Post your responses to the 8 TED talks that you watch in this section for 1st Quarter. Your responses should be about a paragraph. These responses should be anything that you think is important, cool, uncool, interesting, uninteresting about the video you watched.
Ted Response#1: The Art of Being Yourself by Caroline McHugh
ReplyDeleteCaroline's speaking style reminds me of a muse, a mellow spirit with a deep understanding of life. She presented a thought-provoking concept that the only job we have on Earth is to define ourselves rather than let our world define us. Her speaking style bored me, and I had to take a break halfway through, but she succeeded in opening my mind to her perspective on life. This will effect my everyday life by adding another angle onto which I can solve social problems(since she seems to see life as a socially driven journey)Although the intertwining metaphors and descriptive story-telling is interesting, the clarity of her message is obscured and I am left unsure on what her thesis is or what my steps in achieving a truer form of myself should be. Even so, after watching this video I am reminded on how important balance is(for example a balanced ego) and I have been persuaded to further search on who I really am(even though Caroline says this might take all my life).
Maribi Mendoza
ReplyDeleteTheory Of Knowledge
Period 2
August 28 2016
How To Spot a Liar
By Pamela Meyer
Ted Talk #1
The Presenter Pamela Meyer Stated right in the begin that we are all liars and since we learn how to communicate with one another we will lie. Lying is part of our culture and has been around forever. She used a lot of data and statistics, such as "on a given day you may be lied to 10-200 times, in order to try and get her point across that everyone lies; this seemed very pointless to me, even though it was interesting to learn about it. I think she spent too much time trying to convince the audience of this fact. She doesn't begin to actually talk about what someone can do to spot a liar until more than half way through her presentation. Once she gets to that point she uses 2 sections in which we can see the most common tells for a liar, speech and body language. She declares that when people lie they will use more formal speech to over compensate for the lie and in order to sound as if they know what they are talking about. Instead of using contractions like didn't and don't,as most people do in regular conversations, they will say did not and do not. With body language she went away from the usual beliefs of a liars body's language. Instead of fighting they will tend to keep their upper body stiff and will try to make even more eye contact to mislead people from the notion that they may be lying. I found all these point interesting however, I felt as if she was sort of just stating them and felt as if she had no real way to support these as facts or argument but rather just general observations she has seen. I did enjoy her presentation but I found that I had a hard time following it all the way through, she did try to use humor in order to engage the audience but it didn't seem like enough to keep me fully interested throughout the lecture.
Karla Manoatl
ReplyDeleteVan Tuyl
TOK P.2
29 August 2016
Inside the mind of a procrastinator
By: Tim Urban
TED Talk #1
Tim Urban uses visual aids to help the audience get a visual idea of what goes though a procrastinator's mind. He points out that in the mind of a procrastinator there is the Rational decision maker who wants to do all the productive things, who wants to get things done and that next to that Rational decision maker there is an instant gratification monkey. That monkey is whom distracts us from the productive thing want to do. For example, when we are writing an essay and we get thirsty so we go for a drink of water and on the way back we see something that catches our eye or we answer to a text message and get a reply right away and we try to end the conversation but it keeps going until you realize it pretty late so you put off what you were writing for another day. Another example can be this assignment. 8 ted talks per quarter. I can bet that there will be at least 2 students on the day before the quarter posting their eight paragraphs and forwarding though videos and making very pointless paragraphs. I totally agree with Tim Urban and that the "panic monster", also known as the deadline, is when it suddenly makes the monkey go away and make the rational decision maker. I agree and i love the way that Tim describes the way of procrastinating because it is something that has happened to someone at some point in their life and something they can relate to.
Ted Talk Response #2:A Robot that Flies like a Bird, by Markus Fischer
ReplyDeleteGoing into the TED talk, I had no idea the video would only be 6 and a half minutes long, but the concept of a robot flying like a bird intrigued me. It seemed the purpose of this presentation was to show off what the company (unnamed) had done. The motor function and wing function was described briefly, but the part that I was interested to hear an explanation of how the bird stayed balanced as it flew through the air. There is a section of Science just on relating the structures of nature to what we build today, and the motion of the wing, which was split into two parts, was very interesting to see. Markus seemed very nervous, and his presentation unprepared. The center-piece of the talk was to see the graceful mechanical bird as it flew over the audience’s head. A man would launch the bird and I noticed a man held a remote control in the corner and flew the bird in circles, until it glided back to the man that propelled it into the air. Markus’s speaking style was purely logical, and he used many scientific terms which, although precise, became boring very quickly.
Ted Talk Response #3: How AirBnB designs for trust by Joe Gebbia
ReplyDeleteI love this guy! He is so creative in his presentation: For example, to mimic the trust exercise it takes to create an AirBnB environment, he had the audience members unlock their phones and give them to each other, which was a perfect metaphor. Along with a sense of humor and a good-natured smile, he gave a captivating and informative presentation on the creation and inner-workings of AirBnB. My grandparents live in Denmark, so typically I will annually visit Europe. In Europe it is much cheaper to rent a house than stay in a hotel through the company AirBnB. With this personal experience, to be able to see the perspective of the owner of AirBnB and the people that participate in it is very interesting. Although the motif of trust was present throughout the speech, his speaking style that leaned to emotion, faith, and imagination included statistics from reputable sources such as Stanford
Ted Talk Response #1: Why we should talk to strangers by Kio Stark
ReplyDeleteI was really interested in the Ted Talk, "Why we should talk to strangers" because in our society we are taught not to talk to strangers as we do not know their background or their intentions. Stark started off the presentation discussing the short conversations we have with strangers to present a topic that the average person can relate to. I enjoy how she included personal experiences about her interactions with strangers to add to her argument. It was interesting how she blamed our actions onto categories. We put strangers into categories, young, old, male, female, black, etc. Based off of these categories we make assumptions and interpretations. I was also intrigued by the comparison she made to other cultures around the world. In Egypt it is considered rude not to talk to a stranger. Strangers could share a sip of water or even invite you in for a cup of coffee. Overall, I think Stark provided quality evidence and examples to support her overall opinion and I agree that we should start to see the positive affects of talking to strangers compared to the dangers.
Ted Talk Response #2: Are athletes really getting faster, better, stronger by David Epstein
ReplyDeleteEpstein begins to compare Olympic results from many years ago like those of Jesse Ownes (1936) to those of Usain Bolt (2013). In the 100m Usain Bolt is faster by 14 steps. I became interested in this Ted Talk because instead of looking at the individual athlete competing Epstein is depicting the environment of the race. He compares the fabricated carpet and blocks to the ash of burnt wood that Owens ran on. When investigate, studies found that if Owens ran on the same materials of Bolt he would have been one step behind. I really enjoyed learning about this research because the present success of athletes is commonly compared to those of the past. The progression of athletic environments alters the results of the competition. Epstein provides solid evidence and research to prove his argument which makes the presentation interesting and believable. It was easy to follow and understand the information because of Epstein presentation skills and the language used.
Ted Talk Response #3: The difference between winning and succeeding by John Wooden
ReplyDeleteI was initially drawn to this Ted Talk when I read that it was presented by John Wooden, the Wizard of Westward. John Wooden was a famous coach of the UCLA men's basketball team during 1948 to 1975 He won ten national championships between twelve years with seven in a row. Based off of my prior knowledge of the author and the title of the Ted Talk I assumed it would be interesting. He argues that success is the peace of mind attained only through self satisfaction and knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you're capable. Wooden does a good job of conveying his ideas and making his viewers want to believe in them. It is important to focus on your improvement and what you are in control of instead of comparing yourself to those around you. The arguments were well presented because of Wooden's experience as a teacher and a coach. I enjoyed how he referenced those who influenced him and his ideas throughout the presentation like his dad, his players, and colleagues. So far this was my favorite Ted Talk because it was very relatable to my life and I was familiar with the prestigious presented.
First four (character limit doesn't let me post them all at once)
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How America Fails New Parents - And Their Babies | Jessica Shortall
I've heard that America has problems with maternity leave before but this was really shocking. I've never had to think about it much before but honestly pregnancy just sounds even more horrifying with how dismissive its treated by employers. While I don't think we need to be reproducing, I really don't think we need to be doing this to new mothers. It was an interesting watch, and the speaker was obviously passionate. If you want to lose even more faith with the American way, this is the talk for you.
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Laura Schulz: The Surprisingly logical minds of babies
This was super funny to me and just seeing the babies do these basic tasks was super cool. I've never really thought about why we know (or assume) the things we know before but this TED talk really brought to light a lot of the things our baby brains teach us to do that we take for granted. Babies aren't as dumb in their exploration of the world as I thought they were. A very entertaining talk watching small humans do decently smart things.
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The Surprising Science of Happiness | Dan Gilbert |
I've heard that happiness is something we in our heads make before, and honestly that's what I thought this was going to be, but it was actually really interesting. It made me really think about how much I value structure and consistency, even to the point where 'that choice is better but I have created a situation in my head where I am forced to walk this path' and I've been told a lot that that's bad. But this TED talk made me realize maybe that's just my brain's way of helping me create synthetic happiness by making me think this is the choice I'm stuck with so that I don't panic over reversible choices. It just made me feel really validated about the way I look at life, even if I'm not always synthesizing that happiness.
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Ben Ambridge: 10 myths about psychology: Debunked.
This one was actually pretty boring, but it was interesting to hear things I've heard people tell me all my life are actually untrue. His speak pattern, while fast and energetic, just seemed too repetitive and I thought about turning this talk off many times. Something about this guy was just obnoxious and I don't know his credentials so I'm not sure why I should be inclined to believe him. If you're interested in telling people they're wrong about psychology ideas (and don't mind the presenter) the talk is okay I guess.
Last four
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Leana Wen: What your doctor won't disclose
This talk was clearly something the speaker was passionate about and it was awesome to see someone so caring about people. She gave me both the feeling of 'wow people are awful' and 'look at this human who actually does great things'. It makes me sick to think we as human have gotten to the point where we think we should hide ideals that will very much affect our relationship with sick and dying people who put their lives in our hands, but I'm glad people like her are around. I'm glad there are people like this who just really care about other humans and make the world a little better.
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Rives: The Museum of Four in the Morning
I actually vaguely remember his first TED talk about the cultural phenomenon of four in the morning. This one was really interesting because it made me think about those weird little things humans do. Just sending a stranger things about four in the morning because you know they look at them. And it's kind of crazy that that many people just did, just contributed to this giant database he didn't mean to collect. It's also fascinating to see him finally find his four in the morning that made this begin. It's really weird to think about all the things our brains do and keep.
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Jennifer Senior: For parents, happiness is a very high bar
Despite forcing myself to watch this in its entirety, I still considered not writing a response which really speaks volumes to how much I care. It wasn't a bad talk, and it highlighted a lot of things I agree with. But the hypocrisy of saying "there's too many guides on parenting that it's overwhelming" while simultaneously telling people how she believes they should parent is just kind of bleh. It's a very good way to live and raise children, a very insightful talk, but overall I feel like I've heard it a thousand times before in a thousand different ways.
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Amanda Palmer: The Art of asking
I actually listen to her music and like it a lot, but this talk was incredible to be. You could visibly see her getting emotional about it and maybe I'm just really tired right now but I started crying. Asking for things is just so hard because you feel like you're doing something wrong and selfish but her talk was so full of love and trust for people. These people are the kind of people I love to watch because it baffles me how free and trusting they could be and this talk just made me really emotional and I love it. It's just so difficult to be that vulnerable with other people, both strangers and the people you're close with and she makes it sound so simple.
Cris Valencia
ReplyDeleteTheory of Knowledge
Period 4
August 28, 2016
Ted Talk Response #1: What a Planet needs to Sustain Life
By Dave Brain
What are the basic requirements for a planet sustain life in the galaxy. Dave Brain explains to the viewers all of these basic requirements through an analogy. Brain uses the Goldilocks story in order to demonstrate to the audience the two planets which happen to by right next to either side of the earth. Mars being one is labeled a mama bears bowl in it being to cold. Venus on the other hand was Papa bear's bowl which is too hot. Earth being the small bear's bowl was is just right. Explaining the three main factors of life being liquid water, vegetation/ food, and an energy source (a star), this only raises more questions to come. With the Earth being the only known habitable planet with a magnetic field around to prevent harmful rays from the Sun in entering the atmosphere; is a magnetic field a requirement in order for there to be life on a planet? Only time will tell, and with further investigation and research conducted outside into space, this question may soon be answered.
Ted Talk response #1: How to stay clam when you know you'll be stressed by Daniel Levitin
ReplyDeleteDaniel Levitin started off the Ted Talk with a personal story of how he had to break into his own house because he forgot his key inside. He then goes on to explain that the brain under stress releases cortical which then raises the heart beat raises Adrenalin levels and clouds your thinking. scientists have proven that under stress your rational and logic thinking disappears. David levitin explains that because your rational thinking disappears it is important to have a system that you will remember. Around the home designate a place for items that are easily lost this helps you when you are thinking irrationally to stay organized and remember where certain items are. Thought the rest of the Ted Talk he talks about how forward thinking is important to stay calm in stressful situations.
Ted Talk response #2: Inside the mind of a master procrastinator by Tim urban
ReplyDeleteThis Ted Talk was very humorous and interesting to watch. Tim urban started talking about how we had a 90 page paper due in college that he put together in three days. He then goes on to explain the differences in a procrastinators mind vs a non procrastinators mind he didn't use any scientific data to show this he only used figures that he drew. Tim Urban explains that everyone has a rational decision maker in their mind this was shown on a slide a a stick figure person holding a ship steering wheel. The procrastinator then has a monkey who likes to do fun things and over rules the rational decision maker. The only reason things get done is because each procrastinator has a panic Monster who appears once deadlines get closer. The panic monster is the only reason projects are done on time. He later explains that the panic monster only appears when there are deadlines, and a procrastinator can procrastinate going out to see their family. At the end of the Ted talk he states that everyone is a little bit of a procrastinator.
Ted talk #1: 10 Ways to have a better conversation by Celeste Headlee
ReplyDeleteI choo to watch his ted talk because it focused on something I want to become better at, starting and holding a conversation. Celeste began her ted by explaining how this generation manly has conversations on social media and how teenagers would rather text someone than talk to then face to face. After giving a few statistics about how much this generation is involved with social media and how these generations to come will not know how to have a conversation, she gets into a few basic tips on having a conversation such as making eye contact, don't multitask, and seem interested. After explaining the tips she flat out tells the audience if they do not want to have a conversation, one should tell the person. She claims it is more rude to have a conversation when uninterested then having one at all. When she finishes up on the basics she gets in depth about the "10 ways" which include asking questions, understanding you can have a conversation about whatever you want not just the weather and your health etc. She uses her sense of humor to keep the audience intrigued. Although his ted talk was funny and hand some good pointers it wasn't extremely fascinating and Celeste was not the best speaker. If you are horrible at holding a conversation and have no idea where to begin, I suggest you watch this video.
Ted talk #2: A simple way to break a bad habit by Judson Brewer
ReplyDeleteThis ted talk caught my eye because everyone wants to break a bad habit from something little to big. Judson's talk seemed promising at first, but then it went downhill and fast. He talked about the human mind and cake and how the human mind reacts to it for a solid four minutes. He tried to explain how there are triggers in your brain that want bad things when you are stressed, sad, angry etc. He then proceeded to give useless examples which he tried to make funny, but failed horribly. After quite a bit of time rambling about the mind and bad habits he got to the conclusion that meditation and self help is better than ant other source for breaking bad habits. He ended this talk by summarizing everything he said super fast, it was extremely hard to follow.
Ted talk #3: How to stay calm when you know you'll be stressed by David Levington
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw this ted talk I knew I had to watch it being a senior in highschool and having numerous big decisions coming my way. Besides that I am a person who stresses about anything and everything, and I was really interested in finding some self-help tactics. David started out his ted talk by summarizing a story of him locking himself out late at night, in the cold, when a trip across the country the next morning. He explained what his mind was going through and how overwhelmed he was at the moment. This story led him to talking about what the brain releases when stressed. I had no idea the brain released so many chemicals which changes your point of view at the moment. He then got into little mind tricks that you can say to yourself such as this is not the worst thing that can happen or simply accept what is going to happen or what is happening. After these last key points Levington sort of lost the audience and his readers. He got into some very useless examples which really just confused everyone. He never had an exact conclusion which was frustrating. Although the ending was disappointing he had some good claims and ideas.
Ted talk #4: Looks aren't everything. Trust me I'm a model. By Cameron Russell
ReplyDeleteI chose this ted talk because it is about a common discussion all over the world, beauty and what it is, and how models shape what young girls think of themselves. When I read this title I immediately thought to myself that's a lie. It's always about the pretty girls or handsome guys. Super-model Cameron Russell got in great depth about what it is like to be a model. She communicated how it is not all happiness and money. She gets called mean names and told horrible things. She even explained how that she is extremely insecure. She gave examples about how she has gotten out of things by being "pretty" and how bad she felt doing it. Although her ted talk didn't really focus on the title she got a very important message across, looks aren't everything. This is very hard to believe for some but hearing it from a super-model really justifies it. Cameron is not the best speaker, but she really makes the viewers feel comfortable and on her level.
Ted Talk #5: How to spot a liar by Pemela Meyer
ReplyDeleteI picked his video out of pure curiosity. I asked myself the question of can people truly know if someone is lying. I am pretty sure everyone has once questioned something someone said or wanted to know if the person is telling the truth. Meyer began her ted talk by simply explaining what lying is. She then got into some statistics about how many times per day someone lies to you. She followed that up by explaining the stages of lying by age. She concluded her statistics by stating that when married your wife or husband will lie to you five times out of ten reactions. When you are single it will only happy three times. She then drifted into mother and daughter relationships and relayed that a daughter will lie to a mother 2 times out of 5 interactions. Meyer then began talking about strategies to tell if someone is lying, she went over things like body language and the way people say things. For the rest of the video she walked the audience through famous clips such as Clinton saying he "did not have sexual relations with that women" and spotted where people are lying and backed it up with evidence. Overall she is a good speaker and this video was very interesting.
Ted talk #6: Let's talk about dying by Peter Saul
ReplyDeleteI picked this video because death is something not everyone wants to talk about. Peter began his ted talk by telling the audience that he works in intensive care and how hard it is to see peoples life's coming to an end. He then got into the fact that most people who are close to dying do not believe they are or simply do not want to except the path. He communicated that a very high percentage of people do not know what will happen when they begin to die or are dying. Peter then asked the audience if they really want to spend their last moments on earth in the hospital surrounded by people they don't know or in the comfort of their own home. He explained how there are two paths to choose. After that he got into the topic of ways people die, like sudden death, organ failure, or disease. He backed up his evidence about statistics of ways people die. He concluded his ted talk by explaining his points of views on death. This video was not the happiest of ones but it was very interesting and educational.
Ted talk #2: The Beauty of Human Skin in Every Color
ReplyDeleteIN this video Angelica Dass explains and demonstrates her project called, humanae. She realized how everyone put you in a group, and that there are assumptions of who you are based on your skin color. I agree and i i have realized with his TED talk that many of the stereo types made are based on skin color or ethnicity. There is such thing as white supremacy, where the "white people" are given more privileges than those with a little darker skin tone. There was a period of time where the "Blacks" where thought to be "less" than the rest with lighter skin so they were used as slaves and treated in the most inhumane ways. Light skinned are usually Mexicans or Latino's and that are looked at people who work at restaurants as dishwashers or waiters, or they are looked as gardeners, and its not wrong many so have those careers but it is curious that we can predict or give ourselves an idea of who is based on their skin color. It sad to see that we do not think of others equally because of their color. Angelica is right and discrimination will not end itself but the change must be made from role models to the next generations.
Ted talk #7: Lessons from death row inmates by David R. Dow
ReplyDeleteI decided to watch this ted talk because I want to peruse in law enforcement when I graduate from college, and also because death row is a very large conversional topic in United States. Dow began his ted talk by telling a very detailed story of a young boy who got abused and almost killed by his mother. By the age of nine he was living by himself and by the age of 19 he was a convicted killer on death row. Leading away from the story, Dow got into extreme death of what death row is how people get there, and the overall stages of it. He was on this topic for almost all of the video, which seemed like hours. He concluded his ted talk by finishing his story about the 19 year old and the complicity of death row. Overall this talk was extremely boring and pointless.
Ted talk #8: The person you really need to marry by Tracy McMillian
ReplyDeleteI chose this ted talk because I have always wondered who I would end up marrying. When I saw this topic I wanted to know what exactly Tracy meant by "the person you really need to marry". She began her ted talk by explaining that she has had three different failed marriages and her current state with each of them. She then told the audience why they should listen to a divorcee about marriage. She next talked about her childhood and how she grew up in over two-hundred foster homes because her father was a pimp and drug dealer and that her mother was a prostitute. After that she got into her claim that one should marry their-self before another. She than got in depth about this opinion and supported it with evidence. To wrap up her talk she again emphasized that she knows how marriage works being a divorcee with three ex-husbands and the importance of marrying yourself first.
Ted Talk Response #4: The jobs we’ll lose to machines – and the ones we won’t by Anthony Goldbloom
ReplyDeleteAlthough this TED talk is particularly short, it interests me because I’m greatly considering going into the path of becoming a software engineer. This means that I will be creating code to create executable applications that replaces human jobs every day. Goldbloom’s speaking style was strictly informative, which in this short time-span delivers information in a surprisingly effective and captivating platform. His main point was that “machines can excel at frequent, high-volume tasks.”, but humans can tackle problems we have never seen before better than machines can. He repeatedly stated that machines have not been increasing their ability to do these creative jobs such as creating new job markets, designing products that have never been created, etc.
Ted Talk Response #5: What will be the next big scientific breakthrough? By Eric Haseltine
Haseltine taught me about the method of scientific breakthroughs, and how they are even more out of the box than I had thought before. His speaking style is passionate, articulate, and full of real life examples throughout history. One of the methods he taught me was to question all of the accepted ways of thinking, because in history that is how a lot of scientific breakthroughs have come to be. One of the characteristics of Haseltine that made his speech much more convincing is that he could explain the scientific phenomena he displayed, such as the concept of super resolution microscopes.
Ted Talk # 2
ReplyDeleteLooks aren't everything.Believe me I'm a model.
By Cameron Russell
I enjoyed this Ted talk is wasn't what i thought it was going to be about, however after seeing the whole thing through I can say i was surprised by the content of the video because it had very little to do with the title. She says that look are not everything in the title of the presentation but she goes on to talk about how she became a model purely based on a genetic lottery. A lot of the things she says i completely agree with and i feel like she should have mad her presentation longer in order to fuly express her ideas because i felt as if it was too short and rushed. She began to talk about howto be considered beautiful within the media was be tall slender average pretty face and be white. She backs this statement up be saying that out of all 600 models that were in the run way in 2007 only 24 (4%) weren't white. Models who are supposed to be a symbol of beauty and only 24 weren't white. Which in my opinion pretty strongly supports the argument that they media and society have helped shape a definition of beauty as being a white skinny female. This is 100% true if you were to look up pretty women in google images right now the top results would all be white women. I did it right now and it took 5 rows of photos to find 1 Latina women and 8 to find one black women. I felt like she was barley reaching the surface of what she had to say and definitely could have went even further with her arguments. I liked what she had to say and wish she would have said more of it and explained everything better.
Ted Talk # 3
ReplyDeleteThis isn’t her mother’s feminism
By Courtney Martin
I felt as though i couldn't fully understand what the presenter was trying to prove. In the beginning it sound as if she was comparing her idea of feminism and how it differed from her mother’s view of feminism. As the presentation went on, however it slowly derailed from that and she began talking about what made her actually accept the feminist title and how she was inspired by other strong women to write a book. I was lost through out the presentation and when she did speak about feminism she did not really inform me of anything that i did not already know about. I think she was all over the place with her presentation. If she would have focused on one main idea for her presentation i would have been able to follow along with it more. I was interested when she started talking about how feminism is not only about acquiring equal pay, i wish a she would have spoken more about feminism and the sort of biased types of feminists more, because she just sort of skimmed right through that in her presentation.
Ted Talk #4
ReplyDeleteHow augmented reality will change sports and build empahty by Chris Kluwe. Kluwe discusses the changes that can be made in technology to improve the experience of sports for fans. One creation he describes is that of google glass. Athletes would wear this piece around their eyes so that the audience could see and experience what it is like to be a player. I liked how we were able to see examples of the device and see how it works.They gave a player on the University of Washington the eye piece to show the viewers what it is like to be a quarterback on a football team. This made it easier to understand what he is describing and how it works. As a sports fan I found this idea and device very intriguing because it changes the experience and puts you into the position of the player. As a presenter Klowe did a successful job of describing the benefits for a fan and a player. Wide receivers and running backs could have their plays mapped out in front of them instead of having to get signs from offensive coordinators and quarterbacks. Overall there are both advantages and disadvantages of the future of technology for sports.
Ted Talk Response #5
ReplyDeleteEvery child needs a champion by Rita F. Pierson
This Ted Talk was very interesting and humorous. Pierson did a successful job of holding the audiences attention by adding jokes and humor throughout the presentation. It was easy to tell that she was passionate about her topic which made it entertaining. This ted talk addressed the positive attitudes of educators and how they influence the students learning. She pointed out the importance of celebrating what the students do right instead of what they do wrong. When a child or a student has someone who believes in them they feel like they become motivated to be successful. Even though teachers might not like all of their students, as an educator it is important to continue to support them. Overall, I enjoyed this ted talk because of the way Pierson presented her ideas.
Ted Talk Response #8
ReplyDeleteSpecial Olympics, Let me be myself, a champion. by Matthew Williams.
I was interested by this ted talk because I have volunteered at different special Olympic events. Michael Williams has intellectual disabilities and has participated in the special Olympic world games. He advocates the problems he faces with the world seeing him differently than other athletes. Just because he has intellectual disabilities does not mean he is not a champion in his sport like Lebron James or Michael Phelps. In the past, children with intellectual disabilities were not getting the exercise and fitness they needed because of the lack of opportunities. Thanks to Special Olympics and the creation of similar organizations, people with these type of activities are able to participate in sports. This ted talk made me realize the ongoing struggles that people with intellectual disabilities face everyday. The presenter did a good job of captivating the audience by using his own personal experiences and struggles.
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ReplyDeleteCris Valencia
ReplyDeleteTheory of Knowledge
Mr. Van Tuyl
11 September 2016
Ted Talk Response #2: The new America Dream
by Courtney Martin
Even though the idea of the American Dream is that based around wealth, and overall success in society. The main base is said to be a universal health care system, and overall benefits for workers. Success was known to be leaving ones original home, in search of a better, and greater life outside. Realistically one main component needed for the American Dream which is not mentioned that much is the concept of creativity. Using creativity, one can simply excel in life with creativity, rather than just working in a cycle for most of our lives. Wealth is seen in riches, but is truly in the relationship between colleges and friends. Courtney Martin firmly states that the biggest danger in today, is achieving a dream that you may not believe in.
Cris Valencia
ReplyDeleteTheory of Knowledge
Mr. Van Tuyl
11 September 2016
Ted Response #3: The beauty of human skin in every color
by Angelica Dass
In this Ted talk Angelica Dass demonstrated to the audience the true beauty of every humans skin color. Looking at the stereotypical white,red,black, and yellow skin colors, Dass shows a different side of things by stepping aside form the racist point of view. Dass being a photographer, photographed thousands of people from shoulders above in order to capture their skin color. From this experiment, Dass conveyed to the audience that skin color is not base solely on one type of color. From this she described how a black person almost always is not black, but instead a brown or light brown skin color. Same goes for people with lighter skin. Some may be pale white, but others could have a red like color to their skin. The point of her talk was to show the audience the wide variety and combinations of colors to people skin from around the world, and how its not just simply divided into 4 general colors.
Cris Valencia
ReplyDeleteTheory of Knowledge
Mr. Van Tuyl
11 September 2016
Ted Response #4: You have no idea where camels really come from
by Latif Nasser
The world today sees camels as a desert mammal, prominent in Africa and in Asia. But recent discoveries of camel bones being found in the Arctic tell a different story. With the time camels have been on this Earth (45 million years), 40 million years were spent in the Americas. Today species such as the llama and alpaca are present today, but do not quite fit the definition of camel for some people. If camels did exist in the harsh winter conditions as said, how where they able to survive. Well Latif Nasser explains this well; the hump of fat on their back does not only have to be used for insulation in harsh desert climates, but can also be used for an alternative source of energy in winter for when food is scarce. In conclusion Camels being seen as desert mammals, are originally winter mammals, and although they are winter mammals, Camels are well adapted to function in both of the harsh climates.
Cris Valencia
ReplyDeleteTheory of Knowledge
Mr. Van Tuyl
11 September 2016
Ted Response #4: You have no idea where camels really come from
by Latif Nasser
The world today sees camels as a desert mammal, prominent in Africa and in Asia. But recent discoveries of camel bones being found in the Arctic tell a different story. With the time camels have been on this Earth (45 million years), 40 million years were spent in the Americas. Today species such as the llama and alpaca are present today, but do not quite fit the definition of camel for some people. If camels did exist in the harsh winter conditions as said, how where they able to survive. Well Latif Nasser explains this well; the hump of fat on their back does not only have to be used for insulation in harsh desert climates, but can also be used for an alternative source of energy in winter for when food is scarce. In conclusion Camels being seen as desert mammals, are originally winter mammals, and although they are winter mammals, Camels are well adapted to function in both of the harsh climates.
Cris Valencia
ReplyDeleteTheory of Knowledge
Mr. Van Tuyl
11 September 2016
Ted Response #3: The beauty of human skin in every color
by Angelica Dass
In this Ted talk Angelica Dass demonstrated to the audience the true beauty of every humans skin color. Looking at the stereotypical white,red,black, and yellow skin colors, Dass shows a different side of things by stepping aside form the racist point of view. Dass being a photographer, photographed thousands of people from shoulders above in order to capture their skin color. From this experiment, Dass conveyed to the audience that skin color is not base solely on one type of color. From this she described how a black person almost always is not black, but instead a brown or light brown skin color. Same goes for people with lighter skin. Some may be pale white, but others could have a red like color to their skin. The point of her talk was to show the audience the wide variety and combinations of colors to people skin from around the world, and how its not just simply divided into 4 general colors.
Cris Valencia
ReplyDeleteTheory of Knowledge
Mr. Van Tuyl
11 September 2016
Ted Talk Response #2: The new America Dream
by Courtney Martin
Even though the idea of the American Dream is that based around wealth, and overall success in society. The main base is said to be a universal health care system, and overall benefits for workers. Success was known to be leaving ones original home, in search of a better, and greater life outside. Realistically one main component needed for the American Dream which is not mentioned that much is the concept of creativity. Using creativity, one can simply excel in life with creativity, rather than just working in a cycle for most of our lives. Wealth is seen in riches, but is truly in the relationship between colleges and friends. Courtney Martin firmly states that the biggest danger in today, is achieving a dream that you may not believe in.
Cris Valencia
ReplyDeleteTheory of Knowledge
Period 4
August 28, 2016
What a Planet needs to Sustain Life
By Dave Brain
What are the basic requirements for a planet sustain life in the galaxy. Dave Brain explains to the viewers all of these basic requirements through an analogy. Brain uses the Goldilocks story in order to demonstrate to the audience the two planets which happen to by right next to either side of the earth. Mars being one is labeled a mama bears bowl in it being to cold. Venus on the other hand was Papa bear's bowl which is too hot. Earth being the small bear's bowl was is just right. Explaining the three main factors of life being liquid water, vegetation/ food, and an energy source (a star), this only raises more questions to come. With the Earth being the only known habitable planet with a magnetic field around to prevent harmful rays from the Sun in entering the atmosphere; is a magnetic field a requirement in order for there to be life on a planet? Only time will tell, and with further investigation and research conducted outside into space, this question may soon be answered.
Cris Valencia
ReplyDeleteTheory of Knowledge
Period 4
August 28, 2016
What a Planet needs to Sustain Life
By Dave Brain
What are the basic requirements for a planet sustain life in the galaxy. Dave Brain explains to the viewers all of these basic requirements through an analogy. Brain uses the Goldilocks story in order to demonstrate to the audience the two planets which happen to by right next to either side of the earth. Mars being one is labeled a mama bears bowl in it being to cold. Venus on the other hand was Papa bear's bowl which is too hot. Earth being the small bear's bowl was is just right. Explaining the three main factors of life being liquid water, vegetation/ food, and an energy source (a star), this only raises more questions to come. With the Earth being the only known habitable planet with a magnetic field around to prevent harmful rays from the Sun in entering the atmosphere; is a magnetic field a requirement in order for there to be life on a planet? Only time will tell, and with further investigation and research conducted outside into space, this question may soon be answered.
Cris Valencia
ReplyDeleteTheory of Knowledge
Mr. Van Tuyl
12 September 2016
Ted Response #5: What happens when a city runs out of room for its dead
by Alison Killing
The idea of burial has been a main concern in smaller size countries, particularly European countries such as England due to the lack of space available in cemeteries. With as many as 4 people in one burial spot, this is an issue for people/ bushiness who also desire the idea of building homes or an establishment. One example of how valued land to bury the dead has been is the example of one family in Northern Whales who took their property and turned it into a cemetery. This increased the value of the property from 95,000 pounds to 1,000,000 pounds. This comes to show how valued land for the dead is, even to the point of where certain individuals have reserved their spot for burial for when they die. One idea proposed is to bury the dead on ones own property, but not only does this make neighbors uneasy but also drops the value of your property by 20%. This is even if your house is even able to sell to the public. If burring ones loves in ones yard is desired, Killing states the requirements with official documentation of the deceased member and their location on ones property.
Ted Talk #1
ReplyDeleteTexting that saves lives by Nancy Lublin
This Ted Talk was interesting to me because at first to catch my attention Nancy started off telling jokes about phones and teenagers to all of the parents in the room. After about 2 minutes of that she started the actual presentation. She kept it interesting throughout the entire talk. She never once los my attention. I liked how she started off funny, but then as soon as she got to the serious part about how teenagers were telling her their problems, she was serious. I just wished she talked a little bit more detail about what she meant by what she and her co-workers do with the data that they get from the text messages.
Ted Talk #2
ReplyDeleteUnderwater astonishments by David Gallo
I loved this Ted Talk. I learned many new things about sea creatures that I would have never known. Other than giving out the information by just having a keynote and talking, he said everything in a funny way and kept me laughing. He was also showing a video of the sea animals. I never knew that a squids color changes from their normal color to white when they are mad. David showed us a video where a male was half white on the side where other males could see him and half his normal color where the female could see him so that she would only see his good side and not his bad side. I also found out that octopus can change into their surroundings and blend in. Overall, this was a great Ted Talk.
Cris Valencia
ReplyDeleteTheory of Knowledge
Mr. Van Tuyl
13 September 2016
Ted Response #6: Glow-in-the-dark sharks and other stunning sea creatures
by David Gruber
As speaker (David Gruber), demonstrated to the audience that below the surface of the ocean are certain marine animals that are quite special. The difference these specific types of animals the Gruber analyzes, and the ones at the bottom of the ocean like the angler fish which emit their own light, is that they glow in the dark. This trait of glowing in the dark, and can be seen mostly in animals such as sharks, turtles, sea horses, and more. What is interesting is that these animals are not in the very bottom of the ocean, but at a middle ground in which they are in darkness, and still be able to see with light glimmering thru the surface of the water. One reason seen particularly in sharks of why they do this is to see better under their circumstances. One interesting thing about this talk was that it diverged into a topic regarding the inner workings of the universe, and how understanding this immensely big idea, can be very well right in front of us the entire time. With us exploring space more, we as a world know less about ourselves and the world around us. This is what David Gruber had to say in his talk over Glow-in-the-dark sharks and other sea creatures.
Cris Valencia
ReplyDeleteTheory of Knowledge
Mr. Van Tuyl
13 September 2016
Ted Response #7: This is what happens when you reply to spam email
by James Veitch
Comedian James Veitch deals with the problems following a response from or to a spam email. In today's standards we are taught to delete spam mail on sight, and to not even bother in wasting our time by answering to them. Veitch took this perfect opportunity to show the complete waste of time, and energy in replying to spam mail. It was interesting to see how when replying to spam mail, the sender completely will change the topic randomly, and utterly ask for a specific payment at times which is obviously a scam. Veitch being as witty as he is, decides to have fun with the situation, and even make comedy out of this scenario. Information wise or concern about this issue was not given at all, but this talk was more of a comedic relief from the more serious topics in other TED presentations.
Cris Valencia
ReplyDeleteTheory of Knowledge
Mr. Van Tuyl
13 September 2016
Ted Response #8: The joy of surfing in ice-cold water
by Chris Burkard
Chris Burkard being a surfer, is familiar with typical surfer destinations for the best waves, and the most soothing climate, but Burkard seeks something different than all of this. Other than the overly crowded beaches in tropical locations and with all the distractions aside from that in the city, Burkard desired a more remote place where surfing was the only thing on his mind. Instead of tropical beaches Burkard decided to go and explores the icy coasts of Iceland and Norway in order to find a connection with himself and the world around him. Experimenting with icy cold water, Burkard finds himself at peace, and as well discovers how pursing a certain goal in life is going to require a sacrifice of ones self in order to achieve that goal/dream. In the end Burkard found the true meaning to what he was in search for, and that was a sense of tranquility and happiness in him.
TED Talk #1
ReplyDeleteMy love letter to cosplay - Adam Savage
I greatly enjoyed Adam Savage as a speaker, partly because of my previous knowledge of him but also because of his great enthusiasm. Most of his talk was done in the form of personal anecdote, which brought forth his genuine excitement on the topic of cosplay. It was very much boosted by his ability to explain what costing means to him and what it means to so many others. There were, however, some blemishes in his speech. He begins with a scientific explanation of clothing and then launches into his stories. I found it to be slightly misleading, as I expected this talk to be on the more technical, not emotional, side of cosplay. Additionally, what I assume to be either nerves or overwhelming passion caused his voice to shake a bit. I did, however, find the topic itself to be fascinating. The time and effort that people are willing to spend just to be a part of their favorite fictional world is incredible. This commitment makes the ultimate product even more astonishing. Overall, I enjoyed both the topic, speaker, and general impression.
Ted Talk #4
ReplyDeleteThe Danger of silence
by Clint Smith
The presenter states that someone can be silent even if they are talking and noise is coming out of their mouths. He says that if you are not speaking our truth and just telling people what you believe that they want to hear, you are in fact being silent.He also says something which i found really interesting, he states that " silence is just the residue of fear." We stay silent so many times when we see or hear something that is wrong or that we disagree with on the basis of being of afraid of speaking up and voicing our opinions. Humans by nature, at least most, fear confrontation and because of this we stay silent when many times we shouldn't. I enjoyed the presentation it was short but direct and had many hard hitting points.
TED Talk #2
ReplyDeleteAn underwater art museum, teeming with life - Jason deCaires Taylor
The speaker of this TED Talk was nothing special, but he was certainly effective. Hs actual words were quite eloquent, although I found it to be somewhat dull due to a slight monotone quality within his address. What really caught my attention and made me think was the topic itself. The speaker was a sculptor who created, then submerged statues in the ocean. Eventually the sculptures, designed to harbor life, became habitat for species normally present in coral reefs (including coral). Not only did this help to recreate genuine habitat, it also drew tourists away from natural reefs, giving them a chance to recover from the stress of human interaction. The design behind these underwater museums is so exceptionally brilliant in that it provides a place for humans to connect with the ocean while also repairing damage to reefs. The genius of the project itself aside, the results are magnificent. I was particularly struck by a statue of a woman with her arms spread at her sides. Fan corals were made to grow along her arms to give the appearance of wings. Humans working with the pre-existing beauty of nature to make stunning art installations holds, in my opinion, a profound message for us all. My only real issue was the underwater clips of the installations played during the talk. They all had music playing over them, which was somewhat disruptive to the flow of the presentation. I the speaker had simply talked over the clips, in a narrative fashion, I feel it would have been much smoother. In general, this is a decent speaker presenting an important, relevant, and beautiful topic.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteVictoria Martinez
ReplyDeleteSeptember 15, 2016
Theory of Knowledge
Van Tuyl/2
Redemption Song by John Legend
The Ted Talk wasn't just a video of John Legend doing a cover of Bob Marley's Redemption Song but to talk about his Free America campaign. The campaign traveled to talk to prosecutors, legislators, local prisons, inmates, and immigration detention centers. It lets the people who are seeking to redeem their past mistakes and have a better life after their times. When introducing James Cavitt, who's serving 12 years in San Quentin, John tried not introducing him as a criminal but a person. He uses James as an example of the millions people behind bars that are working to pay off their debt and build their skills to have a productive life when entering society. James recites one of his poems which illustrates the hardships, wickedness, and discriminatory ways the world is run and its prejudice ways of the people. With empathy and forgiveness is what will take us to sing our Redemption Song in harmony.
Nash Raven
ReplyDeleteSeptember 18, 2016
Theory of knowladge
VanTuyl
Ngozi Okonjo- The rise of Africa
This Ted Talk is about the state of African society today. Many people look at Africa and see the worst of it, with war, famine, and disease. However the speaker Okonjo points out positive change occuring within the continent, such as the development of a natural disaster insurance program, created by and for African countries. With what is good, she is also forced to mention what is wrong with the continent. Most of it pertains to the youth, many of which are unemployed or under educated. There is also a lack of stability within many governments. However slow, progress grinds on, bettering the lives of everyone in Africa. I agreed with her for the most part, especially with what she said about the youth and their futures. Her points were made clearly and with great passion. I defiantly enjoyed it.
TED talk #1
ReplyDelete“How Islam made me a feminist” by Zena Agha
In this TED talk, Agha eloquently describes the relationship between her religion and feminist ideology. She discusses how there is a false pretense that Islam is deplorable for women. She argues that Islam is “a book that sheds light on to humanity” and that it is the interpretations of Islam that lead astray for women. Similarly, the false interpretations of the definition of feminism in today’s day and age are the reason there is a stigma surrounding feminism. Modern perceptions of both Islam and feminism confuse them as opposites, when in fact they are compatible ideologies. Agha then describes how her single mother raised her to be a feminist. I thoroughly enjoyed this TED talk, however the majority of this TED talk was about her mother and not about Islam as all. She did not fully answer or prove her initial claim that Islam and feminism are compatible. She rather explained how her Muslim mother raised her as a feminist. It was a very interesting and informative video and it had an important message, however, its focus lacked.
TED talk #2
ReplyDelete“Why we have too few women leaders” by Sheryl Sandberg
In this TED talk, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg discusses why a smaller percentage of women than men reach the top of their professions. In most professions, less than 20% of CEOs and business leaders are women. One interesting fact she states is that out of college, men negotiate their salaries 57% of the time, but women only negotiate their salaries 7% of the time. She also states that the data shows that success and likability are positively correlated for men and negatively correlated for women. She offers three pieces of advice for women aiming for the top: sit at the table, reach for the promotion, and believe in yourself. This was a very interesting and inspiring TED talk. However, the comments on this video were far more interesting. Besides the few comments about how great of a TED talk this was, the majority of the comments were justifying why men do and should be more successful than women. As if none of these people had even watched the video, they directly opposed every claim she made in the video. It was very interesting to see different people’s reactions to someone advocating for equality. The comments definitely shed light on the extent of the issue Sandberg discussed.
Ted Talk #5
ReplyDeleteHow Cults Rewire the Brain
Diane Benscoter
The presenter talks about how cults use tactics of manipulation to get people to both join and stay in cults. She uses her own personal experience being in a cult to elaborate on her presentation which i find quite interesting. You can tell as she goes on throughout her presentation just how troubling it is for her to talk about the subject, being as how many cults do such awful radical things and she was apart of one. The presenter had first hand experience of being manipulated into joining and cult and she stayed in this cult for 5 years. She didn't get out of this cult until her parents sent what she called “deprogrammers” to help fix the wiring the cults had done with her brain. She states that after she was “ deprogrammed” she became a deprogrammer herself. She talks about how cults prey on the young, vulnerable, and idealistic and use their drive to want to change the world to manipulate them into following radical beliefs. I did feel that the extent of the emotional connection she had with this presentation hindered her from fully elaborating just what happens to make people join a cult. I believe that if she could have emotionally detach herself in some way she would have been able to explain herself better, however i have no idea how someone could detach or try to erase the memory of being in a cult no matter how hard they might try.
Ted Talk Response #7
ReplyDelete"Why open a school? To close a prison"
Nadia Lopez
This Ted Talk addressed the problems that result from lack of education for impoverished communities. The speaker, Nadia Lopez, created an elementary school in one of the worst neighborhoods in New York. When children are not going to school they do not have the ability to learn. This limits their future and creates a high risk of these children going into gangs and criminal activity. One student when asked what he would like to be doing in five years responded, "I don't know if I will live that long". Lopez wanted to replace the thought of a bad future with the new idea of college, and being a scientist, or a engineer, etc. The Ted Talk was very interesting because you could tell Lopez is passionate for what she does and what she believes in. The pictures and personal stories/statistics that she shared from her the school were engaging and helped support her argument. It was very inspiring overall and I think her message is important for the present generations and the future.
TEDTalk #1: Lessons from Death Row Inmates by David R. Dow
ReplyDeleteThis TEDTalk discusses the concerning amount of people over the years who’ve received the death sentence, and the importance of trying to prevent this at an early age. The speaker emphasizes that about 80% of death row inmates have had a history in the juvenile justice system and the root of the crimes they commit in adulthood begin in their childhood. There are ways that we could intervene and resolve this issue such as providing early childhood care and specialized schools for children with psychologically traumatic experiences, especially for those who’ve been exposed to the the juvenile justice system. Most importantly, children should be taken away from dangerously dysfunctional homes before something traumatic even occurs. In all honesty, I found the TEDTalk to be quite boring, likely because this topic isn’t interesting to me and there was not anything in the talk that seemed lively or unique. Dow spoke in monotone for a majority of the time and the overall presentation was very dull. I appreciate that the speaker chose to address this specific issue and possible solutions to the problem, however, I do not necessarily agree with some of his proposals. I think that having specialized schools and early childhood care are effective ways to improve a child’s mindset and overall childhood, but I question if it is worthy to prioritize it above other urgent issues. Also, I would hope that it is possible to remove children living in a dysfunctional environment before it worsens, but the extent to which this actually happens seems very limited; it is relatively difficult to find every child living within a troubled home, but even more so to find a child who is not already affected by it. I appreciate the message he was trying to convey, but do not fully see eye to eye with his resolutions.
TEDTalk #2: The Habits of Happiness by Matthieu Ricard
ReplyDeleteRicard explains how we can go about on our quest to achieve full happiness, which he believes is a state of being with “a deep sense of serenity and fulfillment,” and not merely a fleeting sensation or emotion. Most of the times, we look for things outside and think that to have everything, is to be happy. If one thing were to be missing, then our entire foundation of this superficial happiness would collapse. This statement of needing everything already defeats the purpose of gaining happiness. I agree with this, and think that sometimes humans are too materialistic and have a selfish belief that having everything equates to happiness. Ricard also states that when things do go wrong in our outside world, we spend most of our time trying to fix it when in reality our control is limited and often illusory. It seems very wasteful to me that instead of focusing on one’s own self and finding what makes them happy, a person desires to change something that they have little control of and would only give them temporary happiness. This TEDTalk presents the idea that resorting to unhealthy ways of anger, hatred, jealousy and arrogance not only merely gives momentary happiness, but is also detrimental to the well-being of others and ultimately leaves you guilty and potentially miserable. However, a selfless act of generosity provides us with a deeper sense of adequation and satisfaction in our nature. Ricard and I both believe that if one genuinely tries hard enough, one can change their destructive ways of having happiness and the negativity in their character. Overall, I think that the TEDTalk was interesting and helped alter my perspective of achieving happiness and being kind to others. I think that most of the principles he spoke about can be applied to everyone and in one’s everyday life, and I really value that.
TEDTalk #3: My Daughter, Malala by Ziauddin Yousafzai
ReplyDeleteIn this TEDTalk, Yousafzai talks about the persistent existence of gender roles in patriarchal societies, and the effect and pressure it forces upon boys and girls. In patriarchal societies, men must take the responsibility of having a job in order to financially support his family and gain this so-called honor. On the other hand, women are expected to stay at home and be very obedient, humble, and submissive. The contrasting perspectives of both genders are so drastic and sexist that when a female child is born, the baby’s family feels guilty and disappointed, and the baby girl feels shunned for a majority of her life. I have heard of these specific principles and characteristics of patriarchal societies before so I am not really shocked, but nevertheless I still feel very upset about the idea. I think this similar concept that was deeply rooted in America’s society still somewhat exists today. I personally do not believe in following gender roles and that boys and girls must follow society’s expectations. I do not understand why people think they have the right to tell someone what they should or should not do with themselves simply because it is considered feminine, masculine, or does not “fit” their gender. I think some people would be a lot more happier if they did not concern themselves with what other people do in their lives that are not relevant to them. Men should not feel that they must be the “man” of the house and the one to take care of the family, and women should not feel the obligation to be inferior and obedient to men. The second part of the TEDTalk discusses the importance of education for women and Malala’s advocating for equal education rights. I believe that Malala is a very brave, inspiring, and precious soul. I love that she is using every platform she has to advocate for equal education and what she believes is right, despite the danger she has faced.
TEDTalk #4: Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator by Tim Urban
ReplyDeleteThis TEDTalk explains why procrastinators choose to procrastinate and how our mind reacts to the desire to procrastinate. This is perhaps one of my favorite TEDTalks because I can relate to this on a spiritual level and I like the humor Urban incorporates into it. Urban opens his TEDTalk with a personal experience in which he procrastinated a year long assignment to write a 90-page senior year thesis. He then explores the minds of a non-procrastinator and a procrastinator. Both minds have what is a called a rational decision-maker, but the only the procrastinator’s has an instant gratification monkey. The rational decision-maker allows us to focus on the more important and hard things, whereas the instant gratification monkey distracts and persuades us to do fun things that are not beneficial to us in the long run. There are two zones, the Dark Playground and the Hard Things, where most of the time we hang out in the Dark Playground when we should be in the Hard Things region. Fortunately, these two areas may sometimes overlap where we are productively doing things that we also consider entertaining and enjoyable. Once we have done enough procrastinating and deadlines are becoming shorter, the panic monster visits us and we start freaking out. We progressively start to suffer from anxiety, self-hatred, guilt, regret and other lovely emotions associated with unproductivity and procrastination. Unfortunately, I have met the panic monster and experienced these emotions more often than I would like. It was interesting to learn why we procrastinate, but I do not think this will in any way help stop me from procrastinating again. I think it is cool that a procrastinator chose to do a TEDTalk on procrastination, and that he did a nice job of explaining the process and vicious cycle of it.
TEDTalk #5: Why We Need to Talk About Depression by Kevin Breel
ReplyDeleteKevin Breel discusses his personal experience with depression, and the need for education and acknowledgement of depression. He opens his TEDTalk by introducing his story of feeling like he was living two lives: one that everyone saw and one that he only saw. These two worlds consisted of people seeing him as this popular kid at every party, team captain, a funny and confident person, and another where Breel looks at himself as someone struggling with depression. Most people may seem happy and content on the outside, but they may feel the complete opposite on the inside. We sometimes envy people who appear to be living better lives than us, but for all we know, they could be miserable and lead a worse life than we do. Breel also chooses to define depressions, which he believes is one being when everything is going right in life and is not to be mistaken with sadness which is a natural human emotion. He delves deeper, stating that depression is a sickness that you live with and cannot be eradicated in one instance. The scariest part is when depression becomes a routine, and it becomes so severe that one is even afraid to become happy again in fear of falling into the same cycle of depression again. In the last part which I believe is the most important, Breel explores why depression is not taken seriously in society and why it should be. Most people do not talk about depression because society believes it is not a socially acceptable subject to discuss, and many people frown upon those with depression. I strongly believe that society should start addressing the issue of depression and taking it seriously. It is not something we can ignore anymore, considering the vast and increasing amount of people who suffer from it. On a more broader scale, I think schools should offer education about mental illness, depression, and dealing with stress because these are all things most students struggle with and there is no other significant outlet students can learn this from. I understand schools should focus on teaching students the core academic subjects, but these are not the only genuinely important and beneficial things to learn at this point in a student’s life. I feel like sometimes schools place students under so much pressure, offer a workload of projects and homework, and emphasize on taking rigorous courses and getting good grades that they forget to consider the mental (and physical) health of their students. Believe it or not, some of us (students) actually struggle with this and not saying anything about it does not mean the problem does not exist.. This is a particular topic I am more passionate about, but am disappointed that not enough is being said about it.
TEDTalk #6: The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown
ReplyDeleteBrown, a researcher, discusses vulnerability, and her experience of conducting an experiment about vulnerability and its effect on people. In Brown’s research, she asks them to describe a feeling and emotion in which her test subjects would respond with an experience where they felt the complete opposite of that emotion. For example, when she asked them to talk about love, they talked about heartbreak; belonging, and they would describe their most excruciating moment of being excluded; connection, and they would bring up disconnection. Brown focused on disconnection, and concluded that the shame is the fear of disconnection. We fear disconnection because we question ourselves whether we are worthy of connection and are afraid of baring our naked soul and emotions. Throughout her research, her data was split into two groups: people who had a sense of worthiness and people who didn’t. The people who felt that they were worthy had a strong sense of love and belong, and the people who didn’t always wondered whether they were good enough. The main difference between the two is that people with a sense of worthiness have courage, compassion, connection, and fully embrace vulnerability. In order for us to no longer fear vulnerability, we need to believe that we are good enough, be willing to take risks even though there’s no guarantee for something in return, and practice gratitude and joy in moments of terror and uncertainty. I like that Brown chose a topic that most of us do not enjoy discussing due to our insecurity and vulnerability (no pun intended). I think it is important to understand why we fear vulnerability and why we should stop being afraid of it. I can relate to this TEDTalk in the sense that I, too, fear vulnerability and do not like like the idea of being vulnerable. I think it requires a lot of trust for one to be comfortable and vulnerable with another person. I believe most people close themselves off because we fear the idea of getting hurt and the risk of putting effort into something may ultimately lead to failure and disappointment. Although Brown believes that we shouldn’t fear vulnerability, I still wonder if it is truly worth it to take the risk and easily allow ourselves to open up to others and the possibility of failure and shame.
TEDTalk #7: Teach girls bravery, not perfection by Reshma Saujani
ReplyDeleteReshma Saujani expresses the immense pressure society places upon girls to strive for perfection and the pressure society places upon boys to strive for bravery. Most girls are taught to avoid risk and failure, and know their limits whereas boys are taught to aim high and take risks. This may explain by women are underrepresented in business, Congress, and other various areas of the workforce. Past studies have proven that girls with higher IQ’s and faced with a difficult assignment were more likely to give up. On the other hand, boys with higher IQ’s felt challenged and energized to take on the assignment. The difference is not about ability or potential, but how boys and girls approach a challenge. I like that Saujani offered to tell her own personal experience with being taught to be perfect, and chose to bring up this important issue in society. I agree with Saujani in the sense that teaching girls to aspire perfection forces them to be overly cautious, and not take advantage of most opportunities due to the fear of failure. Saujani and I both believe that in order to change this stigma, we should socialize girls to be comfortable with imperfections and understand that it is okay to make mistakes. In addition, it is essential to build a type of sisterhood and supportive network that lets girls know that they are not alone and have people that support them. I think it is important for girls to be socialized to be brave and have the courage to take risks because there is a lot of untapped potential that could lead to amazing achievements.
TEDTalk #8: The 4 stories we tell ourselves about death by Stephen Cave
ReplyDeleteIn this TEDTalk, Stephen Cave explores the idea that human behaviour is biased against the realization of mortality and death, and how we react to this acknowledgment. When a study was conducted to ask two groups of agnostic people, one being asked to think about death and another to think about being lonely, those in the former were twice as likely to be more religious after the experiment. Cave believes that forcing people to realize death is inevitable, drives people to religion and to seek some belief that immortality is possible. Cave then discusses why humans often resist the inevitability of death and are biased toward the idea of “living” forever. He believes the story behind this is the terror management theory, which is where one tells themselves stories that they want to hear about the world they live in in order to manage their terror of death. The immortality stories that we often tell ourselves include the belief that there is an elixir of fountain of youth, resurrection is plausible, we can leave our dead body behind and live on as a soul, and the idea that we can live through legacy. Cave thinks that we are biased to believe these stories because we are so afraid of death. I found this TEDTalk very interesting because I never thought about our fear of death and now that I’ve thought about it, it all seems very true to me. It is interesting that although humans have the possibility of dying at any moment, we do not think much of it or worry about not waking up one day as much as we should be. It is logical to think that we would fear death much more on a daily basis considering how much we apparently value our lives when it comes to almost facing death. I also found it fascinating that most humans fear death and why we desperately try to find ways to avoid it. It may be because humans are selfish and do not want to leave their lives behind, we are afraid of the unknown that follows beyond death, or it may be something completely different. Death is as natural as birth, and yet we still try to run from it.
Ted Talk #3
ReplyDelete“This is what happens when you reply to spam email” by James Vietch
In this TED talk, James Vietch discusses something everyone wonders: what actually happens when you respond to a spam email. This is legitimately the funniest TED talk I have ever watched. After receiving a spam email from a guy named Soloman proposing a business deal involving mailing 25 kg of gold to him, Vietch begins pranking him for the next few weeks. He responds to the email saying he is interested in the deal and it soon spirals out of control. He soon gets Soloman to call him by the codename “kit kat” and refer to the bank as a “gummy bear.” He tells Soloman that he is planning on spending his cut of the money on all varieties of hummus. Vietch starts one email with “bonsoir, my golden nugget, bonsoir.” This TED talk was extremely entertaining. Vietch somehow manages to write hilarious responses to these emails without making them mean or too obvious. His sense of humor is very entertaining. I would recommend this TED talk to everyone. This is by far my favorite TED talk.
Ted Talk #4
ReplyDelete“The agony of trying to unsubscribe” by James Vietch
In this TED talk, James Vietch talks about a very universal struggle: spam emails about store promotions and sales. Vietch began getting daily emails counting down the days until the opening of a new supermarket in London. With his usual antics, Vietch responded to the email and began pranking them. At first, a real person named Dan from customer service attempted to be polite and answer his obnoxious questions. However, after about ten emails, Dan stopped responding. Instead, Vietch received responses to his emails saying “Thanks for your email- your case number is #01591320.” Vietch did not give up, however. He set up a program and code on his computer that automatically responded to any email from the supermarket with the message: ““Thanks for your email- your case number is #00000001.” However, he set a formula to raise the number by one each time. Vietch forgot about the emails and looked a few weeks later and it was on #000021304. This was a very funny TED talk. Vietch’s humor is very entertaining and will make you want to start cyber-pranking. I would definitely recommend this TED talk and all of James Vietch’s other videos as well.
Celeste Headlee: 10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation
ReplyDeleteHeadlee discuses the ways in which people lack the ability to converse with one another. Now a days people are more like to text their friends than to talk to them face to face. She goes over ten different ways in which to have a proper conversation, all which I can agree with. The focus of all of them is about listening. She expresses the importance of listening to understand, not listening to reply. Many people just want to talk and here themselves talk but in order to have a proper conversation with someone it must be equal and you must be present and listening to the other. I now realize there is so much more to having a conversation with a person and the importance of really listening to what they have to say and block out whatever else is in my mind in order to truly listen to them. Headlee does a good job of keeping the audience interested by showing funny images in the back and using a lot of jokes. That way, as an audience member, I was both entertained and felt I was gaining a serious knowledge from it.
10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation
ReplyDeleteAfter watching that, I feel really crappy at something I thought I was relatively good at. The ten ways in which to have a better conversation that the talker relayed were a basically a list of rules that make it understandable those little things people say that can annoy you or take away from a conversation. One of the big ones I noticed was to not equate your experience with someone else's. If someone is talking about something they went through, the last thing you should do is turn the conversation around back onto yourself by talking about something similar you may have gone through. Usually if they are talking about it, they are reaching out for condolence or advice, or just want to be listened to, and talking then about yourself does none of those things. Listen to them. Be present in the conversation and care about what you are hearing. In this way you are being respectful to the speaker, and a mutual trust can be created between the two that will ensure a safe medium for conversation for times to come. Respect and attentive listening for the other will probably then be reciprocated towards you. Going along with the respectful listening part of that, try to remove your own concreted ideas or decisions about things and listen open mindedly and you'll be surprised about what you can gain from a conversation.
Angela Duckworth: Grit: The Power of Passion
ReplyDeleteAngela Duckworth covers the topic of ones grit and how it is important to stay passionate and persevere in the long run, not just for today or the week. She begins by talking about a study she did in which she noticed that some of her smartest kids weren't doing so well in her class and how the not as smart were doing quite well. She also quoted that ones IQ does not at all matter or affect their success or accomplishments. Duckworth argues it is passion and drive that carries people a long way. Something that not everyone has because it is really difficult to stay motivated or have drive to so something for a long period of time. I agree with Duckworth in that my grades don't mirror my intelligence they mirror my work ethic and my grit, the grit I have in order to finish my homework everyday and put my best efforts into it. It is important that parents have the grit themselves to make sure that their kids are grittier and then they can succeed or accomplish their goals because it is ones grit that will carry them a long way, not necessarily their IQ. Duckworth does a good job of presenting this in such a way that keeps it short yet it gets the point across very precisely. I myself feel the importance of being gritty now and now am reevaluating myself and how I can improve my own grittiness.
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
ReplyDeleteAngela Duckworth discusses the experience she has had in teaching and how that brought her to becoming a phycologist. While teacher seventh grade math, she noticed that IQ did not necessarily correlate with success in the classroom. The kids who worked harder, although they may not have been as talented, had higher success in the end. This is what I've always based my life around. If you want it bad enough and your actions display this, you can accomplish what you set your mind to. I can relate to this because I can say that although I may not have the highest IQ, I do know how to work hard. Also, it's all about your mindset. If you're positive about something and know you can do it, you can. Your will is the way. It's about what you set your mind to and how your actions prove your dedication to something. I hope to carry this with me throughout everything I may try to accomplish, including unquantifiable goals such as happiness.
Tim Urban: Inside the Mind of a Procrastinator
ReplyDeleteTim Urban shares insight on a very common issue that he and just about everyone else faces: procrastination. It is one of the most common problems in schools and a major reason as to why kids don't get enough sleep at night. The way urban presents the problem (using pictures and graphs) makes it very simple and funny for the viewer or audience member to watch. I could relate to everything he was saying, as he was describing step by step what a procrastinator thinks from the time an assignment is assigned until it is due. He also uses a lot of humor, portraying procrastination as a monkey inside your head that distracts you from getting things done because you just want to do whatever is simple and easy. Although he does get serious in his presentation. Although things may not be the more fun or easier way, they have much more meaning and importance for the future. Urban recalls the many emails he received from people regarding the way procrastination ruined their lives. It is important to find a balance between doing the fun and easy but also managing to get what needs to be done, done. I feel much more motivated myself to not procrastinate nearly as much and find that balance because of how crucial it is later in life.
Ted Talk #3
ReplyDeleteTim Urban: Inside the Minds of a Procrastinator
Two kinds of procrastination exist as deadline, confined procrastination, and unrestrained, long-term procrastination. The lingering, more prominent in the long run one is the non deadline procrastination. This one has to do with things like improving relationships, personal health, starting a business, or altering a lifestyle to improve happiness. I have found myself to be a rational procrastinator: one who begins something right at the time of when it is needed to turn out as well done work. I can do the week or three days before cramming. The night before, however, does not work for me. I think this has to do with the rational, inhibilitating stress that is experienced when there is something to accomplish but you actually don't have the time to accomplish it. Experience with this stress in the past has created a reactionary pre-stress to this stress that gets me to do what i need to do. Because I know how extremely sucky it is to be in a situation as described, my rational mind can win out over the instant gratification monkey and do what I need to do, and do it well. It's just really not worth it to get into that situation. It truly sucks and brings your happiness level WAY down. And the thing is, it can be avoided, so why not avoid it and put yourself in a better position to succeed.
Talk #4
ReplyDeleteBJ Miller: What Really Matters at the End of Life
The way he spoke about life and existence and death leaves a feeling of peace and beauty in me, something that is not the common connotation with dying. He encapsulates the importance of the things that make us human, whether that may be through our senses or thoughts. His loss of part of his body removed the possibility of some sensations or feelings, yet allowed him to appreciate what he has left. I think it is so commonly taken advantage of. Life, that is. We are all here on a one time run to experience and grow and love and laugh and feel, and I think that can be abused and overlooked sometimes. The beauty of the moments we may experience is so commonly not valued for what it is and how it could make us feel, if only we allow it to by opening our hearts and minds. This life, this earth, this universe is a beautiful, complex medium in which we exist, and to forget this is to miss out on what this life offers. Of the common is not knowing what you have until it is gone. This is a twisted thing we must escape from, because it will take away from us so much of the beauty of life. To end coherently, allow yourself to live with the beauty of appreciation and wonderment at the falsely seemingly infinite moments in this life.
BJ Miller: What Really Matters at the End of Life
ReplyDeleteBJ Miller gives a very in depth and meaningful interpretation of what really matters in life how to properly interpret death. He opens up with his own near death experience, in which he was just a sophomore in college when he got electrocuted, resulting in the amputation of his forearm and both legs below the knee. He was lucky to be alive. Miller stated that we all suffer and for some there are reasons to suffer because in the end they will lead you to make realizations of life or discover something about yourself you wouldn't otherwise have. For him, it was just how precious life is and how to take a whole new perspective on dying. Miller now works in a hospice center, in which the patients that die are remembered and showered with flower petals. Each patients life is respected and valued there. Life to him is something to be lived because of death, not in spite of it. To live knowing that it will end is in a way living it to the fullest, taking advantage of what you have now before it goes away because no one can predict when it will. Miller gives this whole lecture with almost a gleam in his eye, as if he were about to cry. That adds a lot more meaning and emotion to the talk, it all came from his heart and what he truly believes. I agree that life should be lived with the awareness that it will end as opposed to not accepting the end. It is in that way that one can live freely.
Talk #5
ReplyDeleteThe Power of Vulnerability: Brene Brown
Whole-hearted people: courage, compassion, and vulnerability. To be vulnerable is to allow for not only hurt and pain and detachment, but connection and belonging and warmth and love. Vulnerability is at the root of all emotions, and living in a generation in which numbing is the coping mechanism for hurt and fear and pain, the result is loss of the amazing things in life because selective numbing does not exist.
All of these talks are helping me realize the beauty of the inner workings of ourselves and lives and how important it is to take time to look into yourself and those around you. The act of trying to understand, although this may not be definitively attainable, opens up the ability to grow and gain further the wealth of what this life is.
Brene Brown: The Power of Vulnerability
ReplyDeleteBrene Brown touches on a lot of things that can personally apply to everyone's lives, and that is the fear of being vulnerable. She talks about how her research showed her that those who received love believed they were worthy of it. A lot of her talk revolved around the feeling of being enough or feeling worthy and how important it is to embrace the imperfect. As parents it is their job to say "I know you have flaws and that you will face suffering but I want you to know that you are worthy of love" as opposed to the stereotypical "you are perfect". It is important that the knowledge of the inability to be perfect is instilled in children because to strive for perfection isn't embracing oneself and who they are. We as humans fear being vulnerable because of all the bad emptions it may bring but in that fear we take away all the good emotions that vulnerability may bring as well. Brown discusses how we as humans try so hard to be numb of all those bad emotions, but when we numb out the bad we numb out the good and we just aren't happy. It is important that one be vulnerable in order to embrace who they are, those emotions are inevitable in life and by avoiding them we are avoiding a lot that life has to offer.
1. Adam Foss: A prosecutor's vision for a better justice system
ReplyDeleteIn this Ted Talk Adam Foss addressed his vision for a improved justice system. Predominately African American men are prosecuted every year and condemned to die in prison, by a white judge. These judges, who don't know the whole story, are making life altering decisions for African American men on weak accounts. Many of these men have had terrible pasts and early interactions with the police. Adam Foss wonders why we spend so much money to keep people in jail when we could have reinvested in upfront to prevent it from happening in the first place.
2. Amanda Palmer: The art of asking
Amanda started her career after liberal arts school as a beggar. She then started a band and crashed at fans houses night after night. When her record label dropped her she asked her fans for support and they pitched in 1.2 million dollars. Her ultimate message is that asking leads to connection, people want to help you. However it's not easy to ask, you need to trust that people will not reject you, it makes you vulnerable.
3. David Burkus: Why you should know how much your co workers get paid
David Burks asks what would happen if we removed the secrecy in our salaries? His answer is that it would lead to collaboration and possibly increased pay. The reason we should question conventional ways of running a business, especially involving pay, is that if you don't know your pay compared to others you might feel discriminated against. Furthermore pay secrecy has benefits to your employer but not you or your co workers. Economist call this information asymmetry, or that one party has much more information that the other, and can take advantage of you.
4. James Veitch: The agony of trying to unsubscribe
The internet has given us access to everything but it has also given everything access to us. James Veitch tries to unsubscribe to spam email but keeps getting pulled back in with countless more. Our emails are constantly being passed around by companies and it has become harder for us to escape these promotions. James addresses the feeling we get, that is almost mechanical. We are not even being emailed by a real person just a company trying to get our money.
5. Negin Farsad: A highly scientific taxonomy of haters
ReplyDeleteNegin, a Muslim American, has experienced hate because of her race on multiple occasions, yet she still has hope we can stop this. The way we can fight racism, is by social justice comedy. This is because comedy isn't boring, it's relatable. Comedy is easy to understand and a message can be hidden within the humor that will be received easily. More people will enjoy and understand social justice comedy and in this way we can fight racism on a basic level.
6. Sophie Scott: Why we laugh
Sophie Scott remembers laughing at the jokes her parents told, despite not understanding them. This is because we laugh to show understanding and acceptance of others as well as try to fitting in with the majority opinion. If a big group of people laughs at a joke you laugh as well because you need to feel accepted. You are 30 times more likely to laugh if you are with someone else rather than being alone. Laughing is a social mechanism to feel comfortable and show emotion to others.
7. Greg Gage: How to control someone else's arm with your brain
Greg Gage argues that because we don't teach neurosciences in school, people don't have access to the brain and this makes the brain a mysterious place. To combat this problem Gage created “Backyard Brains” a DIY neuroscience equipment box to give everyone access to the brain. He demonstrated this equipment by connecting a person's arm to the brain and we were able to hear and see the sounds that the brain made to make the arm move. He then connected two peoples arms through wires and one person was able to control the other person's movement. This equipment is accessible to anymore and will allow people to have fun and experiment with science.
8. Helen Fisher: Technology hasn't changed love. Here's why
With the modernization of technology, people have access to porn and dating websites. Some argue that with this new technology love has changed. Helen Fisher argues that it hasn't. As an anthropologist, Fisher studies gender differences and the evolution of human emotions. When we like a picture on Instagram, or swipe left or right on dating sites, we have changed the way we find love but not love itself. The only real algorithm to love is your real human brain not a dating website.
TED Talk #5
ReplyDelete“It’s Time for ‘The Talk” by Julia Sweeney
In this TED talk, comedian Julia Sweeney tells the story of the downward spiral that occurred when her eight year old daughter learned about frog reproduction in school. She became very interested in this topic and began asking more and more questions, resulting in the two of them having several comical conversations. I came across this TED talk in a playlist of the funniest TED talks. However, I did not find this TED talk very funny. It was actually somewhat boring and I was happy that it was a shorter video as I probably would have stopped watching it if it were much longer. In some ways, I found this video slightly offensive. Sweeney lied to her daughter about reproduction for comedic effect. I probably would not recommend this TED talk to anyone. She did not have the best stage presence and did not make her audience laugh much. I did appreciate parts of the video, but it was not that great of a TED talk.
TED Talk #6
ReplyDelete“A highly scientific taxonomy of haters” by Negin Farsad
In this TED talk, social-justice comedian, Negin Farsad, discusses how she combines humor and activism in order to teach and hopefully sway the “swing-haters.” She defines “swing-haters” as the sister of “swing-voters.” They are the people that are not knowledgeable about certain subjects and therefore do not know whether they should hate a group of people or not. Farsad cleverly undermines common stereotypes of the Islamic religion. She also promotes her movie, “The Muslims are Coming!” Overall, this was a very interesting TED talk. It was interesting to see someone that uses stand-up comedy, something that is often used offensively to enforce stereotypes of people, to make positive change in the world. Farsad is extremely creative and innovative and has a very successful career. I would definitely recommend this TED talk. Though it was in a playlist of the funniest TED talks, I would not say that it was hilarious. It definitely was entertaining and interesting but I would not say it was hilarious. This video has more “thumbs downs” than “thumbs ups.” I would also encourage people to read the comments on this TED talk as the hateful comments directly correlate to what Farsad is trying to change about the United States.
Ted Talk # 6
ReplyDelete3 Ways to Speak English
Jamila Lyiscott
This presentation was in the form of a spoken word poem, which I found pretty engaging because i have never seen any other ted talk presentations go about their presentations in this way. I really enjoyed this ted talk and i found it fitting because it talks specifically about different modalities of the English language. She talks specifically about speaking “articulate” English, her native language, and “Hood” language. She says how she switches throughout these types of languages throughout the day and states very clearly that “Hood” language is not an ignorant way to speak just because Americans don't find it proper. She says that even “Americans” sound ignorant to the British which i personally thought was a little funny and witty. She also touches on the fact that society will racially discriminate against people based on how well they speak “proper English”. The point that I enjoyed the most throughout her poem was towards the end where she talks about how she Speaks broken English and hood language because her language was ripped away from her along with her history. Which i believe is pretty relatable, all types of cultures lose themselves and their culture as they begin to try and conform for American culture. People that speak their native language in America are many times told to speak English or are made fun of, and given dirty looks when they do speak their native language. Then they are made fun of for not speaking English as well as people want us to. She states that she and her people are contently ridiculed and instead of being ashamed of the 3 languages they can speak they should embrace them.
TED Reponse #1:
ReplyDeleteWe should all be feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Feminist: a person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes. I absolutely loved this TED talk by Adichie. Although the video was far longer than most other TED talks, at 30 minutes, I never felt bored. The speaker incorporated many stories from not only her childhood but also the people around her to prove the gender inequality women still face to this day. Living in Nigeria, Chimamanda experiences the inequality daily. She recalls the many times a waiter at a restaurant would greet the man, yet ignore her blatantly because of her sex. Adichie brings up many valid points about the so-called equality we experience; why is it that women are expected to cook at home and not men, when ultimately the most renowned chefs are mostly men? Furthermore, Adichie insists that the preconceived ideas of what each gender must conform to should and can be changed if both men and women become feminists, working together and changing the way we view the world. This TED talk was inspiring and definitely made me think more about the inequality we still face to this day and how we can make a difference.
TED Response #2:
Why I keep speaking up, even when people mock my accent by Safwat Saleem
Safwat Saleem, an independent animator, started doing his own voiceovers to his characters and posting his creations on the internet. However, comments started criticizing him for his accent, believing that the narrator should not have this voice. These comments helped him slowly realize that people are not extremely accepting of things that are not within the norms. A study found that in 2013, only 11% of children’s books had people of color inside of the books. Saleem believes that this lack of representation can hinder how a child perceives the world and what is normal. He insists that in order to challenge the societal norms and bring more acceptance to different minorities, others must challenge this as well and ignore whenever a person criticizes another on not fitting in. In the end, Saleem continues to use his own voice in the voiceovers and bring attention to people of color. I really enjoyed this TED talk because it brings a different aspect and view after receiving criticism online. This video also helps me see criticism differently as well and see the larger issue surrounding the lack of representation.
TED Response #3:
ReplyDeleteWho are you, really? The puzzle of personality by Brian Little
Brian Little is a psychologist professor who talks about the personality traits and the difference between extroverts and introverts. He brings up many examples, showing the major differences between both and how people fit into each category. Extroverts tend to speak more honestly, while introverts may speak with more words in order to lessen an opinion. An example Brian Little brings up is when he, an introvert, and his friend describe a person. While Little uses adjectives to describe that this particular friend may sometimes have strong opinions, his other friend, an extrovert, calls him an asshole. Little also tells many jokes throughout the Ted talk, making it more interesting and funny. In the end, the professor agrees that although people fit into either the introvert or extrovert categories, there are certain traits that make us as humans unique and different. We may tend to act like someone else but some events can trigger a person to act out of their “normal” personality. Although this is not my favorite Ted talk, I can understand and relate to the differences between an introvert and extrovert and how we can be unique even within this categories.
TED Talk #4: How social media makes us unsocial by Allison Graham
This TED Talk by Allison Graham covered the issue on social media and the increased use by teenagers around the world. She talks about how people are talking less to each other and more online, worried about how they are viewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or more. People present an idealistic life and compete for a certain amount of “likes” instead of doing other activities that do not require a phone. I thought this TED talk was interesting, but I do not completely agree with it. Although it is definitely true that social media has taken our attention away from the present and instead on our cellular devices, social media has also brought to our attention a wider variety of events around the world that we might not have known otherwise. I think that sometimes, social media can make us more aware of our surroundings and understand cultural differences in other places.
TED Talk #5: Inside the mind of a master procrastinator by Tim Urban
ReplyDeleteThis TED talk was the most entertaining and lighthearted out of all of the TEDs I’ve seen so far. Tim Urban explains the difference between a procrastinator and non procrastinator, and how the brain is indeed different. He blames the “instant gratitude monkey” inside of the procrastinator mind, which is easily distracted and avoids responsibilities on purpose. I felt that this TED was extremely relatable, although I am glad that I am not as intense of a procrastinator as he is, who wrote a 90 page thesis in 72 hours even though he was given a whole school year. Although this talk was playful, Urban proceeds to address the issue with procrastinators and mental health. When procrastinators are not presented with a deadline, there is not the “panic monster” to set the mind to work and complete the task at hand. With no deadline, procrastinators may never do certain things, like taking care of their health or seeing their family. There is no urge to complete these tasks even though the procrastinators know that it should be done. This is why Urban insists that everyone should be cognizant of the “instant gratitude monkey” in us and fight against it.
TED Talk #6: I’m taking my body back by Rupi Kaur
Rupi Kaur delivers a powerful and inspiring speech on the value of an individual’s body. Raped at a young age, Kaur falls into depression and self hate, loathing the sight and feel of her body, feeling as if it was not her own home anymore. Purposefully refusing to nourish her own body and causing self harm, Kaur was in a dark place for many years and contemplated suicide more than once. She turns to writing and poetry to express her thoughts and one day realizes that the body is her body, not the raper’s. Kaur reclaims her body as her own, cleansing it of the past scars and loving it again. Her raw and emotional story is elegant and beautiful. I am in awe of her strength and firm determination despite the horrific actions performed against her own will. She is a role model and inspires me to continue on and pursue our own interests even when presented with difficult situations. I believe everyone should watch this TED talk!
TED Talk #7: The most important language you will ever learn by Poet Ali
ReplyDeletePoet Ali’s interactive TED talk discusses the importance of the language of experience. Although we seem to always associate language with the common ones, like English, Spanish, or French, the language of experience brings strangers together and connect each other. The language of experience is different with every person, yet we are able to understand one another if they have the same experience. Ali brings up several examples, including 9/11 and that feeling of extreme distraught and disbelief after seeing the planes crash into the World Trade Center. Lastly, Ali claims that a very major language, the language of love, is not represented well enough. Although almost everyone experiences it, love is a hard emotion for everyone to express and explain. This TED talk was very interesting and I enjoyed how it opened my eyes to different languages. This also connects back to the ways of knowledge in TOK, and how there are other languages than the ones we speak.
TED Talk #8: The art of asking by Amanda Palmer
Amanda Palmer is an artist who explains the art of asking questions. Travelling in a band is particularly difficult especially with housing. Palmer takes to Twitter to ask her fans if she and her band can stay for the night at someone’s house, and a fan always answers and welcomes them warmly. And Amanda also questions if this sort of interaction is fair, asking so much of the fans, but she realizes that it is fair when the connection and trust between the musician and fans is prominent. When her record label called their album “a flop”, she broke away from the label and turned to Kickstarter, asking the fans if they could help raise money for her career. Palmer released her music for free in hopes that someone would help her, setting a goal of $100,000. By the deadline, her fans raise $1.2 million. This incredible amount was not the result of artists or record labels purposefully strategizing for fans to pay for the music, but rather asking them if they could help. Amanda’s TED talk was definitely interesting and her voice was very captivating (as well as her eyebrows). I liked her final statement that if you genuinely ask for help, someone will always enthusiastically respond.
#1: Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator by Tim Urban
ReplyDeleteI feel that this TED Talk speaks to me on a spiritual level. I have always been one to procrastinate, seeing as this is my first TED Talk entry and all eight are due this friday. I really liked Urban’s presentation and use of humor because it made a very stressful topic seem light and comical, yet insightful. I agreed with and recognized each of the three components of a procrastinator’s brain and felt a deep connection with him and everyone who could relate to this video. In that way, his call to action at the end that emphasized the need to overcome procrastination was very effective and I can imagine it was very effective towards others as well.
TED Talk #1: The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown
ReplyDeleteThis TED talk really inspired me to think deeply about things and live life in the most wholehearted passionate way possible. In this talk Brene Brown discusses and shares her insight on how Shame and Worthiness ultimately determine fulfillment and happiness in life. As we all know, life is very short and there are many way to live it. I can either make the choice to hide from things and just try to get through it, or I can take it by storm and wake up every day full of excitement recognizing that each day is a new opportunity to learn, grow, and be happy. Part of what I mean when I say take life by storm, is to put ourselves out there and take risks. It is important to be able to say to yourself, "I'm really not sure what is going to happen if I do this, but there is opportunity in this move and I care about doing this, so I should." In order to discover the good in life and find our purpose, we also have to be willing to expose ourselves to the bad and emotionally fully experience it. By being vulnerable, whether it be in a relationship or in an every day decision, by choosing to invest ourselves wholeheartedly, we have the opportunity to to find worthiness and fulfillment. In particular this talk spoke to me because right now I am in the midst of college applications. I am trying not to allow myself to get invested or allow my heart to be set on one college in particular just because I know that the chances of me getting to go exactly where I want are slim. However, after this talk, I have realized that I should be passionate and allow my heart to be set on the college I want, because even if I don't get in, at least I believed in my own opportunity and found emotional connection to my opportunity and fully felt the repercussions of the outcome, whether they be good or bad.
TED Talk #3: The magic ingredient that brings Pixar movies to life by Danielle Feinberg
ReplyDeleteThe general message that the speaker was trying to get across was one of collaboration between the arts and sciences. As a child, Feinberg wanted to be an artist, but was told that she couldn't be because she wouldn't be able to make a living. As an alternative, she became a computer science major and soon stumbled into the world of 3D animation, later finding a job a Pixar Studios. This speaks to the fluidity of the boundary between professions in the modern technological era where art and science can be one and the same. Another aspect of the TED Talk that I found particularly intriguing was the amount of detail that goes into the animation of Pixar movies. Feinberg likely only sees a small portion of what goes into the movies, as she works specifically in the lighting department, and yet in that aspect there is still so much to be done. One instance in which the lighting was especially tricky to figure out was the lighting of Wall-E's eyes in the movie of the same name. Dozens of lights had to be tried out before one was found that made his eyes seem as though they had personality instead of just looking like glassy lenses. In some instances of lighting, however, the boundary between art and science had to be played with to achieve the right effect. In Finding Nemo, for instance, many of the scenes would have been much more blue with few bright colors if it were true to the lighting of the ocean. In the interest of artistic freedom, however, the lights were adjusted to allow for a more saturated environment. Overall, I felt that the talk was not only well delivered but also contained a very relevant message for the technological era. Because of technological advancement, careers exist now that were unheard of to previous generations. There is almost always a way to find a career that combines one's interests into a viable way of living.
TED Talk #1: Inside the mind of a master procrastinator
ReplyDeleteTim Urban, who gives the TED talk explains the mind of a procrastinator in a way that everybody can understand. In the beginning it seems a bit unprofessional and immature a bit. But then the audience realizes that this is what actually happens to a procrastinator and even I can relate to this, despite the fact that the presentation includes only his doodles of a monkey and a rage monster. Tim Urban also keeps the audience entertained by keeping the presentation hilarious yet still informative at the same time. Every thing he says in the presentation is very relatable, especially about deadlines and how people who procrastinate react to deadlines. Even I tend to start out by having a nice elaborate plan how to not procrastinate, but it all falls apart by pushing it back day after day and convincing ourselves that we still have enough time to do it until the rage monster has to kick in and force us to cram this assignment into an almost unrealistic time frame. I recommend this TED talk to anybody who procrastinates or wants to figure out why people procrastinate. I thought Tim Urban did an excellent job in portraying his understanding and own personal experience into the talk, this really helped the talk be more funny and relatable. I liked how this was not like most TED talks where it is very serious and scientific but rather enjoyable and practical.
TED Talk #2: Why sneakers are a great investment
ReplyDeleteI chose this TED talk because I, along with Josh Luber, am a sneaker addict. This 1.2 Billion dollar market of selling sneakers along with the respect from owning a rare pair of expensive sneakers is what keeps me interested in the shoe game, as we call it. Many people, actually probably most people do not get and will never understand why some 17 year old kid would spend over a thousand dollars on a single pair of shoes. However, not only does this secondary market create a way for thousands of kids to make money, but also a way to sustain their addiction while still making a few quick bucks on the side. I thought that Josh Luber displayed this market very well considering that his talk was in front of a crowd of people who probably began the talk knowing absolutely nothing about this market and then came out understanding why but probably even debating whether to buy a pair of sneakers the next time a pair comes out. He makes very good points that even an old lady who could care less about a pair of shoes now understand and even make them think twice about sneakers. I suggest anyone who does not understand why kids spend thousands of dollars on shoes to watch this TED talk, as Josh Luber explains this concept in a way that I could not explain.
Ted Talk #3
ReplyDeleteInside the mind of a master procrastinator
By Tim Urban
This video really caught my eye because I feel like sometimes I procrastinate all the time. For many assignments, I usually wait last minute to do them. I really liked this video because he showed how he viewed the mind of procrastinators in a funny and interesting way. The pictures that he showed looked like they were drawn by him, but it went with what he was saying and made the presentation funny.
Ted Talk #4
How to sound smart in your TEDx talk
By Will Stephen
This video was pointless. He did make the video funny, but he really did not say anything. It was pretty much a waste of time watching it other than the fact that it did make me laugh a little bit. If I put the sound on mute while I was watching the video, it seemed like he was saying some interesting stuff, but then I turned up the volume and all he was saying was gibberish.
Ted Talk #5
I’m 17
Kate Simonds
I liked this video because of what she is saying. She is saying what most teenagers think of. Some adults believe that teenagers do not know what they are saying because they are to young and do not know anything. Since that has been happening for quite a while throughout and teenagers life, teenagers start to question their selves. For instance, when asked a question they do not even want to answer it because they feel that it is wrong because it is not coming from an adult mind.
Ted Talk #6
Hackschooling makes me happy
By Logan LaPlante
Logan showed me that just because everyone goes through the traditional way of doing school does not mean that you have to. I liked this video because it showed me that school does not really focus of being happy and healthy, all it really teaches us is the general education. Hacking is not just someone that goes into a website illegally, but instead someone that goes a different route than everyone else like in school. In his school, his classes teach him all the general education, but by actually doing stuff and not just sitting in a desk in a classroom.
Ted Talk #7
How school makes kids less intelligent
By Eddy Shong
This Ted Talk was very inspiring. He made me feel like I could do whatever I wanted to do. If I wanted to create my own business I could or even if I had a great idea that did not follow what everyone wanted me to do such as go to college and get a degree, then I could do that as well. He showed me that in order to be successful in life you do not have to go to college or even stay in high school. As long as you have an idea that you have put 100% effort into, then stick with it. What high school does is destroys everyone’s creative side and tells everyone to stick to the route of graduating high school and then graduating college to find a nice and stable job or else you will be struggling for the rest of your life.
Ted Talk #8
iPhone application developer… and 6th grader
By Thomas Suarez
This little boy is very inspirational because he wanted to create apps and so he did. He did not wait around until he got older to actually create apps, but instead asked his parents and they agreed. I remember my little brother once wanted to know how to create apps and asked my parents, but they did not really say anything to him and so he put it to rest. This 6th grader already knows what he wants to do when he grows up.
Ted Talk #6: What reality are you creating for yourself? –Isaac Lidsky
ReplyDelete“You are the creator of your reality... If I had not confronted my reality, I would have lived it.” Isaac gives a powerful message about becoming aware of the misconceptions, critics, excuses, shortcuts, and justifications.
A reoccurring theme of Isaac’s speech is his evidence for why everyone should listen to him, and these are not small pieces of evidence. He overcame a genetic deformity causing him to become blind in his teens to become the CEO of a construction company in Florida, have a beautiful wife and children, graduate Harvard at age 19, and become a person intelligent or special enough to appear in a TED talk. Also, his speaking style was based heavily on logic rather than emotion, which I personally in most circumstances appreciate more in a TED talk. He talks negatively towards emotion, and how fear can beat back the critical thinking processes of anyone. The professionalism of his speaking style and message may be a direct response to his experience as a CEO, or maybe it is the explanation of him being a CEO. If the latter is true, than that gives each person in the audience responsibility to attempting to critically analyze situations in life, and make the reality we create for ourselves as close to actuality as possible.
TED Talk 7: 4 Pillars of College Success in Science – Freeman Hrabowski
ReplyDeleteSince I am engrossed in the college application process, I decided to view a TED talk about how to succeed in college and kill two birds with one stone, although with TOK it seems everything does that. Freeman Hrabowski, a black college president from the deep South outlines his perspective on what a successful student is. Although his opinions are affected heavily by racial, socioeconomic, and professional bias, I found his exhilarating speaking style and never-ending passion created a powerful message that provided helpful motivation for pursuing a STEM career.
Even though the audiences of TED talk are typically quiet crowds, his almost overpowering personality sufficed to fill the video with excitement and keep my attention keenly focused on each and every word. I noticed that I would listen carefully whenever he structured his speech with a large question or powerful statement followed by a meaningful answer.
His most meaningful quote for me was: “It takes an understanding that it is hard work to make it in the world. I don’t care about how smart you are, I don’t care how smart you think you are: smart means youre ready to learn. You’re ready to ask good questions.” This is an outlook I strive to have on education.
#1 Matt Cutts : Try something new for 30 days.
ReplyDeleteHearing this Ted talk by Matt Cutts really made me realize how priceless life is, he said something along the lines of "30 days will come wether you like it or not, it's how you use that time." I stopped and thought how relevant that is in my life, being in school and sports my life can be very repetitive and not much out of the ordinary happens and that is because I do not put my self out there or in this case challenge my self to do anything that i really wanna do for 30 days, so thinking about this Ted talk, I'm going to try to challenge my self for 30 days even though I may be bussy I'll do it.
#2 Graham Hill : Less stuff, More happiness
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this Ted talk, in our lives especially with today's trend, we all think that more Is better, more is happier, more will do this and do that, but after hearing this talk it made me realize that the happy memories I have made in my life didn't come from when I was paid after working or after I just bought clothes, they happened when I barley had anything. Graham Hill stressed how it's the times when we had a little, is when we had the most fun, and the most freedom, and I can second that with the many back packing, vacation type experiences I have had. Hill helped me understand and remember that the times I had less, were the times I was happiest.
Ted Ted #8: The best computer interface? Maybe … your hands –James Pattern
ReplyDeleteIn this TED talk, James takes “the computer interface off the screen and” puts it in your hands. I was driven to choose this specific TED talk due to my interests and small background in computer science and software development. One of the most limiting factors with computers is the way we interact with them. I have always thought this, and even though I have adapted very well to utilizing a keyboard and mouse, there must be methods that more directly connect us to the CPU.
Since I have only had a Introduction to C++ class and have not gone to college yet, the complexity of such computer applications seem incredibly daunting to me personally. Due to the exponential rate of growth for technological advances in recent years, the amount of change that will happen in my lifetime will be immense, and I think that Pattern’s concept may mirror an actual future design. The reason why the world needs holographic interfaces with tangible objects is it provides teachers with a powerful educational tool in the teaching of more complex subjects such as protein complex arrangements. Also, this leap forward will translate into a flurry of new inventions, artwork, and other positive products when put into the hands of intellectuals.
Ted Talk #2: Reformed Criminals reforming Criminals
ReplyDeleteIn this Ted Talk, Dave Durocher describes his life of crime and the rehabilitation that got him out of it. After being arrested by the police, he faced two options. Either he could go to jail and carry out a sentence of 22 years, or spend two years at a nearby rehabilitation center. Despite being denied entrance the first time many years ago, this was different. This time he really wanted to change and become an upstanding citizen. He goes over the reasons for his successful rehabilitation, with wanting change, accepting humility, being in the right environment, and being patient. He must be subjected to honest criticism from those who have made his mistakes as well, giving himself something to relate to.
I like the points he brought up, and thought they were absolutely important. The first step to fixing a problem is admitting you have one in the first place. We must accept our mistakes and allow others to give us honest, raw feedback. If we ever want to improve at anything in life, these vital steps must be followed in order to reach success.
Ted Talk #1: The Real Future of Space Exploration.
ReplyDeleteby Burt Rutan
Comments:
This Ted Talk was recorded in 2006, when NASA was still being funded as little as possible, what I love is that senate actually just gave NASA 19.2 Billion dollars to get a man on Mars in 30 years. You have to go back and think, did this man have a big factor in changing Senates mind 10 years later? Did his discussion inspire more people to talk about this topic afterwards, and if so, did those people end up having a part in making the decision to fund NASA once more? Who knows. What I think is important is that this man wasn't exactly here to say, "Wow, we really suck!" No, he went up and he talked about the great innovations and creations that were advancing during the age of space exploration in the 1960's and how those ideas were beneficial to us now.
1. Anthony Goldbloom: The jobs we’ll lose to machines - and the ones we won’t.
ReplyDeleteHe goes on to use his niece’s parents as examples as he says their jobs as doctors may look very different in the years to come. Machine learning is being put to work by mimicking some of the things humans can do, gives the perspectives of things machines can and can’t do and what occupations may be at risk of being automated. Machine learning need to learn through large amounts of knowledge of past experiences as opposed to humans that can tackle situations that need to be reasoned through. Humans can not compete with machines with frequent high frequency tasks.
2. Aomawa Shields: How we’ll find life on other planets.
Makes the assumption that if there is water there is life. The distance from the sun does not equate with being able to support life. The atmosphere dictates very much so the ability to sustain life because of the greenhouse effects it brings. Kepler-62F deemed a possible planets that could sustain life. I found it interesting that planets orbiting cooler stars may actually be hotter than those planets that orbit hotter stars. Ice is also important to note because this may be a factor that would show the ability for a planet to have life on it.
3. Patience Mthunzi: Could we cure HIV with lasers?
Swallowing medication leads to its dilution. When anti - hiv drugs are taken, the strength is diluted and can be adversary. When under this type of pill therapy, the virus can erupt and infect new cells. Lasers would give the treatment directly to the problem spots without diluting the strength of therapy. A three head device would be used, the first to make an incision at the site, the second would use a camera to identify the spot, the third of which would deliver the medication. Lasers my completely eradicate HIV and the use for anti-hiv medications.
4. Trevor Timm: How free is our freedom of the press?
ReplyDeleteThe press has to right to release secret information to the public but they don’t have ways to get this information. James Risen published that the CIA handed over blue prints of a nuclear bomb to Iran. He was asked to testify against one of his sources and then declined and said he would rather go to jail. The government later used evidence to testify against James Risen using electronic histories against him in trial. The obama administration was said to protect whistle blowers but instead prosecuted more whistleblowers because after 9/11 everything about security is meant to be kept secret. Software like “Safe Drop” is used to encrypt files on a sever the government doesn’t have access to to keep informant identity secure.
5. Tal Danino: Programming bacteria to detect cancer (and maybe treat it).
We can program bacteria like we program computers. We can print and rewrite dna. Growing bacteria only glow when it reaches a high density. Bacteria can naturally grow inside of tumors, they use these tumors as a safe haven to thrive. They use the bacteria to change color of urine when detecting cancer such as liver cancer. Can use bacteria to shrink tumors and opens new horizons in cancer research.
6. Laura Boushnak: For these women, reading is a daring act.
Women education was not prominent in Arab countries. Women were reluctant to participate in collaborative approach about the image of women. Women seek education to be independent and not rely on men. Men use women illiteracy to oppress them. Women were forced to drop out of school when married at a young age. Women found empowerment through education to control their own lives in the ultra conservative society of Arab states. Women face overwhelming challenges with men telling them what they can or cannot do.
7. Prosanta Chakrabarty: Clues to prehistoric times, found in blind cavefish.
ReplyDeleteIchthyology is the study of fish. New cavefish species constantly being discovered, they can tell how landmasses have been moved and the evolution of sight by being blind. Each time a fish species adapt to these dark conditions, they begin to lose their eyes. Genes in the fish can tell us about deep geological times. Through DNA gives ways in which to date geological shifts, the fish did not move but the continents which they inhabit near moved. Gives ways in which to diagnose different kinds of blindness and the ways in which we see.
8. Benedetta Berti: The surprising way groups like ISIS stay in power.
War used to be a contest between states, now it is not a conflict between state and non-state actors. We study what makes these organizations when not fighting begin to tick. Media and communication used to recruit people. These armed groups seek to win the people over by giving the people what the state will not such as security. Providing social services allows these groups to rise in strength and power. In the West we only tend to look at the violence of these organizations, The more these armed organizations are complex we are no longer able to see them as a non-state and see them as more of a state because they fill this government act. If we better understand these groups we can give better incentives to transition them from violence to nonviolence.
TED Talk #7
ReplyDelete“The history of our world in 18 minutes” by David Christian
In this TED talk, David Christian describes the entire history of our world. This video was very informative and entertaining. Christian starts by describing the big bang and goes on to describe everything up until present day. Christian is extremely knowledgeable and effortlessly describes complex topics. I would recommend this video to anyone interested in how our universe formed or anyone with existential questions. I particularly liked the graphics used in this video. They clearly illustrated everything David Christian was saying and made his presentation more engaging and professional. One reason this video was so engaging is due to David Christian’s stage presence. His body language, how he used his the stage, and his diction made this video very entertaining to watch. At one point, when trying to explain what “nothing” feels like, Christian suddenly turns off the lights in the auditorium and calmly tells his audience that imagine the darkness they are feeling is multiplied by a trillion and that, that is what nothing feels like. Christian uses all of his resources in this video which makes it engaging. Christian ends this video showing a picture of his grandson and stating that his wish for the world is that his grandson, Daniel, and Daniel’s friends and kids and grandkids will all have an understanding of the history of our universe. He wants this so that we can all understand the challenges and the opportunities that face us as a people. I think this video is important for everyone to watch so that they can understand the world better. Therefore, I would recommend this video to everyone.
TED Talk #8
ReplyDelete“Looks aren’t everything. Believe me, I’m a model.” by Cameron Russell
In this TED talk, Cameron Russell discusses her career as a model. She talks about the questions she gets most often. She states that the only reason she is a model is that she won the “genetic lottery,” and is a model legacy. She continues to talk about how she is very insecure with her looks and talks about how models are probably the most insecure with their bodies of all people. She shows normal pictures of herself as a teenager juxtaposed with the fashion photos of herself in magazines taken at the same time. Her point in this is that that is not what she really looks like or how she views herself. Russell talks about her privilege in being white and attractive. She talks about racial injustice in not only the fashion world but the US too. Her purpose in this TED talk is that looks aren’t everything. I did not particularly enjoy this video. This TED talk was somewhat awkward at times when Russell interacted with the audience. She also did not address the severity of racial injustice in the US. She seemed to sort of brush past this. Russell did not have the best stage presence and her presentation was not that interesting. She did not really provide any unique insight. Everything she said has already been addressed by someone else. For this reason, I did not particularly enjoy this video. It was not the worst TED talk I have seen but it was also not the best. I found this video in a playlist of “the most popular TED talks of all time.” I do not really understand why this video was in this playlist as it was not that great. Overall, I am not sure I would recommend this video to anyone.
TED talk #2: How Great Leaders Inspire Action by Simon Sinek
ReplyDeleteIn this TED talk, I learned about what constitutes a leader and what constitutes those who lead. Sinek used many real world examples to emphasize his point. The difference between someone who is a leader and someone who leads is that the leader holds a position of power, but someone who leads inspires others to follow them simply because those who lead have inspirational ideas and goals that other people agree with. In this way, those who follow those who lead do it for themselves and their own interests, instead of simply because they must. Sinek said over and over, "People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it." This idea can be applied to almost everything and relates to the idea of the golden circle. Success comes from communicating the inner layer of the circle, why, instead of addressing the outer two layers how and what. Apparently, this biologically corresponds with brain structure, since the part of the brain that is responsible for emotion can be spoken to through ideas and beliefs, since these will invoke feeling, where as mere language will simply speak to the rational part of the brain. The Wright Brothers and Langley were mentioned. I found it interesting, but not surprising that there were other people trying to invent a flying machine, but were doing it for the wrong reason. The Wright Brothers did it because they understood what a significant contribution it could make. Others did it for the economic opportunity. This proves that it is always so important to do things for the right reason and resonates with me and how a lot of people have done things in high school purely to put on their resumes and not because they love or are passionate about what they are doing. Next we get into the law of diffusion of innovation. There are innovators, early adopters, the early majority, late majority, and laggers. In order for a product to be successful, it must capture around 15 to 18 percent of its market and this is well into the early majority. In order to get a product there, it must be believed in by this early majority, and once again that will come with the why. I find this very interesting. I have never thought about leadership and success in this light, but I do think it is very relevant. However, I feel that articulating why you do something along with beliefs is powerful, but only if the ideas are good and communicated in a charismatic and convincing way. Martin Luther King is a good example of this. He believed in changed and said I have a dream, not I have a plan. People followed King for themselves because they believed in his ideas, not because he demanded power. In class a the ASB president, I plan to try to implement these ideas into how I lead class. I think it will be interesting to see a real world application of these ideas in my own life. I really enjoyed this TED talk, but not as much as the first one I watched.
The Hidden Miracles of the Natural World by Louie Schwartzberg detailed humans use of high speed, slow motion, and telescopic cameras which can capture many aspects of the natural world that we could never see. I found this talk to be pretty interesting since it explains how we as humans see literally nothing in comparison to how much is going on in the world, whether it be the amount of commercial flights above our heads to the amount of mites in our eyelashes. Schwartzberg hopes that this new method of discovery will eventually be able to enhance human senses and perception of earth. This talk opened up my mind to the vast ocean of unknown things we as humans know about our own planet.
ReplyDeleteIn Learning from Dirty Jobs, Mike Rowe tells the story of when he went to castrate sheep for his tv show, Dirty Jobs. Mike goes on in his story, and without spoiling anything, finds out he was wrong, later realizing that he was wrong a lot in his past. He then explains how he believes everyone in a sense can be and should be wrong. He questions if the career choices people take should be their passion, and tells of how he has a theory that those who walked the other way while most walked the ‘normal’ way, and took the dirty, hands-on jobs, were more successful. He developed a theory that we as a society have “declared a war on work” and those who work the hardest seem very successful. Overall the TED talk was different to say the least, and if you're up for sheep castration, life lessons, and an entertaining 20 mins, then this I definitely recommend it.
In “Here's how we take back the Internet”, Edward Snowden discusses in great length his views on our government, what they've done, and what we can do with this information. Snowden appeared via robot, (seriously he was in those robots with the screen and camera- it was cool) and was filmed months after his initial leak in 2013. The video was 34 minutes long and is jam packed with information, however I managed to dissect essential parts out of it and form my own opinion. Whether you agree with Snowden’s decision or not, he stresses that we as a whole-not just a country- need to take a look at what we want in the Internet. Watching this TED made me realize something disheartening- I have grown up with this sense that the government is watching as the “norm”. I grew up in a post-9/11 world, and I was taught whether indirectly or directly- that someone is watching out. This sense that the government has access to everything did not come to that much of a shock to me, because it's what I've lived through. While this TED is a very long one, I would stress that it is a must watch to those who value their privacy and freedoms.
In “How to Make Stress Your Friend”, Psychologist Kelly McGonigal explains her view on how we paint stress as a bad thing that leads to health issues and death. She argues that this is the case, but only in people that believe it. She explains how people are more likely to die from stress if they believe stress is bad for you. Without spoiling, this talk helped me realize that I am in control with my stress and how it will affect me. I believe that if I make sure I know that this stress is natural and in some cases even helpful, my life will be a long and rich one.
In “Hunting for dinosaurs showed me our place in the universe”, paleontologist Kenneth Lacovara details his work as a “dinosaur hunter”. He tells of the discovery he made of a new dinosaur, and talked about the discovery and how general discoveries were made. The talk is 14 minutes long, and for the most part was very interesting, as Lacovara describes the process of where to look, what kind of rocks to look for, how those rocks were made, etc. Lacovara connects his views on dinosaurs to what he believes where we stand in terms of time and space. Ultimately, he argues that the choice is ours for what course to go if we don't want to end up like the dinosaurs.
ReplyDeleteIn “New York — before the City”, Eric Sanderson presents a program he created, one that reveals New York City in a new light. In order to not spoil anything, in simple terms the program shows what the area of New York City would have looked like as the first settlers from Europe came over. The talk made me reflect on our place on this land, and how these beautiful landscapes are forever gone, as a new concrete forest is risen. I've always wondered what places looked like before people settled, and there is no real way I can, unless I create a time machine. This talk helped ease some of that wonder, and was pretty interesting as well.
“The Psychology of Evil” by Philip Zimbardo, chronicles Zimbardo’s view on why and how ordinary people can be driven to do evil things. Zimbardo has plenty experience in this topic, as he was the psychologist who ran the Stanford Prison experiment. In this talk Zimbardo delves into his view on the many aspects that make evil. The talk is fairly long, and his style of speaking is all over the place, however he is pretty entertaining. This talk really did open my eyes to the evil that we are all capable of, as well as the heroism. We may not think we are capable of being heroes or villains, but we certainly are. This talk did great job at making me question my morals and how I approach problems, and is well worth the watch.
The TED “Don't eat the marshmallow!” by Joachim de Posada borrowed off of the Stanford experiment underwent by psychologist Walter Mischel, studying delayed gratification in kids. The talk is fairly short, however is packed with interesting and to the point ideas. This talk made me question if I would be a kid who takes a marshmallow immediately or would rather wait and get two marshmallows, as there appears to be a correlation between the marshmallow and how kids fair in later life. The TED also includes adorable footage of kids trying their hardest to not eat a marshmallow, a definite must see.
Victoria Martinez
ReplyDeleteOctober 11, 2016
Van Tuyl
TOK/Per. 2
Ted Talk #2: Kio Stark-Why You Should Talk To Strangers
When we talk to people we acknowledge them. When we talk to strangers they’re unexpected connections. It gives us a moment of that says you exist as person to someone. We are told that not to talk to strangers because they’re dangerous. And it makes sense because not everyone has the best intentions. The thing it is good to be friendly, and it’s good when not to be, but it doesn’t mean we have to be afraid. When we stopped seeing strangers into categories we start seeing them as an individual. Also, when we talk to strangers we are more open to them because we know there’ll be no consequences, there’s no bias side (like our friends and family) so the story is told from the start, and we are surprise of what they have to say. When talking to strangers there’s unwritten rules where you don’t cross but they’re obviously notice when they are. There’s five crossed lines which you do:
1. Keeping eye contact and just smiling
2.When both of you two comment on something
3.Complementing one another
4.Communicating through dogs and babies
5.When sharing something really personal
So, when you’re talking to strangers there’s these beautiful emotional interruptions. You go out of your daily routine and theirs to have these connections with people who might feel as you do. Who actually listen and see you.
Victoria Martinez
ReplyDeleteOctober 11, 2016
Van Tuyl
TOK/Per. 2
Ted Talk #3: Suheir Hammad- Poems of War, Peace, Women,Power
She starts out by reciting a poem saying how she’ll not conform to ideal views. That ideal views has no originality and is empty of life. Then how whatever they have eaten was alive once. It was hunted, stolen from its original habitat and was beaten out of and made to feed us. When it comes she has no desire to support it or even hate it or even hate you. But she’ll won’t fight, kill, and especially not die for you. She won’t seek vengeance of the dead with murder or suicide. And no matter how much people agree with you I won’t agree. They are wrong, too. She’ll carry her cultural and past as she lives. She’ll start her journey and be surrounded by those who care for each other and they will live. She’ll carry her values throughout her life because her values is as stronger or even stronger as any other.
Hammad then says that poetry gives a sense of direction and recites another poem called Break Cluster. Unwritten book predicted the past but the mind is what runs limitless. The creator of man’s violence is still unknown and who will own up to it. Who else’s child will die because of it. There’s slaughter of our children, bitches get beaten, profits are made and taken, and cherish the corpses of the enemy. We all have the same color don’t just see the darkness in the inside but see their light. We carry both light and darkness and our silence of our mind is truly what we think. We have been corrupted by the world because of the sickness, health, poverty, and war of the world. The women of the world feel exponential pain of their lost of home, family, and even life. We are given boundaries and set of standards and if we are not fit for them then we are abandon. And hope or optimism for us is perished. Don’t be scared of what has been gone but fear what is left.
TED Talk 1) Shane Koyczan: “To This Day… for the beautiful and the bullied”
ReplyDeleteI have heard part of this TED Talk before and I immediately fell in love with is and I used it as part of the Arts Collaboration Show last spring. Because I love the poem, I decided to watch the TED Talk that it originates from. Koyczan focuses mainly on how children are bullied, by both other kids and how they bully themselves. This will affect them throughout their lives. He also points out how children have to decide what they want to do with their lives and how they want to live it, but they are criticized by society about what they choose. By using both speech and poetic strategies, Shane Koyczan captivates the audience and keeps the audience wanting more. This is a very emotional and thought provoking TED Talk and I would recommend it to everyone because it is definitely worth the watch.
TED Talk 2) Jill Bolte Taylor: “My Stroke of Insight”
ReplyDeleteThis TED Talk by Jill Bolte Taylor talks about her own personal experience with a brain hemorrhage and she was consciously aware that she was having a stroke. She discusses what it was like during it and how she felt when she was in and out of reality. Before she told her story, she went through and explained the differences and roles of the right and left brain hemispheres. After the stroke, Jill found her inner peace and is actually grateful that she went through this. That is because it led her to her inner Nirvana. She believes that everyone should be able to choose what side of the brain to live through in that moment, whether being present in the right side or planning in the left side. She made the talk as a whole very entertaining by adding some comedic elements to it. Her story is truly captivating and it is crazy that she was so self-aware of what was happening to her.
TED Talk 3) Abigail Marsh: “Why some people are more altruistic than others”
ReplyDeleteAbigail Marsh’s TED Talk answers the question as to why people are more altruistic, or self-less, than others. In society, some people are more altruistic than others and Marsh has concluded that this is because their brains are different. Instead of going straight to studying those cases, she finds out why psychopaths are the way they are. Psychopaths are the complete opposite than extremely altruistic people and this is because their brain is different. Extraordinarily altruistic people tend to think that they are not anything special and that they are not the center of anything, which leads to being more altruistic because they feel like they do not need what they give. This TED Talk was very interesting because I have always wondered why people have different levels of how much they care for others. It was very thought provoking about what else in our brains make us so different from one another.
TED Talk 4) Brian Little: “Who are you really? The puzzle of personality”
ReplyDeleteThis TED Talk takes a look at why you are the way you are. Brian Little focuses on personality and trait psychology. He goes through each “this or that” type of scenario and how they categorize the general public. He then goes through what characterizes each and how they affects the way people act. After going through each, he discusses what makes you you and how you are unique due to your own individual projects. Little focuses most on the differences between introverts and extroverts and in what way that affects the way you speak, act, and think. The topic of this talk is interesting, but at times the speaker was bland. Even though there were some comedic aspects and strategies, it was not able to keep my full attention for the entire video and it did not captivate my attention as a whole.
TED Talk 5) Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: “We Should All Be Feminists”
ReplyDeleteMany people know part of this TED Talk because it was in Beyonce’s song “Flawless,” but they may not have watched the video that it is from. Adichie creates a very personable atmosphere in her TED Talk and captivates the audience through a mixture of comedy and seriousness. She talks about her own personal experiences with sexism, inequality, and feminism. Adichie touches on mainly on the fact that we as a society has evolved, but gender expectations have not and because of that feminism is given a bad reputation. She also talks about how boys and girls should be taught the same because then this sense of equality will be second nature to kids because that is how they were raised. This TED Talk is very interesting and I would recommend everyone to watch this because she proves her points effortlessly and makes you think about our society as a whole.
TED Talk 6) Dan Gilbert: “The Surprising Science of Happiness”
ReplyDeleteIn this TED Talk, Gilbert discusses how people are able to be happy after something traumatic happens, or when they cannot get what they want. He believes that the secret to happiness is synthetic happiness, or making yourself synthesize happiness and create your own happiness. Through different experiments, both on ordinary people and on people with amnesia, he proves his point that people are able to make themselves happier when something does not go their way and that freedom to choose what they want leads to unhappiness. Instead of natural happiness, where happiness is something you find in life, you can make your own happiness through synthesis where you accept the things you cannot change. Gilbert is a very comedic speaker with smooth flow. He keeps the audience entertained with his interesting topic and his evidence from his experiments.
TED Talk 7) Mandy Len Catron: “Falling in love is the easy part”
ReplyDeleteI’m pretty sure we have all heard about the 36 question test that “guarantees” that you and your partner will fall in love. Mandy Len Catron took this test and did fall in love with her partner. In this TED Talk she addresses why we all want so badly this test to be real and guarantee that continuous love. She believes that it is because falling in love is terrifying, and living with the doubts and fears that come with love makes it hard, but guaranteeing that that love lasts forever creates hope. She states that even though falling in love is the easy part, sustaining that love is the hard part and that love does not just simply happen, but instead you have to choose to be in love and continuously choose to be in love and make it work. This was a very interesting TED Talk because I have heard a lot about this test and I have always wondered if it is true or not. Mandy Len Catron makes this Talk very personable and adds comedic aspects to help keep the audience involved in her topic.
TED Talk 8) Ione Wells: “How we talk about sexual assault online”
ReplyDeleteIn Wells’ TED Talk she discusses her own personal experience with sexual assault where a man came up behind her on her way home and abused and assaulted her. Her reaction was to create the #NotGuilty movement on social media where she allowed people to talk about their own experiences with sexual assault, rape, and abuse. The main thing that sparked this movement was how Wells published a letter addressed to her attacker where she humanized him and made him accountable for his actions. Through her social media movement she has created a program where people can come together and unionize in order to stop injustices and make sure that victims get justice. She did not use a lot of comedic elements and made her talk very serious, which matches her topic perfectly. Her Talk was very inspiring and personable and I was intrigued the entire time.
Victoria Martinez
ReplyDeleteOctober 11, 2016
Van Tuyl
TOK/Per. 2
Ted Talk #4: Angela Patton- A father-daughter dance...in prison
Girls need ways to talk to their fathers. Patton’s non-profit organization, Diva, talk about its importance to talk with their fathers to help African American girls help with their passage of womanhood. They need to communicate with their fathers in their own terms. They suggested a dance would help form their bonds with them and having them let them take charge was proof of their inner power and wisdom. As long as they have support, mentorship, and resources they can thrived whatever they do. Once the dance became an annual event they planned and planned until one year a girl bravely admitted her dad can’t come because he’s in prison. Then this moment became a moment of opportunity for the girls to plan the dance at jail. When they wrote a letter to the town’s sheriff he was open to that idea because the father’s who are jail see their daughters it gives them a priority to stay out of jail so they can raise their daughters. So, for one day the fathers traded out their jumpsuits for a suit and tie and they dance, ate, and talked with their daughters for that one night. It gave both them not only an emotional connection but a physical connection they couldn’t share often. When they realized they it would only be one night of connection they recorded their thoughts, feelings, and wishes for the other to see later on. To hold onto that night as long until they came home. For them to realize that they are waiting and they want them to know they are loved and missed.
TED #1 - The New American Dream , by Courtney Martin
ReplyDeleteIn this TED talk, she starts off by stating that she is a journalist and in between that she is a person who is ready to settle down and start a family with a spouse. She gives the essential question of, "what constitutes a good life in the 21st century?" , she asks that question from a philosophical view point but also from a personal one. She says that she is in desperate need of an answer . She also gives us information that in the first time in American history,the majority of parents do not think that their kids will be better off than they were. By her information she says that this is true whether if you're rich or poor, a man or woman. what does better off mean? Is it having a stable job for the rest of your life? It is estimated that people change jobs on the average of every 4.7 years. So thats out of the question. And it s also estimated by 2020 nearly half of Americans will be freelancers. I thought that this TED talk was interesting because, I feel that she spoke about a topic that most people don't really talk about, and it was especially interesting that a White cis woman took it upon herself to talk about. Other than that It was a good TED talk in the way that she put out that the 'new' 'American Dream' (according to young people) is not ONLY the white picket fence house but also the fact that we could have new found community and creativity. I also thought it was somewhat sweet? I thought it was a 'sweet' TED talk because she said that every person is worthy of kindness. And that to get to kindness we must live in hospitality. And personally I think that is a very mineral way of thinking for the future.
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TED #2 - How Immigrant Voices Make Democracy Stronger, by Sayu Bhojwani
This TED talk was presented by Sayu Bhojwani, she said that she was an immigrant from India and she came to this country at the age of 17. She said that America has given the world wide idea of 'come to this country and have a better life for yourself' and this might be true, this however isn't so easy, Sayu tells us that when she came to this country the country did not necessarily welcome her with wide arms. And its still not doing that for her. Although America claims to open the door to anyone who comes hither, it doesn't. It doesn't open it wide open if you don't have the right name, skin color or networks. If you don't have the 'right' of something the door is just slightly ajar. I really liked this TED talk. I liked it because she gave her her experiences and how we can apply that to current events. She also advocates for al type of immigrants and she wants to keep families together. She also says and makes clear that EVERY vote counts. She also says how Latino and Asian Americans need to vote because they a one of the big majorities when it come to any type of election. Majority votes form Latino or Asian voters could win or cost a candidates election.
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ReplyDeleteTED #3- Don't Ask Where I'm From, Ask Where I'm A Local, by Taiye Selasi
In this TED talk this presenter talked of the fact that she didn't like when people asked her where she is from. And I know sounds unusual right? Well not really, I say not really because I can see and relate where she is coming from. I can see where she is coming from because she is a colored woman. And so I am. And people always ask people of color where they are from no matter what skin color they are. And the presenter and I both don't really get why that happens. Sure people of color can understand the thought; 'oh they are just interested to learn where my family comes from' but after a while it gets tiring trying to explain you are from the United States. They ask because they assume you are from the same place that your parents or your parents parents home county is. You see if you really think about, you never really see or hear about people asking NON- people of color the question, ' Where are you from?' you never hear that because everyone already knows they are either from California or New Jersey, no one ever really assumes that these people could be from Belgium or Norway. But for some reason people assume just because Im Mexican I'm from Mexico. It's like 'no Janet I'm from California.'
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TED #4 - Why Climate Change Is A Threat To Human Rights, by Mary Robinson
She starts off by saying that she grew up with older brothers so from an early age she always had a passion for human rights. She was the first Lady President of Ireland. She met with officials from all around the world to help people have Human Rights. She also says that there is countries and countries officials out there who have to worry about the possibility that their land will get swallowed up from water, and they have to buy 'insurance land' so their country wont be landless. She says that climate change affects the human race, not just animals. Climate change affects crops growing and water functions. The reality is that this issue news to be seen y everyone not just politicians. We all live in this planet do we all have to put our two cents to help fix something that we broke and continue to break. Its an issue for every type of movement it's an issue for young people who will get his planet after we are all gone. I think that this issue is really important and I think that this presentator made it very clear that climate change is real and we need a plan to start to fix it, before its too late.
Victoria Martinez
ReplyDeleteOctober 11, 2016
Van Tuyl
TOK/Per. 2
Ted Talk #5: Sanford Biggers-An Artist’s Unflinching Look at Racial Violence
Biggers look ways as an artist to spark an interest in art and his favorite ways are history and dialogue. When he created it a “lotus.” In Buddhism it’s a symbol of purity of mind and spirit. But in the sculpture he showed the lotus’ pedal reveals it’s a cross-section of a slave ship. It was used by abolitionist to show the horrors of slavery, but now we don’t like to ponder about it. The lotus is to encourage the discussion of our past. Latinos and African Americans are the ones who are most affected by this history. So, when Biggers found a way to use his collectible wooden African figures he made a video of one of his figures that resembled a African American boy and he shot the the figure until it literally fell down the floor. It represented on how unharmed African citizens are being targeted with police brutality and they walk away without consequences. Biggers sculpted his figures similar and shot them. When they were down he molded, waxed, and later bronzed them so they can look like they had battle wound or scars. People have felt his work though their souls and felt like they memorialized the victims of these killings. As for those who asks what prompted these recent killings they are not recent. These killings have been happening for over 500 years and it’s is questions like that there’s more thoughtful thinking about race and history that we can involve ourselves as a society.
Ted Talk #3. Morgana Bailey: The danger of hiding who you are
ReplyDeleteMorgana expresses for the first time what she has been holding back for the last 16 years, and that was that she is a lesbian. She felt that she would not be accepted by her culture, especially being that she lived in Kansas, a state that created a bill to discriminate gays. I think that her message does not only pertain to the gay community though, I experience this message of not hiding yourself everyday. It feels so much better when you put yourself out there and do not care about what other criticize you for. At the end of the day, those who are outgoing and care a bit less about what other people think are those that make a difference. Those who go out of their way to make somebodies day, whether that be making them laugh or doing a good deed. Either way, those who hide themselves only bring themselves down and discourage themselves from opportunities in life. I thought that despite Morgana not being the best public speaker, I thought her message was quite compelling and moving.
TED Talk #4: My journey from Marine to actor - Adam Driver
ReplyDeleteIn this presentation, Adam Driver, known best for playing Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, discusses his transition from Marine to actor and how he found a way to reconcile his military and civilian roles after being unable to deploy. His reversion to civilian life was made all the more difficult by the fact that it was caused by an unfortunate injury. Driver was only a few months out from deployment when he dislocated his sternum, thus ending his military career. He later got into Juilliard to become an actor, at which point he discovered complex and poignant characters, leading him to the idea of performing for Marines as a greater form of mental and emotional stimulation. Driver created the non-profit Arts in the Armed Forces for this very purpose. I found it inspiring and moving that even after the en of his tie as a Marine he still sought to use his civilian skills to make serving a more human experience for both his friends and fellow servicemen. The extent of the emotional impact of the monologues presented to the service men and women was not apparent to me until the end of the TED talk, where one of the performers involved in the project read one live. The story was extremely touching and emotional, not to mention relatable. I could see such a story as being worthy of the attention of the armed forces, even if just for entertainment purposes.
TED talk #1: Marla Spivak: Why bees are disappearing
ReplyDeleteIn this talk Spivak outlines the multiple causes that are impacting the decline of bee populations. The short response to the question is that there are a variety of interlinked causes to the decline in population. The long answer is that the combination of diseases and parasites, monoculture crops, pesticides, and flowerless landscapes causes bees to be unable to support themselves and get the nutrients they need, so they die. In this video, Spivak uses fairly simplistic diction in order to describe the plight of bees that made it simple to understand even as someone who is not a bee expert. However, the simplistic diction also lead to her talk being somewhat non-scholarly. While she outlined the problems well and used many statistics, some of the more complex aspects of bees felt dumbed down and too basic. In addition to this, Spivak was not an especially engaging speaker and it was sometimes hard to keep listening. The topic is compelling, however, when the influence of bees on basic food sources is examined. The fact that she kept linking it back to things that would impact me personally kept the talk engaging and made it feel important. Spivak’s main solution for the bee problem is for people to plant more flowering plants and to stop pesticides from contaminating them. This seems like a good plan to me, after all, who doesn't love flowers?
TED talk #2: Lidia Yuknavitch: The beauty of being a misfit
In this talk, Yuknavitch tells the story of how she was offered the once in a lifetime opportunity as a writer but she didn't really allow herself to take it because she did not believe that she could be like those greater writers. Her story is one of what she calls a “misfit”, someone who missed fitting in. She comes from an abusive home and at the point in her life where she received this opportunity, she had two failed marriages and a baby that died the same day is was born. The whole point of this TED talk was for Yuknavitch to recognize the beauty in her misfit-ness. To show others the beauty that exists even when the rest of your life is in shambles. I think the most interesting point that she makes is when she is talking about her period of homelessness after the death of her daughter. She says that she was in a period of intense “zombie grief, or loss, that some of us encounter along the way. Maybe all of us if we live long enough.” I think that this really helps to connect the audience to her belief: that people, even when they make the worst decisions possible, are beautiful and have the endless ability to reinvent themselves. I think that it a terrific message and that more people should recognize that even the misfits in society are beautiful and deserve to tell their story.
TED talk #3: Courtney Martin: This isn’t her mother’s feminism
I connected very heavily with this talk as I had a similar experience in growing up. My mom was, and is, a strong feminist but of a different era than me. Her feminism focused, like in the talk, on the patriarchy and women like Gloria Steinem, whereas mine focuses on intersectionality and a variety of faces of the feminist movement. I like to believe that feminism today is as much about women as it is men, and not just of one race but of all races. Martin went through a series of points which I found extremely valid, but it is important to note not only the differences in my mom’s feminism and mine, but also the similarities and to see the evolution that took place in just one generation. Not only does Martin talk about her feminism, but also the nature of growing up. She talks about the paradoxes that she found in life, which I found to be interesting. Martin, however, was not a terrific speaker. She had an overcomplicated powerpoint that detached the listener from her talk and she often said thank you after a round of applause
Ze Frank: Are You Human?
ReplyDeleteThis TED Talk was interesting to me. It started out funny and comedic, and slowly became more and more serious and down to earth. Strangely, I started raising my hand along with the audience. The talk made me sit and think on my past actions, rather than brushing them off after they had happened. I recommend watching this talk either this quarter, or next, because it is extremely thought provoking.
Andrew Pelling: This Scientist Makes Ears Out of Apples
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I had no idea that this talk would start talking about food, because the first few minutes were discussing old technology in people's garbage. It ended up actually being pretty informative, seeing that he discussed how we could construct cells and spinal tissue with apples and asparagus. Honestly, the one thing that was more entertaining than Pelling's hair was one of the audience members. He had this look of "what the heck is this guy even talking about" on his face. He comes up at 0:50 and 7:05, and he's blonde and has long hair. Sort of a wannabe Owen Wilson. Overall, go watch this talk! It's really cool. The speaker also has a fetish for CD roms!
#1 Dan Gross: Why gun violence can't be our new normal”
ReplyDeleteI think that this was an inspirational talk and really urged the audience to get up and actually do something about the issue of gun violence, especially in relation to the the year 2014. Dan Gross shared his personal experiences with gun violence which made the talk interesting. I liked this talk, but it was not incredibly memorable in my opinion. Unfortunately, as shootings have become more common, the statistics he shared were less shocking and seemed as if they were simply part of the day to day news that Americans are growing used to hearing. One disappointing aspect of this particular talk was my personal comparison of the issue of gun violence then (2014) to what it is now. Gross speaks about ending gun violence, yet, gun violence has remained just as relevant of an issue. Even though he talks about creating a long term decline, it is still saddening to know we have made almost no progress.
#2 Timothy Ihrig: What we can do to die well
This speaker wasn’t incredibly interesting/engaging. However, I definitely found his point to be valid. He discussed the fact that we spend (us ourselves and our government) billions of dollars on extending the lives of those terminally ill, when palliative health care typically creates a less painful, more enjoyable, and longer life. He argued that we need to expand our health care for the whole human, both the mind and body, instead of just focusing on treatments and different courses of care we can take.
#3 Kio Stark: Why you should talk to strangers
I feel like Kio Stark has a great point in this talk. She discusses the negative and the “scary unknown” feelings that we associate strangers with. She urges that we need to replace this avoidance of strangers with simple awareness and can therefore better our lives and others lives too. Stark shares her own personal success stories about talking to strangers which made this talk interesting and inspiring. Overall, Stark stresses the importance of talking to strangers and how talking to them can open gateways in our lives that we may have never had access to otherwise.
#4 Sal Khan: Let's teach for mastery - not test scores
Khan is a fantastic teacher - I, like many, have used his YouTube channel, Khan Academy, to help further my understanding of math processes. Khan presents an extremely valid point by highlighting the gaps we create in our learning by basing our schooling (especially math) around a day of notes and practice that eventually builds up to testing. He argues that even though we get a test score back that reflects what we still don't know, we never actually go back to fix and learn the information/knowledge we are missing, and simply move on to more complicated processes. I completely agree with Khan on this issue and the fact that we need to focus on actually learning the material, not on the grade or time it takes to learn something. He is optimistic that this kind of learning will be integrated into our education system in the future, and I am too! I liked this talk a lot and found it interesting and inspiring, especially as a student.
#5 Kelly McGonigal: How to make stress your friend
ReplyDeleteI found McGonigal to be incredibly inspiring. She discusses stress, which is something all people deal with to some extent. But, instead of talking about how stress is bad for our health, she talks about multiple studies showing that stress’ “bad effects” do not affect your health at all if you think about stress differently. People who thought about their stress in a positive way were happier, healthier, and performed better under stress. To me, this talk was eye opening. Especially as a student, I am often under stress and will definitely try and use this strategy to see if it works for me. This talk helped me to try and change my opinion/views on stress and better control how I allow stress to affect me.
#6 Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?
This ted talk was filmed in 2006, but everything Robinson discusses is still true in 2016. Robinson talks about how school shuts down creativity in students and instead refocuses them on being perfect and avoiding mistakes. He argues that kids should be encouraged to try, be out there, and not be afraid to make mistakes - that is how we learn as humans and grow to improve. He also discusses “education inflation”, where jobs require a higher degree and people are not guaranteed a job if they have a degree, which is what many students are experiencing now. On top of all of the sad truth in Robinson’s speech, he adds a layer of humor which I found entertaining and helped me stay focused on what he was talking about. I liked this talk, but it truly stresses how much our education system needs improvement!
#7 Molly Winter: The taboo secret to better health
Molly discussed sewage treatment and how utilizing our poop and pee for watering and fertilizing plants could benefit our economies, our health, and our environment. I agree completely with Winter’s idea, and all of the examples she gave were interesting. They really made me think about the potential this idea has if only everyone would be accepting of the idea. In my opinion, I would love to see this commonly employed, as the benefits (lower costs, less energy, better food/plant health) are amazing. However, I believe that most people would be disgusted by this idea, even though it makes complete biological sense. Overall, I thought this talk was entertaining and liked Winter’s ideas.
#8 Isabel Behncke Izquierdo: Evolution’s gift of play, from bonobo apes to humans She talked about the importance of playing to trigger creativity, wonder, and a more non hostile way of life. I agree with Izquierdo, and believe that too often, in our world of stress and never ending list of tasks to do, we forget to take time to do such a natural thing such as play. Therefore, we create more stress than needed and suppress our natural ability of creativity and curiosity. Play encourages greatness, and which is forgotten often in American society. This speaker was not serious and often told jokes, but in my opinion, that helped make her talk more interesting. I liked this talk, despite how light it felt.
JD Schramm: Break the Silence for Suicide Attempt Survivors
ReplyDeleteJohn tells the story of John, who jumped off the Manhattan bridge with the thought of killing himself. He ended up surviving, and hasn't talked about it in 8 years. Schramm discusses how he coped with his decision that he made, and his apparent failure at it. This talk hit close to home with me, as I am a survivor of two suicide attempts, which occurred within months of each other. Schramm is so beyond right when he says that these occasions need to be talked about. This is a very powerful and inspiring talk, and I think that it should have more views than it does.
#1: The Danger of Silence by Clint Smith-
ReplyDeleteThis Ted Talk was interesting because he talks about everything he decided to give up and the last thing he mentioned was his voice. Which seemed a bit odd to me. But when he was explaining himself he said that when he was younger he had the habit of always saying the wrong thing, so one day he decided to give up his voice. However when he did this he came across things that he needed to speak up for but couldn't. And he decided that your voice was one of the most valuable things given to you and that you should embrace it.
#2: Why do we hate seeing photos of ourselves? By Duncan Davidson-
DeleteIn this Ted Talk Duncan shows a picture that he took of his friend and everyone thought that it was a good picture except for his friend. Now he thought "why don't you like this picture of yourself? It's a good photo." The answer is because of the way you perceive things. For instance you know what you look like because you have a mirror and you see yourself in the mirror, but reversed. And the when you see a photo of yourself on a camera or smartphone it looks exactly the same to everyone else but it is not the way that you perceive yourself. So it's right, it's just not right to you. And I found this whole theory very interesting because I also do not like the way I look in pictures most of the time.
Ted Talk #3:Dambisa Moyo: Economic growth has stalled. Let's fix it
ReplyDeleteIn this Ted Talk, Dambisa Moyo discusses economic growth in first and and third world countries. Some issues that the West has been struggling with are deficits, shortages of workers, and productivity stalling. Her main points to combat this is that we need to deal with the economy first and foremost, with open mindedness. To her, ideology is the fundamental enemy of growth.
I agree with her point that being unable to compromise with other people is holding many countries back from economic growth. Examples like ISIS, Boko Haram, and Dictatorial governments, repress the people and cause more destruction than growth. However, to be a principled person is not a liability. She made it sound like holding a certain set of views was of the devil. You should fight for what you believe in, but you should be a rational and patient person while doing it. I think the main problem for these countries is that they crack down to harshly on dissent. If only she distinguished between the two, I would have really liked and agreed with the talk.
Ted Talk #2 How Simple Ideas Lead to Scientific Discoveries
ReplyDeleteby Adam Savage
Comments:
Not only is this TED talk done by one of the coolest scientists out there, but he also has a really nice, simple, and still inspiring topic that keeps the listener engaged. He goes over multiple scientists and their scientific discoveries in ancient history, all the while explaining how they were able to calculate numbers incredibly accurately with nothing but the technology of their age. His point was that even the smallest idea and a hint of determination in a person can set them on the path of discovery. This speech is very inspiring to me, because my favorite part of life is hearing about thew new inventions or discoveries that have come out everyday. It makes me think that the world will eventually be okay, because soon enough someone is going to create a great invention that will do something world changing. That right there is pretty darn cool to me.
TED Talk #3 Imagining at a Trillion Frames per Second
ReplyDeleteby Ramesh Raskar
Comments:
This TED talk was all about Raskars company's new intvention, a camera that could essentially record 1,000,000,000,000 frames per second. With this ability, he was able to show us light as it moved through a bottle of Coca Cola, but thats not all. This camera has also been shown to be able to see around corners and predict what is on the other side. As he has shown here, this technology could be used in cars in order to prevent accidents or even for fire fighters in order to find anymore people in burning buildings. I think that this invention is pretty cool because it only makes you think what could be possible in the next 100 years. I don't think that 1 trillion is anywhere near the limit that humans will achieve, I believe that someday this technology will be a common trait for phones to have, I believe that someday we will be using this technology in war, or on spaceships somehow. I actually have no idea, all I know is that these kind of inventions just make you realize, this world is going somewhere pretty great, and I can't wait.
TED Talk #4 A Robot That Flies Like a Bird
ReplyDeleteby Markus Fischer
Comments:
Hey VT, just wondering if your actually seeing this. If so, you might have noticed that I have decided to try and get a majority of these done tonight. You might have also noticed that I found the science breakthroughs section of TEDs website, so basically all of these comment sections of mine are going to filled with, "Oh this inspires me so much!" and, "It just makes you think of what the future is going to be like" Hey, these might be your cup of tea, I recommend a watch. By the way, Mr. Fischer from this video and Mr. Raskar from the last video both have trouble speaking English, not bad or anything but be ready. Well, this video was pretty cool, it really makes you think of what the future is going to be like right? Imagine little messenger robot birds flying around cities in order to get things done, I know we have tech to do that for us, but it still sounds pretty darn cool. Yeah, so this video was pretty cool.
Ted Talk #4 David Rothkopf: How fear drives American Politics
ReplyDeleteI particularly enjoyed this Ted Talk because of how neatly and sound his arguments were. Rothkopf discuses how the US government prefers to be willfully ignorant about pressing matters that are threatening US security. From Chinese cyber wars to climate change, or government is choosing to focus on pettier issues. His reasoning behind this is that in modern time, important discussions are being ignored. Instead, people associate themselves only with those who are like them, creating Group Think. Group Think is where there is the illusion of new ideas and thoughts, but in reality everyone thinks the same way, so there is no real discussion. I thought this was far too accurate, because the people in Washington are focusing on smaller issues, while ignoring the more prominent ones, or whatever is most convenient to them. He also brings up the 1950's, and how we were different as a nation. In response to threats from Russia, we had a constructive mindset of how we could better ourselves, with things from the space race to the highway. My only problem with this Ted Talk is that I don't think he went in depth enough on the gradual change from the 50's up to today. Such a radical change in our society surely could be noticed and pointed out by him? It would really cement his argument if he did. Nonetheless, this talk is great because it identifies a problem, offers a solution, and shows it is possible.
You interrupted my streak
DeleteTED Talk #5 The Levitating Superconductor
ReplyDeleteby Boaz Almog
Comments:
Oh jeeze, another man who does not speak English very well. Its really not that big of a problem, but it makes you have to focus so much more on what he is saying, and not what he is meaning, if that makes any sense. Oh well. Okay, not gonna lie, that was probably the coolest video all night, I recommend 10/10 would watch again. In this video Almog demonstrates his new superconductor and its ability to quantum lock. Basically, he got a substance with zero resistence to electricity, shaved it down to have a very small thickness and froze it. Now, he has the ability to make that disc, not only levitate above a magnetic field, but stay there even when upside down. He had the ability to adjust it in any way he wanted and it would stay in that new position in the air. Then, he took it one step farther, he put on a round track of magnets and pushed it. Now its following a track in the exact same position it started in while losing nearly no momentum whatsoever. But wait, it gets better. he then goes on to say that this substance, while quantum locked, can hold 70,000 times its own weight. Basically, if he made it 2 millimeters thick, it could hold 1,000 kg, or a small car. Thats amazing. Personally, this inspires me so much! Its just awesome, it really makes you think of what the future is going to be like.
TED Talk #6 This is What Happens When you Reply to Spam Email
ReplyDeleteby James Veitch
Comment:
Alright, well I ran out of interesting and short videos in the breakthrough section, so I just looked up the funniest TED Talks and this one came up. He went over his story about responding to spam and how much fun he had, but I had one concern. He sent this man, Solomon, an email with about 5 or 6 words that wanted to be spoken in code from then on. My only problem was that in the very next email, when he used the words that were supposed to be coded, he not only used all of them, but he also used all of them in the exact order that Veitch had described them in the past email. Then you get to thinking, wait one second, I don't think this is real... But I stayed true and continued on. It was not until he talked about the next spam he recieved that I ended up losing my hope in the whole sequence of events. The next person actually starts to recite lyrics to a song in the correct order, and I just can't be forced to believe in that, I don't believe in it, one bit! So, in the end, it was pretty funny, all up until I realized that he made it all up and it made me not happy!
#3 Richard St John : 8 Secrets of Success
ReplyDeleteTalk about the core values of pure success, Richard St John pointed out the 8 things you must do to be successful in any field you do. This helped me realize what I need to do to become better in anything I do, take football for example, some of the values that stood out to me was, one having a love for it, not doing it for money but because I love to do it, two putting my head down and become damn good at it ! It doesn't just happen, right ? You gotta work!! Great Ted talk ...
Ted Talk #4: Marco Tempest: A cyber-magic card trick like no other
ReplyDeleteThis Ted talk is unlike any other Ted talk that I have seen yet, instead of it being like a normal presentation where the presenter is giving his idea to the audience and is filmed doing so, this talk is shown through the cyber glasses made by Marco Tempest himself. The talk is recorded through a video camera attached to the side of his head piece. However, with the use of cyber technology and the tricks that can be done with the live editing he keeps the audience very intrigued. Throughout the magic trick, he uses this editing and camera angle to sway the audience away from his tricks, which I was able to figure out a few. However, the trick all together was quite impressive. Anybody who is interested in watching a pretty cool magic trick should consider watching this Ted talk.
TED Talk #5: Gabe Zichermann: How games make kids smarter
ReplyDeleteWhen I first started this TED talk, to be honest I already had made my mind up that this presenter, Gabe Zichermann, who happened to be a big video gamer was going to explain how video games are good for kids and be very broad with his thinking based on the way he spoke and the lack of intellectual ways of speaking. However, his talk was very in depth with many resources to back up his statements including proof from science and the importance of what these video games today teach our youth. Even though I am not a very big enthusiast when it comes to video gaming, I had to agree with most of his statements because they were very well supported and made logical sense. I highly suggest anyone who plays video games or even anybody who disagrees with their kids playing video games to watch this TED talk. After watching this talk, my mindset towards people who spend a lot of time video gaming changed a little bit. I now see that despite the drawbacks of video game playing, their also are advances happening in the human's way of thinking and processing that come from playing video games also.
Ted Talk #3 I got 99 problems..palsy is just one by Maysoon Zayid
ReplyDeleteThis ted talk is about Maysoon Zayid life as she grew up as a woman with cerebral palsy. She grew up a Palestinian, museum, and, disabled. with the mind set of " if you can can you can can" which came from her dad who believed she could do anything. Zayid went to college to become an actor but ended up becoming a comedian due to her palsy she was unable to get any parts but background characters. When she became a comedian she was one of the first in Palestine to be a woman comedian. During this entertaining and funny ted talk she brings up the topic how disabled people are not looked upon as equals.
Ted Talk #4 Why story telling matters by Garr Reynolds
Gar Reynolds goes around the world helping people make boring presentations more interesting. What he does is he adds story's to the presentation. He believes that story telling is what Makes people human. He focuses on ways to make presentations one is to turn of the computer. The second is to put the audience first, you need to make the audience care about what you are saying. The third is to have structure, a beginning, middle and end. In your presentation it is vital to have a message that you convey to the audience in a entertaining way.
Ted Talk #5 Ten meters of thinking: The ABC of communication by Paul Hughnes
Paul begins his topic by talking about success. he talks about a path that he shows on ten meters of paper. He shows how science has dynamic knowledge instead of catching butterflies and killing them to study them science now observes butterflies in their natural environment. when there are communities operating together building a boat everyone helps even the elder by sitting around a fire remembering why the community is making a boat. He speaks about why its important to think why people are doing things. he also brings up how working together is important rather than working alone the people working together communicating to meet a common goal. This ted talk was not extremely interesting he used many of the same ideas over and over again.
Ted Talk #6 Living with ADHD in the age of social media by Theo Siggelakis
Theo talked about how going through school was difficult with ADHD. He talks about how ADHD peoples minds work with connecting random things together. people with ADHD have inattention speak quickly and always moving. He also talked about how the internet is made for people with ADHD because there is no thinking before typing. He also talks about how the internet is giving people ADHD making people board really quickly. During this video i was able to learn abut two different types of ADHD one that people are born with and one that people are able to get from the internet.
TED Talk #6: Terry Moore: Why is 'x' the unknown?
ReplyDeleteAs I was scrolling through talks to watch, I happened to come across this one. It caught my eye and intrigued me because I had never really stopped to think why the letter "x" is used to represent the unknown. When watching this video, I lost interest very soon. The presenter went in depth as to the reasoning for the use of "x" as the unknown, and described how he found this out while learning the arabic language. It was very hard to follow along what was really happening in the talk, it all seemed to be gibberish for me until the very end of the talk when he tried to make a joke where he said something along the lines of how the letter "x" is used to represent the unknown because in spanish you cannot say the "sh" sound. To be honest I do not think that this joke had anything to do with his presentation, and if it did, he had me lost from the beginning. After watching this video I still do not understand why "x" is used as our variable for the unknown, all I know is that it has something to do with the arabic language and deriving of this through some rule in the mathematics of arabic. I do not recommend this talk to anyone who wants to find out why "x" is used to represent the unknown, because it will leave you more clueless than when you began.
Ted Talk #7 Pixar: The math behind the movies by Tony DeRose
ReplyDeleteTony DeRose talks about Woody from Toy story to walk in a movie that use Coordinate geometry. Mathematics of translation is addition, Scaling making a object bigger or smaller you use multiplication. In pixar the shapes of the characters are detailed and complicated to move the characters pixar uses midpoints the original four points are used to move the figure then points are added by splitting and averaging to turn the character around. Tony explained that you use math thought your childhood the time at pixar.
Ted Talk #8 Looks aren't everything. Believe me, i'm a model by Cameron Russell
Cameron Russell Has modeled for the last ten years and came put in a small black dress then changed to a long skirt sweater and flats she then explained that in what she is wearing now shows a different impression. She discussed about just because the way you look does not define the way you are. Everyone is insecure even models although models might be the most insecure. This ted talk was really inspiring to watch and listen to it goes with the saying don't judge a book by its cover.
TED Talk #5: How movies teach manhood - Colin Stokes
ReplyDeleteThis presentation focused on how gender roles are presented in kids movies and why it is as important to show young girls strong female protagonists, but to show young boys the same heroines. Oftentimes in male-centric children's adventure films, the only female character is the damsel in distress, there to be saved and to be a reward for the victorious hero once the villain is vanquished. This kind of idea can be damaging to young boys, who may see that women exist only as prizes and believe that the same idea applies to the real world. To teach them to respect and work with their female peers at a young age, it is important for young boys to see and identify with female heroes. I very much appreciated the message of this TED Talk, as it focused on the fact that teaching girls to defend themselves is important, but not a solution to violence against women, and on the fact that boys being taught not to commit such acts of violence is a much more effective solution. I liked that the presenter referred to his own son and daughter to give the presentation a personal touch outside of the statistics about sexual assault. There was, however, a small sound issue with the microphone. It is resolved fairly early in the video, however, and does not interfere with the understanding or perception of the presentation. I enjoyed this speaker, and believe that this topic holds great pertinence for our social environment, particularly for parents.
Ted Talk #5: Rebecca MacKinnon: We can fight terror without sacrificing our rights
ReplyDeleteThis talk discusses how the war on terror has been negatively impacting Americans and other Westerners around the world. On one side of the battle, we have Islamic extremist who commit horrible attacks on innocent people, causing more damage and suffering. But looking at the other side of the coin, we see many governments cracking down on civil rights for their citizens. They may be doing it for the best intentions, but they are nonetheless destroying the liberties they swore to protect. Mackinnon argues that in order to truly win the war on terror, is to show that we will not violate our principles in the face of violence. If we show that we will never submit because of safety, we are also showing we will not submit to fear. I wholeheartedly agree with Mackinnon and the points that she brings up. The idea behind the bill of rights was that we would never abolish them in times of panic. What use is the constitution if we throw it out the window when things get hard? Not very useful. By giving up what makes this country great, we are showing the terrorist that we are so frightened and intimidated by them, giving them more propaganda. We have been fighting for years, and they have only grown since then. I thoroughly enjoyed her message, but she was a horrible speaker and did not deliver it that well. However, I still enjoyed the Ted Talk.
Ted Talk #6:Marwa Al-Sabouni: How Syria's architecture laid the foundation for brutal war
ReplyDeleteThe ideas that Al-Sabouni puts forth certainly controversial. A syrian citizen herself, she discusses how the country’s infrastructure helped contribute to the Syrian Civil War. In the past, towns were designed in layers, where different groups of people migrated to the area, and building on top of it. This created a well woven society where people of differing faiths, ethnicity, and beliefs could live in harmony with each other. However when European colonialism came knocking at the door, the government started to modernize. Many of these tight knit communities were destroyed and more modern influences took over, with rows and rows of slums. She suggested that this created a feeling of isolation and lack of community among the citizens. I partially agree with the her and the Ted Talk. No doubt colonialism played a role in upsetting and angering the local population. Leaving behind ancient traditions so rapidly, it’s only natural for some to be upset. When rebuilding what was lost, those who are victorious should certainly consider her proposals. If there is one thing that region of the world needs, it’s unity and a sense of community. However, I feel there are much stronger issues than simply the architecture of the region! The destabilization of Iraq combined with the growth of radical Islam, have certainly played their part. I thought that she did make some very sound points and offered good ideas for a better future.
QUARTER ONE TED TALKS (PT I) - ANNIE HOLLINGSWORTH
ReplyDeleteWhat Makes a Good Life? - Robert Waldinger
Harvard conducted one of the longest studies in history on adult development. They took 700 boys, some from poverty and some from wealthy backgrounds, and checked in with them every two years for 75 years. Out if the original 700, 60 are still participating in the study. For each check-in, the men were given a brief interview on their wellbeing, a set of the same questions about the progression of the previous two years, and were asked for a copy of their medical records. What they've deduced through this study is that the secret to a “good” life, is good relationships. The men with social connections, either romantic romantic, friendship, neighborly, church, children, etc; were happier, healthier, and lived longer.
Strange Answers to the Psychopath Test - Jon Ronson
Ronson, a psychopath “detector,” tells the story of a man he knew named Tony who faked insanity when he was 17 to avoid prison for a minor crime. Tony unfortunately faked being crazy too well, landing him 12 years in an asylum. Tony tried convincing the hospital attendants he wasn't crazy, but everything he did to prove his sanity made them think he was crazier. Intrigued by his visit with Tony, Jon looked into his case. In doing so, he discovered the attendants knew Tony faked being mad, but the fact he lied to manipulate the situation in the first place, among other things, made them believe he was a psychopath. Ronson then talks about traits of a psychopath, saying that one in every 100 people is a sociopath.
Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator - Tim Urban
Most of Urban’s talk is filled with humor as he draws out the imaginary characters inside his procrastinating brain. First is the instant gratification monkey, who doesn't think before he acts and steers his brain to what he calls “the dark playground.” Then there's the panic monster, which is the only that scares the monkey, taking control of his brain the very last minute. His comedic representation of procrastination is engaging and fun, he ends his presentation on a serious note, saying that everyone is procrastinating on something in their lives. He asks the audience what they've always wanted or planned to do, but never got around to.
Why Open a School? To Close a Prison - Nadia Lopez
Lopez talks about the public middle school she opened in a bad neighborhood of New York in 2010. She started with a class of 35, 30% of which had special needs, 86% were below their grade level, and 100% were living below the poverty line. She struggled finding teachers that could relate to the students and there was a lack of funding and parental involvement, not to mention the presence of neighborhood gangs. Lopez calls her students “scholars” because she want to encourage lifelong learning through college and career prep. Humans of New York, a popular Instagram page I myself follow, did a story on one of her students, becoming viral and inspiring many. This lead them to raise 1.4 million dollars, helping to create a better future for the now hundreds of students and graduates.
QUARTER ONE TED TALKS (PT II) - ANNIE HOLLINGSWORTH
ReplyDeleteThe Spellbinding Art of Human Anatomy - Vanessa Ruiz
Ruiz talks about the correlation and relationship between art and anatomy through human history. Since anatomy is a visual science, naturally, it's been portrayed in art over the centuries. She showed many beautiful examples of pieces from the Renaissance, some were even drawn from life. The artists didn't only want to educate the public, they wanted to entertain them through lifelike and sometimes emotional representations. This art developed into the medical diagrams we have in textbooks, but human anatomy still has an impression on art and culture today. Ruiz showed examples of modern human anatomy art from beautiful, anatomically correct body paint to kids toys modified to show what their insides would look like.
A Journey Through the Mind of an Artist - Dustin Yellin
This quirky artist starts his presentation by talking about his fascination with putting things in boxes to preserve them for the future. His childhood hobby developed into in immortalizing nicknacks in clear resin, but eventually decided he wanted to combine this form of art with drawing. He then moved to layering glass to create three dimensional drawings, making pieces up to 18 feet long. His most recent project is life sized glass boxes with three dimensional outlines of people made from pieces of magazines, encyclopedias, dictionaries; anything to represent human culture. He encourages the audience to “shake the box,” work together to create a better future.
Why You Should Talk to Strangers - Kio Stark
We, as a society, are raised to believe strangers are dangerous because we have no context for who they are or their intentions. Stark says we categorize people on their physical appearance, not on their individuality. Even with acquaintances we automatically say almost meaningless greetings like the generic, “how are you? I'm good, and you?” More often than not, people don't actually answer the question honestly. Stark encourages the audience to start a conversation with a stranger by either complementing something they're wearing, or making a comment on some kind of third party or common ground. Studies show most people are more comfortable being open with strangers partially because there's a lack of consequence compared to confiding in someone in your life, and partially because they don't have a bias.
A Life of Rape Culture - Brynne Thomas
Thomas begins by sharing when she realized the presence of rape culture when she was scolded for looking “slutty” when her shoulders were showing in the first grade. As she got older, she began to realize the difference in attitude towards male and female sexuality; women are shamed while men are praised. She advocates the end to asking what a woman was wearing, drinking, or their sexual history in response to their sexual assault. Although disgusting and extremely important, many of the points and stories she shares have been said by many before. But something she said really stuck with me; it's not just women being hurt by statistics and stereotypes, men are presumed to be rapists and predators when a lot of them aren't. I myself perceive almost every strange man, and even men I know, as a threat when realistically 100% of men aren't. It was an eye opening realization.
TED talk #4: Cameron Russell: Looks aren't everything. Believe me, I'm a model.
ReplyDeleteIn this talk, Russell discusses not only all of the things that she has benefitted from to become a model but also how they do not always make her happy. In Russell’s life, she was given the “gift” of being tall, skinny, and pretty. Not only that, but she is also white. I found it very interesting that not only does she talk about the body stigma that exists in our society for young girls, but also about the racial inequality that many people face as they simply exist in the US. I found Russell’s honesty very striking and while she was not the most engaging speaker possible, I thought that she presented a very interesting topic and used the way that the world views her to shine light on the problems that face many people who do not look like her and have not been quite as fortunate as her. My favorite thing that she addressed was when she talked about little girls or boys wanting to be models. Her reaction to this way to ask them why when they could be anything they wanted, like the president or a cardiothoracic surgeon. I think that this is a really poignant message on the ideas that society presents where being a model is more appealing than being a scientist or a writer or anything else in the world.
TED talk #5: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of a single story
I believe that Adichie is an incredibly intelligent woman. She has an incredible take on the world that allows her to see many different views on a single idea. This is especially relevant here where she explores the danger of defining a whole people by one idea. She not only points out the challenges that she faces with people judging her by the single story that they hear about African people in popular culture but also the assumptions that she makes about others. She also makes an interesting point about the nature of power as defining others with one thing. In addition to this, she talks about the importance of including the whole narrative instead of single pieces of it in order to see the big picture and understand the true meaning. She also talks about the nature of stereotypes and how they are not untrue, but rather that they are incomplete. Adichie talks about the need to look at both sides of every story and the need to look farther than the popular views.
TED talk #6: Parul Sehgal: An ode to envy
Sehgal has an interesting view on the nature of jealousy, which she takes apart by using examples from famous novels. She began by telling a story of her childhood jealousy and a funny anecdote on that. While this was a cute story, I felt that it made jealousy seem like a childish emotion that you eventually grow out of whereas her talk argued otherwise, saying that it was a base emotion. I found it extremely fascinating when she pointed out that a large number of famous novels and short stories are centered around jealousy. Her literary examples were cool, starting with Proust, moving to Freud, then to Highsmith, and finally to Conan Doyle. I thouhgt that the examples that she used to prove her points on the nature of jealousy were so effective because they are so well known and are fairly prevalent in popular culture.
Ted talk#1: Mark Plotkin-What the people of the Amazon know that you don’t
ReplyDeleteIn this Ted Talk, Mark Plotkin states, "The greatest and most endangered species in the Amazon rainforest is not the jaguar or the harpy eagle. It's the isolated and uncontaminated tribes." Mark is an ethnobotanist, he introduced the indigenous tribes that belonged to the Amazon as well as the medicinal plant that are used by the shamans to heal. Plotkin discussed the challenges and obstacles that are endangering indigenous tribes of the Amazon. This was a really informative ted talk and it explored how we should uphold the values of indigenous knowledge as much as we do for modern knowledge.
Ted talk#2: Pamela Meyer- How to spot a liar
In this Ted Talk, Pamela Meyer states that everyone is a liar and the the goal to spotting a lie is to understand the truth. She discusses that the truth about a lie is that is a cooperative act and that everyone is against lying but covertly for it. Pamela states that, “Trained Lie spotters get to the truth 90% of the time, while untrained people get there 54% of the time.” Pamela also looks at body language and attitude given when conversing with a deceptive person. Pamela used many science, physiological and psychological evidence to prove her point. This was a good ted talk, however I completely disagree with it. I don't agree with the symbols she used of how to spot a liar, everyone is different especially those from different cultures.
Ted talk:#3 Ken Robinson -Do schools kill creativity?
In this Ted Talk, Ken states that school only teach education and disregard creativity. Ken believes that creativity is s important as education, at school children are taught how to be right and if they are wrong they treat as it's the worst thing. Instead children should be allowed to be creative so they can develop naturally. I agree with Ken, schools do kill kids creativity. As we grow up we lose our creativity for the fact that the education system strip us from our originality.
Ted talk#4: Tidying up art-Ursus Wehrli
Ursus Wehrli showed how modern art should be organized. In this ted talk, Ursus deconstructs famous paintings and organizes them by color, and size. Ursus tries to convince his audience that his new organized and tidied art is doing the late artist a favor since they didn't know better. I really enjoyed this ted talk, it was really funny and entertaining, the only thing that I didn't like was the way Ursus kept breathing into the microphone throughout the ted talk.
ReplyDeleteTed talk#5: The agony of trying to unsubscribe- James Veitch
James Veitch turns his frustration with unwanted email that kept to pop up in his inbox, into a game. James would keep getting email reminders for a store openings that he didn't sign up for therefore he decided to unsubscribe, but the email kept coming. Then to entraine himself he started replying back to the emails until one day he stopped receiving the emails. I can relate to this since I get so many spams to my email that even if I delete it they somehow manage to come back. This was a really funny ted talk that took something frustrating and made it entertaining.
Ted talk#6: Inside the mind of master procrastinator- Tim Urban
In this ted talk, Tim Urban uses his past experience being a procrastinator, he explains that being a procrastinator is not a good thing but he has always had a hard time to stop his bad habits to complete things at the last minute. There are two kinds of procrastinations, one are contained to short term that make you panic at some point and the other happens in situations with no deadlines. Tim also states that everyone is a procrastinator, although some of us are worst than others. I am also a procrastinator as Tim mentioned, I also have hard time trying to get over my bad habit. Even though I am a procrastinator I always manages to get things done on time.
Ted talk#7: The 4 a.m. mystery- Poet Rives
In this hysterical ted talk, Rives provides many evidence behind the significance of the use of 4 a.m. Rives uses evidence of the use of 4 a.m. from an episode of Simpson, multiple songs as well as The Giacometti Code, which was really strange. The evidence the Rives provided were really believable and throughout the ted talk he kept me curious. Rives’s solid evidence made me more and more curious about the the time. I wasn't sure at the beginning of the talk but by then end of it I agree with Rives.
Ted talk#8: 10 ways to have a better conversation-Celeste Headlee
I was drawn to this ted talk because I have a hard time keeping and having a good conversation with people I don't know, therefore I want to get better at it. Celeste states that a conversation requires a balance of talking and listening, this has been lost due to the technologies we use daily. Teenagers are more likely to text our friends that to talk to them face to face. That idea that when having a conversation it's important to show that you are paying attention, according to Celeste it's crap. Celeste then gives tips on how to have a better conversations such as don't multitask, use open ended questions, go with the flow, don't equate your personal experience with the other person, always listen, and be brief. This was a really informative talk and I will begin to use her tips in my future conversations.
#1 Joe Smith: How to use a paper towel
ReplyDeleteA short little talk, about the waste of paper that comes with the use of paper towels, and how that waste can be reduced. Joe states that if every American were to use one less paper towel a day, for a year, over 500 million tons of paper could be conserved. All you really need to do this is shake your hands out before you dry them, and fold the towel, providing more surface area to dry. Joe did a really good job engaging the audience and being funny, especially considering he was just drying his hands on a stage.
Ted Talk #3:
ReplyDeleteMonica Lewinsky: The Price of Shame
In this ted talk Monica Lewinsky is the lady who had an affair with our past president, Bill Clinton. She was 22 when she fell in love with him and when the word was out she was publically shamed and judge by her actions. She talks about how in 12 years the internet has grown. As it has grown there also are down sides to it. Now there is such thing as cyber bulling something that did not exist when she was publically shamed. She talks about how it has to end because it is ending lives of many people especially young people. I agree that the social media is getting bigger and that each time there is more bullying to people based on thier actions, race, skin color, sex and many more.
TED Talk 2
ReplyDeleteI did my second TED talk on the underwater world of caves. As diver Jill Heinerth describes this unknown world the viewer gets an inside look at something we have never seen before. She tells the viewer how she went inside arctic caves and discovered creatures that lived before the dinosaurs! While diving on an island in Bermuda, she found a red dirt on the rocks in caves. Her research team found that this dirt was from the Sahara desert. She also found that they could track the change within the caves from over hundreds of thousands of years ago. She has also been able to preserve cultural artifacts from many years ago as well as create a 3D map of regions in the ocean.; Jill is very accomplished and I also enjoyed this talk because she explained something that I knew little about and she shared the awesome facts about her underwater research.
TED Talk
ReplyDelete#3
I did my third TED talk on John Wooden, Ten National Championships as a head coach at UCLA. This talk was from 2001. He talked about true success. He never defined success by winning or losing. He qualified success as how the team played and if they got better during that particular game or practice. He told the viewers to never try and be better than someone else, and to do the best of your capability. He said that you can outplay a team and lose and vice versa. He was very strict about looking neat and clean as well as starting practice at a certain time and ending at a certain time. He never liked profanity and vowed to never criticizes a teammate. Coach Wooden is perhaps the greatest coach of all time and he is looked up to by many modern day coaches. I enjoyed this talk because I enjoy sports and I wanted tom learn more about how an incredible coaching mind looks at a game so differently than today’s coaches. In our modern world success is defined by winning or losing , but in Coach Wooden’s eyes, success is about how the team plays together and how they compete.
TED Talk 4
ReplyDeleteI did my fourth TED talk on why helmets do not prevent concussions. The presenter of this talk was a man who had played football for over 10 years. He described how there is a growing fear about concussions in our society today. Many people believe that football is the leading cause of concussions, but in reality, most concussions come from bike riding. He tells the audience that concussions are not designed to prevent concussions but to protect the skull. The brain is made of soft substances and is divided into the left and the right lobe. The presenter shows the audience a mouthguard that is designed to collect data from a hit to the head in football. From this data he found out that the brain is more likely to endure a concussion when the head is moved form side to side. He realized that the head was hitting the side of the skull which created the concussion. The presenter says that there will soon be a way to create a helmet that gives the brain more space to move while hitting a softer substance, almost like an airbag. This was a very fascinating and uniquue way to look at the future. I really enjoyed this talk as well. The invention will make helmets more safe and it is great that the secrets of concussions are coming out now.
TED Talk 5
ReplyDeleteThe fifth TED talk that I did was on the beauty of what we will never know. The presenter was Pico Lyer, a man from India who started off by telling a story of how he went to a foreign country and met a man that he followed the whole day along side him. He took him on a tour of the country and soon ended up at the man’s house. Pico was a little afraid and full of uncertainty. The two later parted ways and Pico began to explain his claim. Pico is adamant that humans are not fully living there life if they do not venture into uncertainty. He also claims that when things go wrong you find out who you really are. He says that things that you do not know push you further and will bring you closer to other people. I did not really like this TED talk because the presenter did not spend enough time explaining his claim and did not use enough credible evidence to support his claim. Although he titles his work “The beauty of what we will never know,” the viewers did not get enough persuasion to be able to fully believe Pico.
TED talk 6
ReplyDeleteI did my sixth TED talk on The math behind basketball’s wildest moves. The presenter, Rajiv is a designer of moving dots in software. His crew and him began to study the motion of basketball players. The machine he created first allowed him to see what was moving where, as well as picking up shots and passes. At first it was just the basic moves of basketball. He later completed a complex machine that could tell a user, every single thing about a basketball players movement on the court. His machine has spread to almost every single NBA team. The machine helps coaches and players understand the game better, as well as general managers and owners. For example, say a player will become a free agent at the end of the year. He averages 20 points a game. An owner can look at this complex software and see how he is getting those 20 points. He can tell if the player is making easy shots or hard shots, or really whatever he wants. I lived this TED talk. It is very fascinating to see where the future of data and software will be taking us in just a short amount of time.
TED talk 7
ReplyDeleteI did my seventh TED talk on augmented reality and how it will change our lives in sports. The presenter works with a team of individuals who create this incredibly new reality. He claims that augmented reality will show up in sports by 2023. He claims that for example, in football, fans want to see what there favorite player is seeing. Augmented reality will make it so each fan can see what each player is seeing and can be thinking in the same mindset as the other player. All the NFL teams will use this as it will give them a more precise and enhanced variety of plays on there helmet. For example, imagine if the player did not have to memorize a playbook. They simply could look at the visor in front of there helmet and see the play the coach has called. The presenter also noted that this form reality could be used in different aspects of life, such as in the classroom and at work. I really enjoyed this talk because I am excited to see what the future holds for augmented reality. This opened my eyes to see the incredible possibilities that augmented reality has in store.
#2 Alessandro Acquisti: What will a future without secrets look like?
ReplyDeleteA very thought provoking talk, about how with advancements in technology, privacy can be increasingly eroded. The speaker shows how with a simple picture of someone's face, their identity can be inferred with 9 in 10 accuracy, and their social security number can be inferred with 1 in 3 accuracy. He also brings up that despite the encroachment of technology, privacy does not have to be given up in order for the benefits of the internet to be gained, and uses the Garden of Eden as an allegory for privacy. I agree with the message of this TED talk, and despite not using any sort of social media, have still felt the affects of invasion of privacy, searching for keyboards on my phone, and being bombarded with adds for keyboards for several weeks afterwards.
TED Talk 8
ReplyDeleteI did my eighth TED talk on how to condition outdoor spaces. The presenter, Wolfgang, works with a team to create outdoor conditioned spaces in outdoor stadiums. He used evidence to show that the last four World Cups have had very hot temperatures and this did not make it enjoyable for the spectators. Wolfgang and his team have created an outdoor cooling system that will be able to take the hot energy from the Sun that hits the roof and will be able to turn it into cool air. Wolfgang does not go super in depth about how and why this works, but the thought of a creation like this is incredibly cool. I enjoyed this TED talk but I wish Wolfgang would have gone more in depth in explaining his evidence and why this works. I do not question that his system will work, I do question why and how.
Ted talk #4
ReplyDeleteJane Fonda and Lily Tomlin: A hilarious celebration of life long female friendship
In this TED talk the main focus is on friendship. These two ladies describe what the traits of friendship is and what having such close friends does to you. Ans i agree with them because i think that friendship is really important. I've come to realize what true friendship is and how to tell who is your real frind and who are those that are there just to have fun with. To me there are two kinds of friends, there is those who you run to after something happens and tell them all the details and ask for opinions and then there are the friends you have that are just the ones that you can have fun with and spend quality time with. I have come to realize that i have only two really close friends. Those two friends have been there for me through the toughest times and have been there to support me and tell me what to do in certain situations. Without my two close friends i dont know what i would have done in certain situations.
Ted Talk #5
ReplyDeleteAditi Gupita
This ted talk is about women's restriction to talk about something that happens to every single women, their period. In this ted talk she talks about how much of a taboo word Menstruation is and she talks about how many women are ashamed of it and feel like its not right to talk about. This is very sad tho... as a woman i am proud of what the woman's body does because it is fascinating. It can be annoying i am not going to lie but it is just so amazing to think of what the process of it is. It is amazing to think about how important it is and thanks to it the population grows everyday. I agree with Aditi and i think that girl should be more informed about what is going on with their body instead of just beng surprised with it.
I watched a TED talk and blogger deleted my post!!!!
ReplyDeleteTed talk #6
ReplyDeleteJulie Lythcott- Haims
In this ted talk this woman talks about what parenting should be. I agree with her completely not just because i am a teenager that wants less stress but because what she talks about i am going through. My mom expects the best of me and she expects all A's and she expects that i will go to college and get a career and be successful in life. She expects me to do a lot better than her and i now i expect that of myself as well. I have come to expect the best of me and i know when i slack and i know when i didnt do my best and i regret not doing my best to late. I am a person who likes to be told she is doing things write or doing good or if im making a mistake for someone to correct me, my mom got to the point where when i made a mistake it was the wore thing that could happen because she expects me to be perfect. And like Julie said that she was shaping her kids like bonsai trees but that is not what we are that we are wild flowers because we all have to find ourselves and be able to look for what we want not be the exact checklist f our parents.
TED Talk #3: Stroke of Insight - Jill Bolle Taylor
ReplyDeleteIn this TED talk, Jill Taylor discusses how the stroke she had affected her life and what she learned during her journey of overcoming it. I know some about the brain, but did not realize the extent of the difference in the brain. The left half and right half are not only responsible for different things, however they are responsible for extremely different functions. I thought it was really cool that it can be argued that we have two personalities. The right side of the brain is responsible for the present moment and our emotions and learning through doing. The left half on the other hand is the processing part of the brain, responsible for categorizing events and foreseeing into the future and reflecting on the past. When Jill had her stroke, her left half of the brain did not function correctly for a while. It was very interesting to here about how only having one side of the brain made Jill feel as if she was the energy and essence of the world and that she was everywhere. It is interesting to think about this because our reality is us. Although we believe that we are only a small part of the world, truthfully we are our own worlds. There is no way of knowing that the world is more than a figment of our own imagination since it is our perception that allows us to experience the world. This resonated with me because I have a significant issue with my brain function that I have dealt with for almost four years now. In a way, I can relate to the out of body feeling that Jill talked about experiencing.
Louie Schwartzberg: Nature. Beauty. Gratitude.
ReplyDeleteLouie does time-lapse photography of nature, and his work is fantastic. He says that when people first watch his videos, they say 'oh my God'. He explains that each word has a specific meaning about what the video means to that person. After listening to his explanations, I found myself rethinking all the times that I had said those three words. It definitely got me wondering why I was actually saying the words. I recommend watching and listening to this TED talk about gratitude, especially if you're stressed out. I was able to relax in just under 10 minutes and I'm sure that it'll do the same for you. His photos are incredibly beautiful and awesome.
ReplyDelete#3 Ellen Jorgensen: What you need to know about CRISPR
This talk was about CRISPR, a gene editing program and how it has been hyped up. I first learned about CRISPR from an "in a nutshell" video, and though it was pretty amazing. This talk provided more background information, as well as more grounded uses. From what I heard, CRISPR could be used for creating custom human beings, and potentially stopping aging, and while it may be used for these in the future, it has many practical applications now. It drastasally cuts costs, though a lab must still be used, and it makes practical research much easier. Ellen Jorgensen also brought up if it was ethical to wipe out a species we deem harmful, but I thought we already have, with the eradication of smallpox.
Ted Talk #7
ReplyDeletePico Layer: The beauty of what we will never know
In this ted talk it astonished me to really think about what i do not know and that somethings are better be left unknown and that to know everything does not mean you are smarter but just that you have discovered more than others. Pico talks about traveling around the world and an example i love that he pints out is that he does not like to see the weather forecast but just look out the window and wait for what is to come. I agree in what he says and i think that we live our life to the fullest when we are not always just focusing on what is next but to leave it to come up by surprise so you can learn more about it.
Rives: The Museum of Four in he Morning
ReplyDeleteIf you love coincidences, GO WATCH THIS TED TALK!!!!! It is so crazy. Rives talks about how he reads a poem called Four in the Morning, and then in the weeks following, he continuously sees and hears 'four in the morning'. He did a previous TED talk about it, and after that he received videos and movie clips and comics all saying four in the morning. It's awesome. It all leads up to a great mixtape at the end, which I won't disclose here. Go watch!
#4: Looks aren't everything. Believe me I'm a model. By Cameron Russel-
ReplyDeleteI honestly just watched this Ted Talk because the woman speaking was a model. However this brought to my attention that we are given the things that we are given based on appearance and that maybe if you looked a different way than actually are, then your life might take a different course.
#5: 3 things I learned while my plane crashed. By Ric Elias-
DeleteThis Ted Talk seemed like it would be pretty interesting when I clicked on it and it was because he had a good entertaining story about how he was in a plane crash. However, I didn't really get much out of this Ted Talk. It honestly wasn't the best so I wouldn't recommend it to you (unless you want to watch it).
#6: A life lesson from a volunteer firefighter. By Mark Bezos-
DeleteI really liked this Ted Talk because he had a pretty funny story and he also told a good life lesson. Mark Bezos is a volunteer firefighter. A volunteer firefighter is where u basically show up and find the captain and he tells you what to do. He ended up being the 2nd volunteer on the scene. The first guy was told to go into the burning house and save the woman's dog from the fire. Now Mark was was pretty bummed when he heard that because of coups he would have loved to do that because he would be like a hero and have an amazing story to tell. But of course his job was to go into the house and the woman some shoes(which was not nearly as exciting). But he told this story in a way that if you want to be successful, don't wait to be successful, get up and do it.
#7: How to stop time. By Mike Vardy
DeleteThis was a pretty interesting Ted Talk because he had brought up the fact that whenever anyone is doing something we always put a certain time limit on things or have a due date. We let time control our entire lives. And if we just completely forgot about time, the outcome of whatever we are doing would be so much better. So technically you can't really ever stop time but if you forget about it and don't focus on it at all would figuratively stop time in its tracks.
Sleepy Man Banjo Boys: Bluegrass virtuosity from ... New Jersey?
ReplyDeleteI stopped watching this after 5 minutes. It's a group of brothers, 15, 14, and 10, playing bluegrass. I stopped watching it BECAUSE THEY ARE AMAZING AND SO TALENTED. I have NO other way of describing how awesome they are. This was hardly even a TED talk but it was still super amazing and crazy to watch a 10 year old kid rip on the banjo. They are so talented.
#4 Laura Trice : Thank You
ReplyDeleteThis was a very neat Ted talk, I really enjoy listening to messages that make me reflect on why I do something I do, on a regular basis. Something such as thank you , we use this phrase in many different ways In our lives, when our parents buy us food, when the teacher takes their time to help us or something a little as a waiter refilling your water glass. Laura Trice in this Ted talk asked the viewers to reflect on why we praise, and if we do it with sincerity. This was a great Ted talk, really enjoyed it.
Ted Talk #7
ReplyDeleteLone Wells
How We Talk About Sexual Assault Online
The presentation tart off with the Presenter Lone Wells sharing her experience of sexual assault. She says she wrote her assaulter a letter letting him know that she would not let him or what he had done to her change her life. From this letter she started a campaign By the name #NotGuilty, In which the victims of sexual assault peak out in a safe space were they do not have to be ashamed or feel a if they are responsible for what happened to them. I think the presenter did a great job of getting the audience to feel close to her and bring up the issue in society where we like to blame victim for sexual assault.
TED Talk #1
ReplyDeleteJohn McWhorter: 4 reasons to learn a new language
McWhorter comments that English is becoming increasingly popular, and many people question why it is necessary to learn a new language. He is a very down-to-earth speaker that relates to his listeners. He clarifies his topics with examples and metaphors, and employs a very approachable attitude as he discusses the psychology of languages. I enjoyed his speech and how he discussed how one must learn a culture’s language in order to participate in and understand a culture. He describes language not only as necessary but also as fun. As he describes what many people believe is gruelling task, he reveals passion and devotion to the subject, which makes the speech more intriguing and captivating to the listeners. As a person who has learned English as a native speaker, Spanish in an American classroom, and Russian in cultural immersion in Moscow, I agree with many of his points about how fun language can be and how important it is to explore culture through the language.
#5 Tim Urban : Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator
ReplyDeleteMUST WATCH !!! This was such a good funny Ted talk, this caught my eye especially because as a teenager I know the effects of procrastination so I was curious. First I was like, shoot this gonna be boring, but no I was very wrong, Tim Urban found ways to combine comedy and insightful knowledge to create a very well done Ted speech. I beleive everyone reading this should watch this Ted talk, you will not regre it at all!
TED Talk #2
ReplyDeleteAbigail Marsh: Why some people are more altruistic than others
Marsh examines the psychological reasoning as to why some people are willing to sacrifice so much, and even put themselves in danger, to help others. She gives personal stories that make her more relatable to the audience and serve as an explanation for her fascination in human nature. She gives definitions and explanations to all of her concepts, making all of her points very understandable. I liked that she explained a broad spectrum of psychology in concern with altruism, from psychopaths to people that commit extraordinary acts of selflessness to strangers. Marsh exhibits great passion and personal commitment to her studies and subject. Her use of visuals, from photos to graphs, was also very useful in conveying her message to the audience, and adding more interest and depth. I found her facial expressions, gestures, and eye-contact to be engaging and evoking of my own interest in her story and messages.
TED Talk #3
ReplyDeleteDan Gilbert: The psychology of your future self
Gilbert studies the illusion of personal history and how values change throughout a person’s life. He utilizes graphics to emphasize and build upon his subjects, and expresses his ideas in a relatable manner. He makes both specific and general examples so that each individual can relate to his topic. I enjoyed how animated he was, the enthusiasm in his tone, and his hand gestures engaged me with his speech. I enjoyed his deliverance of the speech and how he captured my interest in these grand topics of change and human development.
TED Talk #4
ReplyDeletePatricia Ryan: Don’t insist on English!
Ryan discussed the loss of languages across the world as globalization increases. I enjoyed how she spoke of her own experiences working as a British teacher to teach English in other countries. She engaged the listener by calling into question the morality of progress in business and universal communication at the cost of losing languages. She simultaneously took a stand in preserving languages across the world, while expressing that teaching English is still important as a major form of communication. I also enjoyed listening to her personal stories about English education requirements and how it creates a stratification due to access to better education. She criticizes how a universal language actually creates more boundaries but then sets a positive tone by calling for a celebration of language, and I admire her ability to both form a call to action while still appreciating all the perspectives.
TED Talk #5
ReplyDeleteMariano Sigman: Your words may predict your future mental health
Sigman examines how language and its evolution influences how humans think and their mental health. In spite of his accent, Sigman was easy to understand and spoke slowly to give his audience time to process his ideas. Although his ideas were fascinating, he was not the most engaging speaker, as he often spoke slowly and was not very animated in his body gestures. His use of graphics was beneficial to understanding the concepts with graphs and diagrams. Sigman includes examples from various cultures and traditions and draws parallels between the evolution of language and human thought within each of them. These examples were fascinating, and built up to his grand ideas of predicting the future of thought. He also used personal examples to draw the interest of the audience and demonstrate how his ideas are applicable to the average life. I enjoyed his passion for his subject, and found his speech to be greatly interesting.
TED Talk #6
ReplyDeleteAlaa Murabit: What my religion really says about women
Murabit uses personal examples from her life to allow the audience to relate to her subject. She speaks about how misinterpretations of religion and culture leads to inequality of women. She uses pictures to emphasize her points while speaking of global concepts like international relations in the context of family and daily life. I was engaged by her facial expressions, hand gestures, and her tone that conveyed her passion. Murabit finds flaws in religious institutions that broadly exclude the leadership of women. Through her tone and her ideas, she expressed pride in her religion, gender, and identity, which I greatly admired. Murabit gave a highly inspirational speech about overcoming taboos and cultural restrictions to start a new, peaceful dialogue for women’s rights in religion.
TED Talk #7
ReplyDeleteJimmy Carter: Why I believe the mistreatment of women is the number one human rights abuse
Former president Jimmy Carter gave evidence and examples from his experiences and his life to relate to his audience and describe how this topic relates to him. Although his face was not particularly expressive, his hand gestures and tone of voice were captivating. I enjoyed his combined use of cultural examples and statistics. He described problems of men attempting to control female intellect, sexuality, and freedom, raising bold questions in the mind of the listeners. I appreciated the connections he drew between the various forms of human rights abuses that women experience, as well as how they perpetuated women’s inequality across the globe. I thought his speech was vitally important in describing the abuse of women and their inequality in society, and it was made yet more interesting to hear a man to confirm and criticize these abuses. The fact that he is both a man and a former president calls into focus these issues into the minds of the total population rather than just women.
TED Talk #8
ReplyDeleteLeymah Gbowee: Unlock the intelligence, passion, greatness of girls
Nobel Peace Prize Winner Leymah Gbowee spoke of her own experiences with the hardship of young girls in trying to achieve respect and education amidst poverty in Africa. Her stories were full of tragedy and compelling sadness. I was engaged by her animated body language and soft yet strong voice. Amidst the despair of the girls’ misfortunes, Gbowee expresses hope in new movements and programs for girls’ education and the power in unlocking their confidence and intelligence. Her stories were inspiring and breathtaking. I was fascinated throughout the entire speech and emotionally moved by the lives of the young girls, with all of their misfortune and hope for the future. Gbowee appeals to human morality and conscience to allow her listeners to process and understand the importance of giving education to young women and removing the obstacles of poverty and sexual abuse.
Ted Talk #8 :)
ReplyDeleteBJ Miller: what really matters at the end of life
This ted talk seems a little boring i am not going to lie and there were moments in which i wanted to look for another one but i was already in too deep so im like oh well... but this ted talk has its moments in which you grasp on to something he says and you truly start to think about what you have in life and that the things that we take for granted sometimes we wish that we had in our most desperate times. This reminds me of when i got in trouble in 8th grade and when i was in the office it was currently 3rd period and it was the day of the mile in PE and as i looked out the window of the superintendent i saw the students run by, and i thought to myself even though i hate to run in the hot whether id much rather be out there than here and its in the most desperate times in which you actually say "i wish that i at least" This put me to think that its sad how we are not grateful even for he smallest things such as waking up in the morning even if it is really early or if we have to go to school, we should be grateful for that, even just for the fact that we can breath because here are plenty that wished they could get a second chance even at life.
Ted Talk #7:Julian Assange: Why the world needs WikiLeaks
ReplyDeleteOut of all the things I expected from TED Talks, I never would of thought they would have Julian Assange speak. Assange is the founder of the controversial website "Wikileaks" where leaked information from governments and companies are published. He goes over the process of how they acquire the information, either hacking or someone send them it, and how they verify it. Julian talks about his motive of justice and truth and how it drives him to do what he does. He publishes the leaks through countries such as Belgium, Iceland, and Switzerland, that protect the leakers. I enjoyed his talk and I really agree with what he is saying. He is also a very charismatic man who knows how to speak to a crowd. He has exposed so many things, from Albanian oil wars to US drone strikes, nothing is out of his reach. He uses his tools for good, and contributes positively to humanity.
#6 Julia Sweeney : It's time for the "talk"
ReplyDeleteThis Ted talk was alright, it was kind of odd and I did not know what it was trying to get across other than the fact that it was quite funny. She told the story of when her little 8 year old daughter started asking about mating, and it was kind of odd. But the audience seemed to like it a lot, but personally from my pov, the Ted talk did not put any specific point across. Watch at your own will...
#1 Do Schools Kill Creativity? By Sir Ken Robinson
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this Ted talk and I agree with a lot of the points that Robinson makes throughout the talk. One of his points that I felt was especially valid was when he said that the current education systems in the United States as well as all other countries in the world are simply training students to be college professors. While it is good to be generally knowledgeable I personally feel that it would be much more effective if schools helped students learn about what they're interested in rather than what is considered important. Robinson also makes the point that schools inspire only certain ways of thinking slowly causing people to lose the creativity they have as children. Robinson also discusses that schools teach us to be afraid of our mistakes. I feel this is completely true and I have learned a lot from my own mistakes. I strongly agree with this and feel that schools’ lack of more creative classes like dance and music is killing creativity.
#2 One Woman, Eight Hilarious Characters. By Sarah Jones
ReplyDeleteI found this Ted Talk to be pretty funny and amusing, but I felt that the actual argument that the speaker was making was somewhat weak. Jones was arguing that identity is something that we create for ourselves and that we have the power to change our identity and she attempts to prove her point by doing impressions based on people in her life. While I found her impressions to be very impressive and funny, she is still acting and that is not her true identity. Yes we can change the way we speak and act, but I feel that it is lying about who we are.
#3 A Simple Way To Break a Bad Habit. By Judson Brewer
ReplyDeleteI found this Ted talk to be pretty interesting as well as informative. Brewer basically explains how humans develop habits through the trigger-behavior-reward process and how this process can be used to our advantage. Brewer explains the concept of mindfulness and how it plays out with habits and our behavior as people. I found Brewer’s ideas on mindfulness to be very interesting and I could see using this idea to kick some bad habits of my own. I also found it very interesting how habits form and how they can slowly change the course of entire lives as well as the lives of those that are close to us.
#4 Why You Should Talk to Strangers. By Kio Stark
ReplyDeleteI found this Ted talk to be the most interesting one I have seen so far. At seventeen years of age I have always been taught to avoid strangers and to not trust anyone, however in this talk Stark argues this point. She tells of some of her own experiences with strangers and how they have helped her and changed her as a person. Stark argues that although we have this perception that all strangers are dangerous and untrustworthy, in reality most strangers aren't dangerous. Stark explains a point that I strongly agree with which is: people need to start living through their senses rather than their fears. Stark argues that this will cause all people to feel liberated and acknowledged. I agree with the point that stark makes and I think that everyone should make an effort to associate with people we don't know to effectively grow as people.
#5 The Future of Money. By Neha Nerula
ReplyDeleteThis Ted Talk really made me think about the way that our society is run and how systematic our reality actually is. Nerula starts her talk by describing an ancient civilization of people called ‘The Yap’ that used to use certain kinds of stones as currency and Nerula describes how our current systems of currency is really not that different then what people have been doing since the start of civilization. Nerula then makes a point that I feel is an essential idea of the talk. Money is only valuable because we make it valuable. Most of the money in the world is now digital and does not have any actual physical form at all causing money to be more of an idea than a physical object. Nerula describes the systems within the big banks and how there is a lot of ‘friction’ in our current systems of currency. She describes the possible long term effects of digital money and how true value is in experience rather than digits on a screen.
#6 The Jobs we’ll Lose to Machines--and the ones we won't. By Anthony
ReplyDeleteGoldbloom
In this talk, Goldbloom discusses what I think is a very large and unique issue for my generation, which is the threat of machines taking over everyday jobs. Goldbloom explains that when it comes to completing manual tasks machines are much more effective and useful than human beings. I find it very interesting how something that we are creating is causing such a large problem for ourselves. Goldbloom does make the counter argument that there are many jobs that require people because machines are ineffective when they are presented with an issue that they have not come across before. Although computers and machines have incredible and innovative abilities, there is an element to life and interaction in many businesses that machines simply cannot achieve. While there are many jobs that machines will inevitably take over, this talk caused me to realize that there is also an equal or even possibly greater number of jobs that will be created in the future as a result of machines and advancing technology, so maybe the issue will correct itself. Overall I was very interested by this Ted Talk.
#7 Why You Should Know How Much Your Co Workers get Paid. David Burkus
ReplyDeleteI found this talk to be very important and I feel it spreads an idea that we should all acknowledge. The idea of salary secrecy within businesses has been used by businesses and organizations to discriminate against workers and to save money for generations. Companies spread the misconception that knowing how much our co workers get paid will cause chaos and arguments within the workplace, but Burkus argues the opposite and says there is growing evidence that income transparency will lead to more collaboration and calm in the workplace. I feel that it is unjust for companies to use this as a tactic to not pay people the wages that they deserve. Burkus makes the point that it is nearly impossible to make an argument for a raise in salary without knowing how much your co workers make to use as a comparison. This is no secret to companies and I do not see any reason that companies will stop implementing this tactic anytime soon.
#8 There is No Such Thing as Not Voting. By Eric Liu
ReplyDeleteI decided to watch this Ted Talk because of the extremely unusual and worrisome election that we currently have between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Liu explains how elections have changed over time and how they used to be very joyous and full of celebration and how now, in the U.S., elections have become very petty and uncivilized. Liu argues that as people we should actively participate in the electoral process rather than sitting back letting things happen. Liu explains that not voting is not even a sensible option even when both choices seem dire like they seem to with our current election. Voting is a very important part of being an American and I feel that we need to treat this the way that we used to actually acknowledging the importance of elections and the way they impact countries.
#7 Gever Tulley : 5 dangerous things you should let your kids do
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this Ted talk, the speaker seemed sort of nervous, but his mesage was very important. He talked about how some times we can be to safe, and with out experiencing the dangers of the world, we cannot grow to our full creative, outgoing potential. The first one was "play with fire", and this reminded me of when I was about 10 and I was campin with a bunch of friends and family and I got to make my own fire. Being able to create something and control something as powerful as an element such as fire, is defenilty a stepping stone on becoming confident and brave. I really liked this Ted talk, you should watch !
#8: Life is short, Family is forever. By Jane Carlson-
ReplyDeleteThis Ted Talk really got me thinking because she she told a short story about how her and her husband went to a bike repair shop and her husband ended up being 2nd cousins with the guy that worked there who he had never even met before. Jane Carlson then brought up the point that you could easily be related with anyone around you and never even know it. Watching this Talk made me want to go through and look at who my ancestors were because you might actually find out some pretty neat stuff. For instance Steve Jobs went out to a restaurant for dinner one day(just a local place that he's been to a couple times) and shook hands with the manager there who ended up being his birth father. So you just never know.
TED Talk #5 - This what LGBT life is like around the world - Jenni Chang and Lisa Dazols
ReplyDeleteIn this TED talk we see these two woman, (Jenni Chang and Lisa Dazols) who identify as lesbian and members of the LGBTQ+ community. They start off by saying how they came out and how one of the woman's parents were convinced that it was western civilization that "made" her be gay. So her and her wife, went on a trip to try to find what they claim as "super gays", who are people from all over the world who identify and whom are proud to be members of the LGBTQ+ community. Chang who proudly says, "I have no limitations to my life, because I'm gay" is very right, in the sense that she (and every other LGBTQ+ person) can do anything a straight person can. I really enjoyed this TED talk because, it was such a uplifting TED talk about being proud of who you are. And I can relate to this TED talk since I am a person in the LGBTQ+ community, and I really like to see that their is people out there, who are like me that have no shame of being who they are and fight for their rights and what other beliefs they have.
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TED Talk #6 - Why we need gender- neutral bathrooms - Ivan Coyote
In this TED talk, this gender non conforming individual, Ivan Coyote gives the essential statement of "why we need gender-neutral bathrooms". They were born a woman, but grew up as a non-stereotypical "girl", but grew up as a "tomboy". So they gave off their experience of not knowing what bathroom to go to, to simply go pee or change their clothes. They tell us that this started when they were young, not knowing what gender box they conform in. So they decided not to conform and live their life as a transgender person. So people give them the answer of "just use the men's bathroom if you can't use the woman's". But what they respond back is that they shouldn't have to go into a bathroom of a gender they don't identify with. You see Ivan is a gender non-conforming individual. And Ivan proposes that we should make gender neutral bathrooms so those who don't conform can still go to the bathroom in a safe environment, and not worry about being harasses for how they dress or look like.
TED Talk #1
ReplyDelete“The magic ingredient that brings Pixar movies to life” - Danielle Feinberg
I really enjoyed the TED talk because of my love for Disney and Pixar. I've also always been interested in how animation actually works. Danielle works for Pixar and had always wanted to be an artist. She became a scientist instead because of her love for math, science and programming. Once she started working at Pixar she was able to combine all her loves. I learned a lot about how the lighting aspect in particular is done. They use scientific research to make it as realistic as possible while also creating the story. They take the light rays, movement of water and particles into consideration to portray the story correctly. The magic of the Pixar movie comes from the lighting itself. The shadows or illuminations can change the mood of the scene while also bringing a character to life. The light in a character’s eyes also demonstrates their attitude and feeling towards the others in the scene. I would recommend this TED talk to any fan of Pixar, Disney or someone who appreciates animation.
TED Talk #2
“This is what happens when you reply to spam email” - James Veitch
I thoroughly enjoyed this TED talk because of the speaker’s sense of humor. His talk described his interactions with scammers. He responded to spam emails with witty and funny comebacks. His overall intention was to see what would happen but then realized how fun it actually was to mess with them. He realized that the more time he spent wasting their time was less time they were spending scamming innocent people. His jokes and remarks were smart and quick. The audience seemed to enjoy the talk and was excited to see what his responses her to the scammers. His comedic timing was great and really enhanced the overall effectiveness of the talk. I would recommend this talk to anyone who appreciates smart humor or someone who just needs a good laugh.
TED Talk #3
ReplyDelete“Less stuff, more happiness” - Graham Hill
This TED talk discusses the basic positives of having less stuff and less space. The less stuff and space would lower carbon emissions and debt. The decrease in space and stuff would increase the overall happiness of the person. Graham himself lives in a very small space and lives by rules to make it successful. His first rule is to edit ruthlessly and get rid of the unnecessary items. His second rule is think small to accommodate the smaller space. This could mean buying items that stack or nest in itself so that it takes up less space. The last would be to make multifunctional products that can be multiple things or appliances all in one. The benefits of living in a smaller space are apparent when truly dedicating yourself to it. He does make it clear that we can all get rid of things that we don’t need that would be smaller steps to living a smaller life. I liked how he got his point across with the slides of pictures to help visualize while also making the box a symbol for the potential lifestyle and mentality change.
TED Talk #4
“Two poems about what dogs think (probably)” - Billy Collins
This TED talk was by Billy Collins who is also a poet. He performed two poems about the different thought processes of dogs. The first poem was about a dog who loved his owner and appreciated all their time together despite the age difference. He loved the connection between himself and the owner. The second poem was about a dead dog that hated its owner. It described everything they disliked such as the collar, sweaters, etc. This dog liked some things about the owner but overall did not appreciate them. He mentioned he had to refrain himself from biting the owner or disturbing them when they slept. I thought this talk was okay. I really enjoy dogs so I thought it was going to be more focused on their actual speculated thought process but was surprised by the short poems. I appreciated the two poems artistically but did not really like how they were performed by the poet. It was in a dry monotone voice whereas it might’ve been more entertaining if it was read with expression and enthusiasm.