Ned Does TED

In which I watch a TED talk every day for a year.

[neddoested]

January 31

The video:

http://www.ted.com/talks/joe_smith_how_to_use_a_paper_towel.html

My thoughts: This talk was selected mostly for the laughs, and to celebrate one month of doing this! I can't believe I haven't missed a day. The good news is I will never forget how to use a paper towel now: Shake and Fold!

[neddoested]

January 30

The video: 

http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement.html

My thoughts: Internet has been down a few days, so that's why I am so late! I liked this video a lot, as it used humor to make its point, but I realized that it left off on a note that may have been to positive. The talk was about starting a movement, and Sivers did a nice job explaining how to (i.e. nurture early followers), but what happens when the movement comes crashing down?

[neddoested]

January 29

The video: 

http://www.ted.com/talks/bjarke_ingels_3_warp_speed_architecture_tales.html

My thoughts: I am almost at a month! I can't believe it. This was another good talk. No future in architecture for me, but I am glad Bjarke Ingels and people like him exist. I love that he invoked Darwin (of course I do...) in his architecture. I am excited that building is being done that reflects the needs of communities and the environment. I think his point that sustainability is sometimes painful was well taken, but I am glad he is re-imagining buildings so that sustainability increases quality of life. I wonder how I can increase sustainability in a non-painful way...

[neddoested]

January 28

The video:

http://www.ted.com/talks/guy_hoffman_robots_with_soul.html

My thoughts: Straight up, robots freak me out. There is no getting around it. I am amazed at people like Guy Hoffman who can look at robots and see soul in them. I think it is really awesome that he drew on acting and teamwork in creating robots who are responsive and reactive in very human ways. I am confident that I will interact with a robot in the future, and I hope that Hoffman or people like him design them because I want them to have soul. This talk made me wonder what else could use a little bit of acting infusion, although maybe that's just the actor in me.

[neddoested]

January 28

The video:

http://www.ted.com/talks/nilofer_merchant_got_a_meeting_take_a_walk.html

My thoughts: Wow, I need to get up. I was lying down when I watched this after sitting down on my butt all day watching TV. Although I don't think I will have an office where I need to exchange ideas, as Merchant suggests, I wonder how I could increase my students' creativity while getting them physically engaged.

[neddoested]

January 26

The video: 

http://www.ted.com/talks/sally_kohn_let_s_try_emotional_correctness.html

My thoughts: Emotional correctness. I think I could maybe get behind it, except I still think that there is something missing. I guess it is hard to iron out all of the details in 5 minutes, but I feel like just saying something nicely or without malice doesn't make it better. Even if you drop the N bomb or the F bomb nicely , you're still saying those words that have a historical connection to hate... On the other hand though, I think that there is something to be said for Kohn's idea that perhaps we can't talk out our differences if we don't hear each other. I think the problem is that some people probably don't want to listen...

[neddoested]

January 25

The Video: 

http://www.ted.com/talks/pamela_meyer_how_to_spot_a_liar.html

My thoughts: Good talks are supposed to freak you out, right? Meyer's talk about lying made me realize that pretty much everything is a lie, and that sometimes lies aren't so bad because they help us connect wishes to reality. On the other hand, it is pretty grim to know that I both lie and get lied to at least ten times a day. She made a compelling point that when we get lied to, we are complicit in the act because we are agreeing to be lied to, but I am not sure how I could avoid that. Two goals for today: don't lie at all, and see if you can spot a lie in someone else. She taught me some cool tricks, like duping delight, over-formality and distancing. This will serve me well on the retreat I am about to go on with my students!

[neddoested]

January 24

The Video: "Positive Psychology" by Martin Seligman

My thoughts: I am glad people stopped using powerpoint presentations in TED talks. They are really gimmicky. Given that this TED talk was ten years old, and I have learned about it in my college coursework, I feel like it was less stimulating than I had hoped. Oh well! It was still a good talk, and I am really glad that my job is meaningful and that I am engaged in something both important and bigger than myself. According to Seligman, these factors are important for a happy life, as is pleasure in the form of friends. I'll take that!

[neddoested]

January 23

The video:

http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_keep_your_goals_to_yourself.html

My thoughts: Wow, I guess I should keep my goal to watch a TED talk every day to myself...

[neddoested]

January 22

The video:

http://www.ted.com/talks/arthur_benjamin_the_magic_of_fibonacci_numbers.html

My thoughts: Fibonacci numbers are super cool! Wow! I have heard of the golden ratio before, but this was a really cool one. It got cut off, but I liked the little bit I saw. Math should be about inspiration, as should all learning. 

[neddoested]

January 21

The Video:

http://www.ted.com/talks/neil_harbisson_i_listen_to_color.html

My thoughts: Boy, this may drag on for a really long time, huh? I watched a pretty cool talk tonight, but with some scandalous implications. Basically, Neil Harbisson's message was that he had a really good experience being a cyborg, and that he thinks other people might, too. I can feel myself being horrified by that idea, and simultaneously know that in 50 years I will sound ridiculous -- bigoted, even-- for having such a negative opinion about the fusion of technology and the human body. Lots of fuel for thought. 

[neddoested]

January 20

The video: 

http://www.ted.com/talks/lucy_mcrae_how_can_technology_transform_the_human_body.html

My thoughts: Well, I don't understand inside-out perfume, but I am pretty intrigued by the Lucy McRae's work. It seems like the kind of stuff that will be in museums sometime. I, too, am really interested in how technology interfaces with Biology, and I love that her work has an artistic bent to it. I should get back into taking pictures...

[neddoested]

January 19

The Video: 

http://www.ted.com/talks/peter_norvig_the_100_000_student_classroom.html

My thoughts: Oh, MOOCs. There is so much there. I am very biased against them; I'd like to think that my private liberal arts degree is better than I could get sitting at my computer. Based on how much I've learned over the past twenty days though, I am starting to wonder if learning can actually take place online, after all. I am sure Peter Norvig did a lot of things right, that if not in place, would have lead to a disastrous experience for the students. Maybe I should make my thirty day challenge to try an online course... I'll get back to you.

[neddoested]

January 18

The video:

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation.html?embed=true

Mt thoughts: This is getting hard! I missed posting this yesterday after I watched the video, as I was not feeling well. Damn Chinese food gets me every time, but I love it! I also really enjoyed this video. Although I have no intention of ever joining a business, it made me wonder how I motivate my students and don't reward creativity as much as I should. Pink made a point that autonomy is key, and so going forward I'll do my best to make my students autonomous, but providing as much choice as possible. Of course, in classic TED form, I am not sure what this will look like though... Hmm...

[neddoested]

January 17

The video:

http://www.ted.com/talks/matt_cutts_try_something_new_for_30_days.html

My thoughts: I want to try something new for 30 days, but I am not sure I want something that bad. In a lot of ways, this is my 30 day challenge, only it is a year long challenge!

[neddoested]

January 16

The Video: 

http://www.ted.com/talks/bryan_stevenson_we_need_to_talk_about_an_injustice.html?embed=true

My thoughts: What a great talk by Bryan Stevenson. He taught me so many important things, but what I will take away is something I already knew-- I just needed to be reminded. He said in his talk that everyone is more than the worst thing they've done. A liar is more than a liar. A killer is more than a killer. An arsonist is more than an arsonist. That really spoke to me, and really highlighted his message of humanity and the need for courage in changing the justice system. In America, we incarcerate far more African-Americans than white people, largely due to the fact that, as Stevenson said, " the opposite of poverty isn't wealth; it is justice." I would love to learn more about his initiative to change the justice system to be, well, more just, but he reminded my of our mutual humanity, and that was great!

[neddoested]

January 15

The Video:

http://www.ted.com/talks/deb_roy_the_birth_of_a_word.html?embed=true

My Thoughts: Deb Roy is one smart dude, although he makes interesting choices in fatherhood. His talk takes his audience through how his son developed speech by videorecording every room in his house. I got so caught up in the creepiness of it all that I think I missed the profound parts. There were definitely lots of pictures, but what I took away was that there are networks and people talk to each other. Yeah, I probably missed something...