Assignment #24: Ted Talk

The most interesting thing I learned from this Ted Talk was the term called the flashbulb memory. He defines flashbulb memory as when all the elements came together t define the event and my emotional connection to this event. This part of the talk really spoke to me because I can remember times in my life as a flashbulb memory. As an example, when I was younger and had no homework, I would go outside and play games with my neighbors and my brother. Some background on my neighbors it that they are two girls names Esmee and Zoe; Esmee is one year older than me and Zoe is one year younger than me and one year older than my brother. Towards than the beginning of our friendship, I was closer with Esmee because we had more of the same personality. So the flashbulb memory that I remember is when we both got into teams (Esmee and I, and Zoe and my brother Charlie). In this game, we made our own hopscotch course with a bunch of unique ideas that were not usually played in regular hopscotch. When each of us was finished we played each other's version. 

And I remember this memory because I felt happy and close with my friends. 

Another part of the Ted talk that I found interesting was the part of the Leopard Seal. He said in the talk that a previous photographer was dragged down by a Leopard seal when he went to document them. But the other guy that he talked about named, Paul Nicklin, went to Antartica to also document Leopard seals. He was not afraid of the seals, which I found impossible for me. On his journey in the water, he found a female leopard seal that was estimated to be about 12 feet long. He said that the female was more curious about him then threatened by him. So this female kept bring him alive penguins, which he captured on the camera, to show him. When she would let go of the penguin, it would swim away. Then she would go get it and bring it back to him. However, she got so frustrated by him not doing anything with the penguin, that she started dropping the penguins on his head. 

I just really enjoyed his bravery and how the females leopard was said to be very dangerous, but he got to experience the curious side of the so-called dangerous breed. 

The last part of the Ted talk that I found interesting is when photographer Nick Nichols went to document a very small relatively unknown wildlife sanctuary in Chad, called Zakouma. He used a device called a camera tap where when the animal stepped within range, it took its own picture. However, his main focus was photographing Elephants. These specific elephants were protected when they were within a certain range by a local group of park rangers. But when the rain begins, they have to venture outside where they are protected in order to find food. But outside the safety of the protectors, there were poachers, who would kill elephants for their ivory in their tusks. As sad as it is, he got to photograph and be a part of that story.