TEDxStockholm dives into ‘uncharted waters’

On Monday October 21st, TEDxStockholm will open the doors at the Rigoletto Theatre in Stockholm for its latest event “Uncharted Waters”.

“This is the biggest TEDx event we have ever organized. We have never done something so big,” Valentino Pacifici told The Local.

“Last year’s was great but we had much lower ambitions. This year we are aiming super high.”

The “Uncharted Waters” theme of this year has little to do with deep-sea exploration, instead dealing with human nature’s curiosity and our constant search for answers, often to questions that are unanswerable.

“The main theme is there to emphasize that we need guidance to handle the difficult questions that sometimes come to mind,” explained Pacifici.

Speakers will discuss topics such as education, religion, technology, the brain and the universe. In terms of guest speakers, Pacifici said he personally is looking forward to Lena Klingvall – a paralympic swimming champion who was born with one leg and no arms and Swedish artist Alexander Bard, who’ll ponder “What if the internet is God?”

As well as these two, there will be a former neuroscientist who’ll talk about how the brain makes decisions and calculates uncertainty, a composer in training who connects music to religion and the universe, and a priest who questions the role of religion in a secular world.

TED is a non-profit organization that brings people together from the areas of technology, entertainment and design, with conferences held all over the world, featuring talks and performances from speakers of diverse backgrounds.

But it’s more than just “ideas worth spreading” – TED’s mission statement – that the organization is trying to achieve.

“Apart from the great talks, artists, and entertainment, TEDxStockholm is trying to create a vibrant, creative community,” Pacifici told The Local.

So what’s in store for next year and beyond?

“Next year promises to be even bigger than this year, we’re still working on building the story, but we have some great ideas for speakers.”

The event will take place the 21st of October from 14:00 to 19:00. The registration opens already at 13.00.

See a short clip from the last TEDxStockholm event from earlier in October:

Josh Liew