What an amazing man and great storyteller. Spent 22 years walking an sailing around the world. He started when he saw 1/2 million gallons of oil empty into San Francisco Bay he swore off using a vehicle or anything that required oil. He spent 17 of those years he didn't say a word. He stopped speaking so that he could stop arguing. He felt it could help him learn to listen. Although he reevaluated his vow of silence on his birthday every year. That lasted 17 years during which he earned a BA, MA and PHD. It took him 7 yrs and a day to walk across the country. The best thing, he says, is learning to listen. What started him talking again was when he realized that we, people and how we treat each other is truly part of our environment. He became a UN Ambassador (though i'm not sure what kind). He felt that he had a responsibility to help change others and he felt it was the only way he could have significant impact. We have to leave behind our security and go to the place we must go. We have to do something now, we have to change now.
website
Showing posts with label TED2008. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TED2008. Show all posts
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Al Gore Activist "How dare we be optimistic
I'll start with the end where Al quoted an African proverb when ask what he will do next:
If you want to go quickly, go alone.
If you want to go far, go together.
He announced the launch of the Alliance for Climate Protection scheduled to launch worldwide in April 2008.
I took reams of notes, there was so much value in what he said, but bottom line you really have to watch the video when it comes out. His key messages were about activism and the link between climate change and poverty, It's not just about changing out lightbulbs or adding solar panels, but it's about being active as citizens in our democracy as citizens of the world. In a way I think he was talking about accountability. We are accountable to our planet, it's people and the environment. He calls it a unified earth challenge. More than a local challenge, more than a regional challenge, it's a global challenge and we are able and in fact we MUST get engaged and do something big now. Our generation CAN be the one to force change, our generation CAN be the one to change the cycle, CAN be the one to make a difference, but only if we hold ourselves accountable. We need to initiate a worldwide mobilization effort. We did it after WWII we can do it now. We can change the world.
We have to force the media to engage, to ask the tough questions, to make sure we know where the candidates stand on the issue. Less than fraction of a percent of the questions relate to global warming. We have the will, we have the technology, we just need a commitment to hold ourselves accountable. he cited the example of Australia where the citizens forced the Kyoto accord to be an issue and shortly after Australia became the second to last to sign the accord. The only remaing hold out is the USA.
If you want to go quickly, go alone.
If you want to go far, go together.
He announced the launch of the Alliance for Climate Protection scheduled to launch worldwide in April 2008.
I took reams of notes, there was so much value in what he said, but bottom line you really have to watch the video when it comes out. His key messages were about activism and the link between climate change and poverty, It's not just about changing out lightbulbs or adding solar panels, but it's about being active as citizens in our democracy as citizens of the world. In a way I think he was talking about accountability. We are accountable to our planet, it's people and the environment. He calls it a unified earth challenge. More than a local challenge, more than a regional challenge, it's a global challenge and we are able and in fact we MUST get engaged and do something big now. Our generation CAN be the one to force change, our generation CAN be the one to change the cycle, CAN be the one to make a difference, but only if we hold ourselves accountable. We need to initiate a worldwide mobilization effort. We did it after WWII we can do it now. We can change the world.
We have to force the media to engage, to ask the tough questions, to make sure we know where the candidates stand on the issue. Less than fraction of a percent of the questions relate to global warming. We have the will, we have the technology, we just need a commitment to hold ourselves accountable. he cited the example of Australia where the citizens forced the Kyoto accord to be an issue and shortly after Australia became the second to last to sign the accord. The only remaing hold out is the USA.
Paul Collier economist
It's all about ideas for creating opportunities for the worlds poorest people.
He's focusing on one of his 4 big ideas wrapped around what he calls the "commodity boom".
He says that the revenue from commodities in countries where the "bottom billion" live far exceeds the funding for aid to those same countries, so how can we make this "change the world".
Currently the "bottom billion are experiencing the fastest economic growth rate ever. The key is to sustain it and according to Collier is how do you sustain it. He cites Canada, Australia and Finland as doing it right. It requires very strong checks and balances and these countries simply don't have them. He feels a key component is transparency, creating interest concern and effective action to ensure that there is indeed long term benefit. If society is uninformed, they can't act. he challenges us to help figure out:
How to extract resources our of the ground and benefit the country. He infers that what happens now is that big traders and government ministers carve deals that benefit them but not the long term economic health of the populace. If we could establish standards we can support the reformers who are struggling, and ensure transparency so that the general populace knows what is going on and can prevent the backroom deals that benefit big corporations and insiders.
website
Book: The Bottom Billion
He's focusing on one of his 4 big ideas wrapped around what he calls the "commodity boom".
He says that the revenue from commodities in countries where the "bottom billion" live far exceeds the funding for aid to those same countries, so how can we make this "change the world".
Currently the "bottom billion are experiencing the fastest economic growth rate ever. The key is to sustain it and according to Collier is how do you sustain it. He cites Canada, Australia and Finland as doing it right. It requires very strong checks and balances and these countries simply don't have them. He feels a key component is transparency, creating interest concern and effective action to ensure that there is indeed long term benefit. If society is uninformed, they can't act. he challenges us to help figure out:
How to extract resources our of the ground and benefit the country. He infers that what happens now is that big traders and government ministers carve deals that benefit them but not the long term economic health of the populace. If we could establish standards we can support the reformers who are struggling, and ensure transparency so that the general populace knows what is going on and can prevent the backroom deals that benefit big corporations and insiders.
website
Book: The Bottom Billion
johnny lee what can you do with a Wii?
OMG, an electronic whiteboard, 3d head tracking, all with a Wii. unbelievable stuff, and johnny offers free downloads on his website. you gotta see it to believe it.
website
website
Friday, February 29, 2008
helen fisher anthropologist (of love)
college students were asked:
have you ever been rejected by someone who you really loved?
have you ever dumped anyone who really loved you?
95% said yes to both
"romantic love is one of the most powerful sensation" on earth she says and so she studies it's "biochemical foundations and its vital importance to human society". she's studying data now on
people who had suffered a romantic loss. she has learned that romantic love is a basic drive (not the same as sexual drive). it's an addiction and it's great when good and horrible when it's not going well. you crave, you distort reality, you take enormous risks you wouldn't normally take.
indeed she says "romantic love is one of the most addictive" things on the planet. her newest experiment is testing people who are still in a long relationship and say that they are still deeply in love to try and determine the origins of love and why we can walk into a room full of people who may be similar and be romantically attracted to one.
closing: "love is in us and deeply embedded in our brains."
website 1
website 2
have you ever been rejected by someone who you really loved?
have you ever dumped anyone who really loved you?
95% said yes to both
"romantic love is one of the most powerful sensation" on earth she says and so she studies it's "biochemical foundations and its vital importance to human society". she's studying data now on
people who had suffered a romantic loss. she has learned that romantic love is a basic drive (not the same as sexual drive). it's an addiction and it's great when good and horrible when it's not going well. you crave, you distort reality, you take enormous risks you wouldn't normally take.
indeed she says "romantic love is one of the most addictive" things on the planet. her newest experiment is testing people who are still in a long relationship and say that they are still deeply in love to try and determine the origins of love and why we can walk into a room full of people who may be similar and be romantically attracted to one.
closing: "love is in us and deeply embedded in our brains."
website 1
website 2
Richard Preston science writer
Incredible author, he's written some scary stuff on everything from ebola to cobras to bioterror to.....redwoods! so what up with that? it seems that he tired of the horrific nature of his other work, though that's not clear.
he spent much of the time talking about redwoods, which are near and dear to me having spent 7 years of my life living amongst them. that being said, i never would have actually thought about climbing one, yet he's climbed the tallest. he has found berries, mosses, lichen and all kinds of interesting other life.
richardpreston.net
he spent much of the time talking about redwoods, which are near and dear to me having spent 7 years of my life living amongst them. that being said, i never would have actually thought about climbing one, yet he's climbed the tallest. he has found berries, mosses, lichen and all kinds of interesting other life.
richardpreston.net
Paul Stamets mycologist/mushroom scholar
a man who spends all his time with mushrooms. he has 22 patents and rails against mushroom prejudice. he thinks that there are thousands of uses and applications for mushrooms, from antibiotic and other medicinal uses to terraform planets "by sowing a mix of fungai spores and other seeds." ways to address global issues:
1. using mycellium to absorb oil (think oil spills!). the mushroms absorbed the oil, killed the smell and attracted other life forms
2. a rare fungus that grows in US forests is being used for flu viruses, defense purposes..........problem these guys only grow in old growth forests
3. used against insects and could revolutionize the way we deal with this..
people are giggling, openly asking if he's a nut or not...did he eat too many of the wrong kind?
4. econol, a mushroom derivative which could be used for energy
"I believe engaging mycellium can save the world"
really really, out of the box stuff in one way, but in another way so cool in its simplicity and the potential!
www.fungi.com
1. using mycellium to absorb oil (think oil spills!). the mushroms absorbed the oil, killed the smell and attracted other life forms
2. a rare fungus that grows in US forests is being used for flu viruses, defense purposes..........problem these guys only grow in old growth forests
3. used against insects and could revolutionize the way we deal with this..
people are giggling, openly asking if he's a nut or not...did he eat too many of the wrong kind?
4. econol, a mushroom derivative which could be used for energy
"I believe engaging mycellium can save the world"
really really, out of the box stuff in one way, but in another way so cool in its simplicity and the potential!
www.fungi.com
Robert Ballard Ocean explorer
talking about how little we really know about our oceans. 50% of USA lies under water and he says we know more about mars than our own oceans. 15% (whoops, did he say 25%?) of our planet is a 42,000 mile long underwater mountain range we didn't even explore until after we hit a golf ball on the moon. one of the things he talks about is how much of the worlds natural resources lie under the sea. they discovered bacteria that emulated photosynthesis where no light is available, creatures never before seen, all kinds of life, hydrothermal vent systems, etc.
he's totally frustrated at our lack of knowledge, he knows that going to the unknown on our planet we may find many answers. he's beginning to disseminate information and motivate children to explore and dig for knowledge earlier than any one else. he ended with comments about how we have great opportunities with existing technology to learn so much more, to use so many things to our benefit.
mysticaquarium.org
jasonproject.com
he's totally frustrated at our lack of knowledge, he knows that going to the unknown on our planet we may find many answers. he's beginning to disseminate information and motivate children to explore and dig for knowledge earlier than any one else. he ended with comments about how we have great opportunities with existing technology to learn so much more, to use so many things to our benefit.
mysticaquarium.org
jasonproject.com
Brian Cox british rocktsar physicist
100 billion suns in our galaxy and 100 billion universes, 13.7 billion years old. an attempt to recreate the conditions 1 billionth of second after the birth of the universe. what is particle physics and cosmology? in an attempt to understand who we are and where we come from, he's driven to understand what happened in the very first billionth of a second after the birth of the universe. although insanely complex he is a great presenter and is able to demystify it just enough to make one think they understand. we'll see if i really do.
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