TEDxUoA 2020: Distortion

We were chasing horizons in 2019, hopeful to see what the dawn of the new decade would bring. So far 2020 has given us a cacophony of change, pandemics and disasters, as well as kindness in unexpected places. The distortion in our world has affected us in ways we would never have imagined. It has forced us to slow down, rethink, and regroup.

How has the world changed? How have our ideas and perceptions changed? What does this mean for our future?

The theme of Distortion allowed us to discuss ideas that have warped our perceptions as a society and how they continue to affect our future. We shone a light on ideas that would potentially change the way our audience perceived the world. Distortion can seem frightening, but we recognise that it acts as a necessary positive motivator. Individuals learn and grow only by exposure to conflicting ideas that challenge their existing worldviews. By incorporating ideas from different fields, we built theories that may seem distorted but in reality, pushed the boundaries of engineering and technology far beyond what we originally perceived. Distortion helped open us up to a world beyond our own, allowing us to share ideas that were inherently unique. Distortion is what is required to facilitate an era of change.

This theme allowed us to delve deeper into the fields of technology, science, business, media, engineering, climate, and psychology with innovative speakers that led the way. We facilitated an environment that allowed our attendees to explore their distortion and tap into greater insights.