Should we create a solar shade to cool the earth? | Danny Hillis
In this perspective-shifting talk, Danny Hillis prompts us to approach global issues like climate change with creative scientific solutions. Taking a stand for solar geoengineering, he looks at controversial solutions with open-minded curiosity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
5 Huhti 20187min
To eliminate waste, we need to rediscover thrift | Andrew Dent
There's no such thing as throwing something away, says Andrew Dent -- when you toss a used food container, broken toy or old pair of socks into the trash, those things inevitably end up in ever-growing landfills. But we can get smarter about the way we make, and remake, our products. Dent shares exciting examples of thrift -- the idea of using and reusing what you need so you don't have to purchase anything new -- as well as advances in material science, like electronics made of nanocellulose and enzymes that can help make plastic infinitely recyclable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
4 Huhti 201810min
My $500 house in Detroit -- and the neighbors who helped me rebuild it | Drew Philp
In 2009, journalist and screenwriter Drew Philp bought a ruined house in Detroit for $500. In the years that followed, as he gutted the interior and removed the heaps of garbage crowding the rooms, he didn't just learn how to repair a house -- he learned how to build a community. In a tribute to the city he loves, Philp tells us about "radical neighborliness" and makes the case that we have "the power to create the world anew together and to do it ourselves when our governments refuse." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
3 Huhti 201813min
Math can help uncover cancer's secrets | Irina Kareva
Irina Kareva translates biology into mathematics and vice versa. She writes mathematical models that describe the dynamics of cancer, with the goal of developing new drugs that target tumors. "The power and beauty of mathematical modeling lies in the fact that it makes you formalize, in a very rigorous way, what we think we know," Kareva says. "It can help guide us to where we should keep looking, and where there may be a dead end." It all comes down to asking the right question and translating it to the right equation, and back. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
3 Huhti 20187min
How we can teach computers to make sense of our emotions | Raphael Arar
How can we make AI that people actually want to interact with? Raphael Arar suggests we start by making art. He shares interactive projects that help AI explore complex ideas like nostalgia, intuition and conversation -- all working towards the goal of making our future technology just as much human as it is artificial. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2 Huhti 201811min
Our fight for disability rights -- and why we're not done yet | Judith Heumann
Four decades ago, Judith Heumann helped to lead a groundbreaking protest called the Section 504 sit-in -- in which disabled-rights activists occupied a federal building for almost a month, demanding greater accessibility for all. In this personal, inspiring talk, Heumann tells the stories behind the protest -- and reminds us that, 40 years on, there's still work left to do. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
30 Maalis 201817min
Why I choose humanism over faith | Leo Igwe
As a humanist, Leo Igwe doesn't believe in divine intervention -- but he does believe in the power of human beings to alleviate suffering, cure disease, preserve the planet and turn situations of poverty into prosperity. In this bold talk, Igwe shares how humanism can free Africans from damaging superstitions and give them the power to rebuild the continent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
29 Maalis 201810min
The role of faith and belief in modern Africa | Ndidi Nwuneli
Ndidi Nwuneli has advice for Africans who believe in God -- and Africans who don't. To the religious, she advises against using God to outsource responsibility for what happens in their lives. To the non-religious, she asks that they keep an open mind and work with faith-based organizations, especially on issues like health care and education. "There's so much potential that can be realized when we walk across the divide of faith and, hand in hand, try to solve many of our problems," Nwuneli says. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
29 Maalis 201813min
