TED Community » Simone Barros

More About Me

I'm passionate about

The story of it all.

Talk to me about

Theater, Theoretical Physics, Green Technologies, Humanitarian Design & Organization, the Human Genome, Genetics, Quantum Physics, Magic Realism, Postmodernism, Cartesian, Jungian and other philosophy

Comments

• TEDCred score: +0.50 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• +1

  A comment on Conversation: Is autism, or some types of autism, an evolutionary effect.

  Jun 17 2012: Autism and other syndromes are diagnosed based on a series of conditions so as difficult as it is to specifically define, it is as difficult to give a cause or track an increase.  The 11% increase best measures an increase in diagnosis. It's entirely possible that the incidence of these conditions have not increased but simply went undiagnosed in the past.  That being said I can't imagine that we aren't currently evolving.  Autism alone won't indicate our evolution nor will the insignificant mutations found  in some Olympic athletes or blue eyes. This small genetic difference doesn't make us different enough to fulfill the technical definition of being a different species and although there is such a small genectic deviation between humans and the other great apes, chimps and humans are different in a way a person with blue eyes and a person with brown eyes are not. The most curious detail of the Juan Enriquez TED Talk that brought me to this discussion is that unlike the several co-existing species of other life on this planet and evidence of co-existing multiple human species in the past, why now is there only one?  One originating in Africa that migrated throughout the world? Also currently Africa remains the most genetic diverse population of humans? So if we're evolving, we're evolving there.  Is our evolution like our single species status, a natural anomaly? Is our evolution aided by there being only one species, making us biologically more tenacious to survive? Or did consciousness which brought awareness of differences bring volatile interactions between the multiple human species very like much like current racism and genocide leaving only one species standing?  It would seem that consciousness is a significant cognitive evolution, so yes, the discussion of mental evolution is most motivating.  It must be occurring as the pattern of evolution seems a ceaseless aspect of life. Will the leap of the next evolution of humans result is the gap of communication?

• A reply on Talk: Larry Smith: Why you will fail to have a great career

  Jun 16 2012: I totally agree with Ivan. He didn't say attitude wasn't a factor; he clearly stated that it wasn't the only factor. Unfortunately other factors thwart the most positive of attitudes, lest we forgot the most positive of attitudes who suffered and died in Rawanda, the Holocaust, and US slavery. The most salient part of his comment was learning to dominant your surrounding rather than being dominated by them. This talk was colorfully deliver but proved insipid and banal, failing to give any true insight. Let's explore those who discovered a passion, committed to it courageously, diligently and tirelessly worked toward it, demonstrated the talent and intelligence mastering their field but still failed. I am one of those stories and I know I'm not alone. Is there no insight for us because the saddest thing about my lot is that we will never stop this pursuit and die paupers in a deficit of finance and sanity.

• A reply on Talk: Larry Smith: Why you will fail to have a great career

  Jun 16 2012: I totally agree with Ivan. He didn't say attitude wasn't a factor; he clearly stated that it wasn't the only factor. Unfortunately other factors thwart the most positive of attitudes, lest we forgot the most positive of attitudes who suffered and died in Rawanda, the Holocaust, and US slavery. The most salient part of his comment was learning to dominant your surrounding rather than being dominated by them. This talk was colorfully deliver but proved insipid and banal, failing to give any true insight. Let's explore those who discovered a passion, committed to it courageously, diligently and tirelessly worked toward it, demonstrated the talent and intelligence mastering their field but still failed. I am one of those stories and I know I'm not alone. Is there no insight for us because the saddest thing about my lot is that we will never stop this pursuit and die paupers in a deficit of finance and sanity.
• +4

  A reply on Talk: Nina Jablonski breaks the illusion of skin color

  Jan 12 2011: The illusion is that it means anything more about you than the court of melanin in your skin. Many people assume how a person will speak, what kind of house he or she has, the music the person will like, the talents and skills the person has and the list goes on. Granted this talk was titled after the very hot topic of the illusion of race but we'd be remiss to deny here are illusions about how deep the distinction of skin color goes.

• A reply on Talk: Nina Jablonski breaks the illusion of skin color

  Jan 12 2011: Dermot, is being larger a reaction each individual has to a more reliable food source? I don't know that it's the same as traits that mark evolutionary changes. Remove the reliable food source and the individual is immediately smaller, shorter right? What environmental element could be removed that would return humans to hands without opposable thumbs? None. No matter what, humans are born with opposable thumbs. This seems to be the different task in understanding evolution and discussed here by Jablonski - what are fundamental trait differences and what aren't. It would seems skin color is not a fundamental difference.

• A reply on Talk: Nina Jablonski breaks the illusion of skin color

  Jan 12 2011: Amie, do you not consider some Asian populations to have light complexion? Some populations is Asian have less melanin than some Europeans.

• A reply on Talk: Nina Jablonski breaks the illusion of skin color

  Jan 12 2011: Allan, please read M. N'vaaf's and David Olsen's comments here of the Esquimaux vitamin D rich diets. M. N'yaaf makes a good point about mating behavior. Understanding evolution, speaks to the reality that first the mutation must pop up, then those with the mutation must pass that mutation on at higher rates than those without the mutation. The Esquimaux may not have experienced vitamin D deficiency due to oral consumption of vitamin D as well they may have considered dark skin beautiful in a way Europeans did not. Even prior to interacting with Africans, Europeans hailed light complexion and people with more fatty tissue because it was a sign of wealth - not working in the fields or eating rationed diets. Their playboys were littered with Pillsbury Dough girls not Pam Anderson, so to speak. One thing is clear from Jablonski's presentation, skin color is well, only skin deep, easily mutable, ever changing, widely varying and relative.