Two great web sites

I have found two fantastic sites I want to tell you about.

The first one is called TED. This stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. TED is a non profit that began by bringing together speakers and thinkers from the three worlds mentioned. Since then it has expanded greatly.

This is a site where you can go and watch the world’s most renowned speakers such as Al Gore and Jane Goodall.

If you are not one of the few who can fly to all parts of the world to attend conferences and speeches then TED is just what you need.

Yesterday I watched Robert Sapolsky speak at Stanford University about what makes us unique from other primates and what we have in common. It’s more than just hair and the size of our canines.

The talks can be searched by topics like design, global issues or business. Of course I looked for talks dealing with the arts, but as I am also interested in science, the natural world, how the brain works, how culture works, and many other topics I looked for and found all sorts of talks that interested me.

The second site is the Art 21 site. I should say sites. If you get Netflix as I do you can watch them there. But if you don’t you can watch either full episodes or clips on Youtube, Hulu, the Art 21 blog and the PBS site.

In case you are not familiar with Art 21, the full title is Art in the 21st century, it has been airing on PBS and just ended its 5th season. I usually miss it and have been very unhappy in doing so. But thanks to the wonderful internet I can watch them at my leisure.

Honestly, I don’t know why I have cable TV except to listen to music while I read or draw.

If you are a teacher, facilitator or administrator you can use either of these sites for educational purposes. If you are just looking for self enlightenment you can increase your world knowledge by watching them for yourself. Check them out.