Dan Dolderman on the Future of Conservation

Why you should watch: There’s a lot of grassroots environmentalism happening at the University of Toronto — from recycling drives to fashion shows and information campaigns. Psychology professor Dolderman argues that if such activism is going to be successful on a grand scale, we need to change the way we think about such work. Dolderman’s idea is simple and elegant: it’s time for activists to start using the greatest tool available to them — social networking.

 

 

Josh Gans on Entrepreneurship

Why you should watch: Josh Gans, the Jeffrey C. Skoll chair in Technical Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Rotman,  has some valuable information to young business people: in entrepreneurship both the product and the business model matter. His advice is timely, modern, and memorable. Gans structures his principles around his quest to build an app that maps out public restrooms and how surprisingly difficult it was to turn that idea into a reality. Gans’ sense of humour and unique perspective on business practices make this talk highly enjoyable.

 

 

Aisha Ahmad and John Polanyi on the Future of Peace


Why you should watch:  Linked by a common theme, these two speeches present complementary views on how society must change to fully ensure a more complete peace.  Nobel laureate John Polanyi argues powerfully for the need for nuclear disarmament in a speech that is candid, quotable, and surprisingly humorous. Aisha Ahmad, an associate professor in the political science department, gives a chilling speech on the process of forgiveness in wartime; she completely captured the attention of every attendee.

 

 

Ryan North on Literacy

Why you should watch: Dinosaur Comics creator Ryan North demonstrates the incredible wit that made him internet-famous in this discussion about time-travel and literacy. His whimsical talk argues that the greatest invention during the course of human history is the written language. It’s an incredibly positive and wholly enjoyable piece.  If any talk from TEDx U of T goes viral, it’ll be this one.