I'm moving back to Oxford on Wednesday and am taking the next few weeks off from blogging to get my ducks in a row and myself on some sort of schedule. If a major event occurs somewhere in the world, I will try to ween myself away from duvet shopping, house keeping, haggling with British banks and Ph.D brainstorming - whatever will happen to be occupying my time - to write a proper commentary. Assuming such a thing won't be necessary, regular posting will resume in early October.
TEDGlobal in Oxford
TEDGlobal began in Oxford today, exploring the Substance of Things Not Seen (the theme for this summer's gathering). While I unfortunately cannot be there for what always proves to be a fantastic conference, I intend to keep abreast of the proceedings from afar, as some truly fascinating questions are being tackled by the TEDGlobal speakers. Among them:
- Is life a mathematical question?
- Who's defining the new geopolitical map?
- Can we design the air we breathe?
- What's the power of music?
- How does the brain create the mind?
This is, of course, but a small sampling from a very long list, but absolutely intriguing no less! Today's sessions focus on "What We Know," and "Seeing is Believing?" Speakers include young brass virtuoso Matthew White, philosopher Alain de Botton, graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister, optical innovator Joshua Silver, and space jumper Steve Truglia, among others.
This diversity of phenomenal speakers is the very thing that makes TED conferences so unique. That, and their distinct ability to create dialogue across many intellectual disciplines. It is, indeed, an approach worth emulating.
photo of Keble College, Oxford, among the TEDGlobal venues