What If We Are Living In A Huxleyian World? | Amelia Marlowe | TEDxBinusSchool

14-year-old Amelia considers herself a philosopher and futurist, especially after she read Aldous Huxley’s book, “A Brave New World”. It opened her eyes and made her see where civilization might be leading towards. Her talk revolves around the idea of living in a brave new world – a Huxleyan World – as depicted in the story, as well as what led us to it, and how civilization will be like once we are living in it. Could a world like this really become our reality soon?


Amelia is a student at Binus School Simprug in Jakarta.

[jwh]

2:05 decantation vs CRISPR
4:13 soma vs antidepressant
6:15 a world of irrelevancy
8:17 mass media (hypnopaedia vs simplistic music)
9:50 mass media (beauty)

[zedwms]

i love that, before the presentation of this Huxleyan warning, there was an ad about wealth management.

[toniachristou]

I am a freshman entering college and I just finished Brave New World. My thoughts mirrored Amelia’s entirely. Incredible job presenting her comparisons, especially for 14!

[neilkelly]

Congratulations to some of you youngsters. I'm fifty now but read huxley and Orwell as a teenager. It was required reading when I went to school

[BinusSimprugJakarta]

An excellent take by a young scholar. I was present at the speech and do know that the presentation slides stopped at about the halfway mark. Thus, half the talk was improvised!!! Well done.

[ashleyhermawan]

Amell!! I know my comment is 2 years late but I am so proud of you! And to think you analysed and interepreted BNW at 14, holy! From saying an amazing speech at 14 to hosting your own TEDx event at 16(yes she did everyone), you really are a prodigy!

[hopestreet]

My antidepressant medication does not make me numb. I feel all my emotions vividly, I am just no longer overwhelmed by my illness.

[manjamccade]

wow what a strong speech of her! May the last sheep is waking up, listen to a 14 years old girl, who see it all coming or saw it coming? I am really touched by her speech! I wish more kids would see this - instead of being on their knees...

[lilamayi]

Wow. Amelia, you are a brilliant young lady! Thank you so much for speaking out and for having the courage to see the world clearly. You are an asset to society. Keep shining!

[eljaguar]

Great job! I believe smartphones and entertainment are Soma.

[audiophileman]

Well done, Amelia, you are on your way to living a wonderful life, a life of feeling, a life of redemptive suffering, a life of love and spirit. All of those things will make you strong, and you will endure. Through them you will find genuine happiness.

[officialstevenma]

I'm here looking at my blank essay 6 minutes before it's due and here stands a member giving an entire TED talk on the same subject.

[testrabbit]

Thank you. I love you for carrying on the spirit of Mr. Huxley. You should be an inspiration to all. Please scream if you lose your platform.

[teacherfromthejungles]

Quite impressive for a 14 y.o.

My students of this age know nothing about the world around, can't show where Edinburgh is on the globe, and can't answer simple question without googling, even if it was a question regarding the previous lesson's topic...

[jakeburkey]

Thought this made some really relevant points, was amazed to read that she was only 14 afterwards!

[grail]

A huge part of this is our treatment of the elderly as inconvenient and expendable. We institutionalize them and medicalize their deaths instead of allowing them to die naturally in the the home where their grandchildren and great-grandchildren live.

[ArikIsHere]

You are very brave! Thank you for coming forward and saying this aloud

[Leo-wscp]

An amazing TedTalk, really like her ideas and views. Very insightful.

[Kicksbruh]

Did my Extended Essay on this dystopian prose and finished watching the series on Peacock. A relevant part of humanity and an inevitable, fast-approaching future; its manifestation veiled by “social norms”. Fantastic material in the talk and good references - the future is bright...

[mickydee]

instagram, tik tok all of social media = soma