Yesterday I took the day of work, and volunteered to help out at the TEDxCopenhagen conference. Why? I am a TED fan, admittedly. Plus, I would love to support such a great event taking place in my city. What is there not to like about TED? Innovative ideas, crazy out-of-the box thinking, music, art, funky people, and super motivating presentations, all woven together in one fine tapestry of a here-and-now experience. In fact, the peculiar thing was that the TED experience revealed to be more than just different presentations, themes, and ideas ‘woven together.’ It felt more, perhaps, like some kind of a co-creating snowball effect taking place under one roof, and within the boundaries of the headline of the conference: ‘the good life.’ Something happened in the ‘sphere’ between the presentations, which in some bizarre way reflected back on each individual presentation, and added even more value and nuance to it. As if the delicate thread of similarity through all of the presentations seen against the sharp contrast between the presentation – for example the difference between a micro-biologist’s and a bike-enthusiast’s take on ‘the good life’ – seemed to create an interesting effect on the sum total. Let me try and visualize what I mean. Imagine that each presentation is a mirror and each of the mirrors face each other in a circle, reflecting back and forward between each other. Then, between the mirrors a chaotic web of subtle communication appears or an endless, infinite even, sequence of reflections – of reflections of reflections of reflections … – and in some way, in this middle of this, something new is being created however subtle. Hence, each presentation becomes richer when seen in relation to each other, and the whole. Sort of.
Either way, it was a fantastic vibrant atmosphere. The most out-of-the-box idea, in my opinion, was presented by two guys, Kaspar Colling and Mik Thobo-Carlsen, wanting to create a large 3500 m tall mountain outside of Copenhagen, ‘Mount København.’ Thank you for presenting such a liberating and innovative thought! Very refreshing. You remind us, that not even the sky is the limit.
TED is about ‘ideas worth spreading.’There is one idea from the conference, in particular, I would like to spread. It is a revolutionary approach to education of children, which might hold the potential to create social change. The way it acknowledges the drive and potential children have within them to learn, even with little means given to them, is very inspiring, motivating, and yes, worth spreading.
2plus2equals10 
Posted on December 1, 2010
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