TED Community » Lucas Gayda

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An idea worth spreading

"If there is anything greater than to be loved, it is loving."

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• A comment on Conversation: What is the single most important question that the youth of this era need to ask themselves?

  Sep 9 2011: Perhaps a question will surface by the time I've finished writing my response, but I'd like to offer a few words even if one doesn't. Currently a college student myself, I constantly wind up asking myself what the people around me are doing; what are their goals, if they have any, and what do they want from their life? I feel like a lot of the youth today don't have even an idea to offer as a response to these questions, and I believe it is, in part, due to what education has become in our society. A college degree--in most cases--is crucial to finding a job and living somewhat comfortably, and because of this many teens apply for college not because they want to pursue a specific field of study, but because it's just what you do. Junior year in high school you take the SAT, and then you know come senior year, you have college apps to look forward to. It's not really something many people even question; everyone goes to college now. As a result, however, you now have people pursuing higher education not because they have a clear goal, but because it's a necessity for survival, and thus you have a larger number of people who are still stuck playing the high school games of fitting in, meeting people, and having fun. I don't mean to downplay the importance of these things, but I feel like today's youth value them so greatly that they become the driving forces in students' lives, in an environment that requires a much different lifestyle and mindset.
  
  I have friends and hobbies just like everyone else, but when it comes to school I'm always aware of the fact that I am here to build a greater future for myself. College isn't a summer camp where you have fun, and then return back to your real life after four years. I feel a lot of the youth today are entirely too short-sighted and have their eyes set on the wrong things, if on anything at all.
  
  Students should ask themselves: How is the life I'm living today going to contribute to the life I will live in many years time?
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  A reply on Conversation: If we find microbial life on Mars, should we leave it be?

  Sep 1 2011: Not strictly true, yeah, but then you get into the realm of questioning what we truly do know, which is nothing. The only way we can live is by making generalizations, and trusting what seems apparent because it's all we have to go on. The scientists building the probes are the most qualified to do so, which says something in a population of almost 7 billion human beings, and I think it's reasonable to trust that they're going to do at least a decent job. Of course there's room for error, but we can't live our lives in the shadows of our doubts.
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  A comment on Conversation: What is your approach to childhood obesity?

  Aug 27 2011: It always frustrates me when I see people discussing the obesity situation, because so many people think they understand it when they really haven't got a clue as to why things are the way they are. Obesity is very closely linked to genetics and biology, and has--in many cases--little or nothing to do with the amount of calories you eat or burn each day. Fat cells are programmed to store a certain amount of the nutrients we take in, and in the case of the very obese, this will take priority over feeding the rest of your body; that means your body will turn carbs into fat before using it as energy for your body, regardless of how much you eat. This is why we see obesity occurring in very poor nations that have limited access to even the cheapest food, which goes to show that it's hardly about the quantity, but the quality of what we eat. Counting calories is very misleading, because what really matters are the TYPE of calories you're eating (proteins, carbs, fats).
  
  Anyone interested in this whole situation would greatly benefit from reading the work of Gary Taubes. Fat Head is also an interesting film that touches upon some of these ideas, but if you want a scientifically legitimate source, go with Taubes, who has published a couple books specifically addressing 'Why We Get Fat' (that's literally the title of one of his books).

• A comment on Conversation: What organizations with ideas worth spreading/executing do you know?

  Aug 26 2011: Not quite as angelic as any of the subjects you've specified, but it's a great organization and something I feel is worth sharing.
  
  The Humble Indie Bundle
  http://www.humblebundle.com/
  
  Choose what you want to pay for a select group of indie games, and choose how much of your money goes where (developers, charity, organizations).

• A comment on Conversation: What are the best ways to stop wasting water?

  Aug 26 2011: Yellow let it mellow, brown flush it down.

• A comment on Conversation: What if college education was free?

  Aug 26 2011: Too many Americans are too greedy and selfish to consider something like free education, because someone would immediately be out of a source of income. The poisonous idea of wealth has circulated far beyond our power to cure those who are sick with greed, and it's killing this country.

• A comment on Conversation: If we find microbial life on Mars, should we leave it be?

  Aug 26 2011: What makes you think that they would interrupt what might possibly be going on there in the first place? I feel that it's reasonable to say that the scientists exploring Mars, above all else, understand the value of that life--if it were there--and how fragile it is. Surely they would study specimens and observe the planet, but I'm also certain they would take care not to disrupt it in any significant or noticeable way so as to actually alter the path life on that planet would currently be on.