Tag Archives: TED Talks

TED Talks

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by DAVID BROWN | CLEARNFO.com | March 16, 2015

TED Talks_400x400Like many people, I’ve watched and learned from the many TED Talks that have been produced over the years as published on YouTube and other places.  Lots of different, thoughtful topics have been covered, yet I have always been bothered a bit by how their audiences seem to accept the information contained within these talks as fact without question.  I have also wondered who the gatekeepers were and how the topics and speakers were filtered.  These talks use the tried and true TED format wherein someone gets up on stage and gives a personal testimony of some hidden truth or fact and the audience dutifully oohs and awes and claps in adoration.   Reminds me of my early church-going days where the requirement was to turn off all my critical thought processes and accept what the preacher was saying without question. You can find more on my religious proclivities here: On Religion.  In any event, I have wanted for some time to write an article on how TED Talks are like a religion but Megan Hustadmarch beat me to the punch with her excellent Opinion piece in the NYT linked below.  I would have taken a different approach:  Listing common features of Religion and mapping those to the TED Talks.  I applied this technique to my article entitled: Misc Musings on the surety of science or why I am skeptical of ‘Well-Established’ facts:

“Science…I believe in the empirical method. I also believe that many in our scientific community have let their emotions and political point of view turn their science into a religion. You either believe certain “well-established facts” or you do not get tenure or you are ridiculed or…. These “well-established facts” represent a dogma or a credo similar to any religion. The result is that many place their minds in a box and their ability to take in new information and process this information critically and honestly is therefore necessarily aberrated.”  – David Brown

In any event, TED Talks are part of the human condition and should therefore be part of the exhibits we proffer as we explore the world around us and what it means to be human; they are useful, but shouldn’t be taken as gospel.

Banned TED Talk- The War on Consciousness -Graham Hancock

The Church of TED  By MEGAN HUSTADMARCH 14, 2015

And just for fun, the Satire Web Site Called ‘The Onion’ does a great job poking fun at the TED Talkers:

Compost-Fueled Cars: Wouldn’t That Be Great? – Onion Talks – Ep. 1
Young media professional Cameron Hughes delivers a compelling argument for his vision of the future–one filled with cars powered by compost. He outlines the idea he came up with in detail, leaving the formalities for other visionaries in other fields. One thing is for certain: he already came up with the idea.

Ducks Go Quack, Chickens Say Cluck – Onion Talks – Ep. 3
Young media professional Cameron Hughes delivers a compelling argument for his vision of the future–one filled with cars powered by compost. He outlines the idea he came up with in detail, leaving the formalities for other visionaries in other fields. One thing is for certain: he already came up with the idea.

‘Thought Leader’ gives talk that will inspire your thoughts | This is That | CBC

Related ClearNFO thoughts on science and religion:

Astroturf and Manipulation of Media Messages

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Sharyl Attkisson Gives TED Talk on Astroturf and Manipulation of Media Messages
(Published on Feb 6, 2015)
Astroturf and manipulation of media messages | Sharyl Attkisson

In this eye-opening talk, veteran investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson shows how astroturf, or fake grassroots movements funded by political, corporate, or other special interests very effectively manipulate and distort media messages.

Sharyl Attkisson is an investigative journalist based in Washington D.C. She is currently writing a book entitled Stonewalled (Harper Collins), which addresses the unseen influences of corporations and special interests on the information and images the public receives every day in the news and elsewhere. For twenty years (through March 2014), Attkisson was a correspondent for CBS News. In 2013, she received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Investigative Journalism for her reporting on “The Business of Congress,” which included an undercover investigation into fundraising by Republican freshmen. She also received Emmy nominations in 2013 for Benghazi: Dying for Security and Green Energy Going Red. Additionally, Attkisson received a 2013 Daytime Emmy Award as part of the CBS Sunday Morning team’s entry for Outstanding Morning Program for her report: “Washington Lobbying: K-Street Behind Closed Doors.” In September 2012, Attkisson also received an Emmy for Oustanding Investigative Journalism for the “Gunwalker: Fast and Furious” story. She received the RTNDA Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Investigative Reporting for the same story. Attkisson received an Investigative Emmy Award in 2009 for her exclusive investigations into TARP and the bank bailout. She received an Investigative Emmy Award in 2002 for her series of exclusive reports about mismanagement at the Red Cross.

References:

Sharyl Attkisson’s web site