This year’s TEDxVancouver conference, with its theme of Tilt, aimed to tilt perspectives on all kinds of ideas. Even the exotic afternoon snacks of camel, crocodile, kangaroo, and mealworm tacos made the crowd think about food in a new way. Taking over the Queen Elizabeth Theatre with art, ideas, and innovation, TEDxVancouver was a unique experience that offered the audience plenty of food for thought.
Host Riaz Meghji introduced each speaker with entertaining anecdotes about their “most important conversation” and filled the space between speakers and entertainers with thoughtful comments to keep audiences engaged. Adding flare to the event were many performers such as the Kingsgate Chorus, Vitaly the magician, and an impressive breakdance group. Also filling in the spaces between speakers and during stage resetting were some inspiring videos from the recent TED conference held in Vancouver.
The first session of the day dealt with tradition, the second and third were simply titled Tilt, and the final session of speakers focused on triumph. Covering topics from science, to art, to sex, to solving the identity of Jack the Ripper, these speakers each had unique perspectives and ideas to share.
Dr. Terry Pearson, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology at the University of Victoria discussed his research in biomarkers. His talk, “Your World in a Drop of Blood” was an interesting look at the way we can predict disease and imbalances in health through systematic analysis of drops of blood. As he explained, some people may fall within the ‘normal’ range for many health indicators, but not for the range of their own body. With more personalized data and diagnostic testing, we would be able to see when small changes occur and detect diseases such as cancer much sooner.
Staying in the realm of science, but also melding it with the world of music, Dr. Jennifer Gardy, senior scientist in molecular epidemiology at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control and TV host on The Nature of Things and Daily Planet, gave a genetics lesson with cellist Peter Gregson. Gregson is interested in data sonification — the process of turning data such as a genetic code into music. Their discussion of the idea that the origins of culture and creativity are written in our genetic code was fascinating.
Jeff Mudgett is the great great grandson of Dr. Herman Webster Mudgett, also known as H.H. Holmes. He was a man of pure evil who murdered countless victims while operating the notorious Murder Castle in Chicago during the 1893 World’s Fair. Mudgett has made it his life’s work to uncover the truth behind this man’s actions and he is on a quest to prove that H. H. Holmes was Jack the Ripper. He presented a compelling case with many pieces of evidence, and the audience responded to an online poll to indicate whether they found him guilty. This instant polling of the crowd was used during a few of the talks, and it was a fun way to engage the auidence and get them involved in the discussion.
Lesley Kim’s inspirational talk, “Gaining Vision,” shared her experience over the past year of having a miscarriage, finally having the courage to go out and celebrate Halloween with her friends, and losing her eye to a firework. Her perspective on forgiveness, generosity, and self image were inspirational and moving. Similarly, Treana Peake’s talk about her Obakki Foundation, and a childhood act of kindness that has affected her to this day and shaped her idea of the circle of giving was a very powerful story.
One of the more provocative talks of the day was sexologist Jessica O’Reilly’s discussion of monogamy, and her idea of a more modern form she’s calling ‘monogamish.’ She argues that in order for marriages to last and stay happy, it’s important to open up the idea of monogamy and allow for a spectrum of indulgences from flirting to swinging. If we can redesign and innovate marriage, she thinks we can save this institution in crisis. Her talk was a crowd favourite.
Another optimistic talk was about how to make our cities happier through design. Charles Montgomery, author of Happy City, spoke about the design of our cities and how it affects our moods and behaviours. Living in the auto-dependent suburbs of a large city makes citizens less likely to vote, participate in their communities, or be social with neighbours. Green space and lively, active storefronts are also key in creating happy areas for people to live and work. Highlighting the importance of being connected to others and working together in order to solve our world’s problems, Montgomery’s talk was a resounding example of why the design of our physical world is so important.
In the Triumph session, athlete Jay Demerit told his story of perseverance. After not making it into a professional soccer league in the US, he moved to England and worked his way up to playing for the premier league and his national team during the 2010 World Cup. He has recently retired from his term as captain of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and his talk tilted the perspective of saving for a rainy day to preparing for your day in the sun.
The final speaker of the day was Chip Wilson, who was interviewed by TEDxVancouver curator Sharad Kharé. Wilson talked about his entrepreneurial experiences with Westbeach and Lululemon. His philanthropic projects through his charity, imagine1day, are also quite interesting, and he seems content to focus on these ventures while mentoring his wife and son with their new clothing company, Kit and Ace.
And just when we thought the event was over, comedian Graham Clark strolled onto the stage to leave us roaring with laughter; it was the perfect end to a day of mind-bending new ideas.
