Spreakers TED^xBratislava

Author of the project Notebook for each pupil, Teacher in a single-class school in the village of Abranovce

He has written several popularizing publications and textbooks on informatics. In 1999-2007, he was a managing director of the Infovek project at the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic. Currently, his name is associated with an academic program of Microsoft company, Partners in education. His energy and courage to enter pilot projects in Slovakia, his ability to motivate and to push forward modern teachers are inspiring. One of his unique projects that have achieved a great success is the project Notebook for each pupil. Only a small step to retirement, he started using computers in the classroom. This school year he experiences something unprecedented in his pedagogical practice. Thirty-five pupils enjoy every school day and their attendance is impeccable. The reason for this change in the kids, ninety percent of whom are Romani, are nine notebooks and other technological equipment.

Traveler, journalist, medic. He drove his Škoda 1000 MB around the world in 250 days.

Do you think it is not possible to travel around the world with an MB? It is. And more than that. Martin Beťko says that dreams are for dreaming. Some of them are dreamt so intensely, they come back again and again, that they push back everything else and take over completely. And you leave your office in the middle of the day to find yourself standing on the bank of Gangha. To realize one’s dreams, usually one needs substantial asset. He and his fellows want to prove that it is not necessary. Their main assets are enthusiasm, inspiration and determination and their journeys prove that dreams can come true even at minimal costs.

Professor at FIIT STU in Bratislava, vice-dean for research and human resources. Her students harvest awards in various creative competitions.

In 2005, she became one of the youngest professors in Slovakia, in the field of software and information systems. A researcher, teacher and enthusiastic photographer. She claims she has evidence on why students of informatics should be interested in arts and why arts students should study mathematics. Most probably, she is right, since her students win one creative competition after another. The applications of IT in education are immense, but the human approach and the presence of a real human teacher are hardly replaceable.

Twelve-years-old pupil of elementary school, the youngest Slovak writer, author of an adventure trilogy for kids.

The youngest Slovak author is twelve, friends with Daniel Hevier and is about to publish a trilogy of her adventure novels. She wrote the first book at the age of ten. She likes to read, write, recite, act and climb the trees. While writing, she discovered how literary theory corresponds to practice and found out that to write a book requires not only talent but also a great deal of patience. She mourns for the paragraphs that need to be left out from the book and does not want her characters to grow up.

Excellent Slovak world-class physicist, prize-winner of the awards Hlava roka 2008.

He studied theoretical physics at Moscow State University leads the Research Center for Quantum Information at the Institute of Physics of Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava. He is also a professor of informatics at Masaryk University in Brno. He wrote more than 200 scientific papers - probably the most quoted Slovak scientist. He taught at Imperial College London, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, University of Ulm in Germany, in SOKEN in Japan and elsewhere. He is involved in and managing several european research projects. His specialty is quantum information theory and quantum optics.

Founder and director of the Divé maky Foundation. Enthusiastic supporter of talented Romani children – potential future community leaders.

Founder of a program whose long-term goal is to create an environment for development of the Romani elite and middle class, currently practically non-existent. The program aims to help the emergence of a generation that will share its experiences for the benefit of the progress in Romani minority and improve their prospects. It is a long-distance run but only such change matters. She believes that trust engages. It is trust she and her collaborators weaved into the program – trust that the children from Divé maky will one day become great artist, teachers, intellectuals or athletes, capable of overcoming every obstacle. Trust in children, donors, partners, trust in self. Unexpected effect of is that originally anonymous donors get to know the sponsored children and build up a relationship that often grows into friendship. This opens the door for understanding, which has mutual effect – children have one more reason to make effort and donors have reasons to be proud.

Adventurer, humanitarian, author from Israel

After a tragic accident, Yossi fought three weeks to survive alone without any food and weapons in the Amazon rainforest. Discovery Channel made film of his story. After recovering he returned to the Amazon and lived with the indigenous people for three years. He has founded several centers for the treatment of opium addiction in different parts of the world. In 2001, at the height of the intifada, he organized a music festival in Israel to promote Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation. Author of two best-sellers.

Poet, writer, lyricist, screenwriter 

Published almost hundred books, poetry, prose, essays, poems and stories for children, translations, author anthologies for both adults and children. He writes lyrics, theatre and radio plays, musical librettos, film and television scripts, scenarios for multimedia projects, he collaborates with radio, television, translates from English. Occasionally he teaches at different types of schools, leads creative writing and inner creativity courses. Having a mind wide open means asking a lot of questions. Asking questions, discovering, getting to know everything you have not known about the world. Daniel Hevier has a collection of twenty thousand questions without answer and says that to ask a question is an art.

Inventor, author of numerous patents and groundbreaking theory on the mechanism of the Earth’s magnetism polarity

Have you ever wished you were an inventor? Do you store your ideas in the drawers or your unpatented gadgets in the basement? Not everybody has the right talents and maybe we do not even know what they should be. Svetozár Hruškovič has a very clear idea. Acoustician by profession, an amateur musician, inventor, athlete and geophysicist. He is versatile, creative, patient and modest. He claims that in life, it is important to have respect for scientific authorities, but it is equally important to lose it sometimes.

Biologist, an expert on molecular biology and genomics

Graduate of Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, director of the Institute of Cell Biology, PriF UK. He is interested in various aspects of cell biology, both experimentally and theoretically, including the question of their origins. He is a lecturer of evolutionary biology and selected chapters of microbiology. At TEDxBratislava he will talk about relation of global warming phenomena and the activity of bacteria in this process, the origins and future of life and DNA research.

Political scientist, computer professional, member of Chaos Computer Club

Andreas is a political scientist and computer security professional. He is a former board member of the Chaos Computer Club, Europe's oldest hacker organization, where he runs the internet user's anonymization project. In his professional life he is an internet and network security consultant. He has an interest in Wikileaks and how it tackles corruption and promotes transparency.

Creative director, founder of a top digital ad agency Poke London

Nicolas Roobe is a founder and creative director of Poke London (pokelondon.com), one of the top digital advertising agencies in the world. He adheres to the principle that instead of advertising the brand should communicate by the „thing“. Whether they are useful or just fun. In particular, they cannot be boring or annoying. In his free time, Nicolas is also the founder and creative director of Hulger (hulger.com) focusing on innovative product design.

Farmer, author of a unique system of production and distribution of organic vegetables Agrokruh

He believes that vegetables, a beneficial and indispensable component of human food, should not be grown with the use of poison, brute force and ruthless self-interest. He claims to march towards a sustainable system of vegetable production and consumption. Ján Šlinský, the author of Agrokruh concept, is an inspirational man with exceptional ideas, contact with nature and attitude.

Researchers in neuromarketing

Why do we keep doing things the usual way, despite the fact that new solutions can be better and more efficient? Because our brain sees it differently. Two enthusiasts, seekers and researchers in the field of neuromarketing know how. Fifteen years of conventional and unconventional marketing research led them to study the brain, which affects the lives and social relations of man in other ways than we usually think or we learned to think. They argue that our perception of reality is not as immediate as it might seem. We create your own reality and we keep it in the vertices of our brain.

Forest warden, ecologist, awarded with Panda Awards for nature protection

The former director of TANAP – High Tatras National Park. He comes from a family where forest wardening is inherited from generation to generation. After his work as the director of TANAP ended he went to study to USA where he learned more about the work of national park rangers and researchers in Florida. At present he is back in Slovakia. He is the only Slovak who has been awarded prestigious global Panda Award for nature protection in 2006. He is going tell us why it is so important for people to maintain wilderness.

Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine expert

is the Head of Chinese Medicine and Senior Lecturer in the School of Health and Bioscience at The University of East London and has 20 years experience of the practice of Acupuncture, in the UK and  Nanjing, China. Having worked previously in dance and physical theatre within the therapeutic community, Charmian considers that the wide gap between the understanding of the arts and science can limit medical practice and that scientific models are insufficient to answer pressing questions about health and sickness.  This is where Chinese medicine, as an art as well as a science, can sometimes bridge the gap.

EA

Originally arranged mixture of electronics and ambient

EA is formed by Róbert Borodajkevyč and Sisa Latková. Roberto plays the guitar and other instruments and Sisa sings. Together they compose. Despite growing up in Bratislava, they are increasingly drawn towards a more natural lifestyle. An environment where whey can peacefully deal with things that they are inherently connected to; a bigger living space, nature and purity. They are inspired by power that has created everything and is connected to everything, hidden in the bark of a tree, in the ground that we walk upon, in the beauty of the moment, in the people around them. They think that the real happiness comes from within and is influenced by the man’s will to be honest with himself in every life situation.

Longital

Electrifying songs as if with eyes half shut

Healing music of Daniel Salontay and Shina is strong and clear. Electronic songwriting with eyes half closed; not a dream yet but neither a normal waking reality. Slovak lyrics bring back the poetry from a place, where Dežo Ursíny left it. Thanks to Shina’s enchanting voice and Dano’s virtuoso stroke play on guitar and the use of extraordinary electronic instrument Lemur Jazz Mutants, the band is one of the most original ensembles of the Slovak music scene. Their concerts are captivating dose of energy, musical colors, words and images.