TED Community » Andrew Spence

More About Me

I'm passionate about

Loving

An idea worth spreading

That we can all be good to one another

Talk to me about

Life and how to appreciate it

People don't know that I'm good at

Seeing what's going on

Comments

• TEDCred score: +20.90 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• A comment on Conversation: Is fighting climate change a losing battle?

  Oct 7 2012: I think that unless our governments have the courage to do what is needed and put aside political differences to do this and have the courage to do it even if it means losing the next election then it's pretty hopeless. And we the people need to let them know that this is what we expect.
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  A comment on Conversation: In what practical ways can African states tackle the issue of poverty and unemployment amongst its young people?

  Oct 7 2012: Would sort out your political situations be too obvious or glib an answer? All the corrupt countries I've seen lack enough of a few basic things. Honesty in business and political life, lack of bribery of officials, generosity of rich to poor, compassion for those less well off, basic social services to support those less well off, basic sanitation and fresh water, recognition that we are all equally worthy of respect. These things don't cost money, they just cost a huge mind shift.
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  A comment on Conversation: Is our math wrong? Is it our assumption of zero, or absolute nothingness?

  Oct 6 2012: On the same theme, it seems that the known universe emerged at one time from no thing into everthing, where is the difference? Here the finite and the infinite, and the nothing are like the snake eating it's own tail, one becomes the one, contains the other. Into the black hole of absolute gravity pours everything. This is the point where science and philosophy come together in don't know
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  A comment on Conversation: Is our math wrong? Is it our assumption of zero, or absolute nothingness?

  Oct 6 2012: Zen has a bearing on this. In emptiness is everything. In everything is emptiness. When we look for something we find nothing but empty space, when we look for nothing we find everything. The presence of the universe depends upon the space in which it is manifest so the space is not nothing because it is full of everything. So zero is a nonsense into which everything fits.
  We think of the vastness of the known universe but this is insignificant quite compared to the space that it is existing within, that's not nothing, it's everything.
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  A comment on Talk: Amy Cuddy: Your body language shapes who you are

  Oct 6 2012: When I starting acting on stage I was terrified, but i wanted to do this thing. I desperately wanted to be out there and not be afraid. So I went out and I did it, I faked it by just doing it and letting my knees shake. Until now I can be myself in my full presence out in front of an audience and feel empowered. Now that's faking it until you are it. Thanks Amy for putting it so well and I'm sure helping lots of disempowered people make a better contribution to this world that needs them so badly
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  A comment on Talk: Dan Gilbert: The surprising science of happiness

  Sep 28 2009: It is wonderful that a modern philosopher can come to the same conclusions as the Buddha 2,500 years ago. He said that when we learn to accept things as they are we find happiness. When we cease to strive for happiness in the future we find it in this moment. Getting what we want doesn't make us happy, being happy with what we have does. Craving causes misery, acceptance and peace makes us happy. Same answers.
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  A reply on Talk: Dan Dennett: The illusion of consciousness

  Sep 27 2009: There is a difference here between what we are calling consciousness and awareness, consciousness in the context of this talk is a process a mental construction. Awareness on the other hand is what knows the mental constructions that are taking place. This may sound like semantics however, there is a profound difference. Awareness is possessed by even the most modest creatures yet their level of consciousness is obviously much less.
  We can be aware without needing to make thoughts or concepts from our experience. It is the mental constructions of consciousness that make us human as in reacting in predictably human fashion and able to interpret our environment satisfactorily and able to adapt to being Chinese or Maori, a vast cultural contextual difference, and yet, the awareness that drives this is identical and possessed by all living creatures. So really here we are talking about brain mechanics, the truly wonderful being in the awareness is ignored