So I finally got around to submitting my application for TEDxUWO last night.. and finished it minutes before the deadline. Typical.
For those of you who don`t know, TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, is a non-profit critically acclaimed, award-winning platform featuring inspiring talks from the worlds leading thinkers and doers. It is a forum that allows progressive members of the global community to share and spread idea`s. Over the last 4 years alone, it has amassed over 400 million views worldwide. Impressive, if you ask me.
I have been an avid follower of TED ever since I heard about it a few years ago. It contains informative, innovative, and interesting lectures ranging from topics related to just about anything you would want to know about.
As you can imagine, I was quite excited to hear that an independently organized TEDxUWO event was coming to The University of Western Ontario on March 12th, 2011. Everyone interested in attending the event had to fill out a rigorous application form, such that the most suitable candidates could be selected to engage and participate in the discussions with the speakers, and fellow audience members. More information can be found on twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/tedxuwo), and facebook (http://www.facebook.com/TEDxUWO).
Some of the speakers confirmed for the TEDxUWO event include:
Ray Zahab - Ultra-marathon runner who went from pack-a-day smoker to a world record holder endurance athlete. He is the founder of the non-profit organization Impossible2possible, and the author of the book ``Running for my life``.
Denis Shackel - After being stranded alone following a tragic climbing accident, with temperatures below -30 degrees Celsius, he broke the night down into five-thousand five-second intervals, and relied on vision, intuition, and faith to keep himself alive throughout the night.
Dr. Adrian Owen - Formerly from Cambridge University, Dr. Owen is one of the worlds foremost neuroscientists, and is now a scientist at the Centre for Brain and Mind at UWO. His research is focused on understanding the mysteries of the human brain for social and clinical benefit.
Ian Keteku - The 2010 World Poetry Slam Champion has shared the stage with many of the worlds best hip-hip artists. His words spread his message of peace, action, and critical thought.
I have also attached a few of my MANY favorite TED lectures - so you can get a sense of the caliber of talks seen on TED:
Harvard Psychology, Dr. Dan Gilbert speaks about common beliefs and misconceptions about happiness
Neil Pasricha uses the power of blogging to spread a little optimism
