After a short hiatus (mostly consisting of feeding a baby and cleaning up her poop), I thought I would come back to Ted Talk Tuesday with something on the lighter side. In this talk, Terry Moore explains how the letter “x” came to symbolize an unknown factor – not only in mathematics, but in many other arenas as well. By the time you get to the end, you will have the one sentence answer to the question: “Why is “x” the unknown?” And, like Terry Moore, I think it’s worth sharing.
And now for something completely different. The video above is a product of TedEd and a collaboration of TED speakers and animators. Visualizing this particular talk from John Lloyd really brings to life his subject. When we discuss that which is invisible (and that which we don’t know), we are reminded just how little we do know. I think that, in itself, calls into question how anyone could be considered an “expert” on anything. I guess an expert is just someone who knows more than others about a subject. Or, more aptly put, a person who doesn’t know even less than others. (Think about it. It’s true.) I hope you enjoy this picture of the invisible!
There is really nothing for me to add to the words of Joshua Prager. Take 18.5 minutes to listen to the words of this man and his incredible journey of self and others.
Rose George doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would be preoccupied with poop, and yet, she has made the discussion of human feces her life’s work. Her questions and subsequent research tell the tale of a subject that is so taboo that we would rather let millions of people die than to discuss it.
On a recent trip to Kenya, I was told that many of the people you see walking around every day, from educated professionals to the poorest of the poor, suffer from diarrhea every single day. As you can imagine, such a chronic intestinal issue not only causes major health problems, but also causes other issues like fatigue, loss of appetite and even psychological and emotional disorders – issues that immediately handicap developing nations as they struggle to compete in our global economy.
Yes, poop is an economic driver, a social driver and a killer. Fortunately, we can do something about it, if only we will become more willing to talk about it.
Another quick talk this week, which seems only fitting, since this one is about ways to save time. David Pogue is a well-known technology columnist and author who drops in here with some useful time-saving tech tips. You may be aware of some or most of these, but chances are you’ll learn something new. Go ahead and try them and save yourself a few seconds here or there. That time is sure to add up!
We sit more than we sleep. Nilofer Merchant calls sitting “the smoking of our generation.” So, how does she suggest we combat our sedentary ways? Well, if you have a lot of meetings, she’s got an answer in the form of a unique way of multi-tasking. In this short talk, Merchant reminds us that not only is movement good for our physical well-being, but it creates a spark in the mind as well.
