Let the countdown to TEDxEdmonton continue! More favorite TEDTalks from our organizing team.

Pamella’s top talk is Karen Armstrong’s TED Prize Wish for a charter for compassion. “Karen Armstrong is a provocative, original thinker on the role of religion in the modern world. Although I don’t adhere to one specific belief, I too believe that all spiritual/religious ideas/beliefs are based on one common theme: the Golden Rule. Karen Armstrong approaches this idea in an educational way that is acceptable and non-threatening.”

Alana’s favorite is Wade Davis’s TED2003 talk on endangered cultures. “Wade Davis is a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence and one of the foremost experts on indigenous peoples and cultures. He has amazing photos and stories about the world’s many cultures that are disappearing at an alarming rate – 50% of the world’s 6000 languages are no longer spoken to children. It’s a favorite because it’s a reminder to step out of your own life and recognize that there are a myriad ways of seeing the world. It’s through that diversity that we start to expand our own minds and, inversely, end up learning about ourselves.

We’re counting down the days to TEDxEdmonton by sharing our favorite TEDTalks! Committee member Cary Williams on Michael Pritchard‘s TEDTalk on “Inventing a Water Filter“:

“I really believe that water is the biggest challenge we face. Bigger than the economy, bigger than climate change, bigger than health care – because all of these depend on water. While this talk can seem like a bit of a commercial, I love the fact that it addresses 3 key concerns: how to get access to those that need it; how to do it affordably; how to deal with the rich country/poor country divide as it relates to both of these challenges. I think Michael Pritchard leaves me with just one question: Why the hell haven’t we done this yet?”

Share Your Thoughts!!! Next TED Talk @ Lunch on Wednesday, April 27, 2011.

Please post your thoughts below!

In this poignant, funny follow-up to his fabled 2006 talk, Sir Ken Robinson makes the case for a radical shift from standardized schools to personalized learning — creating conditions where kids’ natural talents can flourish.

Great discussion after this talk on Wednesday! Please post your thoughts below!

Vaccine-autism claims, “Frankenfood” bans, the herbal cure craze: All point to the public’s growing fear (and, often, outright denial) of science and reason, says Michael Specter. He warns the trend spells disaster for human progress.

Games like World of Warcraft give players the means to save worlds, and incentive to learn the habits of heroes. What if we could harness this gamer power to solve real-world problems? Jane McGonigal says we can, and explains how.

At the 2008 Serious Play conference, designer Tim Brown talks about the powerful relationship between creative thinking and play — with many examples you can try at home (and one that maybe you shouldn’t).