TED Community » spencer fix

More About Me

I'm passionate about

Knowing thy self, helping others, love, peace, science, spirituality, fixing "problems", and finding ways for all of us to move forward together.

Comments

• TEDCred score: +7.30 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• +2

  A comment on Talk: Thomas Insel: Toward a new understanding of mental illness

  Apr 30 2013: The viewpoint represented in this talk reflects the excessively high proportion of federal funding that goes to neuroimaging research projects. While I am a graduate student studying cognitive neuroscience (and appreciate research funding for my field), I believe that too much emphasis has been put on medical models of mental health issues. I think understanding the neurophysiology of disease states is important, if not essential. Unfortunately, schizophrenia is quite different from other mental health issues and so it can be problematic to extrapolate successes in that area to other mental disorders. Overreliance on medical models has shown to have a variety of negative consequences. We need to focus on broadening our view of these issues while secondarily working towards early detection. It worries (but does not surprise) me that a psychiatrist is the head of the NIMH.
• +6

  A comment on Talk: Keller Rinaudo: A mini robot -- powered by your phone

  Apr 9 2013: I see this as just another sign that people are addicted to technology and glowing screens. Kids need to be outside with their hands in the dirt, not chasing around another energy consuming gizmo. As a disclaimer, I recently got rid of my smartphone and surprisingly, I survived. Kids need less media and more human interfaces.

• A comment on Talk: James B. Glattfelder: Who controls the world?

  Feb 13 2013: Perhaps by understanding the simple rules that the nodes are interacting by, those rules can be altered to promote less systemic risk and more distributed control.

• A comment on Talk: Jonathan Haidt: Religion, evolution, and the ecstasy of self-transcendence

  Mar 26 2012: Pat,
  
  I hope you find peace and freedom from suffering.
• +1

  A comment on Talk: Jonathan Haidt: Religion, evolution, and the ecstasy of self-transcendence

  Mar 21 2012: I do not understand why so many people did not like this talk. I thought he made a few very simple points and connected them with theory and everyday examples.
  
  I agree with him that self-transcendence is a universal human potential and drive. Unfortunately, the self is so good at protecting itself that it will slander and block the individual's desire for transcendence. I am fortunate enough to have overcome that struggle once, and so understand experientially what he means. I wish the same for all beings.
  
  I cannot recommend enough: go and seek the self so that you can transcend it, it will change your life.
• +3

  A reply on Talk: Jonathan Haidt: Religion, evolution, and the ecstasy of self-transcendence

  Mar 21 2012: You think psychology (the scientific study of human behavior) is a pathology? On what grounds? Are you also opposed to chemistry? If not, how do they differ?

• A comment on Talk: Lucianne Walkowicz: Look up for a change

  Feb 20 2012: I saw a truly dark sky for the first time as a teenager out in the middle of Texas somewhere. I remember being blown away, with the sky being more beautiful than I ever thought possible. I constantly look up at night hoping for a similar sight. I wish for more, and will do what I can to help!
• +1

  A comment on Talk: Julian Baggini: Is there a real you?

  Jan 24 2012: Ask "who am i?" with enough ferver, and you will experience it. That is the best thing a human can do, in my opinion.
  
  I enjoyed this talk because it addressed the incredibly deep topic with simplicity and a lack of dogma.

• A reply on Talk: Alain de Botton: Atheism 2.0

  Jan 20 2012: Despite really enjoying and agreeing with most of this talk, I also felt miffed that the speaker left out transcendence in his talk and dismissed it at the end. My jaw dropped when he answered "no" to the question of whether he had any spiritual yearning.
  
  I have always held transcendence to be at the root of religion as its ultimate goal and motivator. If Atheism can learn anything from religion, I would think it would be the value of transcendence (along with some well honed ways of achieving it).
  
  Appreciating the vastness of the universe is NOT the same thing as having a transcendent experience/perspective. Its too bad so many people do not believe it is real, and so do not pursue it. So much good arises naturally from the consciously connected human.
• +5

  A comment on Talk: Joe Sabia: The technology of storytelling

  Nov 29 2011: This speaker reminds me of students who play on their gadgets in class instead of listening and learning. I do not see how this talk added anything different than a flashy powerpoint or an illustrated book. I do not consider this innovative, and frankly it was not very entertaining (for me). The "technology is the answer for everything" argument that is implied here scares me sometimes. Maybe I am just an old-timer, but the obsession with technology seems superficial.
  
  On the bright side, I did like the speakers enthusiasm. And he told a decent story, of sorts.