Bobby McFerrin Hacks Your Brain With Music

1. Effective speaking techniques/Presentation Style

Because Booby does not talk in his talk, his presentation style is the most unique of all the Ted talks I have seen. He simply stands up and starts jumping around. As he is hopping across the stage, he hums notes in a rhythm the audience soon picks up on. He then just jumps from place to place, note to note, all the while, the audience is singing. Once they get the rhythm down, he adds in some other sounds and creates a song. I absolutely love the way Bobby interacts with the audience without even talking to them. He does not tell them a single thing to do, they just pick up on it and start humming. It is truly amazing to see the interaction with other adults and students there listening and singing with Bobby McFerrin.

2. Take-Aways/What Matters

I find this video very interesting just by the way that it is titled, ‘Bobby McFerrin Hacks Your Brain with music.”This got me thinking. How can you hack someone’s brain? And how can you do music? Or anything for that matter. When I decided to do some research on it, I kept finding this thing called the pentatonic scale. What is that? According to an online dictionary, a pentatonic scale is “a gapped scale with five notes; usually the fourth and seventh notes of the diatonic scale are omitted.” Now that that is figured out, what does this have to do with Bobby McFerrin and his teaching style of music?  On one website a looked into, this person had some interesting things to say. “Having been a music teacher earlier in my life, I remember being taught that all children, in all cultures show this interesting phenomenon, of using the notes of pentatonic scale in their first songs. (For those of you unfamiliar with the pentatonic scale, think of a scale made up of only 5 notes and those notes being the same as the black keys on a piano). To demonstrate, remember being a child and teasing a friend by chanting something like “Johnny’s got a girl friend.” Do you hear a tune that you would have sung that to? Most of you will and it will be made up of the notes of the pentatonic scale. We all seem to be hard wired with this scale. I have no idea why, but find it fascinating.” I think for non-music people, this appears to be some sort of magic trick, while in reality it's really only the power of suggestion. When I think of this, I think back to the fact that we're so used to the "Do, Re, Mi" that it would be bizarre to expect someone to sing a different scale. I also believe that most people thought they were singing, because that's what they know. No one knows what a pentatonic scale is, but Bobby made it clear in his ‘talk’ when he added the fourth, distinguishing note. Then people changed and went with it. The audience and millions of people around the world are just following along by instinct.  This entails that the human brain instinctively knows the difference between the musical scales.  And that is a strange, but interesting concept.

Websites used for research:

http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=pentatonic%20scale

http://www.nwcreations.com/http:/www.nwcreations.com/ted-talks-thursday-bobby-mcferrin-hacks-your-brain-with-music

Rachel Armstrong: Architecture That Repairs Itself?

1. Take-Aways

Armstrong believes that homes and cities should be built with nature in mind. She thinks that the homes should rely on the energy produced by nature and not stay hidden away from it. Homes should be built based upon natural resources that are provided by our Earth more than the man made stuff we use every single day of our lives. It is important to go back to the good natured sort of thing not rely so strongly solely on human technology. Yes, the human brain is beyond extraordinary, but when it takes away from the environment it needs in order to live, nothing is being accomplished. Nature is set in a very delicate balance between providing for the humans and animals and also providing for itself. It is imperative that we take the chance to develop houses and cities that agree with nature so that we stop destroying the only real home we have.

2. Effective speaking techniques

Armstrong speaks in a strong, empowering tone that makes me believe she really knows what she is talking about. At first, I thought it was really strange trying to make cities and houses agree with the environment, but now I understand that it really could be possible. Her tone of voice comes across as someone who knows exactly what they are talking about and that is someone who I would believe.

3. Presentation Style

Armstrong uses her arms a lot when she is talking about something she feels strongly about. She also has a clicker that she can click back a forth between pictures. These pictures aid in her presentation by giving a little more evidence to believe. She shows pictures of the old Victorian models, the way houses used to be build and why it worked. She then shows the flaw and how our new technology has assisted in new buildings and how they could possibly ‘rebuild’ themselves.

4. What Matters

So many green house gas emissions are being evaporated into our future and we speak, move and breathe. These are all affecting the human body as well as the environment in drastic ways. Plants are dying and decreasing drastically along with the endangerment and extinction of animals. What matters is that this is not going to happen overnight and definitely not by just one person. This will take a community of helping hands coming together with one goal in mind. They need to help change the Earth and the people in it one step at a time to creating brighter, bolder future. All of this is going to need to happen eventually, so why not get stated now? This will give everyone time to test the architecture and focus on what needs to be changed and redesigned to make the world a better place. Armstrong states that this needs to be taken only on a ‘case-by-case’ basis which means only the oldest, most rickety buildings are being put to the test now. With a little advancement in technology and some motivated speakers, though, this new technology could be put into not only the old buildings, but the new ones going up, as well.

Dave Eggers' Wish: Once Upon a School

1. Take-Aways

One thing that I thought was very important to take away from Dave Egger’s Ted Talk was that he believes one on one attention is a huge factor in the success rate of students and their grades. This is extremely important for kids to have in the classroom to open them up to new learning opportunities, both logical and creative.  At one point in the talk, he says that one on one, individual learning can benefit any student so much that it could even bring them up a whole grade level in a class. Not only are the grades important, but it shows the kids that they have the ability to learn for their own understanding and not just for the ‘A’ grade. This gives students the chance to learn for the benefit of learning and become successful later on in life because of their success rates now. It will give them the drive to strive and not just learn in school, but for the rest of their lives, and that is the true treasure.

2. Effective speaking techniques /Presentation Style

I absolutely love Dave Eggers' presentation style. He uses a lot of gestation throughout his speech to explain and emphasizes things he feels are most important. To make these stand out even more, Eggers adds in multiple photos of the people and places he has seen and been to that help the students with their homework. He seems to be very happy and d enjoys what he is talking about. He fully believes in what he is saying which makes it easy for me to believe him. He was just a complete joy to watch having fun up on stage. Having a light sense of humor is key when giving a speech because you want to keep the listener involved. He tends to acts surprised at some of what he talks about and is constantly asking himself rhetorical questions. I take pleasure in laughing along with Eggers while still understanding what he is saying at the same time. He also gets to points throughout his Ted Talk where he will talk really, really fast and then just laugh afterwards. Laughing keeps me intrigued because I constantly want to know what it is he is laughing about and why it is so funny. It is so clear that Dave Eggers LOVES what he is doing as an educator and helper to these young students.

4. What Matters

One thing that Eggers says that really got my attention was his 'domino effect.' He talks about a chain reaction that starts with just the little happiness a child gets from getting help with their homework (and the feeling of accomplishment when the homework is done). He says that happier students will make for happier families which leads to happy communities, then to happy cites, happy world, etc. Of course, when Eggers was talking about it, he meant it as a joke, but I like the sound of that idea. I think that the basis of a happy world really does rely on the happiness of the children and teenagers in it. With hormones going crazy during the teenage years, their attitudes have a ripple effect on the rest of their family. Then when the family gets together with other families in the neighborhood, the emotion spreads whether it is good or bad. After all, teenagers and children are the society of the world tomorrow, so they must have a huge effect on the people of today. Now, what matters is how we treat and teach these students in becoming better people. Dave Eggers talks about the first step being that adults and teachers need to pay more attention to the child's thoughts. He believes that students can do anything that they please when they set their mind to it and have a little help from an advisor. I love that he thinks kids are just as capable as adults in all ways. Most people have stereotyped teenagers by thinking they are always wrong, they don't know what they are doing, and that they just cannot handle things as well as adults can. Eggers thinks that teens can do it- as long as they have drive.  He says that students can develop something grand if they are just told what to do. In my life, I have to agree with that. It is not always easy to develop your own idea when millions and trillions are already out there. If a teacher would start out with a basic idea, the student could take it and make it bloom into something amazing.

Dean Ornish Says Your Genes Are Not Your Fate

1. Take-Aways

Human genes can not only be altered, but changed by people’s healthy eating habits and lifestyles. Not only can people change their genes, but they can also do it fast, which can be very accommodating to healthier, brighter futures. Dean Ornish states that “When you eat healthier, manage stress, exercise and love more, you brain actually gets more blood flow and more oxygen. But more than that, your brain gets measurably bigger.” When this blood flow is greater, a person can stay younger and healthier. They can also possibly prevent the development of prostate cancer and breast cancer. Studies are continued to be done and so far have found that people who make these life style changes have changed nearly 500 genes for the better.

2. Effective Speaking Techniques

Dean Ornish is very relaxed throughout his talk. He almost seems nervous a little bit because he kid of mumbles every once in a while and pauses constantly. He is a tad quite, which makes it hard to understand everything he is saying. His voice is very monotone throughout his speech and that makes it a little hard to stay in tuned to, even though the subject matter is quite interesting.

3. Presentation Style

Dean uses a lot of examples throughout his Ted Talk. He opens up with an example on how human genes can be altered through a study done by Craig Venter. He also uses the example that Robin Williams found out that many things can now be measured that couldn’t years ago. Studies that have been done assist Ornish in his idea that people can change their genes. In these studies, specific ideas are presented in the fact that he uses examples of foods that increase the production of cells in a person’s brain to make them age slower, and prevent their bodies from disease. He shows a picture to explain the significance of how these foods decrease the amount of fatty buildup[ in the arteries near the heart.

4. What Matters

Every day foods such as blueberries, chocolate, tea, stress management, some alcohol and canabanoids can cause the human brain to develop newer cells for the body, changing the genes. This creates a breakthrough in technology and studies done. Once before, genetic makeup was genetic makeup and it could not be changed. A person received their genes from their parents, who received them from their parents, and so on. Now we find that humans can change this, and change themselves. People have a say in who they get to be. Ornish states that these kinds of foods send more blood flow to your skin, henceforth making a person age less quickly. He also states that when the heart gets more blood flow, it reduces the risk of heart disease, or even reverses it. This is a step forward in creating healthier America. In this time and age, more and more Americans have become overweight and obese, that this study could change those statistics if people could just tweak their lifestyles and make healthier choices. We could come together as a healthier America, creating new jobs, and way of life.

Clay Shirky: How Cognitive Surplus Will Change the World

1. Take-Aways

Shirky basically believes that it will take a lot of people to volunteer to come together and collaborate on issues worldwide. He does not think that things will be able to get done when only certain people are decided and taking matters into their own hands. We, as a society and a world, need to join together and take matters into everybody's hands. In order to do this, digital technology and human generosity are needed. Shirky says that "social design relies on both." The world has a trillion hours of free time each year that needs to be put towards helping each other out. People became consumers and as a result, they were practically forced into the life and mentality of being lazy and completely relying on technology. Shirky states that he thinks social culture contracts more constraints than the economic culture. Social customs have a greater effect on people than anything else.

2.Effective Speaking Techniques

While Shirky is talking, he is constantly using gestation to stress his words. He also enunciates particular words he feels are extremely important. He drags out certain words to tie his talk together and bring in other ideas, as well.

3. Presentation Style

Shirky's presentation style is expressed when he opens with the use of a story form out of this country. This creates an intriguing thought into his talk. He also uses a lot of pictures, maps and articles to assist him while he is talking. These examples enhance exactly what Shirky is talking about. He speaks with the use of a graph of a study done in a school. Every time the parents pick their kids up late from school, it cost them ten shackles. They didn't care. continued to pick thier kids up late, but as soon as then payment was taken away, nothing changed. The behavior of the parents stayed the same.

4. What Matters

The first thing Shirky talks about in his Ted Talk is very important to the protection of the public, especially in countries of violence. This is Ushahidi and it takes information that has been posted by someone on the internet or on the phone and puts it on a map. This localizes the problem to let people know about it in the surrounding areas. This will create awareness in the society and possible solutions to the conflict such as snowfall and earthquakes. He believes people need to band together to create and share their ideas and creativity. Once the people come together to  join in large scale. When this is done, the world will gain a sense of accomplishment. They start with a simple creative act  from trying something new. Once it gets out in the world, it gets the chance for others and the creator to make it better. This is all gained from right brained thinkers. The world needs right brained thinkers. The future of our world is going to be all about what we choose to do with our trillion hours of free time.

Dan Pink on the Surprising Science of Motivation

1. Take-Aways

Dan Pink really talks about how people have been trained to be left brained their whole lives and now, as they work in their jobs, they are so confined to one way of thinking. He believes that the future holds a places where right brained people are needed. He knows that people aren't accustomed to thinking outside the box, and that it would typically take them longer to figure out something that takes more creative knowledge. In his talk, he discusses something called the candle problem. In this problem, people are given a box of tacks, a candle, matches and the goal to not let the candle drip onto the table below. He states that most people attempt multiple options such as tacking the candle to the wall or trying to adhere it to the wall with wax. These people are not thinking about what they are given (the big picture) but only about the main focus. it would take a creative brained person to think to dump out the bow of tacks, place the candle inside it and tack the box to the wall. Pink also mentions the amount of productivity when people have a motivation. Typically, science shows that a person with higher pay would work harder at what they do, but Pink has found that in business, they are actually slower and not all of them work as hard as those who aren't paid as much. He states that there is a “Mismatch between what science knows and what business does.” People who aren't paid as much typically work for their own sake and to better themselves.

2. Effective Speaking Techniques

Daniel Pink talks very loud throughout his presentation. He has a strong voice when it comes to stating his opinion. This clearly gets the point across on what he is talking about and how he feels regarding it. He constantly is using a lot of gestation throughout his talk to even further emphasize his words. He also stresses the parts he feels are very important. He shows a lot of feeling in his tone of voices and that has a good effect on the audience. More people would believe him just because of the feeling he puts into what he is talking about. It makes it easier to trust the things he says.  He repeats the main things he feels are important between the science world and the business world.

3. Presentation Style

Dan Pink's main presentation style is through the use of examples. He talks about tests and studies that have been done on people such as the candle problem. The candle problem backs up exactly what Pink is talking about when he shows the actual problem and the problem for dummies. He also mentions a lot of things that are in his book, Drive, without actually talking about his book. He mentions the carrots and sticks test and the problems/benefits of the motivation factor.  Along with the research and ideas in his book, Pink uses examples of FedEx days for Google, Australian Companies, and ROWE. He shows that these FedEx days show more productivity and happiness in the workplace. The workplace could be a building or a home, but either way, the work is getting done. All the examples used in Pink's presentation style really add to the effect of his Ted Talk.

4. What Matters

What matters in this Ted Talk is that sometimes motivation is not always key. When the reward stays the same, and does not ever increase in value, people are not willing to work as hard for something they already have or have gotten before. Some motivation works in the beginning, but typically people get tired of going after the same thing, so motivation does not work. Pink's studies show that even those who are getting greater rewards than others, they don't have the same drive to get things done. Instead of thinking of the greater good and benefitting themselves, they only think of the reward, and if they are guaranteed to get it, why would they work any harder? People stop doing things for the enjoyment of increasing knowledge and enjoying it, and just do it. Dan Pink says that business rewards dull individual thinking and block creativity because suddenly their mind is focused solely on one thing: the prize. They no longer need to use the creative side of their brain and are trained to do it a certain way. This reminds me of the way school is. School is a game and students find a way to learn the game of school. Students no longer are learning for the enjoyment they get out of it but more for the reward of good grades. Some even have a stronger motivation for good grades, such as a gift or money from home. A reward narrows the focus. Instead of learning, they are now only focused on getting the money and gifts and no longer look at the other benefits. Pink believes that creativity is strongly important because the jobs of those who have learned to play a game and get rewards can be replaced by other people around the world that can not only do the job faster, but also work for less. Unless people make the decision to enjoy creativity, they will become trapped in a world they cannot get out of.

*Autonomy, Mastery, Purpose*

J.J. Abrams' Mystery Box

1. Take-Aways

This video talked about the importance of everybody needing some kind of mystery box in their lives. Without any mystery or suspense, there would be nothing to look forward to in life. Abrams uses the example that after a magic man makes a card disappear, he must stay in the same position until he can figure something out. If people had one aspect of suspense in their lives and then froze after that, life would be dull, boring. But on the other side, Abrams talks about how we have to make the sense of mystery appear in our lives. He describes it as, "what you think your getting then what your really getting." And he uses the analogy of going to the movie theater. A person will set themselves up ready for something, yet the outcome is totally different than planned. But they brush it off and move on. People need a purpose caused by mystery because "withholding information intentionally is much more engaging."

2. Effective Speaking Techniques

J.J. Abrams is very relaxed all the way throughout his talk. He talks a great deal about his grandfather at the beginning, stating that he was the one for Abrams inspiration and imagination. He also uses multiple personal connections to his mystery box and how he got it when he was a boy and has had it since. Another effective technique that Abrams uses is the lightness of humor and slang. While joking around and having fun talking about a box he has had nearly his whole life, joking makes the conversation flow better and takes the stress off of the situation. He expresses this humor through making jokes of his own family and talking in different tones of voices to make the audience laugh. This is important for the reason that he wants to engage the audience and make sure they are not bored throughout his talk. One thing that really stood out about Abrams is that he makes sure to repeat things he feels are important multiple times. This shows the emphasis on a point and really drills it into the listeners brain. Repeating also puts one person’s idea into another’s brain and causes them to think about it. Once they ponder the thought a while, they begin to think it is a good one and that’s where persuasion sets in. It is important to have the audience on your side, or else it is very difficult to get your point across. The last and most effective technique that Abrams uses is analogies and real-life scenarios that relate the mystery to the people making it easier for them to embrace and remember.

3. Presentation Style

Abrams uses tons of gestation throughout his entire performance to help enrich what he is talking about. He is constantly trying to clarify what he is talking about by repletion, explanation and the uses of extra video clips. He feels that video clips from certain movies like Jaws, Mission Impossible, and Lost can explain the importance of a mystery box better than words. This could be because he is a show writer, or the fact that an image placed into someone’s mind is remembered more than words. To help the video clips illustrate what he is talking about, Abram brings in different props to support his speech. He does multiple magic tricks throughout the talk to emphasize the feeling of mystery and surprise. He even brings in his original Tannen’s Magic Mystery Box that he has had since he was a kid and never opened.

4. What Matters

What matters from this talk is the element that nobody really knows what is coming next for our world, and in our generation’s future. The mystery box, like all magic,  is constantly causing people to think ‘what comes next?’ Not only in our everyday lives, but also in the technological advances in the world. Abrams talks a lot about how when he first started filming Lost, the technology available was not very significant. He relates it back to present day where we have all of this crazy technology. He says,  “you don't need the greatest technology to do things that can work in movies." This is true. Some of the most successful and popular movies have been made with little technology available. Anybody can use technology, and it is not only limited to those who have unlimited access to it. Abrams uses a video made by two random guys using the same special effects that a big director would use in one of his films. He states, "no community is best served when only the elite have control." Abrams talk really focuses on the whole world getting involved and not only those who are expected to. When the world comes together as one, people might actually get something done.

Sir Ken Robinson Says Schools Kill Creativity

1. Take-Aways

Ken Robinson addresses the fact that left brained people will not be as big of a role in the future as they are today. Dan Pink also expresses this in  A Whole New Mind stating that right-brainers will have a greater role in society.  In today's society, the video shows that schools are only preparing students for a left-brained future. While artistic and creative classes are available, students are not forced to use the creative side of their brain every day, if any days. The schools and educational systems discourage the use of non left-brained activities.  Because these ideas are drilled into young brains at the elementary level, students are forced into the left-brained mindset at an early time in their life.  Both people believe and know that the children of today are the society and adults of tomorrow, so they need to be prepared and ready for what they are going to face in the future. And in our current economy, there are more jobs as lawyers, engineers, etc. that make a lot more money than those in an artistic career. But who says that the economy and that society won't change in the near future?

2. Effective speaking techniques

Ken jokes around in order to make his point clear. Joking around also makes people remember his points longer and understand them better. He also utilized stories and personal connections to help the listener relate and identify what he is talking about. Along with the use of humor and stories, Ken uses a serious side and utilizes facts and logic to back up his thinking.

3. Presentation Style

Ken's presentation style is very informal, as he is constantly using humor while also being serious. He relates what he is talking about to himself a lot, too at the same time as he uses gestation throughout his entire talk. By including these personal connections, it made it easier for the audience to understand what he was talking about.

4. What matters
From this video, the most important thing that can be taken away is that education needs to be changed in today's schooling systems. Students need to become more well rounded in the fact that they need to be not only left-brained and logical, but also right-brained and creative. I feel that this video greatly connects to me personally. I am currently enrolled in the educational system and while I used to be the completely right-brained creative child, I have evolved into the logical left-brained teenager. School seems to be the main focus of my life right now as I am constantly being told to work hard in my classes and do well to get a good job in the future. While I do well in school, I have clearly learned the 'game' of how to get by and 'get the grades' easily. I just hope the future doesn't change too drastically, or i learn to adapt in case it does turn towards right-brained people. Either way, I think that I will be oaky and still become very successful. This video applies to the world, as educational is all over the world and everyone is being pushed to excel and do their best. Everywhere, it seems that math and sciences are the most important parts of the educational system and the arts clearly fall to the bottom. This video also emphasizes the fact the importance of the arts depends on the different cultures all around the world.