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TEDxHarvardCollege 2017

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STARGAZING

TEDxHarvardCollege 2017

Based on the premise that we are not special, Loeb argues for modesty from a cosmic perspective. His "principle of cosmic modesty" implies that both primitive and intelligent forms of life should exist away from Earth, and we should therefore search for them without prejudice. Abraham (Avi) Loeb is the Frank B.

How do images alter our sense of justice? Social media has changed how we ingest images. Protests, state violence, natural disasters, grief and loss are all played out in photos and videos in real time unlike anything we thought possible just a few decades ago.

Archaeologists, historians, scientists at Harvard and elsewhere are breaking down the silos that divide our traditional disciplines. If we come together and combine DNA, archaeology, ice cores, history, linguistics, and digital humanities, we will end the divide between "the two cultures" of Science and the Humanities.

In her talk, Floriane Kameni reveals the tools to mastering realistic portrait drawing as she believes it is a skill, not a talent, that anyone can master. Floriane is a senior from Paris and Seattle studying Neurobiology at Harvard College. She has spent almost a decade studying realism and hyperrealism in the art of portraiture, most specifically in pencil drawing.

Flavor images in our brains guide our metabolic health. These images are shaped by our perception of scent. As we better understand the action of scent on metabolism, digital scent will not only help us eat better, but plunge us into an emotive conversation with life on the planet that crosses barriers of language, culture, and even species.

The stories we encounter inform how we parse the world around us--and how we locate and define ourselves within it. For Writer Jay Edidin, using narrative as an adaptive tool for navigating life and identity as an Autistic adult leads to a deeper investigation of who is and isn't represented in fiction--and how what we see in stories limits what we recognize in real life.

Incite Insight

TEDxHarvardCollege 2016

Incite Insight

TEDxHarvardCollege 2016

Many individuals are wondering why data-driven platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, and Google are becoming so successful at generating creative content. In his talk, Smith explains how the ability of these platforms to promote content to customers with unique preferences has led to creative freedom within the industry.

It might appear to us that our individual selves are stuck in the present space and time of our bodies. In her talk, Brenda reflects on the power of poetry and, specifically, memories in allowing us to escape the "time machine" of the present.

What usually happens is that we throw out the food, and it ends up unused in a dump site. In his talk, Philippe explains how better, controlled use of our leftovers can offer a renewable energy source. Philippe Noël is currently a freshman at Harvard College.

In his invigorating talk, Justin explains why we should reject the Electoral College system, and instead, pursue a national popular vote. Justin Curtis is a sophomore at Harvard College. After becoming interested in public policy after interning for his local congresswoman, Justin continues to explore the intersection of American history and politics at Harvard in his involvement with the Harvard Political Review and Harvard College Democracy Matters.

In revealing many of the hidden connections between a liberal arts education and nursing, Sana explains why we should think about nursing in a profoundly new way. In revealing many of the hidden connections between a liberal arts education and nursing, Sana explains why we should think about nursing in a profoundly new way.

Even though many people assume languages to be very different, Edward Gibson's goal is to show how languages are more similar than we think. In his talk, he explains why languages are designed for efficient use. Edward Gibson is an MIT professor whose background is in mathematics and computer science.

Even though doctors are sorted into specializations, how are we able to understand diseases that lie across multiple parts of the body, and, thus, multiple specializations? In her talk, Finale explains how AI and machine learning can be harnessed to solve such a problem. Finale Doshi-Velez is an assistant professor in Computer Science at Harvard.

Every day, we see that the media and populus of the US become more and more fragmented as extreme polar forces continually gain power. In his talk, Mark Penn explains how current campaigns' rising appeal to couch potato voters has led to divisiveness within the nation.

9 billion surviving thriving in 2050

TEDxHarvardCollege 2015

9 billion surviving thriving in 2050

TEDxHarvardCollege 2015

World population is increasing--slowly. But world population is aging--rapidly. Social epidemiologist Lisa Berkman walks us through changes in global population demographics and the challenges that population growth--and aging--pose to public health. Lisa Berkman is a social epidemiologist whose work focuses extensively on social influences on health outcomes.

How can we bring energy to the world's poor? Harvard chemistry professor Dan Nocera, inventor of the artificial leaf, argues that personalized, solar-based energy is the key to global sustainable energy consumption. Dan Nocera is the inventor of the artificial leaf, which was named by Time magazine as the Innovation of the Year for 2011.

Solar geoengineering, or injecting aerosols into the atmosphere, could dramatically halt the effects of climate change. Harvard Professor of Applied Physics David Keith argues that solar geoengineering could be a radically effective way to halt climate change--and deserves serious, systematic research program by the US government.

Imagine a world with ubiquitous, affordable space travel, where getting in a spaceship is no stranger than getting in an airplane. Harvard undergraduate Nina Hooper, an astrophysics student, shows how mining asteroids for platinum could be the way to make space travel cheap and accessible to civilians.

The poet is always in a foreign country. Poet Sarah Howe shares a beautiful, melodic poem about crossing borders to find the China her mother left behind during the Communist Revolution. Sarah Howe is a British poet, academic and editor. Her first book, Loop of Jade, is shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection.

Pain and tragedy are universal. In the midst of the rubble of Palestine, photojournalist Eman Mohammed set out to show the pain of Palestine through portraits of loss and survival from all over the world. Crossing borders, decades, and tragedies, Eman shows that no matter where you are, the war is always just a walking distance away.

What are the top three causes of death for Harvard graduates? As it turns out, mental illness, extreme sports, and car accidents while traveling in developing countries. Ziad Obermeyer, an emergency physician, discusses how applying best practices in the emergency room in developing countries can drastically improve health outcomes--for locals and for visitors.

Do nature and human ingenuity have to be in opposition? In this short, whimsical talk, science-fiction writer Charlie Jane Anders shows the power of intertwining science, nature, and magic to paint an unusual vision for the future of the globe. Charlie Jane Anders is the author of the novel All the Birds in the Sky.

We know the world's wealth distribution is unfair, but do we know how unfair it really is? Mike Norton demonstrates people's beliefs all over the world on how wealth should be distributed, and then how it matches up to reality. Michael Norton is the co-author of the book, Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending.