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Lauren McAlpine

Lauren is an administrative assistant at TED. She moonlights as a writer and donut connoisseur.

Stories by Lauren McAlpine:

Insanity. Humanity. Notes from Session 8 at TED2018

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Insanity. Humanity. Notes from Session 8 at TED2018

The seven speakers lived up to the two words in the title of the session. Their talks showcased both our collective insanity — the algorithmically-assembled extremes of the Internet — and our humanity — the values and desires that extremists astutely tap into — along with some speakers combining the two into a glorious salad. []

What on earth do we do? Notes from Session 6 of TED2018

Live from TED2018

What on earth do we do? Notes from Session 6 of TED2018

This beautiful blue marble, our shared earth: On a sunny morning in Vancouver, we pack into the darkened TED theater to learn more about its mysteries, its challenges, and how we might help it thrive. There’s no shiny “nature porn” here (well, maybe a little bit) but a clear-eyed look at what’s going right and []

Nerdish delight: Notes from Session 3 of TED2018

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Nerdish delight: Notes from Session 3 of TED2018

For the Session 3 of the conference, TED Head of Curation Helen Walters says, “We’re throwing off all pretense of cool.” Seven speakers are queued up to discuss the latest advances in their fields of technology. And while the gadgets do all different things, they share one crucial function: the power to make jaws drop. []

Doom. Gloom. Outrage. Uproar. Notes and feelings from Session 1 of TED2018

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Doom. Gloom. Outrage. Uproar. Notes and feelings from Session 1 of TED2018

Let it be noted, says co-host Chris Anderson, that this year’s TED started with a roaring cheer and with a scream of anguish. Our job this week is to explore what’s amazing, in every sense of the word, from the jaw-droppingly wonderful to the shocking and urgent. So Chris and co-host Helen Walters have decided []

Into the fray, undaunted: Notes from TED Fellows Session 2 at TED2018

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Into the fray, undaunted: Notes from TED Fellows Session 2 at TED2018

To commence TED Fellows Session 2, multi-hyphenate Paul Rucker takes the stage with his cello. (Spoiler alert: you will see him later in this writeup showcasing another artform.) Inspired by his mother, who learned to play the organ through a mail-order course, Rucker taught himself how to play this instrument. But right here on the []

Reimagining the future: Notes from TED Fellows Session 1 at TED2018

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Reimagining the future: Notes from TED Fellows Session 1 at TED2018

Forget those miserly folk who hoard their best for the last — TED believes in starting strong. Kicking off TED2018 is Session 1 of the TED Fellows, who count among their ranks artists, activists, scientists, researchers, conservationists, thinkers and changemakers of all kinds. The Fellows program now total 453 individuals from 96 countries. In this []