TED talks - Ideas Worth Spreading: Summary: Beginning in 1984 and becoming an annual conference by 1994 in Silicon Valley California, TED talks are now widely available through YouTube. In around 20 minutes, presenters give a lecture on topics which concern us and the modern world. Whether that be technology, philosophy, psychology, climate change, sleep, work, poverty or even orgasms. Past presenters include: Malcolm Gladwell, Bill Clinton, Gordon Brown, Richard Dawkins, Bill Gates, Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and many Nobel Prize winners. A few of my favourite talks - Click the image of the talk you wish to watch. #1 : John Kay : Obliquity - How Complex Goals Are Best Achieved Indirectly Time: 20:25 My Source: YouTube Last viewed: 10th September 2013 Rating: 8/10 Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BoAtYL3OWU Summary: I discovered John Kay after reading an article of his in the Financial Times and then typed him into Google. He is a lead Economist, a fellow of John's College Oxford and a visiting professor at the London School of Economics. So, he's quite clever! By using real life examples Kay explains how the best way to achieve our complex goals is by using indirect routes. To highlight this, Kay paraphrases a quote from John Stuart Mill who was a keen advocate of his own philosophy (naturally) Utilitarianism and the maximisation of happiness. However, being unhappy himself led Mill to conclude: "I now thought that this end [happiness] was only to be attained by not making it the direct end. Those only are happy who have their minds fixed on such subject other than their own happiness.". This is my favourite TED talk because it reminds me not to focus too much. Not to not think that everything I do will directly result in what it is I hope to achieve. That sometimes luck, someone you know or some turn of events may be what plays a crucial role in your success. #2: Elanor Longden: The Voices in My Head Time: 14:18 My Source: YouTube Last viewed: 18th September 2013 Rating: 9/10 Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syjEN3peCJw Summary: A fascinating insight into schizophrenia whereby Elanor Longden gives a detailed, personal account of her own struggles with paranoid schizophrenia which began at university. She also describes how she overcame the voices in her head, what she went on to achieve (extremely impressive) and delivers a powerful message to all psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health care professionals, families and friends of those suffering and to, of course, those who are suffering with schizophrenia themselves. I find this video uplifting because it is so incredibly positive. Which is a breath of fresh air in mental health rhetoric! #3: Philip Zimbardo: The Psychology of Evil Time: 23:11 My Source: YouTube Last viewed: 25th September 2013 Rating: 7/10 Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsFEV35tWsg Summary: Many know Philip Zimbardo as he brought psychology one of its most famous and emotive field experiments - The Stanford Prison Experiment (1971). In a some-what extension of this, Zimbardo talks about the psychology of evil in this TED talk. Beginning with God's favourite angel Lucifer (Satan or Iblis/Shaytan in Islam) Zimbardo uses the arc angel's cosmic transformation into the devil as a way of explaining the transition from good to evil in human beings. Zimbardo calls this 'The Lucifer Effect', which he has written a book about of the same title. - The Stanford Prison Experiment Documentary (BBC): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_LKzEqlPto The most viewed talks so far - Click the underlined portion to view the talk. Sir Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity (2006): 8,660,010 views Jill Bolte Taylor‘s stroke of insight (2008): 8,087,935 Pranav Mistry on the thrilling potential of SixthSense (2009): 6,747,410 Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry demo SixthSense (2009): 6,731,153 David Gallo‘s underwater astonishments (2007): 6,411,705 Tony Robbins asks Why we do what we do (2006): 4,909,505 Hans Rosling shows the best stats you’ve ever seen (2006): 3,954,776 Arthur Benjamin does mathemagic (2005): 3,664,705 Jeff Han demos his breakthrough multi-touchscreen (2006): 3,592,795 Johnny Lee shows Wii Remote hacks for educators (2008): 3,225,864 Blaise Aguera y Arcas runs through the Photosynth demo (2007): 3,007,440 Elizabeth Gilbert on nurturing your genius (2009): 2,978,288 Dan Gilbert asks: Why are we happy? (2004): 2,903,993 Stephen Hawking asks big questions about the universe (2008): 2,629,230 Daniel Pink on the surprising science of motivation (2009): 2,616,363 Barry Schwartz on the paradox of choice (2005): 2,263,065 Richard St. John shares 8 secrets of success (2005): 2,252,911 Mary Roach 10 things you didn’t know about orgasm (2009): 2,223,822 Simon Sinek on how great leaders inspire action (2010): 2,187,868 Chimamanda Adichie shares the danger of a single story (2009): 2,143,763 (Source: http://blog.ted.com/2011/06/27/the-20-most-watched-tedtalks-so-far/)
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Alainah Rook
BA Criminology & Sociology
University of Kent Third year undergraduate Twitter: Alainah_NTR E-mail: [email protected] kent.academia.edu/AlainahR Archives
July 2014
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