Psychopaths, Invention and the Impossible

At the end of November, I made the first post for a newly-begun goal:

062. Watch 100 TED/TEDx talks

As I decided to make a post for every five talks that I watched, here comes post number two!

Shigeru Ban: Emergency shelters made from paper

A fascinating talk by Shigeru Ban, an architect who has experimented with building materials like cardboard tubes. His constructions have come to help people in many disaster-struck areas including Rwanda, Japan and Haiti--they're quick to assemble, strong, and resilient. Watch the video to discover the full extent of what he has designed with the humble cardboard tube, from cubicles to churches.

This is definitely one to watch.

Steve Ramirez and Xu Liu: A mouse. A laser beam. A manipulated memory.
Alright, so I clicked on this one purely for the attention-sounding title. It sounds like something from science fiction, doesn't it?

But these guys have done something incredible: they have proven that memory can be manipulated, feelings attached to memories removed or changed.

It may well sound like something out of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but this is something actually happening!

I dislike the use of animals for testing, but the possibilities behind this are huge. (Now if only they could test their theory on a human...!)

A great one to watch if you're interested in science, but avoid if you find images of laboratory mice upsetting.

Jon Ronson: Strange answers to the psychopath test

In this talk, Jon Ronson, author of The Psychopath Test, tells the of discovering how medical professionals 'spot' psychopaths, meeting an incarcerated psychopath, and the discovery that we've all got a little psychopath inside.

Amusing and engaging, his talk throws up some valid questions as to how we categorise people as being 'dangerous' or 'psychopathic'.

It's also accompanied by some animations and sound, which add to the entertainment factor. Worth a look!

How to find and do work you love | Scott Dinsmore | TEDxGoldenGatePark

Career strategist Scott Dinsmore set out to discover why 80% of adults hate their job, and what the other 20% are doing differently. Through tonnes of research, he's created a three-point Passionate Work Framework in order to help everyone find and do the work they love.

When I clicked on this one, I thought it might be filled with guilt-tripping (as a lot of 'how to get a job' videos and articles are) but it was refreshing and interesting!

Martin Villeneuve: How I made an impossible film

As the title suggests, filmmaker Martin Villeneuve made an impossible film. 'Mars et Avril' was a Canadian sci-fi created to excellent standards--using virtually no money (nothing compared to the usual movie budgets, anyway!) In this talk, he explains how he did it.

This is a really inspiring video to watch and one of my favourite TED talks so far. It shows that the 'impossible' really can be made possible.
(P.S. I really want to see that film!)


These talks bring my count up to 10! 1/10th of the way there doesn't sound so cool, but I'm learning about a lot of new and awesome things!