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Lunch » People » dalydose » Lists » TED Talk 101 - An Intro in 5 Chapters

TED Talk 101 - An Intro in 5 Chapters

Dec 12, 2010

by dalydose

I had heard about TED Talks, but I never really paid them much attention as I wasn't interested in listening to a bunch of academic lectures with no frameable prize as a goal. When I saw the app for my Windows Phone 7, I decided to try it out and I'm starting to get hooked. CURSE you TED for making me learn on my own time with unassigned lectures that I see...well...just because.

Unlike the lectures in college, the TED Talks are relatively short and are given by pretty accomplished individuals. I don't pretend to agree with everything that is said, but I have yet to not come away without at least considering the speaker's position or perspective. I'm considering it a graduate study in life applied academics and I invite you to join me.

The following respresent what I think to be a nice 5 part introductory course. There are no testsso you're on the honor system. This is also an interactive learning experience so if you have any TED Talks that you recommend, please let the rest of the class no about it in the comments section. :)

Steven Levitt: Why do crack dealers still live with their moms?

This is the one that got me started. I admit that I'm a bit of an Economics nerd with that being one of my areas of study in college. The title also intrigued me. On top it all, this was the economic mind behind Freakonomics. This TED Talk brought economic analysis to a non-traditional situation and made it interesting for a wider audience.

Marcel Dicke: Why not eat insects?

This was the first TED Talk that I watched on my new Samsung Focus - A Windows Phone 7 device. The title drew me in, not because I had previously thought about eating insects, but rather that the thought was so far removed from my mind. I was interested to hear someone make the case. He did a great job, even though I won't be partaking in the 8 legged feast anytime soon. Well, not on purpose anyway.

Jessica Jackley: Poverty, money -- and love

OK, this has been the most passionate talk I've heard so far. Jessica Jackley isn't just talking either, she is speaking from experience on the front lines. I love her energy AND her "can do" actions. She was very inspiring and I highly respect her and her work. I'm not even going to introduce her topic, I'll let her tell you.

William Ury: The walk from "no" to "yes"

Interesting perspective. I have watched this one a couple of times because there is such a diverse reaction to it. There are people who love it and call it inspiring, others think it say very little and call it a waste of time. I think the concepts described by this Anthropologist can cause people to think about thinking about situations from a "3rd side".

Tony Porter: A call to men

I'm not sure what I think about this one. I disagree with so much of what he said, but can't deny that it made me think about some things. I embody many of the attributes of what he calls the "man box", but I would never link to the horrible end results he says come from the "man box" issues.

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joekeays December 31, 2010

I have found the videos of Space Exploration including life on Mars fascinating. Other videos related to the Heath Field are very cool as well. You can also find the guy who invented the multi-touch screen which was sold to Apple for the IPhone, IPad technology. It was cool to see this video 2 years before the IPhone was released.

dalydose January 13, 2011

Joe! You found me on Lunch! :) See, you're probably smarter than me so that science stuff makes sense to you. I studied Economics and Political Science so those social science things appeal to me. Although, I am a gadget dude too so the multi-touch screen...also available on my Windows Phone 7 device...is of interest as well. Bill Gates is going to be a curator this year and although he is mostly philanthropic now, I imagine that we'll be seeing some tech stuff too. Some overlap might be in delivering broadband to economically challenged areas.

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woopak_the_thrill December 13, 2010

pretty sweet list! I was not aware of this--thanks!

dalydose January 13, 2011

You'll probably find something of interest in the vast and ever growing TED library. They have apps for most smartphones and that's how I keep up with what's new.

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devora December 12, 2010

Awesome list, JD! I've recently been watching more TED talks and I love all of these :) Have you seen the TEDx talk that Brene Brown gave on the concept of wholeheartedness? I think you would dig that, too. Thanks for my Daly Dose of enlightenment ;)

dalydose January 13, 2011

Deb! Yes, I have seen the Brene' Brown talk. It is really good too and I've posted it on Twitter and Facebook! Hmmm...should I add that one to the list here?

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