Curiosity

Curiosity is one of the fundamental elements of creativity. Without curiosity and the desire to explore and discover new things, or just plainly understand the existing things and how they function, life would be way to boring…

James Cameron's big-budget (and even bigger-grossing) films create unreal worlds all their own. In this personal talk, he reveals his childhood fascination with the fantastic - from reading science fiction to deep-sea diving - and how it ultimately drove the success of his blockbuster hits "Aliens," "The Terminator," "Titanic" and "Avatar."

Tricked minds

Does our mind mistake the talking for the doing? Derek Sivers says we'd better keep our goals to ourselves, because if we share them or announce our commitment for a goal, it will make it less likey to happen.

As far as my experience, all the development books, sessions and seminars tell us the exact opposite, to share our goals, find buddies and work together because we learn from each other while our effort multiplies. I wonder who is right…

TEDxDanubia Cafe 2010

TEDxDanubia Cafe 2010

’A Step Towards the Future’

Date: 24 September 2010

Venue: Planetarium, Nepliget, Budapest

”TEDxDanubia Cafe is a half-day, more intimate TEDxDanubia conference. Our theme for the event is ’A Step Towards the Future’. With 18 international and local speakers building on a wide range of expertise and experience, following the now famous TED format of 18 minute-talks and its also famously intensive, entertaining and inspiring style, the event will stage three intriguing sessions during which we explore some of the most exciting and challenging underlying issues that will shape and define how our future unfolds

Session 1: Good Business

We will explore how business could be effective and ’good’ at the same time, what good actually means in a 21st century context, if this is a relevant question at all and, finally, how we could go about doing it.

Session 2: Positive Sum Games

We will focus on cooperative attitudes, trust, innovations focused on social structures, norms and institutions based on a meaningful understanding of ourselves and our environment as essential components of how a more effective and better world could and should work.

Session 3: Green Redefined

We will raise the question what green may mean beyond just environmental protection… How can we see complex systems, interconnectedness and intedependency? And how could it serve as an overarching concept and perspective for a more effective, modern lifestyle that promises better quality of life as well as sustainability.”

Detailed information on the program, speakers and how to apply can be found HERE.

The Seeds

Edutainment.
Creativity.
Development.

These words are the seeds of this blog. They are the core, the backbone of my ideas regarding this platform and its collection. They are complex, not easily definable as they can mean different things for different people. They are special and yet quite common. Sometimes overused or misused. However, again, people see things differently, so multiple usage is not a crime at all, it can actually be a part of a creative process or a tool for development. See? These words - and mostly what they stand for - are everywhere. Creativity and development walk hand in hand. They intertwine, they connect, they complete each other. They relate to each other and they feed each other.

Creativity is the most obvious and the most mysterious state a human being can  experience. It is a state of mind, a way of living, a characteristic, a talent, an intrinsic engine that drives us from the beginning, and a natural skill that can be developed.

Development is only possible and available if we give up our comfort, or rather if we look beyond our comfort and willingly act for the sake of improvement, despite the consequences which could have a negative impact on us in the short term. Development requires self-awareness, courage and change. And change can be unwanted and painful. However, if we learn our lessons, and listen to Rafe Esquith when he says „Effort equals results. There are no shortcuts.”, then development is guaranteed.

Edutainment is a tool for transferring knowledge, educating and inspiring people and evoking enthusiasm. A tool for networking and creating incredible impact by bringing ideas alive. TED is the ultimate master of this tool. I discovered the site 3 years ago, when I lived in the UK. I had no television, my only information and entertainment source were my books and my laptop. TED was a great discovery, I became a daily visitor on the site and became a translator when the Open Translation Project began.

Edutainment became the most effective and enthusing tool of my development. The greatest headfake: I am feeding my interest and enjoying it. I am learning while also finding myself filled up with joy and inspiration. I am engaged, and emotionally touched.

And since I have mentioned the word 'headfake' - which means indirect learning in a more fun way - let me share with you its most remembered origin which was Carnegie Mellon professor, Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture. Randy Pausch's whole work, life and attitude deeply moved me, and so, 'edutainment' and 'headfake' as a method have been engraved in my mind since I have heard him lecturing.

This talk was Randy Pausch’s last lecture at Carnegie Mellon University, before he passed away at a young age. He was an educator, a true teacher, a great doer, someone who did not accept the impossible, who knew how to lead his life, and who really fulfilled his childhood dreams. He inspired thousands of people and made sure that his children (and everyone else) will get his message and remember him even long after he is gone. This is a 76-minute lecture. If you can spare that much time from your day, you are aching to get some inspiration and you are ready to laugh & cry, then please watch him here. I can guarantee that you will not regret it, and surely you will feel the urge to reevaluate your own life afterwards:

And a great amount of further information on Randy Pausch at wisdomportal, edited by Peter Y. Chou.