How often and fast do you change your thoughts and beliefs? Your actions?
How flexible are you to adapt to different ideas, places, people, circumnstances and so on?
Is this important or not?
The series of TED.COM videos presented below will show some kind of change. Can you say which kind? Choose 1 or more videos to discuss here.
Let's make the most of this blog to exchange ideas with your virtual friends, in English, of course!!
Hope you all like it!
See you here.
Flávia
1) Mark Pagel: How language transformed humanity (20:10')
Using biological evolution as a template, biologist Mark Pagel wonders how languages evolve.
Mark Pagel builds statistical models to examine the evolutionary processes imprinted in human behavior, from genomics to the emergence of complex systems -- to culture. His latest work examines the parallels between linguistic and biological evolution by applying methods of phylogenetics, or the study of evolutionary relatedness among groups, essentially viewing language as a culturally transmitted replicator with many of the same properties we find in genes. He’s looking for patterns in the rates of evolution of language elements, and hoping to find the social factors that influence trends of language evolution.
When watching him speak, have in mind his definitions and stataments below to find out what he meant by saying those:
1) (...) cumulative cultural adaptation.2) ' (...) Social learning is visual theft.'
3) ' (...) Language is the voice of our genes.'
4) ' (...) Communication, connectivity around the world, globalization now raises a burden.'
A magician and illusionist for the 21st century, Marco Tempest blends cutting-edge technology with the flair and showmanship of Houdini.
Marco Tempest’s imaginative combination of computer-generated imagery, quick-cut video and enthusiastic stage presence has earned him a place in the pantheon of great illusionists. At 22, the Swiss magician won the New York World Cup of Magic, launching him into international prominence. Tempest's award-winning television series “The Virtual Magician” airs in dozens of countries worldwide.
When watching him speak, have in mind this question:
How do you think he can do those tricks? Do you think you can do it?
3) Nathan Myhrvold: Cooking as never seen before (10:05')
Nathan Myhrvold is a professional jack-of-all-trades. After leaving Microsoft in 1999, he's been a world barbecue champion, a wildlife photographer, a chef, a contributor to SETI, and a volcano explorer.
Since leaving his post as Microsoft's Chief Technology Officer in 1999 (with fortune in tow), Nathan Myhrvold has been a professional exemplar of the spirit of the "Renaissance Man," proudly following his interests wherever they've led. His dispersed passions have triggered an impressive list of accomplishments, including world barbecue championships, major archeological finds (several Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons), prize-winning wildlife photography, building a section of Babbage's Difference Engine #2, s, and a new and consuming interest in the sous-vide cooking technique.
When watching him speak, have in mind this question:What do you think drove him into developing this cookbook?
Hello, everyone.
ResponderExcluirThis is Camila (Itau-Unibanco Compliance analyst). Here are my thoughts on Marco Tempest's magic tricks. Hope to see yours:
Marco's magic is considerably more amazing than other magicians' due to the use of technology.
I think he is a or had help of a webdesigner to create a video, only one, and fragmented it to lead to our illusion. Therefore, he really got it!!
Best regards to everyone.
Hello everyone,
ResponderExcluirWe are from the Telemedicine Group 1 - Letícia, Diogo and Maira (Helena is out on vacation). Here is our opinion about the illusionist.
Once he's using 3 eletronic devices which are sensitivy to touch, movement and can be connected thru Bluetooth or any other wi-fi connection, we believe he's using some kind of customized app which responds to his performance. Let's not forget first and foremost he's still a magician, tricking our eyes just like the old illusionists with cards and coin tricks. We suggest you watch the video without sound or in slowmotion to try figure out what he's really doing with his hands.
You can also watch the movie The Prestige (2006, by Christopher Nolan) and focus on Michael Caine's character, who plays an engineer helping the illusionists with customized devices. In Marco's case, he is probably using a programmer to help him with customized apps.
Do you agree?
Look forward to your comments.
Hello, dear virtual friends.
ResponderExcluirWe are Isabele and Carlos, 3D animation designers for Telemedicine (USP). And this is what we think about magician Marco Tempest's tricks:
Bele: I agree with Diogo, Leticia and Maira's opinion. Marco only uses his quick hands and employs technology to help him to enchant our eyes!
Carlos:
Maybe, what Diogo and group said is possible. But I believe in something simpler than that: only three videos playing simultaneously on the IPod and the magician just syncs the movements. I believe that.
Kisses,
Bele and Carlos
Hello, everyone.
ResponderExcluirI'm Vanessa, Telemedicine journalist, and I agree with Carlos when he says that the magician uses a synchronized trick with the three ipods. But I would like to include a comment: his hands are faster than our eyes, enough to make an illusion with real objects too, e.g. a butterfly and a smilie. I disagree with Diogo's team, because to create an app is too much for this kind of trick, although that was wonderful.
Hello!!!
I'm Micheline, Telemedicine journalist too. I agree with Carlos and Vanessa. I think that the magician uses technology and simple tricks (the butterfly flight, the smilie and the coins) to deceive us. We have to observe the cameras position to have a good and synchronized trick.
What do you think about this?