TED Community » Travis Tokarek

More About Me

I'm passionate about

Using skills developed for the purpose of the advancement of the well-being of the human race. Striving to always be creative and open about ideas that have the potential to become physical.

An idea worth spreading

Encouragement, creativity, optimism and skill should be nurtured and used to its fullest, this is how we can advance our race.

Talk to me about

Biochemistry (polymer formation, geometric stability of macromolecules, Economic effects of new bio-synthetic technologies) Biology (epigenetic contribution to behavior, ploidy manipulation in plants)

People don't know that I'm good at

5-pin bowling

Comments

• TEDCred score: +4.40 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• A comment on Conversation: Is it wrong to sympathetically represent the viewpoints of others?

  Sep 13 2012: Thank you all for your opinions!
• +1

  A comment on Talk: Elizabeth Gilbert: Your elusive creative genius

  Jun 26 2012: What an excellent description of what I am sure most of us experience. I am curious how often others feel the sensation Elizabeth is speaking of? Does this sensation come for a reason? I know this train of thought is somewhat destructive in the way that Elizabeth describes, but it seems that I will go weeks or months without feeling this wave of inspiration, and then suddenly it comes at me several times a day to even as frequently as hourly. This talk as given me a fresh new motivation in my field and I hope that I can feel more in tune with it.
• +15

  A reply on Talk: Brian Greene: Is our universe the only universe?

  Apr 23 2012: Monica,
  
  I agree that you have the right to share your opinion, but you will learn quickly that science, especially physics, is focused on understanding through observation. The reason Briane did not hint toward the possibility in God placing us here is because everything he studies tells him otherwise. Also, to be fair, his demographic is people interested in science and more specifically physics. It is not fair to say that all physicists and scientists do not believe in God (in fact I would think that many would be based on a deeper appreciation of the complexity of the natural world) but I think that if he threw in the word God a couple times, his video would be a lot less popular on TED.
  
  By the way,
  Welcome to TED! I think you will like the TED conversations section. Try it out!

• A comment on Talk: Brian Greene: Is our universe the only universe?

  Apr 23 2012: From Briane's description, it seems that all of these theoretical universes contain our 3 dimensions of space (depth, length, width), with a seemingly immeasurable amount of a single extra dimensions that could be possible. I know very little (though probably an above average amount) about string theory, but I question, why is it that our current dimensions (d, l, w) are not variable like this 4th dimension? Just because we are able to physically define d, l and w, does that mean it is inherent to all of these theoretical universes?
• +1

  A comment on Conversation: What are your "5 Words of Good Advice" ? ...no more, no less

  Dec 19 2011: Lead with compassion not indifference

• A reply on Conversation: What will be the long term effect of Canada from abandoning its Kyoto Protocol Commitment? Have we lost our will?

  Dec 10 2011: Greenhouse gases retain infrared radiation that the planet emits. I don't want to say that this is common knowledge, but I don't feel like it is something I need to site a source for.

• A reply on Conversation: What will be the long term effect of Canada from abandoning its Kyoto Protocol Commitment? Have we lost our will?

  Dec 7 2011: The most substantial evidence stems from work in 1960 by Charles Keeling. This of course is evidence of an increase in CO2 concentrations post-industrial era. The proof of climate change comes from my second source. It is filled with quite a bit more scientific jargon, but shows CO2 concentrations from the last 270,000 years using concentrations locked in ice core samples from the Antarctic (here is a supplement that shows the increase in global temperature with increase in CO2 concentration, http://www.rocketscientistsjournal.com/2006/10/_res/CO2-01.jpg). The keeling curve is incredibly fascinating actually, if you are not interested in reading the article, here is a quick summary in my own words.
  
  Charles Keeling recorded the atmospheric CO2 concentrations from 3 permanent recording stations around the world. His findings, when plotted on a curve, produced a strange pattern, and can be seen in a rather rudimentary way here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mauna_Loa_Carbon_Dioxide-en.svg . This pattern shows seasonal rise and falls and is explained by the change of seasons. In the spring, when plants take in CO2 from the atmosphere and convert it into sugars, there is a trough in the curve, but when fall hits and the leaves are consumed by bacteria and fungi, the released CO2 is reintroduced into the atmosphere. The trend to note though, is not the up and down pattern, but the increasing slope of the overall graph. This is due to human contribution, the proof lies in the superposition of the keeling curve with the ice core data from the antarctic.
  
  
  
  http://sio.ucsd.edu/special/Keeling_50th_Anniversary/images/keelling_tellus_1960.pdf
  
  http://www.sciencemag.org/content/283/5408/1712.abstract?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=Fischer%252C+H.%252C+M.+Wahlen%252C+J.+Smith%252C+D.+Mastroiani+and+B.+Deck%252C+1999%253A+Ice+core+records+of+atmospheric+CO2+around+the+last+three+glacial+terminations.+Science%252C+283%252C+1712-1714.&searchid=1&F

• A reply on Conversation: What will be the long term effect of Canada from abandoning its Kyoto Protocol Commitment? Have we lost our will?

  Dec 7 2011: I would love to comment:D
  
  I have never really thought about climate change as a benefit to the economy through the opening of a new trade route or farming area. Not sure where you heard this or if you just came up with it, but it is quite ingenious :D.
  
  The problem with climate change is that it's patterns are not predictable. If the average temperature of the planet goes up a degree or two, it does not necessarily mean that all geographic locations will increase in temperature. There are so many variables at work. The major concern is rise in sea level, but besides this drastic concern, you also have humidity, ocean currents, wind patterns changing. How could this affect the growing conditions of the prairies? or of the Napa valley, or China? What will happen to crop conditions and how will we adjust if the impact is within a short time period? An increase in CO2 concentration also has an impact on soil and ocean acidity.
  
  To answer your question, I don't think that the government would view global warming as a long term benefit. If they did, I would love to meet who they consult with.
  
  I should mention, I am a chemistry student. I have to admit that I am not very knowledgeable in the fields of economics and politics. Though I can see the impact we are having on climate change and to ignore it, to me, seems devastating in every aspect.

• A reply on Conversation: What will be the long term effect of Canada from abandoning its Kyoto Protocol Commitment? Have we lost our will?

  Dec 7 2011: Your right. My title is misleading. The truth is, after I started writing, my tangent seemed to make sense in my own head. It still does, but I realize now that what I am talking about is a bit more personal than what I was hoping to bring to the table. I don't think the Kyoto protocol specifically is about compassion and empathy. I do think that it shows something about the way a population thinks as opposed to the way individuals think, and that if this difference is bridged, it would make the world a better place. Even in my reply I am getting a bit too personal. Long story short, sorry my description had little to do with my title.

• A reply on Conversation: What will be the long term effect of Canada from abandoning its Kyoto Protocol Commitment? Have we lost our will?

  Dec 7 2011: There is substantial evidence that CO2 emissions are the cause of global warming ( I prefer the term climate change). The CO2 cycle is not regulated on human CO2 emissions alone, that much is very true, but the release of CO2 by combustion of hydrocarbons (from humans) is greatly accelerating the natural cycle. I don't think the Kyoto protocol is the solution to emission, because what is done cannot be undone and we will still require energy from the combustion of hydrocarbons. My major concern is that withdrawal from a commitment is implying that there is no benefit to pursuing that commitment. If we withdrawal from the protocol, I feel as though the whole "green movement" will start to diminish. I am just saying, that even though we will benefit economically, I am concerned that Canada will lose focus of innovation for the sake of sustainability. Whether this is in the form of research funding or national pride. I hope I made my concern a bit more clear, and I do appreciate the feedback.