Long TED Talk: Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are

Summary:
Amy Cuddy is a  social psychologist who research on the impact of body language toward changing other people’s perceptions.In the speech, she shared that posing for two minutes in a powerful position, with the body expansive and the limbs stretched out, can have a profound effect on how a person feels. She proved her saying by giving out scientific experiments and statistics. She emphasized on reminding people to correct the misconception that when people think of nonverbals, they think of how they judge others. They should think it in another way, what is influenced by our nonverbals is ourselves.In the end of her talk, she encouraged the audience "fake it till you become it " with her own touching life experience.

What can listeners learn from this talk?
Some people might regard this talk as brainwashing, because the speaker suggest people to fake themselves with the body language, but not who they really are. But I think this is not the point Amy tried to imply, what she truly want to say is that people should configure their brain to cope the best in the situation. People often confront with the situation of regretting  didn't show the best of themselves. Listeners who often have this kind of feeling can get benefit from the talk, because what Amy shared can help people to leave the situation feeling like, oh, I really feel like I got to say who I am and show who I am.  

Short TED Talk: Why 30 Is Not the New 20

Summary:
Meg Jay is a clinical psychologist who specializes in adult development, and in twenty somethings in particular. The main idea of talk is: Don't waste too much of your 20's time with uninteresting work, 'stupid' boyfriends, parties and so on. Prepare to your future, try to find what  you really want to do and try to get experiences in the fields which can be interesting for you in the future.The rhetoric that "30 is the new 20," trivializes what is actually the most transformative period of our adult lives.Our twenties are a time when the things we do, and the things we don’t do , will have an enormous effect across years and even generations to come.

What can listeners learn from this talk?
I think the speaker seems to be talking as if we can control everything. However,  the idea that we can completely control and shape our lives is an illusion. So what listeners can learn from this talk is that the talk can trigger 20 something people like me to  reflect on my life attitude. Am I fooling around? Am I using my time efficiently? After watching the talk, I think what we can do is work within the circumstances in which we find ourselves, do not wait until we are 30. And maybe think about placing more value and basing the happiness not on the outcome, but rather on the process, on the effort we put in toward a given goal.

Movie Clip: Tangled, I See the Light

Which movie does this clip come from?

This movie clip is from Disney's Animated movie Tangled.

What is this movie about?

Tangled is an 2010 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The story is based on the classic German fairy tale Rapunzel by the Brothers Grimm. Disney adapted the story with some new elements, which is slightly different from the original version. The film tells the story of a lost princess with long magical hair who yearns to leave her secluded tower. Against her mother's wishes, she accepts the aid of a handsome intruder to take her out into the world which she has never seen. During the journey, Rapunzel makes a pact with the charismatic thief and the improbable duo  find themselves tangled up in a spectacular action-packed escapade, complete with a horse, a chameleon side-kick and a rowdy gang of pub thugs. People who love Disney movies and songs should never miss this movie!

What is happening in this clip?

The king and queen, still heartbroken over their lost daughter after all these years, set out the first lantern, and then everyone in the city does the same. The lanterns float out over the water, and Rapunzel and Flynn are soon surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of beautiful glowing lights. They set off two of their own while singing, "I See the Light", a song about how they're beginning to realize their feelings for each other. Rapanzel may have lived her entire life locked inside a hidden tower, but she is full of curiosity about the outside world, and she can’t help but feel that her true destiny lies outside of the lonely tower walls. With the company of Flynn, Rapanzel discovers the world for the first time, and who she really is. As Flynn, he had never imagined the unlikely alliance with the girl from the tower could send him on the adventure of a lifetime, and helps him realize that sometimes you don’t know what you want, until it hits you over the head. At last, Rapunzel finally gives Flynn the satchel with the crown, and he leans in to kiss her.

Movie Trailer: Minions the Movie

Why did you select this trailer to show the class?
This movie is the third episode of the "Despicable me" series, and I am a big fan of the previous episodes. The reason why I am so into this movie is because the used-to-be supporting roles have become the leading roles, which is known as the minions,the small, yellow, cylindrical, creatures who have one or two eyes. Since the semester have just started and we students are getting more and more pressure because of the school work, I think we all need something fun and simple to alleviate pressure, and Minions the movie seems to be an awesome choice. 

Based on the trailer, what do you think the movie is about?
Because the minions have become the main characters, but we barely know their true identification, so it seems that the movie would talk about the history of how minions were invented and information like that. And it seems that the notable minions, Kevin, Jerry and Stuart's life stories may be unfolded. It also seems that the movie will explain how those minions arrive at Gru's lab and why Gru trust them as family members.