Jane Goodall's message for humanity #shorts #tedx

Key Concepts:

• Limited Timeframe: The speaker acknowledges being closer to the end of life at 85, necessitating increased activity.
• Message Dissemination: The urgency to spread an important message due to the limited time remaining.
• Chimpanzee Insights: Learning from chimpanzees about both similarities and differences between them and humans.
• Intellectual Development: The explosive development of human intellect as a key differentiator.
• Environmental Destruction: The paradox of humans, the most intellectual species, destroying their only home.
• Disconnect: A potential disconnect between the human brain and the human heart (love and compassion).

Increased Activity and Urgency

The speaker emphasizes the urgency of their mission due to their age (85), stating, "When you get to 85, you know you're closer to wherever the end is." This realization fuels a need to intensify their efforts: "the stage I'm in now is a stage of of of increasing my activity because I've got less time to get out a message, which is an incredibly important message." This involves working harder, longer hours, and extensive travel ("travel 300 days a year, which I hate") to spread awareness. The underlying reason for this urgency is that "we're running out of time."

Lessons from Chimpanzees

The speaker highlights the importance of understanding chimpanzees, not only for their similarities to humans but also for their differences: "And what I've learned from the chimpanzees is the way, not only the ways we're similar to them, but the ways that we're different." The key distinction lies in the "explosive development of our intellect."

The Paradox of Human Intellect and Environmental Destruction

The speaker presents a stark contrast: humans, the most intellectually advanced species, are destroying their only home. This is illustrated by referencing the Mars rover: "I'm going to talk about that rocket that went up to Mars and a little robot crawled off and took photos of the surface of Mars, the planet that we once thought maybe had some kind of life...You don't want to go and live there, do you? No." Despite this intellectual capacity, the speaker questions why humans are destroying Earth: "So, here we are, this most intellectual species to ever walk the planet. And yet, we're destroying our only home. How come?"

The Disconnect Between Brain and Heart

The speaker proposes a potential explanation for this destructive behavior: a disconnect between the "clever brain" and the "human heart which is love and compassion." The speaker poses the question directly: "Is it because there's a disconnect between this clever brain and the human heart which is love and compassion? What do you think?"

Conclusion

The speaker's main takeaway is a call to action driven by a sense of urgency. The speaker suggests that the root cause of environmental destruction may lie in a disconnect between human intellect and compassion. The speaker's message is a plea for greater awareness and a re-evaluation of the relationship between human intelligence and the well-being of the planet.