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 Apr 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 Apr 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 Apr 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 Mar 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 Mar 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 Mar 201813min
Academic research is publicly funded -- why isn't it publicly available? | Erica Stone
In the US, your taxes fund academic research at public universities. Why then do you need to pay expensive, for-profit journals for the results of that research? Erica Stone advocates for a new, open-access relationship between the public and scholars, making the case that academics should publish in more accessible media. "A functioning democracy requires that the public be well-educated and well-informed," Stone says. "Instead of research happening behind paywalls and bureaucracy, wouldn't it be better if it was unfolding right in front of us?" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
28 Mar 20189min
How fungi recognize (and infect) plants | Mennat El Ghalid
Each year, the world loses enough food to feed half a billion people to fungi, the most destructive pathogens of plants. Mycologist and TED fellow Mennat El Ghalid explains how a breakthrough in our understanding of the molecular signals fungi use to attack plants could disrupt this interaction -- and save our crops. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
27 Mar 20184min
