I like that the guy is driven, but you need to compare what's happening as a ratio to get a good understanding of he importance of the problem. People don't need to get more stressed...if anything they need to be less stressed!
@crudhousefull More stressed or less stressed, what people need to do is wake the fuck up. If that requires a little more stress to do so, then so be it.
Well of course airlines don't recycle, it costs more to recycle plastic than to buy new plastic! Business! That's what they're about. Go listen to your NPR you socialist...
This is bar none one of the most brainless statements I've ever heard. How the fuck does recycling tie into socialism?
I'm sick and tired of idiots on both sides of the fence who don't understand the differences between Marxism, Communism, Socialism, and State Capitalism.
all you need to do is stop for a moment and drop down. The feelings and unconscious thoughts that are driving your behavior will become obvious and by meeting them consciously, you can begin to free yourself from the addictive behaviors. There is no easy way .... you will have to face the withdrawal symptoms. You will become more and more sensitive... Not easy and this is why it is the road less travelled.
So, the beginning seemed like he was going to give a talk on behavioral economics and how to increase awareness about our collective stupidity in an economically feasible way. Then he was an artist. I mean this as a joke, because he is very admirable and creative (probably as much as he could be), but I tend to expect computer simulations and experimental data on innovative approaches from the average TED talk.
And smoking too. I took up smoking in the late Seventies, and haven't had a cold or flu since then. Not even once. It's time people woke up to the fact that we've been lied to about tobacco. The chief reason governments have sought to ban it is that every time you have a cigarette your I.Q. doubles. Can't have that now, can we? Also: The Greeks have the lowest cancer rate in Europe, and are the heaviest smokers in Europe - go figure.
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1100 Americans die every day from smoking. A tragedy indeed. Too bad the video neglected to mention the even more startling 3750 unborn American children who were killed by their parents on that day, and every day since. A figure which tops the 9/11 death count.
@iglooworkshop What about this is liberal? These issues are not political, they are social and above petty politics. Do conservatives think the best way to fix a girl's self image and boost her confidence is to give her bigger titties? Do conservatives think that we should have more people in jail? Do conservatives think it's okay to waste billions of dollars each year on dinky plastic cups? Do conservatives think it's okay for a child to become addicted to tobacco? I hope not.
what does this have to do with politics? that's what you've made it into. All because they are facts and statistics that you don't want to hear so you call it "propaganda". freedom of speech DOES allow you to disagree with people but you do it in such a way that you are saying, "I'M RIGHT, YOU'RE WRONG". that's ignorance.
emotionalism, and communitarian collectivism is dangerous to any society that values freedom.
"look at how many people make bad decisions routinely. All of these bad decisions add up to something more than the sum of thier parts. What can we do about this?" - this is the overall message that I am getting. He is not only saying that these people are WRONG to get breast implants, smoke, etc, but he is saying that something must be done, and that we need to get ANGRY about it!
If you are presented with a huge number like 500000 to represent the number of americans that die every year from smoking, Would it make a difference on how you emotionally guage the significance and scope of this problem you were presented instead with 50000?
What is missing from these numbers is not "emotion" its context and an idea of what to expect. That is why 500000 is not ten times as shocking as 50000
the only thing you were right on was that it can be considered propaganda. Art always has the abilityt to be propaganda but propaganda is not neccisarily a negative term. propaganda is extremely vague. it can be used to help or to hurt and it can be ideas, information, or rumor. my question is: how can a statistic lie? all he is doing is taking statistics(data) and making it into art(pictures/print).
Please don't push naive Utopian ideals. Human nature has proven time and time again that Utopian societies, especially one as misguided as the Venus Project, cannot work.
Other countries use Bidets or shower head hoses to clean first and then pat dry with just 5% of the tissue americans use. Not only that its quicker and more sanitary.
I am so happy this exists... If only the whole of our nation could see this and push their attention deficit disorders to the side and really listen... Wake up everyone...Its time for a change...
Obviously we need more people and aritist with conscience and with the willingness to change! I have the knowledge and have motivated many leaders to change and have gone on the cross for it for the denial and fear & greed and arrogance of others who do not want to change but want to steal my lfie work to claim it and change others for their own agendas! Why do I not have a global voice? that is why!
excellent way of explaining! Very thorough! He explains things so that people can understand the problems of this world better.....the numbers he talk about cannot be explained through words and statistics only...there is no comparison for them....Thank you for sharing this! Ashton posted it on twitter and he apparently likes it!
I'm not being petty, but there are real nit-pickers commenting on this vid:
This channel brings some of the smartest youtubers together (non intellectuals usually don't make it past the first 5 minutes of a TED vid) & all we seem to be doing is picking apart each other's sentences.
This man's work is not entirely invalid. his art is designed to help you reflect on your impact on the planet & that every individual influences the entire system. Analyzing the numbers only distracts from the point.
I think nit-picking is an attempt to look busy & intellectual while wasting time. (it can be seen here on YT, online in general & IRL) I for one enjoyed this video, we are shown well-known issues from a slightly different angle. the importance & magnitude of these issues remains apparent.
I think this is brilliant. A few people seem to be upset by this video, for whatever reasons. It's actually a good context for the TED talks themselves.
If anything, I think these works are valuable in helping us visualize large and otherwise personally meaningless numbers. Anything that helps us as human beings to see/understand ourselves as a larger group and species is extremely important.
As long as this work helps people make meaning out of those huge numbers, its done society a service.
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hah this talk reminds me of the music video from forgetting sarah marshal called "we gotta do something". it's not like humans don't know we're being wasteful, and the problems will be taken care of when technology allows for it. bringing it back to the front of our conciesness momentarily is just a baseless plee to make us feel bad, and will have no permanent effect on anyone, in my opinion. cool art, though.
I can not understand howyour work has received so few "hits". As an educator I am concerned that social trends are to hide from socially uncomfortable images; to stay numb. If we, and our children can not analize these pictures, how will they be prepared to face the future of these stagering numbers, piling upon themselves?
The reason why it is wrong/stupid/misleading to present incomprehensible numbers out of context in the first place is that there is no standard for comparison. There is no way to gage where these numbers should be, so they are meaningless, and this activist is not making them any more meaningful, he is just trying to amp them up because he assumes that the public is not concerned enough about his pet anxieties.
there is no "where they should be" obviously all number s and statistics and "good vs. bad" etc is all relative. the point is that are we really happy with the amount of people that are dying every year to a non-necessity habit of smoking/drugs. are we happy with the amount of waste of ie. cups, and demolished forests, decreasing animal habitats, and CO2 > O2 production. are we happy with the violent tendencies and tax dollars wasted on keeping the prisoners alive, etc. .. that is the point
well, if your point is that since these are all negative consequences, that even a single unit is too many, then there is still no point in presenting unfathomable numbers out of context. If, on the other hand, you do have a preconcieved idea of a tolerable or realistic quantity or a non-absolute target (which you deny), then the size of these numbers would actually be meaningful.
This is pure propaganda, and that really should be obvious.
propaganda is a very vague term and i think you think it's something very specific. read a dictionary before you start to use words. and dramasoul32 is correct, he is an artist not an educator. And of course he is dealing with emotion. That's the entire POINT of his ART. dumbass. he is trying to bring emotion to statistics that would just be numbers on paper. trying to get us to see the bigger picture. literally.
Conveying or stirring emotion is not really the point of art, although that is one popular theory in the philosophy of art, and art does often accomplish that.
Persuasion, attitude change, awareness raising, political activism. recruitment, proselization, this is not what art is for.
Art is innocent. It is style/culture for its own sake, it is an outlet for creativity/experimentation/novelty. Art is honest. When art becomes a mere tool for special interests, then it is dead.
"And of course he is dealing with emotion. That's the entire POINT of HIS ART"
not all art. his art.
why are you so carried away with politics? because he is bringing out facts that you don't like? get the fuck over it. everyone has an opinion so stop thinking your opinion is the only one that is right or matters. what ever happened to freedom of speech? jesus fucking christ. agree to disagree anyone?
really if you listen to yourself you sound like fucking stalin. you're the one saying he can't believe what he wants. it's "dangerous" to you. i think everyone should be allowed to believe whatever they want until it breaks a law.
You clearly have no concept of freedom of speech, if you can come away with the impression that I am impeding it.
You have the freedom to lie to me, to others, and to yourself, and you also have the freedom to try to expose any lie that you notice with your own speech.
Freedom of speech means freedom to criticize or disagree with anything. Supporting or agreeing with everything would be the opposite.
I never said that it was "dangerous", only that it was absurd.
lol but you just put down everyone that has a differing opinion from you. you're a hypocrit because if you met yourself you'd get in a fight. people are allowed to have their opinions just like you without having to be called a liar. he's not a liar. he's fucking using statistics. you really want to fight numbers?
you obviously dont know what i think or what i am really arguing.
I dont see the point in arguing with you because it seems like this only causes you to retreat further and further from reality.
But still,
I never called him a liar, I didnt call you abusive names either, I would not get into a fight with myself, and i am not a hypocrite.
And if you really care to know what i think then just ask. I didnt even put u down, and Its misleading to refer to yourself as "everyone who disagrees".
Great video. People just don't care, they don't bother to stop and think of the effect of their mindless consumption. Just keep watching sports and reality TV, and don't worry about anything important.
People wonder why I'm so pissed at injustices around the world and in america.... but In the words of the author man, what should you be mad at in life? a bad call in the game last week?
Well, that's interesting--I think I'm going to go see my breast augmented girlfriend in prison after I take a smoke break and drink out of my plastic cup swallowing my Vicodin to dull the pain of hearing this preachy guy--he needs to lighten up.
the economic meltdown is a perfect example of too many people having the same opinion--the bubble will last forever. alternate viewpoints are VERY important.
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For a guy who quotes so many statistics, he sure is lousy with numbers. "1 in 4 people in prison are Americans"..."2.3 Americans are incarcerated"...
This implies that the population of the USA is a whopping 9.2 million people. The last time I heard, the USA just passed 300 million. I imagine that he means that worldwide there 9.2 million people incarcerated and that 2.3 million of them are Americans. Regardless, while his speaking style and art is attractive, his facts are vacuous.
No, he said: "One out of four people, one out of four humans in prison are Americans in prison in our country." Then he said "2.3 million Americans were incarcerated in 2005." So what he said is not what you heard but what you imagined he meant. Jackass.
thats because most people who smoke are aware of the dangers. No one who showed up to work on 9/11 knew the planes were coming. Its different. Its why people react differently to the two.
A common trick by anti-smoking enthusiasts is comparing smoking related deaths to deaths by accidental or violent causes. Smoking can shorten your life by 5 years while a tragedy like 9/11 or a car wreck can shorten your life by decades. But the two types of deaths are compared as being equal. Also, is he worried that we are going to run out of plastic cups?
A lot of people say "I'd rather live a short life where I can enjoy smoking then live a long life without smoking." I dont know, but Im guessing thats because its hard for people to look too far into the future. I think its different when youre on a hospital bed ,youve had chemo for months and your children are sitting besides you, watching you die young and they know its because you smoked.
Boob jobs arnt the problem, people being so insecure that they have boobjobs is the problem.
That's kind of not true. Health risks of second-hand smoke have been seen in studies and I certainly don't choose to breathe in the smoke someone else chose to exhale.
While the immediate smoking is a personal issue, the effects of it are not.
Does anyone else fail to see the positive fact that all of this excess is going on and yet we still have a more thriving culture than ever, populations exponentially bigger than ever, etc? So much death but so much life!!! I understand this man's concern, but he definitely takes a glass half empty approach. He falls into the socio commentator/preacher category for me those are always my least favorite TED vids.
I know exactly what you're saying. I wish more people would realize this and explore your line of thought :)
Without ignoring that there are many hazzard and problems we face now and in the future, we continue to accomplish so much progress, both scientifically, socially and technologically for the benefit of mankind. If we promoted only a fraction of the progress that is out there and within us, we would literally astound ourselves and inspire others to positively transform our world.
We're blindly enjoying life. The problem is we're wasting resources which he is trying to make us conscious of as a culture. Resources are not infinite and it's a growing problem. The trend of "living good" won't last forever if we continue to be this barbarically wasteful.
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God damn, I have no respect for these fear tactics. I see no solution. You can identify the problem for years, I wont think you are smart for it. PS what an artsy fruitloop. Im going to smoke, use drugs, go to jail and bully my girlfriend into breast implants.
You know what I think, Hawbawbowba? I think you lack SELF-respect. You're overwhelmed by how much you suck so you're pretending that you don't care. But as George Eliot said, "What we call despair is often only the painful eagerness of unfed hope." Make your small changes one at a time. Bring your own reusable coffee mug to work instead of using the paper cups there. Your self-respect will grow.
Firstly, it is far too easy to avoid thinking about these issues. There are no immediate or even short-term consequences for ignoring them. We need a better media, the one we have is intentionally misleading us. It takes concrete examples like Chris Jordan offers in order to ensure that these tragedies hit home. For me it is coffee cups - how many do I go through in a day, a month, a year... astonishing! :O
How did we get in this position? I think we are trying to be so politically correct we've lost a conscience awareness of right and wrong. The "me me" attitude is also a culprit. What I do is no one else's business. We are not taking a serious look as how our behavior affects the whole.
I think what he says has merit, but the way he delivers is more suited for one-on-one persuasion than selling an idea to the masses. Being "feely" is not for everyone, its definitely not going to get enough people on side. But at the end of the day, I think thats the way he communicates, and I respect him for the attempt.
I find it funny how he begins his piece with a comment about unconscious actions leading to particular (and harmful) consequences....no kidding. Preaching to people about the dangers of Teens picking up smoking acts like a magnet. Kids smoke BECAUSE its rebellious. So I think the talk is a little sanctimonious. How many resources did this guy use to make his pictures? What's his 'carbon footprint'? Its easy to throw stones, humans are fallible, but I don't like the finger wagging approach.
Probable. However with TED, I usually prefer solutions and ideas, rather than condemnation through (what I consider) pretentious art. Now a robot that sorts trash...or better methods of extracting methane from landfills...THATS some to get excited about. That's my take anyway.
He is talking about the "mood" of the people. Their feelings. Consider this: Imagine thoughts is energy that can spread, now if everybody like he says thinks bad and negative we get an dark and negative destructive reality... which we can see its effects on our planet.
I don't think that is his point. Besides, thoughts are not energy that spread beyond the brain that contains them unless of course the thoughts compel the thinker to express those thoughts. But we do not have radio transmitters in our heads. I somehow doubt the dinosaurs collectively though negative thoughts that resulted in an Asteroid wiping them out.
You are basing your arguments on science that we are aloud to know off. I induced OBEs/Astral travel, and saw my own thoughts materialise within those realms. Thoughts travel faster than light. Plus to the dinos. We have to believe it was a "natural" disaster because our owners make us believe that. But that is another topic.
Generally, at TED you get two types of ideas/solutions; first is the kind you refer to: engineering and science. The second is psychology and anthro-centric stuff. Whatever floats your boat is fine, but I think what Jordan says has merit, the problem is the delivery. It did remind me of a church towards the end. Now its true he doesn't offer a solution, but I think hes trying to raise awareness and get people involved in his cause that can construct realistic solutions.
Um... i don't think that's what he meant. It's not actually about the people dying or whether they chose to, but how society reacts to it.
Like, in my city one year 52 people died from guns and they went on this huge campaign to ban hand guns. BUT- that same year 342 bicyclists died from cars but no one cared.
A long life does not equate to a good life. Sometimes pleasurable things are bad for you and shorten your life. Eliminating them might extend your life, but it will not enhance your enjoyment of the ride.
BTW: I'm a smoker. I know it will kill me, but I don't care because I enjoy it and have no desire to live to a ripe old age crapping my diapers in a nursing home. That is the much coveted end that health nuts are seeking.
I have been talking about this subject for years to people I know to make them more aware of their habits and/or the habits of us Americans. I love this video because it does a much better job than I have ever done. The concious thinking that is promote in this video is the best part. I have past this video to my contacts and will continue to do so. I thank the speaker for his hard work and compasion. Thank you for uploading this video.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
the difference between the 3k people who died in WTC and those who die from smoking is simply: lack of choice. Those in WTC were murdered. This doesn't resonate at all for me. Congrats, you can collect some stats.
Yeah, he seems unusually obsessed with numbers. Besides which, he's full of shit. I think he just took the total number of daily deaths from cancer (1,500 in 2004), and assumed that they're all caused by smoking.
If the human population of Earth was 1 million then how many plastic cups would we use, how many people would die of smoking, how many breast ops would happen etc..
The huge numbers are relative to our population.
Clever idea to transcend statistics into visual art though.
One can't merely simplify / downplay this by saying "The huge numbers are relative to our population" and that's it.
Although this is true,of course the numbers are relative to a certain degree, there are various other factors which play an important role for the high or increasing numbers, such as trends etc. Example: breast ops in the U.S.
All depending on in which direction the society or the social consciousness is developing.
I like that the guy is driven, but you need to compare what's happening as a ratio to get a good understanding of he importance of the problem. People don't need to get more stressed...if anything they need to be less stressed!
crudhousefull 2 months ago in playlist More videos from TEDtalksDirector
@crudhousefull More stressed or less stressed, what people need to do is wake the fuck up. If that requires a little more stress to do so, then so be it.
CognitiveApprentice 1 week ago
Wow this guy went to my school to visit my art class today he's pretty cool :D
djblendfan890 4 months ago
Comment removed
jwvetere 10 months ago
Well of course airlines don't recycle, it costs more to recycle plastic than to buy new plastic! Business! That's what they're about. Go listen to your NPR you socialist...
thefamilyk 1 year ago
@thefamilyk
This is bar none one of the most brainless statements I've ever heard. How the fuck does recycling tie into socialism?
I'm sick and tired of idiots on both sides of the fence who don't understand the differences between Marxism, Communism, Socialism, and State Capitalism.
OtacontheOtaku 1 year ago
This guy is awesome! wow. he's possibly the most moral artist out there by simply using statistics and art.
billyg89 1 year ago 4
all you need to do is stop for a moment and drop down. The feelings and unconscious thoughts that are driving your behavior will become obvious and by meeting them consciously, you can begin to free yourself from the addictive behaviors. There is no easy way .... you will have to face the withdrawal symptoms. You will become more and more sensitive... Not easy and this is why it is the road less travelled.
claudelebel55 1 year ago
its like he was searching for cause to be known by, this is the art
Chrisguy42O 1 year ago
So, the beginning seemed like he was going to give a talk on behavioral economics and how to increase awareness about our collective stupidity in an economically feasible way. Then he was an artist. I mean this as a joke, because he is very admirable and creative (probably as much as he could be), but I tend to expect computer simulations and experimental data on innovative approaches from the average TED talk.
AlgeKalipso 1 year ago
bravo
meyeQyumi 1 year ago
Chris Jordan is brilliant, saw some of his work in Vancouver.
hamiltonguevara 1 year ago
His images of the number of sharks killed and tuna caught brings home the terrible waste - the destruction of our planet!
kalexandera 1 year ago
live simply so others can simply live
MonkayMan 2 years ago
@MonkayMan You and Thoreau have it right! :-) NOW I hope you are living it and it is not just T A L K!!!!
americanwomanFL 1 year ago
This and Chris Jordan's work on Albatross chicks is very thought-provoking! Thank you.
Sinha333 2 years ago
I went to this place thingy. o ya go me. lolz not.
MultiChowder234 2 years ago
And smoking too. I took up smoking in the late Seventies, and haven't had a cold or flu since then. Not even once. It's time people woke up to the fact that we've been lied to about tobacco. The chief reason governments have sought to ban it is that every time you have a cigarette your I.Q. doubles. Can't have that now, can we? Also: The Greeks have the lowest cancer rate in Europe, and are the heaviest smokers in Europe - go figure.
xwsftassell 2 years ago
Are you serious, you need an asylum sir.
Does lung cancer and research mean anything to you?
sk8ram 2 years ago
Baa-aaa-aaa. I'm sure you're as much of a stranger to research as you are to grammar and punctuation.
xwsftassell 2 years ago
@sk8ram
It's clearly someone who doesn't have any kind of educational background. Don't feed that trolls :/
OtacontheOtaku 1 year ago
@xwsftassell HAHA! Thank you sir, you made me lol hard. 8/10 (would have given a 10/10 but for that I.Q. doubles bit... it was a bit too obvious).
Towelfalafel 1 year ago
Drachmonoid creep.
xwsftassell 2 years ago
Powerful visual arts, Chris.
textbook321 2 years ago
Thank God for smokers taking population control so serious!
mlehotta 2 years ago 2
Choice. I cannot make choices for others, only myself. I choose to be the best me I can for the betterment of life for myself and others
OakblossomChi 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
1100 Americans die every day from smoking. A tragedy indeed. Too bad the video neglected to mention the even more startling 3750 unborn American children who were killed by their parents on that day, and every day since. A figure which tops the 9/11 death count.
Recon777x 2 years ago
yeah, its called abortion, get used to it...i think it would be good if people did it more often...especially dumb poor people
FrankieSpankie666 2 years ago
brilliant!!
gothichippy20 2 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Worst liberal bullshit I've hear in my whole life!
iglooworkshop 2 years ago
You can't dispute facts so you attack the truth like just like a good little Nazi
ekimgiles 2 years ago
@iglooworkshop What about this is liberal? These issues are not political, they are social and above petty politics. Do conservatives think the best way to fix a girl's self image and boost her confidence is to give her bigger titties? Do conservatives think that we should have more people in jail? Do conservatives think it's okay to waste billions of dollars each year on dinky plastic cups? Do conservatives think it's okay for a child to become addicted to tobacco? I hope not.
Towelfalafel 1 year ago
take a drink of water
tomoeagentlight 2 years ago
I have seen your work on the internet
eschirtz 2 years ago
what does this have to do with politics? that's what you've made it into. All because they are facts and statistics that you don't want to hear so you call it "propaganda". freedom of speech DOES allow you to disagree with people but you do it in such a way that you are saying, "I'M RIGHT, YOU'RE WRONG". that's ignorance.
fisheatsteel 2 years ago 9
Hurting somebodies feeling, making them feel "wrong", making them feel inferior or stupid.
These things might be associated with arrogance, or indifference, but certainly not ignorance.
People can be wrong, and when they are wrong, I think that you have an obligation to let them know, regardless of what they want to hear.
It is not ignorant to tell someone else that they are wrong.
Dont just give up on being right, you can do it if you make an effort. Ignorance and humility is easy.
St37One 2 years ago
emotionalism, and communitarian collectivism is dangerous to any society that values freedom.
"look at how many people make bad decisions routinely. All of these bad decisions add up to something more than the sum of thier parts. What can we do about this?" - this is the overall message that I am getting. He is not only saying that these people are WRONG to get breast implants, smoke, etc, but he is saying that something must be done, and that we need to get ANGRY about it!
St37One 2 years ago
If you are presented with a huge number like 500000 to represent the number of americans that die every year from smoking, Would it make a difference on how you emotionally guage the significance and scope of this problem you were presented instead with 50000?
What is missing from these numbers is not "emotion" its context and an idea of what to expect. That is why 500000 is not ten times as shocking as 50000
Desensitization is not the problem.
St37One 2 years ago
the only thing you were right on was that it can be considered propaganda. Art always has the abilityt to be propaganda but propaganda is not neccisarily a negative term. propaganda is extremely vague. it can be used to help or to hurt and it can be ideas, information, or rumor. my question is: how can a statistic lie? all he is doing is taking statistics(data) and making it into art(pictures/print).
fisheatsteel 2 years ago
Propaganda is a negative term.
Just like violence and coercion can be used to help or to hurt, so can lies, misleading statistics, and brainwashing techniques.
Why do I bring up lies?
because they are an extreme/clear cut example of misleading information.
When somebody gives you a thesis "what is wrong with western civilization" or says that their goal is to "raise awareness" then its political.
How can a statistic lie?
You must have heard the cliche about statics :P
St37One 2 years ago
i think picasso said "all art is propaganda, but not all propaganda is art"
djboony 2 years ago
9:10 How do we change?
Everyone needs to watch the movie called Addendum. Help end the profit and monetary system. That's how we change.
trevfrank 2 years ago
@trevfrank
Please don't push naive Utopian ideals. Human nature has proven time and time again that Utopian societies, especially one as misguided as the Venus Project, cannot work.
OtacontheOtaku 1 year ago
Beautifully stated -- and impactful how he is developing art to bring awareness. Glad to know about him as an Artist and Educator.
HavilahTower 2 years ago
Incredible. And sad. Something needs to be done about the amount of waste we create.
Nicolellyn 2 years ago
He's not an educator, he's an artist. Take him as such.
dramasoul32 2 years ago
I am not criticizing him.
I am criticizing this.
this is absurd to me, and I want you to see it that way.
St37One 2 years ago
For the most part, pretty good, then he jumped on the smoking ban wagon and he really lost alot of credit with me.
smurd20 2 years ago
The number of paper cups that humans use is astonishing.
valtus 2 years ago
just imagine the toilet paper we use.......
Other countries use Bidets or shower head hoses to clean first and then pat dry with just 5% of the tissue americans use. Not only that its quicker and more sanitary.
mark28map 2 years ago
Wow! This video really puts things into perspective.
Gnarlyguy28 2 years ago
I am so happy this exists... If only the whole of our nation could see this and push their attention deficit disorders to the side and really listen... Wake up everyone...Its time for a change...
Lokhan920 2 years ago
Very important topic - thought provoking
rogersmelv123 2 years ago
thanks for sharing this ashton :)
kileycyrus423 2 years ago
haha, that's exactly what i was thinking.
m0nster911 2 years ago
Jun 11, 2009 3:21 PM
Obviously we need more people and aritist with conscience and with the willingness to change! I have the knowledge and have motivated many leaders to change and have gone on the cross for it for the denial and fear & greed and arrogance of others who do not want to change but want to steal my lfie work to claim it and change others for their own agendas! Why do I not have a global voice? that is why!
RoseProphecy 2 years ago
Def watched this because of Ashton too
c0ldsquishy 2 years ago
Saw this because of Ashton too!!! very impressing!!
Bunnypopper11 2 years ago
I watched this thanks to Mr. Kutcher.
cankazima 2 years ago
a lot of spit i hear
zoranest 2 years ago
Guys got a phenomenal point, good that we keep at it, "see something, say something!" NYC!
mlachance12 2 years ago
Delta recycles their plastic cups and all their recyclable products.
lttben 2 years ago
way to go Delta!
sfburrill 2 years ago
what an absolute genius... i'm so in awe
yarimi 2 years ago
He has a way of communicating, visualizing and presenting the strange, yet REAL phenomena of the impact of this cazy world and its consumption
Mfitz1960 2 years ago
Jesus, we are a fucked up country....world, species...whatever...just messed up.
aprilhenderson07 2 years ago
How come non of the 32,000 women gettin breasts implants live near my neighborhood ?? Wher the hell r they ??
HeavyLikesSandwich 2 years ago
he does have a some kind of point though. his art is amazing.
AndiiBoo14 2 years ago
this is amazing!
karma9797 2 years ago
I love the breast made out of barbies. That's some sort of alarming...
mathyscott 2 years ago
excellent way of explaining! Very thorough! He explains things so that people can understand the problems of this world better.....the numbers he talk about cannot be explained through words and statistics only...there is no comparison for them....Thank you for sharing this! Ashton posted it on twitter and he apparently likes it!
jenellego 2 years ago
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this guy is a douche, cool art....but still a major douche.
SarahMeetsSydney 2 years ago
Incredible!
rocknica 2 years ago
I think he's absolutely right! The world is numb because of marketing and media.
peleni1 2 years ago
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Alright it was a good speech, but he stretched it like it was he last dollar...hahah
bennyj38 2 years ago
his art is beautifil
xsugarxlipsx1990 2 years ago 5
I'm not being petty, but there are real nit-pickers commenting on this vid:
This channel brings some of the smartest youtubers together (non intellectuals usually don't make it past the first 5 minutes of a TED vid) & all we seem to be doing is picking apart each other's sentences.
This man's work is not entirely invalid. his art is designed to help you reflect on your impact on the planet & that every individual influences the entire system. Analyzing the numbers only distracts from the point.
tillo2008 2 years ago 23
I think nit-picking is an attempt to look busy & intellectual while wasting time. (it can be seen here on YT, online in general & IRL) I for one enjoyed this video, we are shown well-known issues from a slightly different angle. the importance & magnitude of these issues remains apparent.
TangerineTangerine 2 years ago 6
I think this is brilliant. A few people seem to be upset by this video, for whatever reasons. It's actually a good context for the TED talks themselves.
If anything, I think these works are valuable in helping us visualize large and otherwise personally meaningless numbers. Anything that helps us as human beings to see/understand ourselves as a larger group and species is extremely important.
As long as this work helps people make meaning out of those huge numbers, its done society a service.
pwneet 2 years ago 5
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wtf is this guy doing at TED?
THEMEANJOKER 2 years ago
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hah this talk reminds me of the music video from forgetting sarah marshal called "we gotta do something". it's not like humans don't know we're being wasteful, and the problems will be taken care of when technology allows for it. bringing it back to the front of our conciesness momentarily is just a baseless plee to make us feel bad, and will have no permanent effect on anyone, in my opinion. cool art, though.
cohenmkarnell 2 years ago
I can not understand howyour work has received so few "hits". As an educator I am concerned that social trends are to hide from socially uncomfortable images; to stay numb. If we, and our children can not analize these pictures, how will they be prepared to face the future of these stagering numbers, piling upon themselves?
artsykatsy 2 years ago 13
wow
presenting big incomprehensible numbers with no context
wow
St37One 2 years ago
That was the whole point. He actually said that.
Imbecile.
GrandZamboa 2 years ago
LOL
you dont seem to get it!
but dont worry, I can explain.
The reason why it is wrong/stupid/misleading to present incomprehensible numbers out of context in the first place is that there is no standard for comparison. There is no way to gage where these numbers should be, so they are meaningless, and this activist is not making them any more meaningful, he is just trying to amp them up because he assumes that the public is not concerned enough about his pet anxieties.
St37One 2 years ago
there is no "where they should be" obviously all number s and statistics and "good vs. bad" etc is all relative. the point is that are we really happy with the amount of people that are dying every year to a non-necessity habit of smoking/drugs. are we happy with the amount of waste of ie. cups, and demolished forests, decreasing animal habitats, and CO2 > O2 production. are we happy with the violent tendencies and tax dollars wasted on keeping the prisoners alive, etc. .. that is the point
JustinCaseMusic 2 years ago
"are we happy with the amount of..."
well, if your point is that since these are all negative consequences, that even a single unit is too many, then there is still no point in presenting unfathomable numbers out of context. If, on the other hand, you do have a preconcieved idea of a tolerable or realistic quantity or a non-absolute target (which you deny), then the size of these numbers would actually be meaningful.
This is pure propaganda, and that really should be obvious.
St37One 2 years ago
lol propaganda? it's statistics using art. something we can actually feel. you can't feel numbers.
fisheatsteel 2 years ago
well,
You do know the definition of propaganda.
dont you?
you cant deny it!
I wouldnt call it "art" either.
St37One 2 years ago
btw these are from merriam webster.
art: "decorative or illustrative elements in printed matter"
propaganda: "the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person"
so i guess it's both. propaganda is very vague.
fisheatsteel 2 years ago
propaganda is designed to bypass the rational faculties and achieve its influence by direct appeals to emotions.
Propaganda is the tool of a demagog, not an educator.
St37One 2 years ago
propaganda is a very vague term and i think you think it's something very specific. read a dictionary before you start to use words. and dramasoul32 is correct, he is an artist not an educator. And of course he is dealing with emotion. That's the entire POINT of his ART. dumbass. he is trying to bring emotion to statistics that would just be numbers on paper. trying to get us to see the bigger picture. literally.
fisheatsteel 2 years ago
Conveying or stirring emotion is not really the point of art, although that is one popular theory in the philosophy of art, and art does often accomplish that.
Persuasion, attitude change, awareness raising, political activism. recruitment, proselization, this is not what art is for.
Art is innocent. It is style/culture for its own sake, it is an outlet for creativity/experimentation/novelty. Art is honest. When art becomes a mere tool for special interests, then it is dead.
St37One 2 years ago
who are you to say what art is?
and if you read i said:
"And of course he is dealing with emotion. That's the entire POINT of HIS ART"
not all art. his art.
why are you so carried away with politics? because he is bringing out facts that you don't like? get the fuck over it. everyone has an opinion so stop thinking your opinion is the only one that is right or matters. what ever happened to freedom of speech? jesus fucking christ. agree to disagree anyone?
fisheatsteel 2 years ago
really if you listen to yourself you sound like fucking stalin. you're the one saying he can't believe what he wants. it's "dangerous" to you. i think everyone should be allowed to believe whatever they want until it breaks a law.
fisheatsteel 2 years ago
You sound like a deluded moron.
and according to you I sound like stalin.
LOL
Thats not stalin, its the voice in your head.
St37One 2 years ago
You clearly have no concept of freedom of speech, if you can come away with the impression that I am impeding it.
You have the freedom to lie to me, to others, and to yourself, and you also have the freedom to try to expose any lie that you notice with your own speech.
Freedom of speech means freedom to criticize or disagree with anything. Supporting or agreeing with everything would be the opposite.
I never said that it was "dangerous", only that it was absurd.
Excuse me for giving a shit.
St37One 2 years ago
lol but you just put down everyone that has a differing opinion from you. you're a hypocrit because if you met yourself you'd get in a fight. people are allowed to have their opinions just like you without having to be called a liar. he's not a liar. he's fucking using statistics. you really want to fight numbers?
fisheatsteel 2 years ago
you obviously dont know what i think or what i am really arguing.
I dont see the point in arguing with you because it seems like this only causes you to retreat further and further from reality.
But still,
I never called him a liar, I didnt call you abusive names either, I would not get into a fight with myself, and i am not a hypocrite.
And if you really care to know what i think then just ask. I didnt even put u down, and Its misleading to refer to yourself as "everyone who disagrees".
St37One 2 years ago
@St37One
It's actually both you idiots. The world is shades of gray, not black and fucking white.
OtacontheOtaku 1 year ago
@OtacontheOtaku
and how did u prophesize that ? the world is simple, is the ppl tha try to make it complicated "as in gray". rules r the essence to mitigating chaos.
warrior4just 3 months ago in playlist end west
Great video. People just don't care, they don't bother to stop and think of the effect of their mindless consumption. Just keep watching sports and reality TV, and don't worry about anything important.
carioca2b 2 years ago 2
Like commenting on youtube videos?
MathausLC 2 years ago
another man*
SpangledStars 2 years ago
People wonder why I'm so pissed at injustices around the world and in america.... but In the words of the author man, what should you be mad at in life? a bad call in the game last week?
SpangledStars 2 years ago
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Yawn
ivanmikhailov 2 years ago
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Well, that's interesting--I think I'm going to go see my breast augmented girlfriend in prison after I take a smoke break and drink out of my plastic cup swallowing my Vicodin to dull the pain of hearing this preachy guy--he needs to lighten up.
DeanBrandon 2 years ago
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DeanBrandon 2 years ago
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DeanBrandon 2 years ago
he's right- we do have the ability to decide what we like about our culture.. some of us like big boobs and cigarettes
Alberg6 2 years ago
the economic meltdown is a perfect example of too many people having the same opinion--the bubble will last forever. alternate viewpoints are VERY important.
bajawind 3 years ago 3
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For a guy who quotes so many statistics, he sure is lousy with numbers. "1 in 4 people in prison are Americans"..."2.3 Americans are incarcerated"...
This implies that the population of the USA is a whopping 9.2 million people. The last time I heard, the USA just passed 300 million. I imagine that he means that worldwide there 9.2 million people incarcerated and that 2.3 million of them are Americans. Regardless, while his speaking style and art is attractive, his facts are vacuous.
tqbtube 3 years ago
No, he said: "One out of four people, one out of four humans in prison are Americans in prison in our country." Then he said "2.3 million Americans were incarcerated in 2005." So what he said is not what you heard but what you imagined he meant. Jackass.
paulschnaars81581 3 years ago 7
I think you're the one with the issue with numbers.
livingdeadbeat19 3 years ago 3
In simple terms there are 2.3 million Americans incarcerated. That is 1 in 4 or 25% of all people incarcerated on the whole planet.
He's saying there are 9.2 million people in the world incarcerated and 2.3 million of them are Americans.
Anyone have a more simple explanation for people like tqtube to be able to understand what he meant? Feel free to explain.
jazzyrick 3 years ago 2
The state is the ultimate evil unconscious catastrophic behavior.
jingleshady 3 years ago
thats because most people who smoke are aware of the dangers. No one who showed up to work on 9/11 knew the planes were coming. Its different. Its why people react differently to the two.
lilpeasncarrts 3 years ago
Howabout the 82 trillion dollars stolen by the government from the people.
How about the 270 million people who died in state-tax funded "defense"
This guy is missing the bigger issue.
jingleshady 3 years ago
A common trick by anti-smoking enthusiasts is comparing smoking related deaths to deaths by accidental or violent causes. Smoking can shorten your life by 5 years while a tragedy like 9/11 or a car wreck can shorten your life by decades. But the two types of deaths are compared as being equal. Also, is he worried that we are going to run out of plastic cups?
Duke1839 3 years ago
You Are A Doofus .
ArchangelTMN 2 years ago
While your comment about the cups is amusing, I think you're sidestepping the point. His work is about making our dismissed excess conscious to us.
We won't run out of cups, we're wasting unfathomable amounts of plastic and paper to something as insignificant to us as disposable cups.
Radjehuty 2 years ago 2
Definitely one of my favorite Ted Talks
Cannibalzz 3 years ago
this guy was great in jurassic park
planetdarwin 3 years ago 3
Half the things he brought up aren't even problems.
windex72 3 years ago
For example?
bottlezone 3 years ago
Cigs, boobies.
windex72 3 years ago
A lot of people say "I'd rather live a short life where I can enjoy smoking then live a long life without smoking." I dont know, but Im guessing thats because its hard for people to look too far into the future. I think its different when youre on a hospital bed ,youve had chemo for months and your children are sitting besides you, watching you die young and they know its because you smoked.
Boob jobs arnt the problem, people being so insecure that they have boobjobs is the problem.
tuigleven 3 years ago
for real, like titties
postarchild 3 years ago
I agree, smoking is a personal issue. You can hate it, and educate people about it...but you can't own the choices of others.
jingleshady 3 years ago 2
That's kind of not true. Health risks of second-hand smoke have been seen in studies and I certainly don't choose to breathe in the smoke someone else chose to exhale.
While the immediate smoking is a personal issue, the effects of it are not.
Radjehuty 2 years ago
Does anyone else fail to see the positive fact that all of this excess is going on and yet we still have a more thriving culture than ever, populations exponentially bigger than ever, etc? So much death but so much life!!! I understand this man's concern, but he definitely takes a glass half empty approach. He falls into the socio commentator/preacher category for me those are always my least favorite TED vids.
andid 3 years ago
@andid:
I know exactly what you're saying. I wish more people would realize this and explore your line of thought :)
Without ignoring that there are many hazzard and problems we face now and in the future, we continue to accomplish so much progress, both scientifically, socially and technologically for the benefit of mankind. If we promoted only a fraction of the progress that is out there and within us, we would literally astound ourselves and inspire others to positively transform our world.
thoughtwaretv 3 years ago
We're blindly enjoying life. The problem is we're wasting resources which he is trying to make us conscious of as a culture. Resources are not infinite and it's a growing problem. The trend of "living good" won't last forever if we continue to be this barbarically wasteful.
Radjehuty 2 years ago 4
There is no sight in evolution
internetilliterate 2 years ago
Also, 'living good' is a matter of context
internetilliterate 2 years ago 2
This guy is incredible.
starwarsgeek8 3 years ago
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God damn, I have no respect for these fear tactics. I see no solution. You can identify the problem for years, I wont think you are smart for it. PS what an artsy fruitloop. Im going to smoke, use drugs, go to jail and bully my girlfriend into breast implants.
Hawbawbowba 3 years ago
You know what I think, Hawbawbowba? I think you lack SELF-respect. You're overwhelmed by how much you suck so you're pretending that you don't care. But as George Eliot said, "What we call despair is often only the painful eagerness of unfed hope." Make your small changes one at a time. Bring your own reusable coffee mug to work instead of using the paper cups there. Your self-respect will grow.
Anhelain 3 years ago
Firstly, it is far too easy to avoid thinking about these issues. There are no immediate or even short-term consequences for ignoring them. We need a better media, the one we have is intentionally misleading us. It takes concrete examples like Chris Jordan offers in order to ensure that these tragedies hit home. For me it is coffee cups - how many do I go through in a day, a month, a year... astonishing! :O
buhgoil 3 years ago 8
How did we get in this position? I think we are trying to be so politically correct we've lost a conscience awareness of right and wrong. The "me me" attitude is also a culprit. What I do is no one else's business. We are not taking a serious look as how our behavior affects the whole.
Insightfulnana 3 years ago 3
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a bit of Fear Fear Fear... and a bit more fear.
dsuggitt 3 years ago
CAN'T COMPREHEND SUCH BIG NUMBERs OK.
Utsusemi 3 years ago 5
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Better smoke, then drive.
yCherkashin 3 years ago
Oh my, that's a lot of people in prison...
markus2darkus 3 years ago
Nothing exceeds like excese.
Wish I could remember who this quote is attributed to?
mtheoryrules 3 years ago
I think what he says has merit, but the way he delivers is more suited for one-on-one persuasion than selling an idea to the masses. Being "feely" is not for everyone, its definitely not going to get enough people on side. But at the end of the day, I think thats the way he communicates, and I respect him for the attempt.
Aelle2000 3 years ago
I find it funny how he begins his piece with a comment about unconscious actions leading to particular (and harmful) consequences....no kidding. Preaching to people about the dangers of Teens picking up smoking acts like a magnet. Kids smoke BECAUSE its rebellious. So I think the talk is a little sanctimonious. How many resources did this guy use to make his pictures? What's his 'carbon footprint'? Its easy to throw stones, humans are fallible, but I don't like the finger wagging approach.
kev3d 3 years ago
I don't think that he is trying to assert himself as a saint. Rather, he's just raising conversation...
DosedBeatnik 3 years ago 2
Probable. However with TED, I usually prefer solutions and ideas, rather than condemnation through (what I consider) pretentious art. Now a robot that sorts trash...or better methods of extracting methane from landfills...THATS some to get excited about. That's my take anyway.
kev3d 3 years ago
He is talking about the "mood" of the people. Their feelings. Consider this: Imagine thoughts is energy that can spread, now if everybody like he says thinks bad and negative we get an dark and negative destructive reality... which we can see its effects on our planet.
Kernchen013 3 years ago
I don't think that is his point. Besides, thoughts are not energy that spread beyond the brain that contains them unless of course the thoughts compel the thinker to express those thoughts. But we do not have radio transmitters in our heads. I somehow doubt the dinosaurs collectively though negative thoughts that resulted in an Asteroid wiping them out.
kev3d 3 years ago
You are basing your arguments on science that we are aloud to know off. I induced OBEs/Astral travel, and saw my own thoughts materialise within those realms. Thoughts travel faster than light. Plus to the dinos. We have to believe it was a "natural" disaster because our owners make us believe that. But that is another topic.
Kernchen013 3 years ago
Whatever spaceman. Drop some more acid and see if you come up with a cure for cancer. New age fucktard.
kev3d 3 years ago
Tipical reaktion.
Kernchen013 3 years ago
LOL!!
UncleKennybobs 3 years ago 2
Generally, at TED you get two types of ideas/solutions; first is the kind you refer to: engineering and science. The second is psychology and anthro-centric stuff. Whatever floats your boat is fine, but I think what Jordan says has merit, the problem is the delivery. It did remind me of a church towards the end. Now its true he doesn't offer a solution, but I think hes trying to raise awareness and get people involved in his cause that can construct realistic solutions.
Aelle2000 3 years ago 2
False analogy.
Smokers chose to smoke. They chose to die. September 11th was not voluntary.
Besides that, not smoking does not grant immortality.
CadicusTheDamned 3 years ago
Um... i don't think that's what he meant. It's not actually about the people dying or whether they chose to, but how society reacts to it.
Like, in my city one year 52 people died from guns and they went on this huge campaign to ban hand guns. BUT- that same year 342 bicyclists died from cars but no one cared.
MegOMegOMegO 3 years ago 2
He is advocating banning a choice, IMHO.
I'll just put it like this:
A long life does not equate to a good life. Sometimes pleasurable things are bad for you and shorten your life. Eliminating them might extend your life, but it will not enhance your enjoyment of the ride.
BTW: I'm a smoker. I know it will kill me, but I don't care because I enjoy it and have no desire to live to a ripe old age crapping my diapers in a nursing home. That is the much coveted end that health nuts are seeking.
CadicusTheDamned 3 years ago
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Yea, I hate how he compares smoking to 9/11, as if fundamentalist Muslims are forcing us to smoke every day.
HerrSchenkel 3 years ago
It's just striking to see people arguing over what sort of energy we should use in order to keep the pathology going.
It is of zero relevance what energy we use if we fail to recognize that problem is the medium itself, industrial civilization.
As along as this industrial culture is perpetuated, the destruction will be ever-deepening.
Crying and moaning for sustainability does enormous damage because it completely dismisses the fundamental question:
Is this system worth preserving?
Vaerify 3 years ago 2
Want to solve the problem of humanity's damage upon the environment? Don't have kids. It's that simple. That's as green as you can get.
CadicusTheDamned 3 years ago
It's not humanity, it's this culture. For almost our entire existence on this planet humans didn't fuck things up, it wasn't always like this.
"That's as green as you can get."
really? how about dismantling all this destructive industrial infrastructure ?
again, humanity is not the problem.
Vaerify 3 years ago
I like the spirit of what he's trying to do here,but his statistics are HIGHLY debateable!
Birddery 3 years ago
Awesome!
I have been talking about this subject for years to people I know to make them more aware of their habits and/or the habits of us Americans. I love this video because it does a much better job than I have ever done. The concious thinking that is promote in this video is the best part. I have past this video to my contacts and will continue to do so. I thank the speaker for his hard work and compasion. Thank you for uploading this video.
Keep It Uplaoding!
- PeopleDigitaL
PeopleDigitaL 3 years ago
Send this to people you know.
hullolife 3 years ago
Excellent!
narcoleptus 3 years ago
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the difference between the 3k people who died in WTC and those who die from smoking is simply: lack of choice. Those in WTC were murdered. This doesn't resonate at all for me. Congrats, you can collect some stats.
rjamesgoebel 3 years ago
Yeah, he seems unusually obsessed with numbers. Besides which, he's full of shit. I think he just took the total number of daily deaths from cancer (1,500 in 2004), and assumed that they're all caused by smoking.
c6gunner 3 years ago
"full of shit" is not a very good argument when presented with a well done research piece.
What have you done with your life to criticize a man that was invited to talk at TED?
MegOMegOMegO 3 years ago
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"'full of shit' is not a very good argument when presented with a well done research piece."
Of course not. Fortunately for me, his "research piece" is rather poorly done. Feel free to check the stats yourself.
"What have you done with your life to criticize a man that was invited to talk at TED?"
Well I learned not to use logical fallacies like the "Appeal to Authority", so I'm clearly ahead of YOU anyway ....
c6gunner 3 years ago
If the human population of Earth was 1 million then how many plastic cups would we use, how many people would die of smoking, how many breast ops would happen etc..
The huge numbers are relative to our population.
Clever idea to transcend statistics into visual art though.
fizzyfox 3 years ago
fizzyfox:
One can't merely simplify / downplay this by saying "The huge numbers are relative to our population" and that's it.
Although this is true,of course the numbers are relative to a certain degree, there are various other factors which play an important role for the high or increasing numbers, such as trends etc. Example: breast ops in the U.S.
All depending on in which direction the society or the social consciousness is developing.
digitalLotus 3 years ago
You can if it was 6am and you'd had a bottle of wine lol
fizzyfox 3 years ago
Cheers :D
digitalLotus<