OCW
Why opting out of politics is a political choice
Can you stand up for what you believe in without participating in politics? Anti-career coach Danielle Roberts and political rule breaker Katie Paris discuss how to rethink power, work and civic life on your own terms. They explore how rest, community and meaningful participation can help you stay e..
TED
When did we start using passports?
Passports are not the first form of travel documents: in Ancient Egypt, travelers carried “letters of safe conduct” issued by rulers; in Han China and Tudor England, foreigners were issued travel passes. However, for much of human history, borders have been relatively fluid, and travel lacked bu..
TED
How surveillance tech erodes your privacy
You've probably heard the warnings about digital privacy: read the terms of service, think before you share, be careful what you click. But AI ethicist Jen Golbeck says the problem runs a lot deeper than that. In this eye-opening talk, she reveals how corporations and governments built a system..
TED
The deadly threat affecting millions — and how to prevent it
Lead poisoning robs the world's kids of millions of IQ points a day and kills more people than wars, natural disasters and road accidents combined — yet we treat it as a problem we've already solved. Drew McCartor, who runs the nonprofit Pure Earth, has spent nearly two decades proving i..
TED
Why democracy requires renewal
Pew Research Center president Michael Dimock has spent years listening to what Americans think — and what they're telling him right now is pretty dark. But buried in the data is something revealing: people are ready for bold democratic reform that the country hasn't seen in decades. He e..
TED
Why countries should measure dreams and ambitions (just like GDP)
What do you want to be when you grow up? It's a universal question — and yet at some point, people stop asking you. Drawing on a nationwide survey across the Philippines, consumer researcher Lance Katigbak makes the case that countries should keep track of their citizens' ambitions and a..
TED