Without any qualification whatsoever, I can tell you this: If you haven’t heard of the TED Talks, you are in for a complete and utter BLAST!!! What they are is a compilation of talks from inventors, scientists, educators, musicians, and flat-out inspiring people who don’t happen to fall into any one category.
Ground Rules: On any given TED talk, even God would have a maximum of 20 minutes to get his point across. In short, there are no long boring TED talks. If you only do one really nice thing for yourself today, choose one…or all of these talks as a sampler. I envy those who haven’t seem them yet and the ones below are only a handful of more than 1000 such talks. The creme de la creme de la creme.
After five minutes, Sir Ken Robinson, who at times seems to be channeling Michael Caine, will just blow you away with his wit, wisdom, and suggestions for how we should be teaching our children. It’s BRILLIANT.
Yves Rossy: In the first five seconds, you’ll ask yourself, What am I looking at? Then, Oh my God… and it takes off (literally) from there.
Aimee Mullins: If she were my daughter I’d be making a ten-foot sculpture of her. Inspiring, human, understated.
Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity
Yves Rossy: Fly with the Jetman
Aimee Mullins: It’s not fair having 12 pairs of legs
Please, if you haven’t dipped your toe into TED water, I guarantee you’ll be glad you did. I was turned-on to TED close to two years ago. A friend sent me a link to Ken Robinson’s lecture above. I am eternally grateful to William G. (Bill) Carpenter for that link. Thanks, Bill.
And I’m saving the weirdest (for me) and most mind-boggling for last. For reasons utterly unknown, I just received an e-mail beginning: “Dear Henry, you have been nominated to be a TED Lecturer.” I’ll keep you posted how this odyssey turns out. When the e-mail came in this morning, my wife opened it up and said, “You’re not gonna believe this…” I’m still walking around talking to the trees.
And…since this blog is kind of pre-empting my usual blog, it’s posted as well. It’s a very very irreverent assessment of our STATUS SYMBOLS around the country, around the world, and around Bucks County, where Pam and I live. Hope you enjoy it. Here’s the link: http://henryharveybooks.com/uncategorized/strange-status-symbols/
Gonna, have two fingers of Jack Daniels now and celebrate. Thanks friends…and thank you whoever you are that gave the heads-up to to TED about our weird little world.
Henry
Yes the TED talks are incredibly good! I love them.
Congratulations, Henry! I look forward to what you will talk about in your TED lecture!