop on the screen. It's what many of our desktops look like. Chock full of icons strewn across the window. A bit chaotic, not working, organized. And while Alan's talking, a literal desk is brought out onto the stage. The analog desktop, so to speak. And on top of it is a lot of stuff.

[Alan Resnick]

If you follow my simple rule, save it to your desktop. You're not only gonna have an awesome desktop, you're actually gonna have a wicked awesome life. Now, check this out. This is cool. The desktop is a little like my desktop surface, right? So I have file folders on the computer, and guess what? I got them here, too. What kind of things can you save to your desktop? Anything. You can have photos, emails, PDFs. Those are like packets. You could have movies, video games, key codes, MP3s, zip disks. These are all useful things that you can save to your desktop. So it's sort of an organizational technique. So I'll give you an example. Let's say your dad emails you some pics of the lawn. All you have to do is, okay, yeah, you got to just save them to the desktop. Just save those right to the desktop. And after you do that, you're going to want to print out a copy for yourself, which you're going to place on your desktop. So now you always know where everything is. You're not going to lose anything. I'll give you another example. I'm just going to pick a file at random. Let's just pick a random file, okay? Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, catch a tiger by the. Oh, this is a little embarrassing. This is actually an old poem I wrote. Egg on my face. It says, why whisper when a yell can travel just as far? A whisper yelled is a whisper heard.

[Audience Member]

Hmm.

[Alan Resnick]

So where did I save that? Let's see, where did I save that? It looks like I put that. Okay, that's C5. That's the bottom right corner of my desk. So it should be here. Oh, boom. Here it is. Wow. You can clap for that. That's cool. This is amazing. This is amazing. Now I'm noticing there's a couple eagle eyed viewers in the audience and they're looking at my computer and they're going, something's up. Something's up. You're going, alan, where the heck is your toolbar? Or doc. Some people call it dock. I call it a toolbar. Where's your toolbar? Well, guess what? My computer doesn't have a toolbar. Why? I'm not addicted to my toolbar. You think America's got an obesity problem? You think we have a fentanyl problem? Folks, we have a toolbar problem. Stop using your toolbar. There is room for everything you need right here on the desktop. This is silly. This is my girlfriend, my ex girlfriend actually made this for me here.

[Elise Hu]

Alan picks up a 3D paper mache object painted blue. A creature of some sort.

[Alan Resnick]

And I don't know, it's silly, but I like to look at it. It makes me happy to see this. So I keep it on my desk while I work. But yeah, no, no, it's, it's, it's not in the computer yet. But literally anything can be saved to your desktop. All you have to do is rig up a camera around a bucket at 90 degrees. You're going to want to fill the bucket with black water and paint your beloved object white. And here's what you do. It's really easy. You submerge the object in the water and fill it in yourself as you pull it up, recording its topology through time. You're going to get the topology of every axis, axis axi. And once you have the axis data, all you have to do is boolean the axis. It's very easy. You're going to end up with an obj file that's super high quality. You can render in an infinite quality of lighting conditions. And then there's only one thing left to do. Say it with me. Come on. What are we going to do? Save it to your desktop. Yes.

[Elise Hu]

Oh my God.

[Alan Resnick]

Save it to your desktop. Yes.

[Audience Member]

Woo.

[Alan Resnick]

If you do this, you will always have the things you want and need and love and you will know exactly where to find them. You never have to be lonely again. You will be happy and people will love you. Listen, if you don't have organizational skills and desktop skills, I'm sorry, folks, you're not going to get that job. Your data, it's going to be leaking on the floor. People are going to be slipping. They're gonna be slipping on your data. You can say bye bye to your kids. They're gonna be living on their desktops. Mark my words. In one year's time, people will literally be blah, blah, blah, blah, talking to their computers.

[Elise Hu]

Whoa.

[Alan Resnick]

In two years, people are gonna be walking around with glasses so powerful they're never gonna need to come home. And in three years time, computers will have gotten so small they will literally fit on a piece of breakable glass. Okay, thank you so much. My name is Alan Resn. Hope that helps. You've been incredible. I love you so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

[Elise Hu]

That was Alan Resnick at TED Next 2025. If you're curious about TED's curation, visit Ted.comCurationGuidelines and that's it for today. TED Talks Daily is a podcast from TED. This episode was produced and edited by our team, Martha Estefanos, Oliver Friedman, Lucy Little, Emma Tobner and Tanzika Sangarnival. Additional support from Daniela Ballaraizo, Christopher Faizi, Bogan, Valentina Bohanini, Banban Chang, Brian Greene, and Lainey Lott. Learn [e-mail] I am Elise Hu. I'll be back tomorrow with a fresh idea for your feet. Thanks for listening.

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