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Where Do Good Ideas Come From?
Often when we think of inventors and people with great ideas, we think of them as lone rangers with furrowed brows who have a “Eureka” moment that leads to their great discovery. Indeed, that’s how many of them would tell the story as well. In this talk by Steven Johnson, (and in his TED talk)…
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The Delicate Power of Stories
This beautiful talk by writer Elif Shafak has had me thinking about stories. As with any good story, Shafak’s talk is filled with humor, nuance and symbolism, as she gracefully describes her family background and experience of living as a child of a divorced mother in Turkey, going to international schools when her mother became a diplomat,…
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Prezi is cool, but it’s still just a tool
I heard about Prezi a couple months ago, but have only recently had the chance to try it out in a couple projects myself. Prezi is… Prezi is an online (and offline, for a price) presentation tool which lets you create presentations in a non-linear format on a white canvas. Instead of clicking through slide…
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Advertising Gives Value: TED Talk by Rory Sutherland
In this entertaining talk, ad man Rory Sutherland points out that while advertising is often given a bad rap, it actually plays an important role in giving value and appreciation to what we already have. “We are perishing from want of wonder, not for want of wonders.” – G.K. Chesterton
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Turning Trash Into Toys
Last week when we built a cardboard box playhouse we thought we were doing well, Arvind Gupta taking making toys from trash to a whole new level! Years ago my Grandpa gave me the grooved-stick-airplane, which still confounds most adults (especially when you make it fly in reverse). I love the gleam in Gupta’s as…
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Start With Why
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Check out this insightful talk by Simon Sinek.
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You Can Change the World: TED Talk by Nancy Duarte
A couple months ago I got my hands on Nancy Duarte’s new book, Resonate. Duarte recently spoke at TEDxEast, and released the video of her 18-minute talk. Nancy Duarte’s talk at TEDx East from Duarte Design on Vimeo. “You are not the hero who will save the audience; the audience is your hero.” – Nancy…
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Stats That Tell Stories
Stats aren’t just numbers, they tell stories. Often statistics are seen as boring, but if they’re interpreted and presented in the right way they can offer incredible insights. No one has demonstrated this more clearly than Hans Rosling. If you haven’t yet, check out his TED talks: The Truth About HIV, New Insights on Poverty,…
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Behind the Scenes at TED
I just watched this amazing behind the scenes video from 2010’s TED conference. It follows Raghava KK and Sir Ken Robinson through the conference, and in the moments leading up to and following their respective talks. Behind the TEDTalk 2010 from m ss ng p eces on Vimeo. If you’ve ever given a talk or…
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Infectious Passion & Shining Eyes: Benjamin Zander
Benjamin Zander has an irrational love for classical music. But instead of hanging his head at the fact that only 3% of the world share his love, he, the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic and a hopeful optimist, has set out on a mission to show people that they really do love classical music, they…