Sex education. Filmmaking. Architectural conservation. Education. The diverse themes at the second edition of TEDxNapierBridge are all about groundbreaking ideas and the people behind them. It all started taking shape during the team’s curation process this year, when it wondered ‘what happens after someone listens to our talks?’. “We felt most ideas should lead to action, be it individual or collective. Therefore, the theme ‘Think, become’ is a metaphor for ideas and their consequences,” says co-curator Shyam Sundar. Focused on two broad themes: sustainability and artificial intelligence, this year’s conference brings together eight speakers who will highlight the effort gone into making their ideas a reality.
Talking eco
Given the ongoing water crisis and the open dialogue around climate change, three talks are centered on the theme. City-based writer and social activist, Nityanand Jayaraman, will delve into whether we’re asking the right questions when it comes to climate change or we’re just falling prey to false solutions in the garb of conserving our planet. Taking the conservation dialogue forward, building conservationist and architect, K Kalpana, will talk about architectural conservation for everyday living. The history of Madras as seen from the banks of the Cooum will be addressed in historian Venkatesh Ramakrishnan’s session.
Sexuality Educator and Activist Pallavi Barnwal during a session in New Delhi on February 23, 2019. Photo: R.V. Moorthy
Taboo subjects
Arun Vijai Mathavan, also known as the photographer ‘who captures death’, will discuss the strong and inseparable link between caste and death. Hailing from the Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu, Mathavan – who has documented caste-based discrimination in our mortuaries – will highlight how it still holds place in modern India. Moving on from death to another taboo subject, sex, Pallavi Barnwal’s session is all about “initiating a living room conversation around sex”. “It’s just about ‘good touch and bad touch’; we’re just scratching the surface. UNESCO has approved sex education as a life skill and yet it is banned in nine Indian states,” says Barnwal who will also highlight India’s sexual history with references to Khajuraho and the murals at the Ajanta and Ellora caves.
Tech talk
Ever wondered what the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) actually entails? Can it actually benefit society? Tune into independent educator Suriya Prabha’s talk on the need for Human Intelligence in the era of AI.
The founder of Youcode Intelligence Solutions, a start-up talking AI to Tamil Nadu’s rural landscape, Prabha is of the opinion that “new-age startups in the country are focusing only on urban India. I aim to show the world that technology can be used as a tool to make rural communities better.” Following suit, Dr Kim Ramasamy, Chief Medical Officer at Aravindh Eye Hospital, will look into how AI could help the visually impaired and his work with Google to develop an AI-based screening for diabetic retinopathy.
Also part of the discussion is a session by ‘celebrity speaker’ filmmaker Gautham Vasudev Menon, who will speak on the intricate link between a character and the story. Attendees can also look forward to a performance by Chennai-based band, Madley Blues and canvas paintings, paper art and installations by local artists.
TEDxNapierBridge will be held on August 11, at Egmore Museum Theatre, 2.30 pm onwards. Tickets on bit.ly/tedx-2019
