I doodle to remember. But I don't always remember to doodle. So today, I made sure to bring a pen to TEDx Toronto 2016. Here's what I learned.
Opera Singing Is Weird
With instructions like 'imagine you're spreading angel wings and breathing into an inner tube, and raise your voice to the sky', it made sense to hire a kinesiologist to develop terms and language that can be applied to actual muscle groups and posture.
Some Lizards Can Make Water From Dew In The Desert
And so can we. Nature can provide all sorts of inspiration when it comes to survival. The inside of the dew condenser tube doesn't actually contain lizards, (I don't think there'd be any flies left if it did), but the technology uses a lot of the same principles.
Different Generations Communicate in Different Ways... And All Of Them Are Good
Baby Boomers use oral communication and emotional problem solving, and they rule at it. Gen Xers love visual stuff for self-management, like whiteboarding and decks (guilty as charged). While Millenials are all about technology, learned that everyone's opinions matter, and value actions over words.
Making Patients Come to Doctors is Often Unnecessary and Unsustainable
Vitality and companies like them are finding ways to support health diagnosis and management at home using wearables and mobile devices. This type of preventative care has the potential to save billions of lives and dollars. (It's not actually a drone, I just think a drone that follows you to tell you everything is fine is an awesome idea).
Open Science Should Be The Only Science
Why are we almost exclusively funding redundant studies for popular research subjects around the world? If the human race really wants to solve critical problems, we need to work together. Now more than ever.
Break for Meditation Music
This is the part where I reached enlightenment.
The Gaming World Still Sucks At Diversity (But It's Getting Better)
There are more and more games that offer characters who represent a wider audience, and show them in positive ways. This shit affects our culture. As consumers, it's our responsibility to support the good stuff and let development companies know if they're dropping the ball.
You're Probably a Hacker
In recent times, the term 'hacker' was co-opted by technologists, in particular to describe those who do nefarious things. But McGuiver is a hacker. And being a hacker is awesome.
Taking Freedom For Granted Ruins It For Everyone Else
In Canada, it's easy to enjoy the freedom to be outside the 'norm' (if that even means anything here). But in other countries, people get killed for it, or worse. Refugees often remind us to appreciate and protect our rights, and to support those who don't yet have rights.
It's Okay To Have a Conversation That's Entirely Questions
Is every question important? What is a waste of time? When was the last time you asked yourself why?
You Didn't Pick Your Name, But You Get To Own It
We make assumptions about people because of their names. Name privilege is a real thing. If you find youself constantly explaining the spelling, letting people know that you do, in fact, know that your name is unique, or battling the complex of being branded as having a stripper name; you're not alone. There's all kinds of stuff you can do to change how you feel about your name. The important thing is to acknowledge that your name is part of your identity.
Humans Developed The Ability To Interpret Art Before Symbols
We're seeing a merger of both symbols and art in communication that is unique to modern human history, and it means nothing but great things. After all, art is a universal language. This is why I have more emoji keyboards on my phone than actual keyboards. o(^▽^)o
The Hyper Loop. Fuck Ya.
I can't wait to speed down a frictionless tube.
The Way To Bring Innovation Into Big Companies Is To Take Down The Immune System
Like all functioning bodies, large corporations have mechanisms in place to defend against risks. The problem is, disruption is always a risk.
There Are Pills To Make Women Hornier That Also Make Them Sick
What the actual fuck. Also... many doctors don't study where the clitoris is? WHAT? It's time to learn about women's sexual organs, humanity. Seriously...
You Can Rewire Your Brain To Learn Hard Things Much More Easily If You Focus On Your Uniqueness
Everyone's different. Your challenges to learning a thing are different. The more unique your challenges are, the more unique your path to learning will be.
It's oddly appropriate that the event ended with awesome dancing, something I am painfully bad at. But I'm definitely inspired to try again. In fact, I'm inspired in about a million ways. Thanks, TEDx Toronto!