Why TED talks suck now
Why TED talks suck now
TIL I learned the difference between TED and TEDx.
TEDx events are independently organized TED-like conferences that operate under a free license granted by TED. While they follow the general principles of TED, TEDx events are planned and coordinated by volunteers at the local level, aiming to bring the TED experience to a broader audience.
For as long as I remember TEDx to exist, I hear people complain that ted talks suck now.
I always ask for example talks, and without fail it was a TEDx talk. And they never know that TEDx talks are very hit or miss in quality.
"proper" TED talks generally (but of course not always) have good quality (although, I haven't watched any lately. But a couple years ago I watched basically any tech or science related one)
Even proper TED talks can have some big issues. I'm thinking specifically about Kary Mullis getting up on stage and saying anthropogenic climate change isn't real because he found a study that says there's a current that fluctuates and absorbs anything we do--or something to that effect. If you didn't know anything about Kary Mullis and just heard "Nobel prize winner" you might assume he's credible. In actuality he was a pariah for talking out his ass about things he doesn't have expertise in and doesn't understand, specifically his climate and HIV/AIDS denialism.
It's always a good idea to approach any lecture with a critical view, but I can see why TED talks might warrant extra scrutiny. They project expertise and authority which may or may not actually be credible. The organization has a mottled record of vetting their speakers for actual expertise. (ETA: actual expertise in the content of their talk. Obviously Kary Mullis had actual expertise, just not in the things he said on stage)
For anyone curious, he figured out how to rapidly amplify samples of DNA. While doing that he would routinely cause trouble by doing things like bringing a gun to work and having public arguments with his girlfriend at work. His Wikipedia entry sounds as sane as he is.
Ted always sucked. The whole production is designed for self-promoters to flatter rich liberals and reassure them that they're good people. Besides, a playlist of just Ted presenters who turned out to be a fraud would be hours of content probably.
"probably"
Put up or shut up bud
I also don’t understand it. If the topic is interesting and important enough, write an article about it, happy to read it. No need to add an unnecessary layer of a human presenting it - if that is needed for anybody to listen, then the topic is not worth our time
I see it like pageants. TED is miss world. TEDx is miss cornfield.
... such as like you know Iraq, like you know, and such as education for children, such as, education, you know such as
I mean, we have a competition where we judge people on their looks, and then expect them to also be smart.
Sounds like my TEDx speech. To excuse myself, I want to say that I got called 48h before because someone dropped out and asked to do 20 minutes on a topic I wasn't close to an expert on and that was also only my second public speaking experience.
I wish I had chatGPT at the time to write a bunch of bullshit for me.
The barrier for entry for TEDx is very very low, worked with someone in management who had done one they where not with the company long.
I've done one. In some cities it's about as selective as an open mic night at your local pub.
Used to listen to them as podcasts, and I didn't really like them because they were all so damn short. Feels like they're not covering the topic enough, and just as you've got invested - it's already over.
I went to Comicon one year, thinking it would be amazing. It was just a swag den and a 10 hour line to see Stan Lee.
It was then I realized that San Diego Comicon doesn't move around to different cities and "Comicon" is just a name cons take.
Yuck not Sam Hyde. He is not a good person.
He pitted a bunch of silverspoon trust fund Twitch kids into fighting themselves in a shitty house, and lost money on it, then set up fights with a bunch of other Twitch streamers until they exploded.
...I hate his politics, but. He can keep fucking with twitch streamers and YouTube personalities all he wants. More power to him on that front, actually.
Hyde is more or less just there to kick lolcows, and get views when he does. He really isn't a good person, but I love his collateral damage sometimes.
It's no surprise the best Ted talk was uploaded 16 years ago... https://youtu.be/1_oa8m5Oq00?si=I5BERSZJ7O2PXXrL Lennart Green
I've always thought Clifford Stoll - The Call To Learn was the best.
Best TED Talk in my opinion... Building better worlds...
While we're throwing around our favorite TED talks, here's the meat of my favorite in animated form.
Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us
Looking back over my jobs, hobbies, life in general, yeah, this hits hard. And yes, they found some surprising results.
EDIT: I was wrong. Not a TED talk. Watch it anyway and learn!
What is that in the thumbnail? LSD gone wrong?
What is the talk referenced in the thumbnail? I must watch, for science.
Very similar to this tedx talk: https://youtu.be/8S0FDjFBj8o 😂
