Quotes from the last session of TEDxCambridge:

Nate Ball, beatboxer: “I want to know what moves you and what you have to let go of to keep moving.”

Scott Summit, prosthetic limb designer: “Our goal is to be unapologetically man-made.”

Dylan Polin and Dustin Bryant, freerunners: “When we see a wall, we don’t see an obstruction.”

George Church, geneticist: “We can identify a single human neuron that responds to Jennifer Aniston and not to other faces.”

Joshua Walters, bipolar comedian: “I could either deny my mental illness or embrace my mental skillness.”

Jeff Lieberman, polymath: “I’m a community of 50 trillion cells doing a magic dance.”

John Pak, advocate for disabled individuals: “I can teach you to use sound to navigate everything around you.”

Rachel Klein, Dave Sawyer, and Zach Ward, improv artists: “Whatever happens is meant to happen.” // “So you’ve got a $30k piece of equipment inside you, and it can only fax?” “Yeah.” “I bet Medicare paid for it.” // “Um. I saw that wall as…a wall.”

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Bits and pieces from the third session of TEDxCambridge:

1. Michael Norton wants us to be more altruistic.
2. Nadeem Manzen bridges the gap between imagination and creation.
3. Sandy Pentland works to usher in a “new deal of data.”
4. Jesus Gerena works to bring families out of poverty.
5. Richard Wilkinson argues that economic inequality harms societies.
6. Amitabh Chandra advocates for health care spending reform.
7. Greg Epstein questions Robert Putnam’s assertion that religious people are better neighbors; claims community, rather than a specific religion, makes us better people.
8. Iyeoka Okoawo has us make music together.

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Brief lessons from session two of TEDxCambridge:

Put your feet on a desk. Amy Cuddy’s research shows that “power posing” for a few minutes before a job interview can boost confidence and help you make a better impression on others.

Be a vegan. Caldwell Esselstyn has proven that following a plant-based diet can help reverse heart disease.

Sharpen your pikes. John Sheffield argues passionately for a peasant revolution in genomics, imploring us to share our data and add to the network.

Smile. Ron Gutman declares that smiling makes us live longer.

Adapt. Adrian Anantawan uses a special prosthetic arm to hold his bow while he plays violin for the pope, teaches people with disabilities to play virtual musical instruments.

Exercise your right to your health information. Hugo Campos advocates for participatory medicine, in which networked patients are agents, not bystanders.

Track individual emotions for better design. Elliott Hedman uses physical sensors to monitor emotional responses to various experiences, including those of children with autism, to help inform designers who develop tools and services for various groups.

Share your health experiences. Ben Heywood founded Patients Like Me to help build community among people with similar health issues.

Use your body as an instrument. Percussionist Jerry Leake performs a polyrhythmic piece using his feet, hands, and voice.

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