TED Talk #4: Don't Eat the Marshmallow

Money, connections, luck, a rocket-high IQ, sure, these are all helpful things to have in life, but there is one distinct factor behind most success stories: self-discipline.  Self-discipline, or the desire to work hard today in order to reach a goal tomorrow, is a crucial part of succeeding in life.  We may know this, but it sure is hard to remember sometimes!  That extra piece of pizza smells amazing!  That purse would look so good with those new shoes!  That essay can wait until tomorrow! The coach won't mind if I miss a couple of practices!  Our problem usually is that we want what feels good today, without considering tomorrow.

Do you really need another purse??

Let's take all that money you earned by shoveling snow this winter. Did you.... A) save it for something really special and fantastic?! or B) spend it the minute you got it on candy and soda?  If you chose option A then you not only are probably playing with a great new X-box (or something even cooler), but you should also feel very proud of yourself!  In the scientific world, they call this waiting- delayed gratification.  Basically, delay of gratification refers to the ability to put off getting an immediate reward in order to gain a better reward later.

Our TED Talk today deals with just that topic.  Joachim de Posada shares his experiment about delayed gratification and how it can be used to predict success.  Joachim focuses his study on 4-year-olds.  He give the kids one marshmallow and tells them that if they wait 15 minutes without eating their marshmallow they will get two marshmallows!!.  Easy, right? Why eat one, when you can get two??  Well, it's not so easy if you are 4!!  Check out the link here to view this adorable talk.

That marshmallow looks sooooo good! 

Too often people want the reward now, instead of waiting for something better! When something good comes their way, they don't bother to think about the effect it might have on tomorrow.  Learning the secret to delayed gratification, or working towards a big reward instead of settling for an immediate smaller reward, makes a huge impact on how successful we are.  Instead of spending your money on little things, save for something big!  Instead of blowing off practice or training, work hard so you can succeed on the field.  Instead of flunking classes and limiting your future choices, be excellent and watch the opportunities open up!

Don't get caught up in just the immediate "marshmallows" in front of you now.  Wait for the bigger prize!

Enjoy the talk and don't eat the marshmallow!!!

TED Talk #3: Why Videos Go Viral

When I grow up, I want to be a doctor, photographer, policeman, fireman, teacher, veterinarian, YouTuber!  Wait, what?!  A YouTuber?!

If any child mentioned YouTuber on a list of dream jobs ten years ago, people wouldn't have had a clue what he was talking about.  Boy, have things changed.

Media has changed.  Communication has changed.  No longer is the Internet a place for professionals and computer geniuses only.  Every day people are creating and jumping in the deep side of the Web.  It's the ultimate technological power-to-the-people movement.  In this case, the power to create a video.  

The pool of video online is wide and deep!  Sometimes funny.  Sometimes sweet.  Some well-made.  Some very well made, but, honestly, most are really, really, really bad.



What fascinates me is that even a horrendously horrible video can still score hundreds of thousands of views. That's right, hundreds of thousands.  It's crazy!

Why do some videos go viral and some fizzle out?  What is the key to getting a large audience for that video of your cat playing the piano?

This guy knows.  I bring you this week's TED Talk from Kevin Allocca.

Kevin Allocca is YouTube's trends manager.  That means he gets paid to watch YouTube videos all day!  He's got some deep thoughts about web video today.  In this talk from TEDYouth, he shares the 4 reasons a video goes viral.

Here's the link.

Enjoy the video and keep those cameras running when you, your friends, your cat, your parakeet, your dog, your grandpa, or your brother does something interesting.  You never know who will be the next trend in YouTube videos.

TED Talk #2: Underwater Astonishments

Do you dream of boldly going where no man has gone before?  To explore?  Discover?  It is not too late! Contrary to what we often think, there are still a lot of undiscovered astonishments out there in the world.  Just when we think we understand the world around us, we discover some new animal, place, wonder, and we are blown away all over again. As our speaker, David Gallo, explains, we only know about 3% of what is out there in the ocean.  That leaves 97% left to explore and learn!  Plenty of room for wonder!

Our second TED talk of the year explores a handful of the amazing creatures living deep below the ocean. These little guys may be hidden away in the dark, but their beauty and resourcefulness outshines our expectations.

Whoa!!!!

Click here to hear the TED Talk Underwater Astonishments
David Gallo shows jaw-dropping footage of amazing sea creatures, including a color-shifting cuttlefish, a perfectly camouflaged octopus, and a Times Square's worth of neon light displays from fish who live in the blackest depths of the ocean. This short talk celebrates the pioneering work of ocean explorers like Edith Widder and Roger Hanlon.

Let David Gallo's TED talk inspire you to dig deep and explore the fascinating world of nature.  Do you have an interest in animals?  The Amazon?  Insect Kingdoms? Deep Space? Birds? Monkeys? The Arctic?  The Earth's core?  Dive deep and dig in!  Let your chromebook be a doorway to the world!   Who knows, maybe you will be the next person to discover a brand new species?

TED Talk #1: The Cockroach Beat Box

In class, we've been talking a lot about the word genius.  What do we mean when we say genius?  What does a genius look like?  How does someone become a genius?  We've discussed that being a genius has no age requirement.  A genius can be a kid as well as a grown-up.  We've talked about how different people are good at different things.   When people are compared to others they may feel bad about themselves... they may feel that they are not smart or talented.  Geniuses come in many shapes and sizes.  And so do ideas.  Passions.  Talents.  Interests. We may not be able to explain them.  We may not always understand them, but one thing's for sure- all of our ideas, genius ideas or not, come from our brains.

Everybody dance now! 

The first TED talk in our TED talk series focuses on just that very subject-- the very place where the magic happens!  It's hiding there under our skin, cozy in our skulls, like an electric mass of muscle, humming silently away.  Where our ideas grow, passions are discovered, questions are formed.  That gooey, squishy, mysterious, ball of gray stuff.  Ladies and gentlemen, I give you our brain.  

Only muuuuuuuch smaller.

Neuroscientist (someone who studies the brain) Greg Gage gives us a glimpse into the workings of our brains by, wait for it, dissecting a cockroach... yes, right in front of us!   It turns out that cockroach brains are really similar to human brains, so they are handy to study.  Check out this amazing (and kind of freaky) TED talk to learn about how the brain receives and sends out electric messages and how our bodies respond and even dance to a beat.  

Here's the talk! 

Enjoy! 

TED Talk #20: The Health Benefits of Clowning Around

Our Friday TED Talk is coming out a bit early this week!  I think we all need this type of medicine STAT!

Let's be honest, the past few weeks have been rough.  We're living like we're not used to, learning like we're not used to, and loving like we're not used to.  Many of us would give anything to hang out with friends, go to the mall, play a favorite sport, or even hug our grandmother. 



Our situation is not going to change in a day, but there are things we can do to help us and our loved ones feel better.  One of those things is laughter... a little clowning around :)



As a medical clown, TED Resident Matthew A. Wilson takes the old adage that laughter is the best medicine very seriously. In this heartwarming talk, he shares glimpses of how clowning around can help patients (and medical staff) navigate stressful situations -- with no side effects.



Take a look at his talk here.

Check it out here!  
To fill your prescription of laughing, let me suggest one of my favorite animation artists named Simon Tofield and his series "Simon's Cat."

Go ahead, spend some time watching random cat animated shorts.  You're welcome! 

TED Talk #19: A Call to Invention

Hi Everyone,

Do you love handmade things?  Is working with your hands something you enjoy doing?  Have you always wondered just what you can do with a potato chip?

If you think it's fun to make stuff, then, this is the TED Talk for you!  Check out William Gurstelle's talk where he shows you how to make speakers from objects you may already have around your house!

Let's make the best of being at home by creating!!
Enjoy and be inspired!! 

TED Talk #18 A Life Lesson from a Volunteer Firefighter

Even though we're apart now, it's not going to stop TED Talk Fridays!  

Here's a great talk that may inspire you. 

Volunteer firefighter Mark Bezos tells a story of an act of heroism that didn't go quite as expected -- but that taught him a big lesson: Don't wait to be a hero.

Think about the little acts of kindness you can do for your friends and loved ones now.  We need that kindness now more than anything.  

Remember those gifts that Anne made for her family for Haunnukah? They meant the world to them!  

Your homework this weekend is to find small ways you can brighten the day of the people around you.  It's not about grand gestures and expensive presents, but maybe doing the dishes, reading a book with a younger sister or brother, making a picture, playing a game together, or even an IOU when you do 20 minutes of whatever they ask :)  Mrs. Frank liked that one, right?  I'm sure your family would too. 

Now is your chance!  I challenge you! 

#gettheshoes

Check out his talk here! 

TED Talk #17: The Thrilling Potential of 6th Sense Technology

In my Stories and Film class, we've been talking a lot about imagined technological advances that are becoming more and more of a reality.  Our TED Talk today shows just how close the future is.  What was once only seen as sci-fi is not becoming possible.



Check out Pattie Maes's TED Talk as she introduces us to the 6th sense and a very Minority Report way of using technology! 

TED Talk #16 Living a Life Without Limits

Hi Everyone,

Get your tissues ready for this one!  Some talks are funny.  Some talks are educational.  Some talks are jaw-dropping.  Well, this talk is a combination of all those things and so much more. 

When she was 19, Amy Purdy lost both her legs below the knee. And now ... she's a pro snowboarder (and a killer competitor on "Dancing with the Stars"!). In this powerful talk, she shows us how to draw inspiration from life's obstacles.

Here is the link to Amy's talk about living life without limits.

Oh, in case you missed it, here is a video of one of Amy's best dances on Dancing with the Stars.

I hope you enjoy it.

TED Talk #14 Looks Aren't Everything

Beauty is in the Eyes of the Beholder... but try telling that to the media industry!

Today's TED talk comes from Cameron Russell about the subject of beauty.  Cameron, a model, knows first-hand how often people are judged based on the way we look.

Cameron Russell admits she won “a genetic lottery”: she's tall, pretty and a model. But don't judge her by her looks. In this fearless talk, she takes a critical look at the industry that had her looking highly seductive at barely 16 years old.

Take a look at her TED talk at This link.