As described in our vision and operating principles, IRMA works to put information in context, create new knowledge that
challenges conventional wisdom, and proactively engage in institutional improvement by providing best-practice research,
analysis and data management that enables organizational learning - in other works, to support DePaul as a learning organization.
Shared learning experiences like TED talks that build competencies in such areas as systems thinking, contextualizing, innovative
thinking, and content mastery are important to this effort.
|
| Aaron Koblin's Artfully Visualizing our Humanity |
Karolynn Horan's TED Talk pick is about how Aaron Koblin takes vast
amounts of data -- an at times vast numbers of people - and weaves them
into stunning visualization. |
| Anders Ynnerman's Visualizing the Medical Data Explosion |
At
TEDxGöteborg, scientific visualization expert Anders Ynnerman shows us
sophisticated new tools - like virtual autopsies - for analyzing the
myriad of data, and a glimpse at some sci-fi sounding medical
technologies in development. |
| Angela Belcher's Using Nature to Grow Batteries |
Angela Belcher programs viruses to make elegant nanoscale structures
that humans can use. Selecting for high performing genes through
directed evolution, she's produced viruses that can produce powerful new
batteries, clean hydrogen fuel, etc. |
| Anthony Atala's Printing a Human Kidney |
Surgeon Anthony Atala demonstrates an early-stage experiment that could
someday solve the organ-donor problem: a 3D printer that uses living
cells to output a transplantable kidney. |
| Barry Schwartz's On the Paradox of Choice |
Psychologist Barry Schwartz takes aim at a central tenet of western
societies: freedom of choice. In Schwartz's estimation, choice has made
us not freer but more paralyzed, not happier but more dissatisfied. |
| Barry Schwartz's Using our Practical Wisdom |
Barry Schwartz dives into the question "How do we do the right thing?"
With help from collaborator Kenneth Sharpe, he shares stories that
illustrate the difference between following the rules and truly choosing
wisely. |
| Ben Goldacre's Battling Bad Science |
Sue's pick is by Doctor and epidemiologist Ben Goldacre who shows us, at
high speed, the ways evidence can be distorted, from the blindingly
abvious nutrition claims to the very subtle tricks of the pharmaceutical
industry. |
| Ben Saunders Skis to the North Pole, Solo |
Karolynn's pick is timely due to the first snow storm this year which
follows Arctic explorer Ben Saunders as he recounts his harrowing solo
ski trek to the North Pole, complete with engaging anecdotes, gorgeous
photos, and never-before-seen video. |
| Benoit Mandelbrot Discusses Fractals and the Art of Roughness |
Alim's choice is a talk by the mathematics legend Benoit Mandelbrot. He
discusses the extreme complexity of roughness, and the way that fractal math can find order within patterns that seem unknowably complicated. |
| Bill Joy's What I am Worried About, What I am Excited About |
Technologist and futurist Bill Joy talks about several big worries for
humanity -- and several big hopes in the fields of health, education and
future tech. |
| Brian Greene's Talk on String Theory |
Physicist Brian Greene explains superstring theory, the idea that
minscule strands of energy vibrating in 11 dimensions create every
particle and force in the universe. |
| Chimamanda Adichie's The Danger of a Single Story |
Karolynn's pick is from the Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story
of how she found her authentic cultural voice -- and warns that if we
hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a
critical misunderstanding. |
| Chris Anderson's How Web Video Powers Global Innovation |
TED's Chris Anderson says the rise of web video is driving a worldwide
phenomenon he calls Crowd Accelerated Innovation -- a self-fueling cycle
of learning that could be as significant as the invention of print. |
| Christopher McDougall's Are We Born to Run? |
Christopher McDougall explores the mysteries of the human desire to run.
How did running help early humans survive -- and what urges from our
ancient ancestors spur us on today? |
| Christien Meindertsma's How Pig Parts Make the World Turn |
Christien Meindertsma, author of "Pig 05049" looks at the astonishing
afterlife of the ordinary pig, parts of which make their way into at
least 185 non-pork products, from bullets to artificial hearts. |
| Clay Shirky's How Cognitive Surplus Will Change the World |
Clay Shirky looks at "cognitive surplus" -- the shared, online work we
do with our spare brain cycles. While we're busy editing Wikipedia,
posting to Ushahidi (and yes, making LOLcats), we're building a better,
more cooperative world. |
| Clay Shirky's Defending Our Freedom to Share or Why SOPA is a Bad Idea |
Nate Stott's timely pick is from Clay Shirkley, as congress votes on
SOPA and PIPA. Clay Shirkley delivers a proper manifesto -- a call to
defend our freedom to create, discuss, link and share, rather than
passively consume. |
| Clifford Stoll's Talk on Everything |
Clifford Stoll captivates his audience with a wildly energetic
sprinkling of anecdotes, observations, asides -- and even a science
experiment. After all, by his own definition, he's a scientist: "Once I
do something, I want to do something else." |
|
Dan Ariely's Are We in Control of Our Own Decisions |
Joe's pick is from behavioral economist Dan Ariely, the author of
Predictably Irrational, uses classic visual illusions and his own
counterintuitive (and sometimes shocking) research findings to show how
we're not as rational as we think when we make decisions. |
| Dan Pink's On the Surprising Science of Motivation |
Career analyst Dan Pink examines the puzzle of motivation, starting with
a fact that social scientists know but most managers don't: Traditional
rewards aren't always as effective as we think. Listen for illuminating
stories -- and maybe, a way forward. |
| David Brook's the Social Animal |
Tapping into the findings of his latest book, NYTimes columnist David
Brooks unpacks new insights into human nature from the cognitive
sciences -- insights with massive implications for economics and
politics as well as our own self-knowledge. |
| David Mccandless's The Beauty of Data Visualization |
David McCandless turns complex data sets into beautiful, simple diagrams
that tease out unseen patterns and connections. Good design, he
suggests, is the best way to navigate information glut -- and it may
just change the way we see the world. |
| Derek Sivers's Keep Your Goals to Yourself |
After hitting on a brilliant new life plan, our first instinct is to
tell someone, but Derek Sivers says it's better to keep goals secret. He
presents research stretching as far back as the 1920s to show why people
who talk about their ambitions may be less likely to achieve them. |
| Eric Berlow's How Complexity Leads to Simplicity |
Ecologist Eric Berlow's talk Illustrates the tips and tricks for
breaking down big issues, he distills an overwhelming infographic on
U.S. strategy in Afghanistan to a few elementary points |
| Eythor Bender's Demonstration of the Human Exoskeleton |
Eythor Bender of Berkeley Bionics brings onstage two amazing
exoskeletons, HULC and eLEGS -- robotic add-ons that could one day allow
a human to carry 200 pounds without tiring, or allow a wheelchair user
to stand and walk. |
| Gary Flake's is Pivot a Turning Point for Web Exploration? |
Gary Flake demos Pivot, a new way to browse and arrange massive amounts
of images and data online. It enables spectacular zooms in and out of
web databases, and the discovery of patterns and links invisible in
standard web browsing. |
| Hans Rosling's Let My Dataset Change Your Mindset |
Talking at the US State Department this summer, Hans Rosling uses his
fascinating data-bubble software to burst myths about the developing
world. Look for new analysis on China and the post-bailout world, mixed
with classic data shows. |
| Hans Rosling's New Insights on Poverty |
Researcher Hans Rosling uses his cool data tools to show how countries
are pulling themselves out of poverty. He demos Dollar Street, comparing
households of varying income levels worldwide. Then he does something
really amazing. |
| Hans Rosling's The Magic Washing Machine |
Hans Rosling makes the case for the washing machine. With newly designed
graphics from Gapminder, Rosling shows us the magic that pops up when
economic growth and electricity turn a boring wash day into an
intellectual day of reading. |
| Jack Horner's Building a Dinosaur from a Chicken |
Tracy's pick is from the renowned paleontologist Jack horner. In a new
approach, he's taking living descendants of the dinosaur (chickens) and
genetically engineering them to reactivate ancestral traits - including
teeth, tails, and even hands - to make a "Chickenosaurus". |
| Jamie Oliver's TED Prize Wish: Teach Every Child About Food |
Sharing powerful stories from his anti-obesity project in Huntington, W.
Va., TED Prize winner Jamie Oliver makes the case for an all-out assault
on our ignorance of food. |
| Jane Goodall and What Separates us from the Apes |
Liz Sander's pick is from Jane Goodall who explores the missing link
between humans and apes. The primatologist says the only real difference
between humans and chimps is our sophisticated language. She urges us to
start using it to change the world. |
| Jane McGonical's Gaming Can Make a Better World |
Games like World of Warcraft give players the means to save worlds, and
incentive to learn the habits of heroes. What if we could harness this
gamer power to solve real-world problems? Jane McGonigal says we can,
and explains how. |
| Janna Levin's The Sound The Universe Makes |
We think of space as a silent place. But physicist Janna Levin says the
universe has a soundtrack -- a sonic composition that records some of
the most dramatic events in outer space. |
| Jeff Han Demos His Breakthrough Touchscreen |
Jeff Han shows off a cheap, scalable multi-touch and pressure-sensitive
computer screen interface that may spell the end of point-and-click. |
| Jill Bolte Taylor's Powerful Stroke of Insight |
Jill Bolte Taylor got a research opportunity few brain scientists would
wish for: She had a massive stroke, and watched as her brain functions
-- motion, speech, self-awareness -- shut down one by one. An
astonishing story. |
| Joan Halifax's Compassion and the True Meaning of Empathy |
Vera's pick is by Buddhist roshi Joan Halifax works with people at the
last stage of life (in hospice and on death row). She shares what she's
learned about compassion in the face of death and dying, and a deep
insight into the nature of empathy. |
| John Hunter's The World Peace Game |
John Hunter puts all the problems of the world on a 4'x5' plywood board
-- and lets his 4th-graders solve them. He explains how his World Peace
Game engages schoolkids, and why the complex lessons it teaches go
further than classroom lectures can. |
| John Underkoffler's Drive 3D Date with a Gesture |
Minority Report science adviser and inventor John
Underkoffler demos g-speak -- the real-life version of the film's
eye-popping, tai chi-meets-cyberspace computer interface. Is this how
tomorrow's computers will be controlled? |
| Joshua Klein's The Amazing Intelligence of Crows |
Sue's pick comes from Hacker and writer Joshua Klein is fascinated by
crows. After a long amateur study of corvid behavior, he's come up with
an elegant machine that may form a new bond between animal and human |
| Keith Barry Does Brain Magic |
Jackie's pick is by Keith Barry who shows us how our brains can fool our
bodies -- in a trick that works via podcast too. Then he involves the
audience in some jaw-dropping (and even a bit dangerous) feats of brain
magic. |
| Ken Robinson Says 'Schools Kill Creativity' |
Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for
creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines)
creativity. |
| Ken Robinson's Changing Education Paradigms |
In this talk from RSA Animate, Sir Ken Robinson lays out the link
between 3 troubling trends: rising drop-out rates, schools' dwindling
stake in the arts, and ADHD. An important, timely talk for parents and
teachers. |
| Kevin Bales' How to Combat Modern Slavery |
Alim's ted choice features Kevin Bales who explains the business of
modern slavery, a multibillion-dollar economy that underpins some of the
worst industries on earth |
| Kevin Slavin's How Algorithms Shape Our World |
Joe's pick is from Kevin Slavin who argues that we're living in a world
designed for -- and increasingly controlled by -- algorithms. In this
riveting talk from TEDGlobal, he shows how these complex computer
programs determine: espionage tactics, stock prices, movie scripts, and
architecture. |
| Lauren Zalaznick's The Consequence of Television |
Karolynn's pick is from lauren Zalaznick. Sharing results of a bold
study that tracks attitudes against TV ratings over five decades, she
makes a case that television reflects who we truly are -- in ways we
might not have expected |
| Lisa Harouni's A Primer on 3D Painting |
2012 may be the year of 3D printing, when this three-decade-old
technology finally becomes accessible and even commonplace. Lisa Harouni
gives a useful introduction to this fascinating way of making things. |
| Malcolm Gladwell on Spaghetti Sauce |
Tipping Point author Malcolm Gladwell gets inside the food industry's
pursuit of the perfect spaghetti sauce -- and makes a larger argument
about the nature of choice and happiness. |
| Mike Biddle's We Can Recycle Plastic |
Liz Sander's fascinating pick is from Mike Biddle who has developed a
cheap and incredibly energy efficient plant that can, and does, recycle
any kind of plastic. |
| Nate Silver's On Race and Politics |
Tracy's pick is by Nate Silver who has answers to controversial
questions about race in politics. Stats and myths collide in this
fascinating talk that ends with a remarkable insight on how town
planning can promote tolerance |
| Nathan Nyhrvold's Cooking as Never Seen Before |
Cookbook author (and geek) Nathan Myhrvold talks about his magisterial
work, "Modernist Cuisine" -- and shares the secret of its cool
photographic illustrations, which show cross-sections of food in the
very act of being cooked. |
| Neil Pasricha's the 3 A's of Awesome |
Neil Pasricha's blog 1000 Awesome Things savors life's simple pleasures,
from free refills to clean sheets. In this heartfelt talk from
TEDxToronto, he reveals the 3 secrets (all starting with A) to leading a
life that's truly awesome |
| Pamela Meyer's How to Spot a Liar |
Emma's interesting pick is by Pamela Meyer, author of Liespotting, shows
the manners and "hotspots" used by those trained to recognize deception
-- and she argues honesty is a value worth preserving. |
| Paul Nicklen's Tales of Ice Bound Wonderlands |
Connie's pick is from Paul Nicklen who photographs the creatures of the
Arctic and Antarctic, generating global awareness about wildlife in
these isolated and endangered environments. |
| Philip Zimbardo's The Psychology of Evil |
Jackie's pick is from Philip Zimbardo who shares insights and graphic
unseen photos from the Abu Ghraib trials. Then he talks about the flip
side: how easy it is to be a hero, and how we can rise to the challenge. |
| Ralph Langner's Cracking Stuxnet |
Beyond stuxnet's unusually high level of sophistication loomed a more
troubling mystery: its purpose. Ralph Langner and team helped crack the
code that revealed this digital warhead's final target |
| Rebecca Saxe's How We Read Each Other's Minds |
Sensing the motives and feelings of others is a natural talent for
humans. But how do we do it? Here, Rebecca Saxe shares fascinating lab
work that uncovers how the brain thinks about other peoples' thoughts --
and judges their actions. |
| Rogier Van Der Heide's Why Light Needs Darkness |
Ed Schaefer's pick is from Lighting architect Rogier van der Heide
offers a beautiful new way to look at the world -- by paying attention
to light (and to darkness). |
| Rory Sutherland's Life Lessons From an Ad Man |
Advertising adds value to a product by changing our perception, rather
than the product itself. Rory Sutherland makes the daring assertion that
a change in perceived value can be just as satisfying as what we
consider “real” value |
| Salman Khan's Lets Use Video to Reinvent Education |
Salman Khan shows the power of interactive exercises, and calls for
teachers to consider flipping the traditional classroom script -- give
students video lectures to watch at home, and do "homework" in the
classroom with the teacher available to help. |
| Sebastian Wernicke's Lies, Damned Lidea and Statistics |
In a brilliantly tongue-in-cheek analysis, Sebastian Wernicke turns the
tools of statistical analysis on TEDTalks, to come up with a metric for
creating "the optimum TEDTalk" based on user ratings. |
| Seth Godin's This is Broken |
Emma's funny pick is Seth Godin who explores why are so many things
broken? In a hilarious talk from the 2006 Gel conference, Seth Godin
gives a tour of things poorly designed, the 7 reasons why they are that
way, and how to fix them. |
| Shawn Achor's The Happy Secret To Better Work |
believe that we should work to be happy, but could that be backwards? In
this fast-moving and entertaining talk picked by Emma, psychologist
Shawn Achor argues that actually happiness inspires productivity. |
| Sheena Iyengar's The Art of Choosing |
Vera's pick is from Sheena Iyengar who studies how we make choices. She
talks about both trivial choices and profound ones, and shares her
groundbreaking research that has uncovered some surprising attitudes
about our decisions |
| Stephen Hawking Asks Big Questions About the Universe |
In keeping with the theme of TED2008, professor Stephen Hawking asks
some Big Questions about our universe -- How did the universe begin? How
did life begin? Are we alone? -- and discusses how we might go about
answering them. |
| Tim Harford's Trial, Error, and the God Complex |
Economics writer Tim Harford studies complex systems -- and finds a
surprising link among the successful ones: they were built through trial
and error. In this sparkling talk he asks us to embrace our randomness
and start making better mistakes. |
| VS Ramachandran's The Neurons That Shaped Civilization |
Rina's Ted pick is from Neuroscientist Vilayanur Ramachandran who
outlines the fascinating functions of mirror neurons. Only recently
discovered, these neurons allow us to learn complex social behaviors,
etc. |
| William Li's Can We Eat to Starve Cancer? |
William Li presents a new way to think about treating cancer and other
diseases: anti-angiogenesis, preventing the growth of blood vessels that
feed a tumor. The crucial first (and best) step: Eating cancer-fighting
foods that cut off the supply lines and beat cancer at its own game. |
| William Ury's The Walk from "No" To "Yes" |
William Ury, author of "Getting to Yes," offers an elegant, simple (but
not easy) way to create agreement in even the most difficult situations
-- from family conflict to, perhaps, the Middle East |
