5 TED Talks that inspired me

 5 TED Talks that inspired me

 I found this website very helpful and resourceful. I thought that the field it deals with was
only personal life but there were so many different fields. Among these, I was attracted to innovations and philosophical topics. I was amazed actually. The talks was not difficult or abstruse at all. Speakers managed to express their ideas very wisely. I observed various techniques in public speaking and realized that I should be one of them. 

 1. Laura Snyder: The Philosophical Breakfast Club

 This talk is about four Scientists, Charles Babbage, John Herschel, Richard Jones, and William Whewell, innovated science field during 19th century. One of them invented "Scientist". They tried to share many information for public. For example, people sold information about harbor and tides to captains while captains had to purchase information before. Furthermore, they changed the prize system in Britain. Before, scientists had to prove or demonstrate their work before they receive prize. Namely, scientists should provide experiment tools and labs on their own.  They appealed this to British association and they eventually begun to use extra generate money to give grant, which other nations started to use also. It encouraged scientists to experiment out side of the box, rather than trying to solve one preset question. Most of all, four scientists attempted to make science general to all people. However, as scientists were able to roll up to professional subjects, they became far from common people, which is unintended consequence of 4 people.

 I found this very interesting because I use to think that scientists usually do not try to make their thesis to common people.  Rather, they have a tendency to keep in their perimeter. However, contrary to my notion, there were 4 scientists who endeavored to innovate systems in England. It's too bad that their effort unintentionally result in the isolation of Science. I imagined the world if they did not do anything but conform to the society at that moment and it would be quite horrible. Science would not advance anymore and Science Association would be filled with many hypocrites trying to be gentle and pedantic.

 Speaking of Laura Snyder, I found her very calm and sober. These characteristics are both advantage and disadvantage of her speech. The topic is not light and something funny to laugh. It is serious and grave topic. Thus, it is quite natural for audiences to be bored and dull. Even though she expounded accomplishment of four scientists, it would have been better if she digress from the topic or make some jokes related to the topic. Yet ,her speech was well organized. Especially, the introduction of the speech was very interesting. The advent of the term "Scientist" was not long-time ago story. Over all, the speech was fine but for some audiences, if could have been dull. I was impressed by, "Science is not for Scientists."

2. Ji-Hae Park: The Violin, and my dark night of the soul 

 To be honest, I watched this video as the speaker was Korean but I was quite surprised for I discovered some interesting things. The talk is mainly about her story, which was to overcome her difficult time with the burden to be a successful violinist. She managed to overcome it by changing perspective from something to show her performance in public and be successful, to something that she can share and be happy with people.  But here, I noticed one weird thing. She was so stressed out and depressed because of the classical music and burden to be successful. How was she able to alter and overcome such burden? She just mentioned that she modified her perspective but I do not think that only changing perspective is not strong and powerful enough. This was her weakness. She needed more time to elaborate how she managed to extricate from burden and answer this question. "Isn't violin the main cause of giving you stress? How were you able to overcome it even if you still play the violin?"

 Speaking of her as a performance, it was great. As an introduction, she played one classical movie and this absorbed all the audience. It certainly enchanted people. I was surprised that she has very young - voice. Contrary to her manner during the performance, she looks just an innocent girl. Furthermore, her facial expression was really awesome. She seems to fully concentrate on only violin itself. Her performance made me almost forget her lacking of the elaboration.

Overall, her performance was really great but speech was too short and dealt too mainly with performances. Even though her performance was enchanting and made me negligent, it would have been better if she elaborated the process how she managed to overcome her burden.

3.Patricia Ryan: Don't Insist on English!

 

  I was quite dubious when I saw the title, "Don't insist on English!", spoken by an English teacher. How can an English teacher say that people should not rely too much on English? However, watching the talk, I completely understood her concept and I totally agreed with it. English became an international language. This is because that most of prestigious universities are in America or U.K, where English is their mother tongue. All parents want their children to be successful so provide an English education. However, according to her, English became a barrier for many students. Before, there were no tests that evaluate English skills of them but now, there are so many such as Toefl, Toeic, and IELTS.  The tuition fee seems inexpensive but in fact, it prevents the path of poor children.  Furthermore, children can learn subjects in their own languages very well like speaker's daughter who got good grades even though she moved from Dubai to England. Thus, English should be one of the means to study, not the barrier.

 I really liked this speech as I am not a native English speaker. I have to get 100+ in Toefl to get accepted reputable schools. I can learn many things even if I am not that good in English! Once I got concrete concept, why wouldn't I manage to study well? I strongly agree with her line, "English should be one of the means to study, not the barrier". I, of course, study English to work

abroad and succeed in the future. I am planning to study in the western colleges, which the speaker exactly mentioned. She has very strong ability to make an empathy to audiences like me, not native English speaker. Her examples were appropriate to given situations.  She expounded the basis of her thesis. I found no particular weaknesses in her speech. Maybe, short time to address? 

4. Pico Lyer: Where is home?

         

 

  
 When we think of the word. "Home", we think of the place where we can sleep. However, according Pico, it is not. Nowadays, there are so many people who move from the place to place and in the definition of "Home" where we can merely sleep, it is vague to pinpoint one's home. For example, Half Korean marries half Canadian and moves to New York. Then, their children would experience more blend of culture than parents. This moving population is greater than that of Canada and Australia. Thus, home is not the place where you sleep but, it is the place where you become yourself. Nowadays, as people move quickly, they don't see their real picture. They just do tasks given and live very busy so, he suggested that sometimes, for 30 minutes people need to 

sit down and collect themselves.

I felt a strong empathy as I was born in Korea and am in the Philippines. I am going to go to the college, neither in Korean nor in the Philippines. I used to think that my home is where my family is but now, I am not with them but home mates. For me, I have two homes. The one in Korea and the one I'm living currently. I was impressed by his saying, "Home is the place where you become yourself". Doesn't this mean that I can found the school as my home?  Even though I do not sleep in the school, as long as I can be myself, it can be home! In addition, his speech gave me a precaution that I should not forget the essential  value and I need to have a time to collect myself.

 He exploited the current situation as an example of his main thesis. However, his speech was too monotonous for me. The way he delivered his speech was very calm and serene but I felt like

there was no climax or no falling action and rising action. It could have been better if he digress or alter his topic for a moment

        5. Eleanor Longden: The voices in my head

         

 

  I used to believe that there is always voice in my head that tells me many things under many different situations. However, Eleanor Longden was quite different. Her voice was very strong and constantly tormented her. She was a promising student who does not have any concern over the world but as the narrator resided in her head, it dramatically changed. Her voice scared her and 

commanded more and more. She was in panic and seemed to be fall in abysmal despair. However,

as her mother and doctor did not give up but help her continuously, she begun to change the way

she viewed the voice. She listened to it and took it as an advice. She realized that the voice was

closely related to her old traumas and shed decided to solve those. Consequently, she overcame it and accomplished many things such as her academic excellence. 

 I sincerely wonder how she managed to overcome all the difficulty came from getting through schizophrenia. While I was watching her talk, I was totally absorbed in it. I imagined myself having schizophrenia, and thought that I would not be able to overcome it. It is too painstaking task! It seems easy but.. I would never know how traumatic voices damage one's psychological health. This taught me that I should listen to those who overcome the difficulty(Whatever it is). 

 Even though I was very impressed by her speech, there were few things I want to say. Her speech was delivered with her true experiences and great quotations. However, when I listened ti her, I felt that her vocabularies are quite profound and fast. Maybe it's just because she is smart but I think that she needed to lower the standard. I'm sure that it was her own style but it was quite hard to grasp without English subtitles.