TED 2011
Dan Ariely: Beware conflicts of interest (script)
Summary
Someone you know said that he/she prepares something for you. What do you intuitively think? You will be glad at least, at first. "Someone who you know," "for you," and "your first impression" fascinate you. These incentives blind you. It's leading you to be wrong. This is an example and the mechanism which you believe in your intuition and why you fail.
People essentially believe in their intuition which is wrong. If we know how to fix this mechanism, we will have new hope. Beware conflicts of interest until that.
Words in this story
intuition / the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. sixth sense.
conflicts / a serious disagreement or argument, typically a protracted one. troubles, dispute, quarrel, squabble, disagreement.
informative / providing useful or interesting information. communicative, educational.
drunken /adj/ drunk or intoxicated.
TED 2009
Dan Ariely: Our buggy moral code (script)
Summary
This was the special scary story. Why do so many people cheat?
It is because there's a lot of mistakes people do. One of these is about cheating but it is not rational.
In economic theory, cheating can show a very simple cost benefit analysis. What's the probability of being caught, how much gain people get from cheating, and how much punishment they get if they get caught. They weigh these options and they decide whether it's worthwhile to commit the crime or not. It means people cheat more, when they will get money which increases.
However, the action of people are not able to be explained in the economic rational theory. It is because instead of a few people cheat a lot, a lot of people cheat a little bit. How irrational it is!
There are two forces. One is that they feel good about themselves, and they don't want to cheat. On the other hand, they can cheat a little bit, and still feel good about themselves. There, there's a level of cheating which they can't go over, but they want even a little bit benefit from cheating, however, they don't want to change their impressions about themselves. When they feel about their morality, they cheat less. When the objects of money change something that is without money, they cheat more. Further, they see cheating around them, particularly if one is a part of their group, cheating goes up.
In behavioral economics, people have many intuitions in their life but many of these are wrong. And then. Each of them feels their intuitions are each correct. It is very hard to believe that themselves intuitions are wrong and it is difficult to try and check whether they are wrong. Of course, it is difficult to accept others intuitions.
People basically have a lot of mistakes and they have very strong intuitions about all kinds of things. They are supposed to seek right things and rational, however, irrational things occur. How small our moral effect is!
Words in this story
distance / an amount of space between two things or people. interval, space, span, gap.
distant / far away in space or time. faraway, far off, far,
intuition / the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. sixth sense.
TED 2008
Dan Ariely: Are we in control of our own decisions? (script)
He is a behavioral economics and an author. His book Predictably Irrational is famous.
Summary
It turns out, vision is one of the best things we do. We have a huge part of our brain dedicated to vision and we're evolutionarily designed to use vision. However, even if this is the best thing in our brain and we're so good at by using this, we have mistakes in vision. Thus, we often have mistakes in something we're not as good at. Further, we're not able to recognize them, because it is harder for cognitive illusion to demonstrate than visual illusions. It is because we think that we make decisions by ourselves but we don't realize that there are many things around us which have a huge influence on our actions.
When we see the results of our actions, we feel that we're in control and we are making the decision by ourselves. We actually have an illusion of making decision. It is not because we don't care. It is because we care, but it is too difficult and complex for us to know what to do. So we have no idea what to do, we just pick whatever it was that was chosen for us. It'll show that the choices are difficult and we don't know our preference as well. In fact, irrationally, we have to choose anything that someone predicts and prepares. It is so interesting as the behavioral economics, but it is irrational.
Words in this story
dedicate / devote, commit, pledge, give, devote (time, effort, or oneself) to a particular task or purpose.
behavioral economics / the study of the influenceof emotions, opinions, etc. on the decisions peopleand organizations make in spending, saving, etc.
irrational / not using reason or clear thinking.
consistent / constant, regular
subscription / application, a signature or short piece of writing at the end of a document.
TEDMED 2009
David Blaine: How I held my breath for 17 minutes ( script)
Summary
Don't show this talk to kids, because of danger.
The speaker is a magician. A magician is an entertainer who performs tricks as entertainment, such as making things disappear.
I was completely absorbed in his talk, that I forgot he was a magician. I thought for a moment why he did such dangerous things many times. However, he likes to do what doctors say impossible. It made me stop thinking that he is a magician.
This time, he tells us how he held his breath underwater for 17 minutes. I thought that 17 minutes was about the same as this entire talk. Somehow I heard him breathe in the sphere during his talk.
He has wanted the world record of holding one's breath underwater since he was a child. Usually, people have a serious of hypoxic brain damage when they go without breathing over six minutes. When it is over 15 minutes, your brain will be done. However, it made him motivate.
He started learning about the world record holder. He tried to lose his weight the cause of world record holder to hold his breath better. He decided to break the world record that was 16 minutes and 32 seconds. Several months, he practiced to hold his breath every morning.
He is a magician. As a magician, he tries to create images that make people stop and think, and also he tries to challenge himself to do things that doctors say impossible. He says that holding his breath and shuffling a deck of cards are the same magic. It is important to practice, train and experiment again and again while pushing through the pain to be the best.
I think that in this talk, he would win, because he made us stop and think.
Words in this story
breath /brɛθ/noun/ breathe /brið/verb/
legitimate / conforming to the law or to rules. legal, lawful.
pursuit / quest, seeking, the action of following or pursuing someone or something.
quest / search, hunt
shivering / shake
bypass / a road passing around a town or its center to provide an alternative route for through traffic.
TED 2014
Dan Gilbert: The psychology of your future self (script)
Summary
You have probably experienced that you thought that you sometimes had foolish ideas in the past. You probably think why you made such decisions when you remember it. You will regret after several years, but you didn't think that you would regret it in near future. It is because we have a fundamental misconception about the power of times.
When we think of ourselves, the fundamental time is now. When something happens to you, for you the time is now anytime. Every year, we feel that this year passes faster than last year. Thus, we weren't changed this year, because you felt this year passed faster. And then, we think as we grow older that the rest of our lives won't be changed and we are finished now. You think that you never have such foolish ideas anymore.
No, no, no. Human beings are as transient. We mistakenly think that we're finished. The time is always changing. It's just easy for us to remember in the past, however, it's difficult for us to imagine our future but we don't notice it. Further, we think that something we can't imagine won't happen. This is the psychology of our future self. It is an illusion.
Words in this story
transient /ˈtræn ʃənt/ lasting only for a short time; impermanent. temporary.
profoundly / extremely, very, deeply
think of / think about / 'think of' usually means 'imagine' whereas 'think about' tends to mean something closer to 'consider', so the differences would arise in certain contexts.
TEDGlobal 2005
Dan Gilbert: Why we make bad decisions (script)
Daniel Gilbert is an American social psychologist and writer. This is his second TED talk.
His book "Stumbling on Happiness" is famous book. Somehow, Japanese title becomes "scientifically study Happiness of tomorrow." I read this in the past in Japanese language. I like his point of views, because those are severe ideas that I didn't think and notice, but it'll be true. It gives me new perspectives. I'm happy, because I can read this in English this time.
In this speech, the end Q&A is really interesting!
Chris Anderson is the owner of TED. He often questions to speaker to enjoy with everyone on TED talk.
Jay Walker, one of America’s best-known business inventors. He has participated in TED talk two times, however, those are in 2008 (My library of human imagination) and 2009 (The world’s English mania) as far as I know.
Aubrey de Grey is an English author and biomedical. He participants in this 2005. His talk title is "A roadmap to end aging" that I was not convinced.
Summary
In fact, what tell us the right thing at all possible time is the expected value and the odds that is probability. The expected value of our actions is the hope that we can get. What is produced by the odds is the action that will allow us to gain something and the value of that gain to us.
However, when we try making decisions, we make two mistakes. Those are 1) errors in estimating the odds that we're going to succeed, and 2) errors in estimating the value of our own success.
1) It's because we don't use the number of the right odds. We use some ideas that comes us faster. It means that we use what happens easily or we know something well or what is often announced. And then, we think that the news that don't come quickly to our mind doesn't happen. We vastly underestimate them.
2) We also err calculating value, because we compare many things many times. When we decide how much we'll like something or we consume something, we compare those values. However, they are not the same comparisons. This is the problem of shifting comparisons. It makes us confuse though we want to make rational decisions.
If we can estimate the expected value and the odds, just only that time is that they are right. Namely, they will change quickly. We will change our minds when time pass, because we underestimated the odds of our future pains and overestimated the value of our present pleasures.
Words in this story
stumbling / trip or momentarily lose one's balance; almost fall.
rational / logical
precise / exact, accurate, correct, specific
TED 2004
Dan Gilbert: The surprising science of happiness (script)
summary
The surprising science of happiness the speaker suggests is that we can synthesize happiness, because we have a "psychological immune system" which works under unconscious cognitive processes. It helps us change our views of the world, in order to we can feel our world better.
However, we think happiness is a thing to be found, because we believe that natural happiness values rather than synthetic happiness.
Natural happiness comes to us when we got what we want. We synthesize happiness when we didn't get what we wanted. We have a strong belief that it is not good for our society to synthesize happiness.
It is because it seems the human brain has nearly tripled in mass in two million years. The evolved frontal cortex a pre- frontal cortex of which became to do an experience simulator.
Synthesize happiness is as same as what you naturally get something you want though it's distracted by the experience simulator. When you feel free to choose something, change and make up your mind, it works and it leads to overrating, thus you are worried and chasing other thing anytime after you choose experience. Despite we can synthesize happiness.
Words in this story
synthesize /verb/ unify, combined, mix. synthesis /noun/ synthetic /adj/
overrated / overplay, overprize, overvalue, overestimate
simulator / fake, pretender.
TED 2012
Susan Cain: The power of introverts ( script)
You probably think that people who love reading are unsociable and introverts. However, they easily feel the warmth of people but they are full of an adventurous mind. They'll be knowledgeable and get better grades. They are being driven to do what they think that they are right. This is because solitude is a crucial ingredient to creativity, it'll make them experts. They can generate their own thought without instinctively mimicking.
In fact, introvert is not shy. Shyness is about fear of social judgment. People who are introverts just like being in quiet places. It's inconspicuous environments, in which they can use their talents.
This is the bias for introverts to extroverts. Our environments: our school and workplaces are mostly designed for extroverts, because many people historically think that all creativity and productivity come from sociable but ideal people are extroverts.
The speaker says our world needs a better balance, it means to need both introverts and extroverts. According to research, introverts can contribute to creativity and productivity.
Don't be controlled by groups, charismatic person and majority opinions. You need more privacy, freedom and autonomy at work. You need to work on your own to think more deeply and such places also are needed.
Leave from distracting your attention, and get inside your own heads a little more often.
Look at what's inside your own suitcase. Both introverts and extroverts will have great energy and joy. You can use and give it to others anywhere, anytime. Extroverts please create beautiful environments where everybody can be active. Introverts please open your power a bit with a little courage. The world needs you.
TED 2009
Alexis Ohanian: How to make a splash in social media (script)
Summary
Now, there are so many publishing tools that you want to use/avail on the Internet. When you use them, the result will either be: you will be just interested in doing something cool or you will lose control on things. It is okay, if you want to succeed. It's because it only takes a few minutes to produce something and the cost is so cheap when you have to repeat.
This is how the Internet works. The Internet provides a level playing field. With a browser, anyone can get to any website no matter your budget as long as you can keep net neutrality in place.
◆Viewpoints&Discussion
1. What do you think about this video?
This story happened in 2005. I feel that this way becomes old, because the internet progress is faster. Now 2016, in some countries including Japan, even kids post their films on YouTube and wait for comments. It's too much. Many people already started what they want to do on the internet.
I think that although anyone can get to any website with a browser, the Internet won't provide a level playing field, because algorithm leads us to getting to seek something easily every time. Net neutrality won't be kept.
2. What is the best thing about the Internet?
The best thing about the Internet is that we can tell many people who live in far places our message, and we are able to know many things that we don't ever see, even we don't move.
3. What problems does the Internet create? What problems does it solve?
There are so many opinions and comments posted by other people on the Internet, which show that they either agree with you and or not. It'll mislead you. Don't depend too much on the Internet.
4. What are some of the ways the Internet can be used for education?
I think that studying languages is the way that the Internet can be used for education, because the Internet tells us the correct pronunciation quickly.
5. Is it better to buy online or to go to a shop? Why?
It is better to go to a shop to buy close or shoes, because it is difficult to know whether its size fits you, or not.
However, it is better to buy books or something which is heavy to carry, because you don't need to carry heavy stuffs. The carrier will deliver it to you.
Word in this story
personify /pərˈsɑn·əˌfɑɪ/ to be a person who is a perfect example of a thing or quality.
altruism /ˈæl·truˌɪz·əm/ selflessness, unselfish. The belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others
generous /ˈdʒen·ər·əs/ often giving people money or presents.
neutrality /neu·-tral·-i·-ty/nuˈtræl ɪ ti, nyu-/ the state of not supporting or helping either side in a conflict, disagreement, etc. impartiality.
iteration / the repetition of a process or utterance.
wait for sbd/smthng/ to ～
can/could=general possibilities, abilties
be able/managed to specific situations
TED 2014
Alison Killing: There’s a better way to die, and architecture can help (script)
Japan has a population is 125 million 39 thousand (125,039,000)(2015)
Over 65 yeas old is 26.9 % means that elderly is one in four.
The average life span of Japanese women is 86.8 years, men is 80.5 years. Women is the highest in the world.
The avarage "Healthy Life Years" of Japanese women is 74.2 years, men is 70.2 years.
"Healthy Life Years" is number that a person of a certain age is expected to live without disability.
According to this data, Japaneses people need to spend at hospital for about 10 years. However, there is the range from mild to severe.
Summary
We can't control if we die, because it comes to all of us. We have to talk about it more though death was forgotten. This story gives us chance to talk about it. The wonderfulness of architecture can help us in removing fear.
TED 2014
Hugh Herr: The new bionics that let us run, climb and dance ( script)
Summary
The speaker whose legs are bionic has strong thoughts. He thinks that a human being can never be broken. Technology is broken or inadequate. By advancing technology, his own disability and others can be eliminated. It makes him create a company where studies new great technology: bionic.
Bionic means artificial body parts, especially electromechanical ones. This is completely different to conventional artificial legs. Bionic limbs have normal muscle functions or more than that. There is almost no the gap between disability and ability.
The great bionic legs are using three extreme interfaces which are mechanical, dynamic and electrical. Interface means a point where two systems, subjects, organizations and etc, meet and interact.
Mechanical point means how bionic limbs are attached to the human's biological body. It's used synthetic skins which are embedded sensing and new smart materials which can adjust voltage and change stiffness. It gives the bionic limbs greater ability to control and protect the biological joints from high impacts and degradation.
Dynamic interfaces relate why limbs move like flesh and bone. It attenuates the shock of the limb hitting the ground. It lets the bionic limb output high torques and powers to lift the person into the walking stride.
Electrical interfaces are how bionic limbs communicate with the nervous system. The electrodes are attached to the residual limb. It can measure the electrical pulse of muscles and communicate its pulse and movement desires to the bionic limb. The chips of the bionic limb are embedded in the capability that the missing biological is modeled. That is newly discovered what reflexes occurred and how reflexes the spinal are controlling the muscles. This is the system that using just the muscles in the residual limb, you who use this bionic limb can run, climb and dance.
Further, he and his company continue studying about this synthetic limb that move like flesh and bone but actually feel like flesh and bone.
He thinks that the people don't need to accept their limitations but they can transcend disability through technological innovation.
Words in this story
inadequate / lacking the quality or quantity required; insufficient for a purpose.
synthesis /syn·-the·-sis/ˈsɪn θə sɪs/noun/ putting together
synthetic /syn·-thet·-ic/sɪnˈθɛt ɪk/adj/ artificial
degradation / fall, shame.
reflexive / comeback, recovery
attenuate / reduce the force, effect, or value of.
authentic /au·-then·-tic/ɔˈθɛn tɪk/adj/ genuine, real
aesthetic /es·thet·ic/ɛsˈθɛt ɪk/ beauty.
residual / remaining after the greater part or quantity has gone.
BBC NWES, 8 August 2016Japan's Emperor Akihito hints at wish to abdicate (article)
On Monday this week, the news that was about the emperor abdicate, and the emperor himself speech, were announced.
I think that it will be a good opportunity for Japanese people to think about our country Japan.
We have to think new Japan again, because the world rapidly started to change. We will be welcoming the 71st anniversary of the end of the World War Ⅱ this year. We are preparing for the 30th year of Heisei and in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic.
Japan is a developed country though it has some problems the developed countries won't have.
For example, women are not active and women are not allowed to inherit the throne but it doesn't discuss completely.
I'm worried whether Japanese people can adapt to the new decision, or not, if the abdication is permitted.
We know that our Japan's Emperor is not a god, he is the symbol of the state. However, he greatly impact on us who feel like we are embedded on old Japanese system.
However, he has adopted a more informal, modern style. His marriage was the best way that Japanese people long for.
We have to keep good Japanese tradition forever, however, we build a new system our own power for this announcement and Japanese prosperity.
More on this story
◾Ten things you may not know about the emperor
◾Emperor Akihito's speech in full
◾Japan watches the emperor's speech
◾In pictures: Akihito's reign
TED 2015
Melati and Isabel Wijsen: Our campaign to ban plastic bags in Bali (script)
Summary
You are sure you imagine that Bali is beautiful.
In order not to change this image, next time, when you go there, you can't bring a plastic bag. It'll be declarable in the airport.
In Bali, two kids who were only 10 and 12 years old started no plastic bags activity in 2012.
It is because, they also imagined that Bali was a beautiful place though they knew that 680 cubic meters of plastic garbage was generated a day. It is mostly not recycled but it is thrown away in the ocean through the drains. They thought how their home island became.
They knew that this is a big problem though they launched of "Bey Bey Plastic Bags." They made a presentation many time in various places, and continued for three years. They tried not to eat from sunrise to sunset every day until the governor of Bali would agree to meet with them to talk about how to stop plastic bags on Bali.
They finally got a promise to help the people of Bali say no to plastic bags.
Their activity is great, further, they tell us the lessons since they learned this on TED stage. The lessons: you cannot do something that is a little bit big all by yourself. You have to think outside the box and have patience. You need champions at all levels of society. You can also learn leadership, teamwork, responsibility, friendship and about your hometown and culture are important again.
It's not always easy. It's difficult to understand each other, but even kids could do that and they still have a lot of work to do. There is no need for you to wait for something.
Words in this story
declared / say something in a solemn and emphatic manner.
conversely / introducing a statement or idea that reverses one that has just been made or referred to.
TEDGlobal 2013
David Steindl-Rast: Want to be happy? Be grateful (script)
Summary
No one won't want to be happy. All of us want to be happy. We are grateful when we are happy. In fact, it is not happiness that makes us grateful but it is gratefulness that makes us happy. Gratefulness is a gift to us. It should be something that gratefulness spontaneously rises in our heart. It is not that you've earned or worked for it. Naturally, a moment when you feel grateful comes to you, this moment is a gift. The gift wiythin this gift is really an opportunity.
If you cannot feel this good opportunity that you can enjoy and you are grateful, you'll be rushing through life and you'll be not stopping to see the opportunity.
You miss the opportunity because you don't stop. You have to stop and sometimes get quiet. And when you stop, the next thing is to look. You look. You open your eyes. You use your ears and all your senses. You can feel the opportunity that is given to you. You also open your hearts. When you open your hearts, the opportunities invite you to do something. From here, you can go and really do something.
Stop. Look, and go. This is the key that you are being happy, because you have the opportunity to feel grateful. You can always be grateful for all things. It'll make the world a happy place.
Words in this story
discrimination / the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex.
appreciate / recognize the full worth of.
grateful /adj/ feeling or showing an appreciation of kindness; thankful.
gratefulness /noun/ gratefully /adv/
bereavement /be·-reave·-ment/ /bɪˈriv mənt/the death of a close relation or friend.
believe /be·-lieve/ /bɪˈliv/
scarcity /scar·-ci·-ty/ /ˈskɛər sɪ ti/ the state of being scarce or in short supply, shortage.
scary /scar·-y/ /ˈskɛər i/
TED 2015
Emilie Wapnick: Why some of us don’t have one true calling (script)
Summary
Do you know a person who is a luthier and psychotherapist or an illustrator, an entrepreneur, a teacher and a creative director? How about a person who is a ninja cardiothoracic surgeon poet as your job? He would be awesome and the first one. Said Cameron Russell on another TED talk.
They would be awesome and great, however, we almost never hear about them.
It's because we're continuously told for a long time that we have to choose one thing that we want to be or do. We think that it is wrong or abnormal to do many things. In our culture, it is better to have and focus one great thing.
However, many people are interested in and create many things. The speaker said that they are not wrong and have big powers. They can combine some ideas and create new things. They have learning abilities and use it every new area, and they also have adaptability. In the world right now, like them who are creative and out-of-the-box thinkers are needed.
Thus, you don't need to worry if you are interested in many things or you can't answer what you want to be when you grow up. It'll be better for your life to embrace your many passions. This will be your true calling and it will make you happy.
Words in this story
pivot /piv-uh t/ center, heart, core, focus, middle
authentic /adj/ genuine, real,true
aesthetics /adj/ concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.
TED 2014
Meaghan Ramsey: Why thinking you're ugly is bad for you (script)
Summary
Today, we greatly benefit from the Internet. I think all people of the current young generation are beautiful. There are many goods that they can be beautiful. I think that they are available online with their friends and family all time is a good thing.
However, it seems that they feel the pressure. Probably, they wanted to be beautiful person who they saw on the internet. They firstly think how they look. They also wanted to look good. Beyond this thought, they have asked whether they are ugly on the internet, not beautiful. It became more important for them to think that they look, not how they actually look. They have lost their confidence, it leads to undermining academic achievement.
The speaker tackles this problem in order so they can have good self esteem. It also needs for us to step up and be better role models for them in our own lives.
Everybody has value to live.
Words in this story
self-esteem / confidence in one's own worth or abilities.
potential / having or showing the capacity to become or develop into something in the future.
obsession / consuming passion, passion, mania
