Next week IU will be hosting yet another of its TEDx talks at the auditorium.
These speakers are just part of a wide network of various teachers, thinkers and artists who come together to share their knowledge in an interactive form.
Per its organization website, TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas. TED was one of the first nonprofit organizations available on multiple platforms in which technology, design and entertainment merged.
TED talks cover things from self-motivation to underwater habitats to how the internet has changed our interpersonal relationships. TEDx is essentially the same content, just organized independent of the organization.
IU is consistently hosting TEDx talks about various topics throughout the academic school year, with discounted tickets for students.
The upcoming event is titled “From Ashes We Rise” and will feature six speakers discussing how they overcame life’s challenges.
In the past, TEDx events at IU have had themes like "All Too Human," which examined the most pressing problems against humanity.
IU students should take advantage of these events.
College is an incredibly special place that allows you the privilege to find yourself, and you should be soaking up every opportunity you are able to.
TEDx talks are such a novel idea in terms of how information is spread. Not only do these talks make lectures interesting and engaging, but they serve as a melting pot for ideas and concepts from all types of sciences.
TEDx talks also often feature interesting themes about how individuals can better their own lives — be it through new habits or a new perspective.
These conferences offer super rare opportunities to hear from speakers of various professions, from NASA astrobiologists to nonprofit founders.
Beyond intriguing topics and accredited speakers, the TEDx experience just has something special about it.
According to a Forbes article about why TED talks are so popular, it has everything to do “simplified, authentic storytelling.”
TED talks condense very niche informational deluges into 18 minute comprehensible anecdotes, making even convoluted topics digestible.
In the same Forbes article, contributor Mark Fidelman mentions that the events are so special because you can tell that neither the organizers nor the speakers are in it solely for the money — they do it out of the passion of sharing knowledge.
The people who speak at TED talks are excited to share what they know and do it out of a passion to pass on ideas, an inspiring act in itself.
In college, $14 dollars can buy many things — but a ticket to a TEDx talk is definitely worth it.
