TEDBlog December, 2011 Archive
31 December 2011
What’s it like to give a TEDx talk? Speakers tell their stories
Barefoot Foodie onstage at TEDxBGSU. Photo: Enoch Wu
If your New Year’s resolution is to give a TEDx talk yourself — or to silence your inner monologue that thinks “I can’t do public speaking” — read a few of these stories, written by people who got up on the TEDx stage this year. They’re brave, prepared, and honest about what it takes to take the stage.
For instance, here’s a dialogue that Brittany Gibbons, the Barefoot Foodie, had with a friend before TEDxBGSU this fall:
I don’t know how to be good at this, Andy.
You will be amazing.
Or this could be the biggest thing I fail at, ever.
Unlikely. Nothing could beat you half slipping into the grave hole at my grandma’s funeral.
Well that’s for sure, they should mark those better.
Janice Tanton felt the same way before speaking at TEDxCalgary:
It took me two weeks to think through whether or not I could do this — to break through the safe, quiet solititude of my cocoon-like studio and step into the stage spotlight to share.
… and she came through with a deep insight into why we feel this way:
Fear, in my opinion, is just a misguided form of creativity.
Security expert Jeremiah Grossman has given hundreds of public presentations. But when he started to lose his anxiety and nervousness about public speaking … it felt wrong:
Had I finally overcome? I’m not an introspective person so it wasn’t until very recently that I think I figured it out. In 2011 my public presentations weren’t pushing the envelope as much as in years past. The content was good to be sure, but it also focused on “safe” business level subjects and incrementally advancing work from previous years. In short, I really wasn’t putting myself out there as far as I’m used to. In my case, the feeling or fear and terror arises when pushing forth an idea or a concept and unsure if people will think its uncompelling or totally idiotic. A chance you take.
That’s about when I got a call from the TED offering a speaking slot in TEDxMaui. We got to talking about my work and discussing an idea worth spreading. It didn’t take long. Then all of a sudden I’m thrust right back into fear and terror mode, but now that I understand it, the feeling is almost comforting. It signals that I have an opportunity to take things in my industry, in our industry, to a new level — or of course drive right off a cliff. Either way it’ll be a good show! :)
“Everyone should give a TED talk,” writes Doug Johnson, after being inspired at TEDxPhiladelphiaED:
So here is my question: Could you give a TED talk inspired by a personal passion for what you do? What would it be about? What would others learn from it? What makes you look forward to the next day even after a rough time at work? What do you take time to reflect on?
(Doug gave a TEDxTalk himself last year at TEDxASB, so he knows what he’s talking about. He says: “These TED talks are tougher to do than one might think.”)
Verena Delius spoke at TEDxBerlin, and in her prep, she discovered the upside of the 18-minute limit:
TED limits your talk to a maximum of 18 minutes. This leads to clearer thoughts, a clearer structure, stronger take-aways and a more concise train of argumentation of the speakers. You can´t spend too much time on irrelevant points that don´t bring across a message and you have to focus on the important points.
And in a guest post on Jeff Goins‘ blog, John Yates shares “Four Keys to Speaking at Your Next Local TEDx Talk.” Here’s one of his insights after a day at TEDxNashville:
1. Be an amateur: David Mead, a Nashville singer-songwriter, told a story of his friend who was humble enough to admit he had never heard of the Beatles, which deeply resonated with me. I thought: How many times have I missed out on learning amazing new things, because I wanted to appear as an expert?
Do you have a story of speaking at a TEDx — or insights from attending one — that you’d like to share? Hit the comments below, or write a blog post and let us know about it!
26 December 2011
Countdown: 18 ideas that will change the world in 2012
All month on the Huffington Post, we’ve been counting down 18 great ideas from 2011 that we think will change the world in 2012 and beyond. Today’s post ends the countdown with a powerful idea: Kids save the world! Watch John Hunter’s TEDTalk on his World Peace Game and read his essay on the Huffington Post.
And catch up on all 18 great ideas — with original essays from the speakers (and friends) that bring their ideas right up to date at the end of a turbulent, fascinating year. From world politics to new technologies, from education to psychology, recap the ideas that we think (and we hope!) will shape the coming decade.
See the full #18Ideas countdown on the Huffington Post >>
23 December 2011
When NORAD tracked Santa: Bruno Bowden on the TED Blog
A TED Blog premiere video: At this year’s TEDActive, in Palm Springs, engineer Bruno Bowden tells the amazing story of NORAD’s quest to track Santa — and how Bruno’s employer now continues the quest:
Read more on the official Google Blog >>
(This year’s countdown begins Dec. 24 at 2am Eastern.)
23 December 2011
There are no scraps of men: Alberto Cairo on TED.com
Alberto Cairo’s clinics in Afghanistan used to close down during active fighting. Now, they stay open. At TEDxRC2 (the RC stands for Red Cross/Red Crescent), Cairo tells the powerful story of why — and how he found humanity and dignity in the midst of war. (Recorded at TEDxRC2, November 2011, in Geneva, Switzerland. Duration: 19:03)
Watch Alberto Cairo’s talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 1,000+ TEDTalks.
22 December 2011
How to stop torture: Karen Tse on TED.com
Political prisoners aren’t the only ones being tortured — the vast majority of judicial torture happens in ordinary cases, even in ‘functioning’ legal systems. Social activist Karen Tse shows how we can, and should, stand up and end the use of routine torture. (Recorded at TEDGlobal 2011, July 2011, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Duration: 14:20.)
Watch Karen Tse’s talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 1,000+ TEDTalks.
20 December 2011
A prosthetic eye to treat blindness: Sheila Nirenberg on TED.com
At TEDMED, Sheila Nirenberg shows a bold way to create sight in people with certain kinds of blindness: by hooking into the optic nerve and sending signals from a camera direct to the brain. (Recorded at TEDMED 2011, October 2011, in San Diego, California. Duration: 16:00)
Watch Sheila Nirenberg‘s talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 1,000+ TEDTalks.
Learn more about our content partner TEDMED >>
Watch more talks from our friends at TEDMED on TED.com >>
19 December 2011
The quest to understand consciousness: Antonio Damasio on TED.com
Every morning we wake up and regain consciousness — that is a marvelous fact — but what exactly is it that we regain? Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio uses this simple question to give us a glimpse into how our brains create our sense of self. (Recorded at TED2011, March 2011, in Long Beach, California. Duration: 18:43)
Watch Antonio Damasio’s talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 1,000+ TEDTalks.
16 December 2011
An unexpected place of healing: Ramona Pierson on TED.com
When Ramona Pierson was 22, she was hit by a drunk driver and spent 18 months in a coma. At TEDxDU she tells the remarkable story of her recovery — drawing on the collective skills and wisdom of a senior citizens’ home. (Recorded at TEDxDU, May 2011. Duration: 11:13)
Watch Ramona Pierson’s talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 1,000+ TEDTalks.
16 December 2011
Here comes the sun!: Fellows Friday with Manuel Aguilar
What exactly does Quetsol do?
We aim to alleviate rural poverty by providing micro-scale appropriate-technology solutions. Specifically, we sell solar kits — combinations of small solar panels, batteries and other components — that give our customers renewable electricity to power light bulbs and charge mobile phones, laptops and a variety of other devices at a price that’s cheaper than candles. Besides a 10-watt unit that powers a LED bulbs and mobile chargers, we’re launching a 75-watt system that powers large devices like TVs, radios, and computers. We also have a 30-watt unit in the works, which will power a laptop.
Our entire target demographic is rural villagers whose primary access to light is candles — we design with their needs in mind and in collaboration with them. We ask our customers about the design, and according to their feedback we evolve the products and make necessary adaptations. We’re soon going to open-source everything, so that not only will people be able to fix the systems themselves, but build them from scratch if they want to — not just in Guatemala and Latin America, but anywhere.
How did you get involved in this project? What’s your background, and how did you get excited about identifying these people and these needs?
I grew up in Guatemala City and went to Harvard to study astrophysics and physics. Afterwards, I worked for a few years in finance, which got me thinking a lot about natural resources and consumption and the way the world is being currently administered, at least with regard to natural resources. It also got me thinking about the severe lack of basic services giving rise to dire humanitarian consequences — poverty, health problems, lack of education. When thinking about how to best spend my talents and time, I thought, “What better way than to help solve these problems for my own country and people?” It seems the gravest difficulties are the ones we pay the least attention to. Because they seem so insurmountable, we just kick the can down the road. I got tired of having that attitude.
I know it appears that astrophysics to solar energy is a big leap. I was always really interested in astrophysics as a personal, philosophical, spiritual pursuit, but life is so short, and the problems facing us so big and so easily solvable at the same time. I couldn’t justify to myself locking myself away in a closet without looking at them.
15 December 2011
Enter Ads Worth Spreading and TED could visit your agency
We’re only two weeks away from the December 31 deadline for Ads Worth Spreading – TED’s initiative to recognize and reward innovation, ingenuity and intelligence in advertising. Please remember to enter before the holidays are here, as good intentions to submit your incredible work might give way to celebrations and vacations.
As a holiday bonus, we’ve got great news! Five agencies who enter the Ads Worth Spreading initiative will be randomly selected for a visit from TED. Our team will curate a special session for your agency, staged in the first half of 2012. These agency visits are designed to spark deeper conversations between TED and the global marketing community.
We look forward to seeing your work on the Ads Worth Spreading channel on YouTube, and to the possibilities of visiting the incredible places where you work, live and create.
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