For TEDxUbud 2018, we will witness the tangible and intangible, speakers will uncover the secrets of the Komodo dragon’s blood in the fight against antibiotic resistance, the role of cross cultural immersions in changing minds and developing tolerance, Torajan death, and more. We will explore intangible cultural heritage, things that have only recently become ‘seen’ and how us—humans—deal with what we can’t explain.
In Bali, we live within a culture that makes no distinction between the tangible and the intangible. The intangible, or unseen, may not be perceived using the five senses, but is still very real.
The tangible has a stronger presence and commands greater respect in Western culture, but when we consider that it was only a few decades ago that much of the invisible world became visible, who are we to make those distinctions? Today DNA, molecular physics and the study of bacteria and viruses, are all commonplace knowledge—two or three generations ago, these concepts would have been relegated to the unseen and the unable to be perceived. There is still so much that remains unknown even today. We are inspired by these unexplored frontiers, the power of gaining knowledge and the sheer magic all around us on a daily basis!
Part of our interest in this theme comes from the desire to understand the balance that our multicultural society here in Ubud has forged. The meeting of different belief systems and philosophies creates a dynamic society, tolerant of new ideas as well as firmly based in traditional beliefs, seamlessly melding technology, art, science and design.
TED represents Technology, Entertainment and Design. TEDx = ideas worth spreading. This is the single concept that has become the heart and soul of more than 16,500 TEDx events around the world. TEDxUbud, like all TEDx events, is about both speakers AND audience. It’s not just about the talks. What happens between the sessions matters no less.
Our job is to make the mix of talks and attendees as creativity-inducing as possible. Multiply this statement by a factor of several hundreds and you get the picture of the energy and vibe of TEDxUbud. Join us!