On any subject it may be, a TED Talk always generates wonder. And ideas. Even the slightest trace of this new, different approach you’re hearing about in a such talk takes you closer to the moon your dreams and goals. And you cannot but learn about what you’re passionate – or might be passionate about, so it’s even more enjoyable, right?
Maybe I’m too much into TED Talks. They’re inspirational, authentic, almost charming through the innovation and vulnerability the speakers bring out in front of you. And they’re always a great source of stories that help you shape your own story, too. Now, leaving the immense joy of watching smart people talking about what they so passionately do and how they help society through their story, let’s see some TED Talks on coding in particular. Since, you know, we’re in this business.
Linus Torvalds: The Mind behind Linux
Okay, so here’s a rare talk with the creator of the Linux kernel about his biggest passion – that transformed technology and still does. Torvalds, wo has been programming since he was 10, also talks about Git and the open source idea: „I do code for fun – but I want to code for something meaningful so every single project I’ve ever done has been something I needed (…) I think one reason open source works so well in code is that at the end of the day, code tends to be somewhat black and white. There’s often a fairly good way to decide, this is done correctly and this is not done well”.
Kevin Slavin: How Algorithms Shape Our World
This is about the essential role math can have in so many aspects of our lives and how it can me a positive, but also a dangerous one. It’s not just about how Netflix uses different algorithms to find out more about you, but about losing control of our own programmed creations. This talk reminds us about how we can code something that already impacts the world in ways we can’t control.
Jennifer Pahlka: Coding a better government
Okay, so this is about the fantastic role of coding products that connects citizens to their governments and much more. While Pahlka talks about Code for America, let’s not forget about our Code for Romania community, which follows the same example of empowering coders in making a better society through their work.
Top hacker shows us how it’s done
This talk sparked some controversy not just because „he hacked the video quality”, like a Youtuber said, but because of the hacker vs. developer thing that is still going. Although it’s not quite about how it’s done, but rather what can be done, here’s some examples of what you can creatively do or make things do for you.
Jane Mc Gonigal: The Game that can give you 10 extra years of Life
Mc Gonical, a game dev “who advocates the use of mobile and digital technology to channel positive attitudes and collaboration in a real world context”, tells you a story about how you can transform your „weakness” into a superpower and how technology could bring people together and help them building a better life through… games. Even – or especially – as a grown up.
Whats’s your recommendation?
