May 18 marked U of T’s first independently organized TEDx event (the “x” in TEDx denotes that the event is independently organized). About two and a half years ago, I began watching various TED talks happening all over the world, which raised all kinds of issues and ideas. Over time, I found myself embedded in this new culture of ideas and thought provoking — 20-minute talks. Of course, I had never imagined that I would be part of my university’s very first one, two and a half years later. So what do I think about TED? Well, I believe that having started as a local initiative in California and eventually branching out over the globe, TED is one of the first (if not the first) exemplars of globalizing intellectual and world-changing ideas to the public. It is as if a singular pandemic has struck the world, an enlightening pandemic of ideas.
About a week away from the big day, I received my delegate invitation to attend TEDxUofT. Unsurprisingly, the event was a success, especially given that it was independently organized for the first time here at the U of T. To say that some of the talks were captivating would be a complete understatement. I think that the very diversity of topics and ideas gave the conference a really eccentric twist. Opening the series of talks was Dr. Jordan B. Peterson, a clinical psychologist and professor here at U of T. Dr. Peterson gave a mind-boggling talk on Phainesthai (a Greek verb meaning “to appear” or “to seem”), drawing on various notions from continental philosophy and psychology. The talks alternated elegantly from one field to another, simultaneously radiating the message that the future of our education lies in the beauty of multidisciplinary research and innovation. From cognitive psychology to neuroscience, medicine, technology, entrepreneurship, urbanization, architecture, and many more, I can proudly say that TEDxUofT captured a myriad of today’s latest projects and breakthroughs. Moreover, it definitely stimulated the intellect of the crowd and molded an ambience of critical thinking, introspection, and envisioning a better future.
Fortunately, the organizers have already announced that there are definite plans for a TEDxUofT in 2014 if you missed out on this year’s conference. All of the talks will be available online. Aside from all of the compelling talks I listened to, there is one thing I am even more certain of after attending this conference: ideas are really worth spreading.
