TED Community » Jonathan Huffman

More About Me

I'm passionate about

Developing a world that thinks and builds long-term.

An idea worth spreading

I had two or three, but whenever I research them, I find out that people on here had them five years ago. My favorites so far are Salman Khan's online education program, and Michael Pawlyn's use of solar plants to desalinate water, which then is used to water greenhouses in deserts, which then begin the process of de-desertification; a totally green process that produces crops, energy, and salt minerals, all of which can be sold. Just for kicks, I'd also like to see mankind colonize Mars, and get all of our eggs out of this first basket.

Talk to me about

Anything. Really. Anything.

People don't know that I'm good at

Imitating a trumpet, or the chirp of a cricket.

Comments

• TEDCred score: +0.20 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• A reply on Talk: Misha Glenny: Hire the hackers!

  Dec 17 2012: While I agree with your sentiments and thoughts regarding the ethos of hacking, I tend to think that the reality is different from your ideal. It is undoubtedly true that some hackers, and even some of the best hackers do what they do as a reaction against the force used to control them by the government, and it is undoubtedly true that for some those motivations are entirely political. But, I find it hard to believe that hackers as a group are so unified and selfless in their goals. Some, surely, are doing what they do because they are poor, and have failed to gain other employment, i.e. from desperation. Others, I am sure, are just in it for a quick buck. To either of those groups, I suspect the offer of state of the art equipment, salary, and complete, untouchable legitimacy would be quite alluring.
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  A comment on Conversation: Why can humans, without any prior planning, naturally synch in rhythm and music but if you tell a group to all move together, they can't?

  Mar 17 2011: Because music has a beat, which our minds can predict prior to hearing due to regularity, enabling us to move in synch with the sound. When several people do this at once, there is a perception of unified motion, though in fact each individual is perceiving the music on his own, and would dance in the same motion were he or she alone in the room. Similarly, one can synchronize the movements of a group to a metronome, or the count of a leader (as in a dance class, or a marching army), though neither of these could be classified as music.
  
  As to the reason why music grips your emotions to the core, and makes you feel the feelings of the composer, though interpreted through your own experience, the fellow who posted below me has explained it quite well.

• A comment on Conversation: Do you think it's even possible to be 100% happy and fulfilled?If yes, what's your way to do it? If no, why is it so deeply essential to us?

  Mar 17 2011: Short answer: No.
  
  Long answer: It is not possible, because we are creatures of emotion, of hormones, and of desires. Even the most Zen of Buddhists must still battle against passion. Other religions embrace passion, and preach indifference to harm as the solution to negative emotions. The belief in an ultimate good, an ultimate truth, and an ultimate sense of meaning are also quite comforting, but none of this promises happiness all the time, or even to your greatest level of capacity. We all know that material wealth and comforts aren't the source of happiness (though it could be argued that having them does take a load off of one's mind in terms of where lunch will come from).
  
  The truth is that there's no way to achieve complete happiness, and the reason it is "essential" is merely because we have been raised to believe that we deserve it. It is not essential. Really, nothing is essential. That sounds nihilistic and existential, but really it's the same idea that Solomon puts forth in Ecclesiastes. Your life doesn't mean anything, nobody's does. If you are religious, then the main point of this existence is to prepare for moving on to a better existence, and nothing in this existence matters (except those preparations). If you are an atheist, then there is no better existence, and from an objective, long term point of view, nothing matters at all. Either way, it is up to you to give your own life meaning and fulfillment. Personally, I find the thought that nothing much matters a comfort in itself: it means that if I screw things up it's no big deal. My life can be world-altering, or I can subsistence farm in Tanzania. The one is no more valuable than the other.
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  A comment on Conversation: Has specialization or focus on expertise been an advantage to us or a disadvantage?

  Mar 17 2011: Specialization leads to efficiency, and great experts, but a general knowledge base is necessary for a really successful life. I would argue that the greatest thinkers and visionaries of our time are sort of multi-specialists, people who can combine expert knowledge of various disciplines to produce something new and interesting. They are a sort of modern renaissance men and women.
  
  So, specialization, while important, is dangerous at its extremes just like anything else. Consider the cases of autistic-savants, who can memorize whole books in minutes, or tell you whether today's date in ten thousand years is a Sunday, but can't tie their shoes. If we specialize too much, we may find that we endanger our ability to interact outside the tiny area of our knowledge.