Ted lectures in Russian. Brain Scientists: The Best TED Lectures with Russian Voiceover

I remember everything so clearly, like it happened yesterday. Adrenaline euphoria, and then immediately unspeakable shame. Two years ago I was asked to speak at a TED conference. And then… the invitation was cancelled. Now I will tell you everything in order, it will be like the confession of a rejected lover who still reads the posts of his ex on Facebook.

First there was a letter: a student from Oxford wrote to me, the son of a friend of a friend whom I had not seen since my university years. This intricate chain alone was enough to immediately play the music from Brideshead Revisited in my head - there was such a series in the eighties. This student asked me if I would be willing to speak at TEDx Talks at the Sheldon Theatre, on any topic of my choice. However, I later found out that TED with an additional "x" is not exactly the same as just TED. TEDx is like a franchise. But these speeches are still posted on Youtube under the TED logo.

After reading the letter, I jumped up from my desk. I radiated the purest passionate self-adoration. Speaking at TED is like receiving an order of honor, only better. This conference is a rock and roll gallery of fame for nerds. In an instant, a picture appeared before my eyes: I would be standing on stage, like most TED speakers, in a strict dark suit and a light-colored shirt without a tie. They will put a tiny microphone on my head on a thin plastic shackle, stretching along my cheek right to my mouth. Even if the microphone is not needed, I will put on an unconnected one.

I'll be strutting around the stage, juggling statistics and cool facts about cinema, culture and the internet like journalist Malcolm Gladwell or sociologist and prognostic genius Nate Silver. On the count of times, I'll make the audience shake with laughter. On the count of two, they will go silent, their eyes bulging, because I will completely blow their brains out with the casually mentioned piece of my secret knowledge. I even prepared a couple of jokes "for my own". I came up with the name of the lecture: "The Selfish Meme" - hello to Richard Dawkins with his "Selfish Gene". Isn't it brilliant?

And then something terrible happened. About a month later - I still hadn't written my speech, but had already sketched out some ideas - I answered the organizers. I wrote that I was ready and asked what dates my performance was scheduled for. The answer was immediate: since I had not responded earlier, they decided that I was not interested in their offer, and invited someone else. At least that's how I understood them. Maybe there really is a brilliant, award-winning statistician somewhere at MIT, an expert on emotional intelligence named Peter Bradshaw, and they've only just realized that I'm not him. I deflated like a punctured balloon.

The occasion to remember this embarrassment now, in 2017, is the 60th anniversary of the writer and entrepreneur Chris Anderson, who dreamed up the TED conference as we know and love it. Now his brainchild has grown to enormous proportions: more than two and a half thousand speeches have been posted online with a total number of views of about four billion, and TEDx has hosted 15 thousand speeches.

Initially, the TED conference, whose abbreviation stands for "Technology, Entertainment, Design", was conceived as a one-time event - in 1984 it was moderated by the architect and designer Richard Saul Wurman in Monterey, California. In 1990, the conference was decided to be held on a regular basis, and soon it became incredibly popular. In 2001, the non-profit Chris Anderson Sapling Foundation began to manage the project. In 2005, with the advent of YouTube, the history of TED had a real breakthrough. A year later, Anderson made the decision to release the TED Talks for free. Speeches by Bill Clinton, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and other famous TED speakers immediately became Internet hits.

Why has the TED format become so popular? It should be understood that the manner of presentation adopted at TED is largely inherited from specific speeches, the so-called afternoon speeches. In the days when I was still a boy, the ability to push such speeches beautifully - to bring up a rather serious topic and dissect it with unobtrusive humor - helped some smart people jump over a couple of steps. career ladder. In addition, the books of so-called motivational writers like Dale Carnegie became the foundation for TED. But the TED project borrowed most of all from the BBC Christmas Science Lectures for Schoolchildren, which have been published since 1963 - the lecturers tried to speak loftily, but in a popular and emphasized informal way, like today's conference speakers. Another important part of the TED secret is apoliticality. "Technology, entertainment, design" - there is nothing to quarrel about here. The themes strive for an all-encompassing globality in the spirit of “we are the world” or, conversely, for the extremely mundane details of our lives, in which great wisdom sometimes looms.

The TED Talks project is designed to be a kind of chest of ideas, an inexhaustible source of motivation. But some of his releases on YouTube can bring the viewer to the handle. Before writing this article, I watched a lot of different speeches, one after another. After that, I was like delirious. I overdosed on TED and started to see a sign or a puzzle in every piece of nonsense. For example, sitting in a half-empty subway car, I looked around and thought: “Wow! People are seated so as to be away from each other. The first - to one end of the car, the second - to the opposite, the third - to the middle and so on. Just like the lineup in the Wimbledon tournament bracket!”

But the worst thing about TED Talks is the eruptions of platitudes from conceited, narcissistic celebrities. Perhaps the worst speaker was Bono. In 2013, he delivered a speech Good news about poverty." It was unbearable to watch. Like many super-rich people, he is terribly concerned about the poverty of people in developing countries and in the states of Africa: firstly, it is always relevant, and secondly, it is completely safe, since the discussion of poverty in home country can force the public to inquire about the prosperous tax return.

Bono said that the availability of antiretroviral drugs in third world countries is very important for the fight against HIV and AIDS. Okay, that's a healthy idea. But at the same time, it did not occur to him to refer to the words of at least one inhabitant of those countries about whose well-being he was so worried. In addition, Bono selected facts and pictures for his speech with the same pretentiousness with which Madonna selected orphans for her orphanage in Malawi. At some point, he began to convince the audience that he was here not at all as Bono - a rock star, but as a transmitter of knowledge. As proof of this, he took off his famous glasses and put them upside down for a couple of seconds, portraying, as it seems to him, a beautiful botanist in his absent-mindedness. He cracked a joke: "Let's look at the Brazilian development model... Who doesn't love Brazilian models?" — and paused. But no one laughed. Then, with unbearably ostentatious self-deprecation, he said that if all the problems he named were solved, no one else would have to "listen to a little, boring self-proclaimed Christ" like him. He spread his arms, miming the crucifixion, and at the same time made a movement with his fingers, as if begging, “come on, applaud!” Few applauded.

Silver medal in the most disgusting TED Talk competition, I give it to Elizabeth Gilbert, the writer who gave the 2009 "Your Elusive Creative Genius" talk. She, as they say in Scotland, takes on too much. For example, Gilbert said that her super hit "Eat, Pray, Love" unexpectedly became an international bestseller. That writers should perceive inspiration as something given from above, and not as an everyday routine. What is terribly nervous, preparing to embark on "a frighteningly anticipated sequel to his own hit." In a word, the writer has achieved outstanding success in the ability to show off modestly.

Bronze will go, in my opinion, to David Cameron. Before squandering Britain's EU membership and then moving from politics to entrepreneurship, Cameron gave a smugly oily lecture " new era government controlled". He talked about how monolithic forms of centralized government would give way to regional activists, volunteer groups, ideological loners, and enlightened corporations thanks to the Internet. Pure, ringing emptiness. His performance was so arrogant, so mindlessly pompous, that he could probably take half the gold from Bono.

I don't mean to say that all TED Talks are bad. In 2017, there was a great informative talk by Rudyard Williams titled “Why Racism is Bad for Health” about how racial inequality subtly affects the standard of living and health of the whole society. Considered by many to be the best lecture in TED history, “How Schools Suppress Creativity” by Sir Ken Robinson, an education expert, delivered in 2016. If this topic were raised by another speaker, then, most likely, his speech would be unbearable. But Robinson is a born comedian, witty yet calm. He doesn't have the typical TED talker habit of running around the stage with a pointer while slogans and ugly graphics pop up behind him or on the screen. Brain researcher Jill Bolte Taylor gives a gripping account of how she suffered a stroke. For her, as a neuroscientist, this terrible event turned out to be the most educational experience in her life.

My favorite is Monica Lewinsky's "The Cost of Shame" lecture. Unlike other speakers, she managed to avoid complacency and self-promotion. She talked about how someone's sense of shame becomes a reason for general hysteria, how shame turns into a product and is monetized. Lewinsky showed her own take on online bullying. This is especially important now that Melania Trump has turned this topic into the sphere of her own charitable interests - despite the fact that online bullying remains her husband's only tool for communicating with the world.

All in all, there are definitely good things in the TED universe. However, to see them, you may first have to wade through posturing, platitudes, and pompous self-presentation. But if you draw a balance, then below the line it turns out that TED is still on the bright side. The only pity is that the conference will continue to live on without my revolutionary contribution to its history - without the "Selfish Meme".

10 examples of how not to speak at TED:

10. Simon Sinek - How Leaders Inspire Action (2009)

Superficial chatter about what makes Apple a market leader and why it was Martin Luther King who led the civil rights movement.

9. Keith Hartman - The Art of Wearable Communication (2011)

A crazy artist and writer shows off silly hats with special tubes that allow you to talk to your own brain. If this is a joke, then it's not funny.

8. Jason Seiken - "If PBS Can Do It, So Can You!" (2012)

A PBS Digital Communications Chief's story of how he made boring public television trendy in the new digital age.

7. Brené Brown - The Power of Vulnerability (2010)

A smug, self-help speech about not being afraid to be vulnerable. At the same time, Brown would rather die than show himself "in all his vulnerability."

6. Bill Clinton - "My desire is to restore Rwanda!" (2007)

Clinton was the most bullied by other TED speakers. And his unbearably boring and conceited chatter about Rwanda and the restoration of its healthcare system - gundezh, gundezh, gundezh ...

5. Bill Gates - Upgrade to Zero (2010)

Did I just say that Bill Clinton is boring? Well, one Bill is worth another. This Bill on climate change and energy is a story about important things, reduced to monotonous, colorless ranting.

4. Malcolm Gladwell - Choice, Happiness and Spaghetti Sauce (2004)

Gladwell is a TED star, but this talk was terrible. He shamelessly advertised his book Illumination.

3. David Cameron - "A New Era of Public Administration" (2010)

With his feigned regret at how unpopular politicians have become these days, Cameron looked like an Eton student in a debate.

2. Elizabeth Gilbert - Your Elusive Creative Genius (2009)

1. Bono - "Good News of Poverty" (2013)

In this speech, Bono brilliantly demonstrated his the most important feature- an absolute inability not to think about yourself. He is on the TED stage, he is the most important and intriguing thing that is happening here. Fighting poverty is his passion. Was it worth devoting an entire lecture to self-praise alone?

“Any monkey can reach a banana, but only humans can reach the stars. Monkeys live, compete, breed and die in the forests - that's the whole tale. We are penetrating right into the heart of the Big Bang and delving deep into the meaning of pi. And perhaps most remarkable of all, we are peering deep into ourselves, assembling the mosaic of our unique and wondrous brain. And it's crazy. How can a one and a half kilogram gelatinous mass, which can easily fit in the palms, comprehend angels, reflect on the meaning of infinity and even wonder about its place in the universe? It is a special thrill that every brain, including yours, is created from atoms that were born in the depths of countless stars scattered all over the place billions of years ago. These particles traveled through space for eons and light years until gravity and chance brought them together here and now. Now these atoms are a conglomerate - your brain, which not only reflects on the very stars that gave it life, but also on its ability to reflect and be surprised at its ability to be surprised. With the advent of man, as has been said, the universe suddenly became self-conscious. Undoubtedly, this is the greatest of all mysteries. It is impossible to talk about the brain without rising to the lyric.

Vileyanur Ramachandran

Gil Boult Taylor: "Amazing epiphany strike"

Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor talks about the sensations she experienced during a stroke (fading of brain functions, loss of self-awareness), and about the incredible mystical experiences that accompanied this process.

“So who are we? We are the driving force of life in the universe, with sleight of hand and two minds capable of knowing. And every second we can choose who we want to be in this world and how to act. Right here, right now, I can step into my right brain consciousness where we exist. I am the driving force of life in the universe. I am the driving force behind the life of the 50 trillion beautiful, ingeniously designed molecules of which I am made, in harmony with everything that surrounds me. Or I can tap into the consciousness of my left hemisphere, where I will become an independent individual, a whole entity. Separate from the flow, separate from you. I am Dr. Jill Boult Taylor: intellectual, neuroanatomist. These hypostases exist within me. What would you choose? What do you choose?

Oliver Sacks: "What Hallucinations Say About Thinking" ⓘ Unfortunately, this lecture with Russian voice acting was withdrawn from public use, so we replaced it with a TED lecture with Russian subtitles.

Neurologist, neuropsychologist and writer Oliver Sachs discusses in his speech a little-known, but rather widespread Charles Bonnet syndrome, in which hallucinations appear in patients with visual impairment. The neurologist recalls several cases from practice and talks about the biology of this unusual phenomenon.

“... It is believed that if you see or hear something wrong, then you go crazy. But psychotic hallucinations are something completely different. Psychotic hallucinations, vocal or visual, are directed towards you. They blame you. They seduce you. They humiliate you. They laugh at you. You interact with them. They have nothing to do with the hallucinations of Charles Bonnet. There is a movie. You are watching a movie that has nothing to do with you. It has nothing to do with how people think."

Vileyanur Ramachandran: "The Neurons That Shaped Civilization"

How did humans develop cognitive abilities and metacognitive skills? How did it happen that we learned to imitate, analyze, became capable of learning, and later of creativity? The irreplaceable Vileyanur Ramachandran talks about mirror neurons and their role in the evolution of our brain, and, therefore, the entire culture of human civilization.

“Today I want to talk about the human brain. We are doing research on this topic at the University of California. Imagine for a moment such a problem. Here is a lump of flesh weighing one and a half kilograms, it can be held in the palm of your hand. But this lump is able to feel the colossalness of interstellar space, is able to give meaning to infinity, to raise questions about the meaning of its own existence, about the nature of God. And this is truly the most amazing thing in the world. This is the biggest mystery that a person has to solve: how does it all happen?

Rebecca Sachs: "How the brain makes ethical judgments"

We all know how to guess the intentions, beliefs and feelings of loved ones and strangers. But how do we do it? Cognitive scientist Rebecca Sachs shares breathtaking lab research that reveals how the brain works when it thinks about other people's thoughts and evaluates their actions.

We have a special system in our brain that allows us to think about what others think. This system takes a long time to develop throughout childhood and into early adolescence. And even in adults, differences in this region of the brain can shed light on differences in how we think and judge others.

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We are often afraid seem vulnerable, lose something important in a relationship with a loved one. We worry about every step we take at work or in raising children. Sometimes it seems that the subtleties of female psychology work against us. But do not despair. Due to the peculiarities of our nature, we can achieve a lot in any area of life.

The purpose of TED conferences is to spread ideas that can affect how people communicate, your outlook on life, and even change the whole world. Over the 30 years of the project's existence, many interesting performances have accumulated that will be of interest to every woman.

We have compiled the best TED video lectures for women on self-development for you. You can improve your language skills or turn on Russian subtitles. Enjoy watching!

LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS

1/5 Should women's vulnerability be addressed?

Brené Brown studies human communication - our ability to empathize, accept, love. In a witty and funny monologue, she shares her research, which has led her to find herself and try to re-penetrate the essence of human relationships. She will tell you whether a woman should fight weakness and vulnerability.

2/5 Why do we love and lie?

Anthropologist Helen Fisher takes not the most simple theme- Love. The researcher explains its evolution, biochemical basis and social significance for people.

In my research, I always asked the same question to lovers: "Would you give your life for her or him?" And people answered “Yes!” as if I were asking them to pass the salt.

anthropologist Helen Fisher

3/5 What You Didn't Know About Orgasm? 10 unexpected facts

Mary Roach explores the sexual side of human relationships. She turns to scientific research to make 10 amazing orgasm claims you never knew existed. Sometimes weird, sometimes very funny.

ATTENTION! The video is for adults only.

4/5 What withSecret of attraction in a long-term relationship?

In long-term relationships, we often expect our lovers to become us and best friends, and excellent sexual partners. Esther Perel argues that perfect sex involves two opposing needs: the need for protection and the need for surprise. Witty and eloquent, Perel reveals to us the secret of erotic intelligence.

5/5 How can math help you in love?

Finding the right partner isn't easy, but can it be done with math? Anna Fry gives three mathematically proven tips that will help you make the right choice of your chosen one and strengthen relationships.

ABOUT WOMEN IN THE MODERN WORLD

1/5 Why attractive appearance is not the key to success?

Cameron Russell admits she won the "genetic lottery": she was lucky to be tall and beautiful model underwear. But don't judge her by her looks. In this fearless conversation with the audience, she takes a critical look at the industry she is a part of.

2/5 Can women achieve full equality with men?

Expert on public policy USA Ann-Marie Slaughter explains what gender equality really means. Should it be women who fight for him? In his talk, Slaughter shares an idea about how society can achieve gender equality and what changes need to be made to achieve this. She believes that it is necessary to reconsider the roles of men and women in the family and labor relations and the state should pay more attention to social policy.

3/5 Why are there so few women leaders in the world?

Why are women less likely to hold leadership positions than men these days? Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg answers this question and gives 3 essential tips for women who care about their careers.

4/5 How to become successful in the world of men?

Looking back on her career as an engineer, lawyer, and mother in Abu Dhabi, Layla Hotate shares three rules that helped her achieve professional heights in modern world. The success of an Arab businesswoman can teach us perseverance, prioritization, and the ability to continually improve at work and at home.

5/5 How to unleash your creative genius?

Elizabeth Gilbert, best-selling author of Eat, Pray, Love, reflects on society's high expectations of creative people. In the course of a frank monologue, the writer answers the question: “What if a genius is not a specific person, but something that lives in us regardless of our desire?”.

TIME TO CHANGE AND CHANGE

1/5 How does body language define you?

Social psychologist Amy Cuddy argues that our gestures can influence the opinions of others about us and our own self-esteem. For example, even if we doubt ourselves, “confidence posture” boosts our sense of self-respect and increases our chances of success in whatever endeavor we take on.

2/5 How to make stress your friend?

Stress is now considered the enemy of global health. Meanwhile, new research shows that stress can only be bad for us if we are afraid of it and see only negative aspects in it. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal encourages us to see stress in a positive light and learn to deal with it easier.

3/5 What is the danger of a single point of view?

Our lives and cultures are made up of many stories that are closely intertwined. The novelist Chimamanda Adichie talks about the dangers of a single point of view in his talk. If we hear only one story about a person or country, we run the risk of misjudging the situation and forming an erroneous opinion about it.

4/5 Why is the third decade of your life important?

Clinical psychologist Mag Jay says that in today's world, the third decade of a person's life is treated with disdain. The researcher believes that these years will not pass without a trace. She gives 3 tips to all twenty-year-olds on how to make themselves known in these important years.

Try yourself in what interests you, consciously choose friends and companions in life, make new acquaintances - now is the time.

5/5 Why Diets Don't Usually Work?

In this honest conversation with viewers, neuroscientist Sandra Aamodt shares a personal story to explain how our brains control our bodies. She believes that diets often don't work and do us more harm than good. The scientist proposes to stop counting every calorie in the diet and learn to listen to your body.

Vilayanur Ramachandran is an Indian neurologist, MD, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Neurophysiology at the University of California. Perhaps there is no person on earth who knows more about the brain than he does. Ramachandran deals with a wide range of problems, using methods that are as incredible as they are simple. His discoveries are based on the study of the behavior of patients with brain damage. The main attention in this lecture he pays to the work of a healthy brain and its influence on the mental abilities of a person.

Video with Russian voice acting:

The Neurons That Shaped Civilization

Another lecture by Vileyanur Ramachandran is devoted to mirror neurons, which are able to imitate the actions of others and imitate them. They played a huge role in the evolution of the brain and the culture of human civilization, the scientist claims.
“And this is truly the most amazing thing in the world,” Ramachandrana says of the brain. “This is the biggest secret that a person has to solve.”

Video with Russian voice acting:

You can grow new brain cells

Neuroscientist Sandrine Thuret explains under what conditions new cells, called neurons, can grow in the adult brain. Moreover, with active neurogenesis, mood rises and memory improves. She lists just three things an adult can do to grow new brain cells: learning, sex, and running. Everything is simple.
But there are also things that slow down neurogenesis. The process of new cell formation is inhibited by natural causes in old age, as well as by stress, sleep deprivation and poor diet.