"“To produce at peak level, you need to work for extended periods with full concentration on a single task free from distraction.” – Cal Newport
"
-
A controversial play — and what it taught me about the psychology of climate | David Finnigan
(2024-09-06)
When playwright David Finnigan launched a new play in 2014, controversially titled "Kill Climate Deniers," he was not prepared for the blowback. But the conversations with climate skeptics of all stripes ultimately taught him a fascinating lesson about how many of us think about — and act upon — the climate crisis.
-
A conservationist and an artist answer: What does it take to create change? | Kristine McDivitt Tompkins and Amir Nizar Zuabi
(2024-09-06)
What does it actually take to make meaningful change? Conservationist Kristine McDivitt Tompkins and playwright and theater director Amir Nizar Zuabi reflect on the deep connection between human suffering and environmental degradation and the community-building power of art to raise awareness. With equal parts hope and concern for the future, they speak to the urgent need to act now — and emphasize the transcendent power of compassion-fueled collaboration. (This conversation is part of “TED Intersections,” a new series featuring thought-provoking conversations between experts exploring ideas at the intersection of their experience.)
-
How to turn the tables on food waste | Dana Gunders
(2024-09-05)
We waste a staggering one trillion dollars worth of food each year, significantly contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and the climate crisis. Food waste expert Dana Gunders shares innovative solutions to reduce waste — from solar-powered cold rooms to apps that sell discounted restaurant leftovers — and shares tips on how you can keep good food from going to the trash.
-
How to ask for more — and get it | Alex Carter
(2024-09-03)
How do you get what you want out of a negotiation? United Nations negotiation trainer Alex Carter says the best methods center on recruitment, not rivalry. Whether you're asking for a raise or resolving a family dispute, she offers five simple tips for a successful discussion — starting with one powerful question.
-
An actor and a neuroscientist answer: What makes you “you”? | Yara Shahidi and Anil Seth
(2024-08-30)
What can acting reveal about the mystery of consciousness? Actor and producer Yara Shahidi and cognitive neuroscientist Anil Seth unpack the surprising ways that portraying different characters can reveal insights about our authentic selves — even if we're not actually performing onstage or onscreen. Explore the intersection of consciousness and identity and discover how our brains and bodies work in tandem to form our understanding of ourselves. (This conversation is part of “TED Intersections,” a series featuring thought-provoking conversations between experts navigating the ideas shaping our world.)
-
The case for good jobs — and why they're good for business too | Zeynep Ton
(2024-08-30)
Many of the jobs that keep the world running — like cleaning bathrooms, picking up trash, caring for the elderly — pay so poorly that workers can barely make ends meet. Nonprofit leader Zeynep Ton is intent on changing that, showing why everyone wins when companies pay their people livable wages and offer opportunities for growth.
-
How testosterone and culture shape behavior | Carole K. Hooven
(2024-08-29)
Drawing on her research into the science of play, evolutionary biologist Carole K. Hooven delves into how testosterone impacts the body and brain, interacting with culture to create differences in human behavior — starting with why boys tend to prefer rougher play than girls.
-
The beautiful paradoxes of a multicultural identity | Farhad Mohit
(2024-08-28)
How do you find yourself when you belong to two seemingly opposing cultures? Embracing the paradoxes of dual identity, creative disruptor Farhad Mohit explores how being both Iranian and American allows him to navigate the tension between independence and interdependence, progress and presence — and to live fully in the here and now.
-
Want to get ahead at work? Risk the awkward moments | Henna Pryor
(2024-08-27)
When we avoid feeling awkward, we often miss an opportunity for growth, says workplace performance expert Henna Pryor. She shares tips on embracing discomfort for the sake of self-betterment and shows how pushing past the “cringe chasm” — the gap between how we perceive ourselves and how others see us — can open up chances to get ahead at work and in life.
-
The invisible networks shaping your everyday life | Deb Chachra
(2024-08-26)
The basic infrastructure that controls plumbing, electricity and more is vital to your individual agency, says engineering professor Deb Chachra. She offers a crash course on how these systems connect to shape our lives — and suggests some key improvements for providing long-term, sustainable energy to everyone.
-
Meet our planet's hidden defenders | Anjan Sundaram
(2024-08-23)
Small Indigenous communities make up only five percent of the world's population, but they defend 80 percent of the biodiversity that remains on Earth, says war reporter Anjan Sundaram. He paints a picture of Mexico's embattled ecological frontlines, where invisible heroes are fighting corporations and cartels alike to save our planet's last natural ecosystems.
-
How to empower farmers — and nourish the planet | Agnes Kalibata
(2024-08-22)
Africa's smallholder farmers feed millions of people and uplift economies, yet they often lack the basic resources needed to thrive, says agricultural scientist and policymaker Agnes Kalibata. She outlines how to empower these farmers with better tools, climate resilience strategies and market access — so they can continue to nourish humanity while caring for the planet.
-
How to prevent — or stop — a war | Gabrielle Rifkind
(2024-08-21)
"I'm not a pacifist, but in the end, war is the greatest human rights abuse and does not make the world safer," says Gabrielle Rifkind, director of the Oxford Process, an organization dedicated to ending armed conflict. She shares how inclusive negotiating strategies can prevent war from breaking out or stop an ongoing conflict — and shows what we can do to make peace real for all.
-
How to end malaria once and for all | Abdoulaye Diabaté
(2024-08-20)
Malaria is a disease as old as humankind, yet we may be closer than ever to eliminating it, says medical entomologist Abdoulaye Diabaté. He explains the potential of "gene drive" technology — which aims to disrupt mosquito reproduction as a means of halting malaria transmission in Africa — and shows how his team is partnering with local communities to solve this public health challenge.
-
Yes, you can be an entrepreneur too | Saamra Mekuria-Grillo
(2024-08-19)
Who gets to be an entrepreneur? Saamra Mekuria-Grillo says the image we most commonly see — a guy in a hoodie — is a limiting representation of entrepreneurial success. She highlights the importance of young Black people seeing entrepreneurship as a possibility for themselves and explains the key to making the field more inclusive.
© AccessBHSystems.com