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Cynthia Betubiza

TED
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Stories by Cynthia Betubiza:

Experiences: Notes from Session 6 of TEDSummit

Live from TEDSummit 2016

Experiences: Notes from Session 6 of TEDSummit

Bodacious beats: Kenyan musician, producer and DJ, “Blinky Bill” Sellanga simultaneously brought the house down and the TED audience to their feet with a lively, genre-bending musical performance. “My, oh my,” he sings: “What a wonderful feeling.” Sexual assault, social media and justice. One night, walking home from London’s Tube, Ione Wells was followed home, grabbed from behind, []

Organizing principles: Notes from Session 5 of TEDSummit

Live from TEDSummit 2016

Organizing principles: Notes from Session 5 of TEDSummit

Do we have the vision and the energy to confront seemingly impossible problems — like predatory corporations, political deadlock, the wasted potential of millions of refugees? Session 5 rounded up people who are jumping right in. A call to action on fossil fuels. Costa Rica, climate advocate Monica Araya’s native country, gets almost 100 percent of []

Building blocks: Notes from Session 3 at TEDSummit

Live from TEDSummit 2016

Building blocks: Notes from Session 3 at TEDSummit

What are the tools we’re using to build the future? Session 3 speakers go deep on what’s next in finance, energy, business and the structures we live in. The next generation of trust on the Internet. For many online transactions, we rely on middlemen like banks and government to establish trust — but these systems face growing issues like []

Things we think we know: Notes from Session 2 of TEDSummit

Live from TEDSummit 2016

Things we think we know: Notes from Session 2 of TEDSummit

In Session 2, our speakers debunked received wisdom, looked critically at common knowledge — and restarted conversations we thought were closed. Here, our report:  Antique lamps, new sound. Brothers Ryan and Hays Holladay opened Session 2 completely unseen. In near pitch-black darkness, broken antique lamps lit up one by one — each perfectly matched with an electronic musical []

The view from the mountain: Notes from the TED Fellows session at TEDSummit

Live from TEDSummit 2016

The view from the mountain: Notes from the TED Fellows session at TEDSummit

The TED Fellows program brings together young world-changers from many fields, from art to tech to activism, and encourages them to mix and combine and think big. On Monday morning we heard from a representative sample … Graffiti’s unifying vantage point. Street artist eL Seed shares the story of his most ambitious project yet: a mural []

A legacy that will outlive us: Notes from Session 1 of TEDSummit

Live from TEDSummit 2016

A legacy that will outlive us: Notes from Session 1 of TEDSummit

TEDSummit is a gathering of TED’s tribes — our speaker community, volunteer translators, TED Fellows, TEDx organizers, partners and  more. In Session 1, we shared mainstage talks that sparkled with optimism for humanity — now and deep into our unknown future. Ideas that stand the test of time. TED’s curator, Chris Anderson, opened TEDSummit with a throwback []

A meditation on the soul: Lesley Hazleton at TEDSummit

Live from TEDSummit 2016

A meditation on the soul: Lesley Hazleton at TEDSummit

on

What is a soul? Lesley Hazleton, an “accidental theologist,” prodded the TEDSummit audience with this provocative question, tracing the cultural, religious and societal origins of a remarkably intangible human hallmark. The body and soul used to be considered two equal physical entities — in fact, Descartes theorized the soul was located in the brain’s pineal gland. Meanwhile, []

10 years of TED Talks keeping pace with history

Impact of Ideas

10 years of TED Talks keeping pace with history

on

In 2006, TED started putting talks online for free, a milestone in democratizing ideas worth spreading. Since then, the world has seen monumental shifts in history, including the rise and fall of revolutions, the roar of a deadly epidemic, the largest-ever leak of government secrets, an astronomical discovery predicted by Einstein and the election of []

A  redesign for death, a monument hidden in plain sight and the intelligence of a bird brain

In Brief

A redesign for death, a monument hidden in plain sight and the intelligence of a bird brain

on

A design competition to reimagine death. 100 percent of the human population will die, and yet, why don’t we design for this inevitable outcome? OpenIDEO, design and innovation firm IDEO’s online innovation platform, has launched a new public design challenge to “reimagine the end of life experience.” BJ Miller is an advisor on the project []

A new take on an old school, the diet myth, and protecting North Korean women

In Brief

A new take on an old school, the diet myth, and protecting North Korean women

on

Abandoned school turned maker space. Theaster Gates turns Chicago’s abandoned buildings into thriving hubs for art and education. His next project? Turning an old elementary school into a maker space. Gates heads Place Lab, a think tank that fuses the brainpower of urban planners, architects, artists and other diverse professionals to create “culture-led neighborhood transformation”. []

Opening day for Venice Biennale, an invisible landmark, and an economist’s look at Uber’s surge pricing

In Brief

Opening day for Venice Biennale, an invisible landmark, and an economist’s look at Uber’s surge pricing

on

The TED community has been very busy over the past few weeks. Below, some newsy highlights. 121 years of celebrating art. Originally an art exhibition, the Venice Biennale is a tradition stretching back to 1895 and has expanded over the years to include events for music, theater, film, dance and architecture. Opening on May 28, []

A basic income pilot, the history of the gene, and the future of transportation

News

A basic income pilot, the history of the gene, and the future of transportation

As usual, the TED community has lots of news to share this week. Below, some highlights. A real-world test of basic income. Too often, humanitarian aid donations of food and materials, while well-intentioned, aren’t what the recipients actually need. But what about a different approach: giving people a basic income to spend however they like. []