Caroline Casey and How She Can See Without Sight

Caroline Casey is a legally blind woman who wasn't told this until the age of 17. Her family, specifically her father, decided that she wouldn't live with the labels of a disabled person, so they simply didn't tell her that she was blind. Caroline worked with many different careers until she had the epiphany that she wanted to live in the same was as a character from her favorite childhood book, Mowgli. So, she left her job and went on a thousand mile journey across India on the back of an elephant. This experience birthed in her the drive to help others to transcend labels. So she created an organization to help with people with "disabilities."

This TEDTalk by Caroline was incredible to watch. Her style of delivery was very natural as she couldn't see the clock which had dictated the other TED speakers. Ms. Casey's TEDTalk also made me think of what I had wanted to do when I was younger. I had aspired to become a street cleaner when I was youngest. This aspiration of mine was much different from the dreams of Ms. Casey, riding motorcycles, being Mowgli, and being a race car driver. When I think of that as a career path today it sounds nice in the same way that Ms. Casey's dream does; it involves driving away from all responsibility and being a free person. Ms. Casey truly achieved this through being present in a world of her own creation. That is the beauty of how being blind has affected her. She can live out her dream as she sees it, without the influence of a world determined by sight.

Harvey Fineberg and Adjustable Evolution in the Near Future.

Harvey Fineberg is a genetisist and doctor who can see the potential that is present in the alteration of genes. These guides to the creation of a human life are separated into millions of "phrases" which can be linked even further to human traits. There is a new potential for the creation of humans who are designed to be more beautiful, kinder, smarter, better people who can even be made to live longer. Mr. Fineberg explained this by first going over what humans have done as creatures of the Earth so far.

We have caused the world to adapt to us rather than let the world determine how we act as a species. This is really what separates people from the rest of the known organisms. We have an actual idea of what we have done as a race and know how to correct in the future the flaws we created in the past. This forward thinking and pre-planning is what allows people like Harvey Fineberg to do their work.

With the advent of scientists who can alter and better human life, the process will become even more available and less potentially taboo in the future, and when it is as simply explained as Mr. Fineberg is able to do that future seems even more possible. His TEDTalk inspired a confidence in me for a utopia that just is not possible today. There is so much potential in the world of science guided evolution.

Dave Eggers and The School System Makeover

Dave Eggers' TEDTalk was one which struck me as the story of a set of wonderful circumstances which culminated in an incredible new way to address reading and writing in the conceptual or creative age. His method of delivery and the subjects he talked about made it obvious that he was a creative person who's ideas had the potential to change the world, and already were.

The institutions he had set up for one on one instruction are notorious for their effectiveness in getting children to want to learn. It reminded me of the TEDTalk by Sir Ken Robinson in which he said that children are all creative and that adults are responsible for the squelching of that creativity. This became apparent based on the examples given by Mr. Eggers of the children's stories. They were bright and showed immense amount of care and passion.

They future of reading and writing education is with creative outlets like the pirate store front and tutoring office of Dave Eggers. It is only when adults embrace the uniqueness of children and play towards that uniqueness that the children will embrace the adults teachings. This has been mastered by Dave Eggers.