TEDx speakers deliver “ideas worth spreading”

A selection of leading lights from the worlds of science, academia and business descended on the Warwick campus on March 6th to participate in this year’s TEDx talks.

The event, which gives speakers the opportunity to talk for 18 minutes on an ‘idea worth spreading’, was first held on campus in 2009. With live speakers including physicist Sir Roger Penrose and Warwick Philosopher Dr Angie Hobbs, TEDxWarwick 2010 attracted a sell-out crowd to the Maths and Stats Building.

Talks at the event ranged from the science of cooking and the benefits of people-focused business, to such topics as overcoming racial and economic boundaries and the origins of the universe.

A number of speakers at the event, including French gastronomist Hervé This and world-renowned linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky, could only be present in the form of a pre-recorded video.

This setback did not seem to hinder the audience’s appreciation of the event, however. “I really enjoyed it,” said second-year student Lorna Hutton. “I’d heard of TED, the organisation, but I’d never actually watched any of the talks before. A lot of my friends were excited about it. I just thought going would be a great way to engage my brain!”

The organisers of the event were delighted with how the day had gone. Susan du Toit, a member of the TEDx exec, said that they were “extremely pleased that so many people came to hear about a variety of ‘ideas worth spreading’.” She went on, “I think the popularity of the event is testament to the intellectual curiosity of Warwick students and we’re looking forward to making TEDxWarwick even bigger and better next year.”

TEDx is an independently organised event in the format of the TED Conferences held annually in the USA and England.

The major conferences have hosted such famous names as Bobby McFerrin, Bill Clinton and Richard Dawkins, and the subsequent videos posted online have attracted millions of views worldwide.
The Warwick-specific event was entirely put together by students, and the organisation of the programme was praised by those present.

“It seemed almost seamless on the day,” said Lorna. “There were a few moments of waiting, but things like getting someone to speak via Skype were incredible. I came away with a nervous, excited buzz and feeling pretty inspired.”