To what extent the conditions we encounter before birth influence our individual characteristics?
It‘s the question at the center of fetal origins, a relatively new field of research that measures how the effects of influences outside the womb during pregnancy can shape the physical, mental and even emotional well-being of the developing baby for the rest of its life.
Guest blog post by philanthropist and author Brenna Smith.
As a child, I wanted to be Barbie. I saw her as flawless in every way from looks, to accessories, to Ken.
I couldn't imagine a better way to exist, and who wouldn't want all of their worldly possessions to come in Pepto-Bismol Pink?! I knew it would be utopia if I could just be a part of her perfectly pink plastic world.
After Barbie was passé, I tried a stint as Punky Brewster, but the ever watchful adults in my life kept me from rebelling too much (thank you).
At TEDxDubai, longtime English teacher Patricia Ryan asks a provocative question:
Is the world's focus on English preventing the spread of great ideas in other languages? (For instance: what if Einstein had to pass the TOEFL?)
It's a passionate defense of translating and sharing ideas.
Patricia Ryan has spent the past three-plus decades teaching English in Arabic countries -- where she has seen vast cultural (and linguistic) change.
UK-born language teacher Patricia Ryan has spent most of the past 40 years teaching English in the countries of the Arabian Gulf.
Jacqueline Novogratz founded and leads Acumen Fund, a non-profit organisation that takes a businesslike approach to improving the lives of the poor.
In her book, The Blue Sweater, she tells stories from the new philanthropy, which emphasizes sustainable bottom-up solutions over traditional top-down aid.
It's been said that when an elder dies, it's as if a library is burned. Anthropologist Elizabeth Lindsey, a National Geographic Fellow, collects the deep cultural knowledge passed down as stories and lore.
Elizabeth Lindsey is a fellow of the National Geographic Society. Her mission: to keep ancestral voices alive by recording indigenous wisdom and traditions.
Elizabeth Kapu'uwailani Lindsey wants the world to remember the people who came before us.
The actor-turned-anthropologist has made it her mission to find, preserve and share the knowledge and traditions of indigenous populations before they disappear.
She’s working with Google to create a geospatial Map of the Human Story, using the indigenous science of wayfinding to chart tales at risk of being lost.