TEDxWaterloo

What just happened?

What was the single most significant moment of the night?

Riding the wave of TEDx seemed like no big deal and I dare criticized the deployment of food - shame on me. When I got home and the totality of what I had experienced started to set in, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by a tremendous sense of gratitude toward the hard working people that brought such an event to KW. Thank you.

To kick things off we were introduced to the evolution of a local idea into its coming of age with Microsoft Kinect, delivered from the true pioneer of the technology (Vincent John Vincent) - interactive gesturing will likely be ubiquitous in 5, 8 years. We shared a story of what it’s done and a glimpse of what it can do.

How amazing was JF Carrey’s talk? The sequence of the approaching avalanche was set up perfectly and I want a copy of the picture that he took looking into an ice crevasse, amazing! Sharing that 20 minutes at the top of Everest at 24 year of age was just another step in a life full of challenges, a life of conquering the impossible and pushing your limits.

“Passion is contagious” - JF Carrey

Did you know that anyone in the world could have shared what we witnessed by streaming it over the internet? I can’t imagine how much emptier I’d feel if I missed TEDx and am sorry more people didn’t take the opportuntiy to share the event remotely. For how smoothly the event went, how hard would it have been to get a quality video link with Hilary? When will we have a remote hologram talk - TEDxWaterloo 7, 5? In spite of how fantastic the event was, I think it’s fair to expect that the organizing team can create an even better event - scary! More technology, better entertainment and improved design. Constant improvement, even when it seems so, so good!

How does Waterloo Region kick so much ass?

The 1 - 2 punch of open science and visialized data made it abundantly apparant that if we all start talking about what we know, we can see the world in a better way. Open the data, find it’s answers, share it visually. Amazing talks from Michael Nielsen and Miriah Meyer.

Being lost in the data or lost in space, Colin Ellard’s stories of spatial recognition from slugs responding to immediate topographical characteristics to Inuit narrative based navigation was really intriguing - especially as a pilot and (past) adventure racer. The psychological implications of how we interact with our spaces was really interesting especially in the face of smaller footprints and denser populations.

I think I still have a crush on Dr. Roberta Bondar. Did you know she was in university for 18 years? Her life was very planned, everything she could get right she did and became the first neurologist in space, and Canada’s first woman astronaut. From soaring, I’m faintly aware of the freedom of weightlessness, her insights were surreal and bringing science into art, and art into science is something that truly resonates.

“Engage, enlighten and be enlightened” - Dr. Roberta Bondar

But what didn’t resonate? The technology on display including the beautifully deployed Christie display units were silently and beautifully ‘first evers’ of a media form that will become ubiquitous. I imagine they are exceptionally energy efficient too.

When can I hook up a Canadian Solar panel to a Christie display with a Prezi ad campaign? Attn: Zoom Media - I want a finders fee. Using the power where it’s made helps make solar more cost competitive since half of our energy costs are in transmission due to centralized AC generation. I too (along with Canadian Solar CEO Shawn Qu) hope the DC revolution is coming, more importantly the localized liberating power of renewables is coming.

Some of the artistic components including Ben Grossmans ‘herdy gerdy’ - a very unusual but interesting instrument - and the live painting were really great to experience. Guitar solo’s and string quartets were fantastic at illustrating KW Symphony conductor, Edwin Outwater’s points on musics ability to demonstrate a variety of sentiments (including rebellion) splendidly. 

Canadian media star Shelly Ambrose challenged us to have better conversations. She’s a big wig at The Walrus Foundation and in our tote bag of event goodies provided us with a recent edition of her magazine with a distinct focus on what Canada means these days. She stressed our need to embrace and showcase what we have to offer, not rest on it’s Canadiana - great technology, arts and culture, innovation, research, etc.

In the summer of 2010, Abby Sunderland at age 16 attempted to circumvent the globe in her 40’ sailboat ‘Wild Eyes’. In the middle of the Indian Ocean she got rolled by a rouge wave, destroying her communications and stranding her 2500kms from the nearest search and rescue station. Through the ordeal, I remember drinking beer with TEDxWaterloo lead organizer Ramy Nassar debating the perils of sailing and the adventurousness or foolishness of young Abby. On Thursday at Centre in the Square we were both wearing Converse All-Stars (Chuck Taylors) and I chatted with her in person. She has much to learn about life, but she had much to teach all of us about challenging ourselves, about exploration and following your passion. I didn’t know how to be in awe of her maturity through such an unimaginable ordeal yet hope she keeps a cool head as she grows up. I couldn’t help but think how all-knowing I felt after surviving in the wilderness for 5 days without food at age 14, but how little I actually knew (and still know) about a life worth living - I suppose she’s off to a great start and I look forward to seeing what amazing feats she attempts in the future!

Vicki Keith, a ultra-marathon swimmer almost made me sick in my seat. As a former competitive swimmer myself, the thought of 72 hours, 80km of straight butterfly made me feel ill. Sheer insanity, sheer inspiration, the power of a healthy human body with a dedicated human mind can not be discounted!

What a utterly fantastic event. Perfect venue (Centre in the Square), amazing food, engaged audience, fantastic speakers and a truly comitted, all professional team of volunteers to make it happen. TEDxWaterloo exemplifies Waterloo Region as a world class city, an intellectual mecca and a place I’m proud to call my home town.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am so much richer of a person having shared that day with you.

Some photos:

Other Reviews:

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  1. paddymack posted this