The internet – not only does it provide countless videos of animals doing funny things, it also contains a rich stock of fantastic educational resources, meaning that you can learn from world-experts in a variety of fields from the comfort of your home – all for absolutely free. One organisation that is universally regarded as a leader in providing high quality and reliable online teaching is TED, a non-profit committed to spreading ideas through video-recorded talks. Due to the success of the recently published blog centred around Dr Sarah Hallberg’s TED talk on tearing up the guidelines in treating Type 2 diabetes, the BJSM editorial team brainstormed to produce a list of favourite TED talks, covering issues from SEM staples on the basis of pain to the power of body language in success. Let us know if you find these helpful!
- Challenging Beliefs. Tim Noakes http://bit.ly/1H7nN86
This 15-minute talk is a whistle-stop tour of Prof Tim Noakes’ (author of the recent BJSM editorial on exercise in obesity which made headlines around the world) lifetime of research in SEM. Covering everything from exercise-induced hyponatraemia to his now infamous advocacy of a #LCHF diet, this talk is worth watching not only for the countless educational nuggets, but also to learn from someone who has never been afraid of swimming against the tide.
- Are athletes really getting faster, better, stronger? David Epstein http://bit.ly/1FYOw4x
This thought-provoking talk by David Epstein questions whether human evolution is truly at the heart of athletic improvement, and suggests that we may want to lay off the self-congratulation. Great talk for anyone interested in sporting performance and it provides a view rarely considered or advocated in the public domain.
- Sugar – the elephant in the kitchen. Robert Lustig http://bit.ly/1H7tjY4
A talk on sugar in relation to the obesity & diabetes pandemic by one of the world’s most respected authorities on the matter had to make the list. With nearly 200,000 views, this talk by Dr Robert Lustig reinforces the growing message regarding the dangers associated with high sugar intake, providing real food-for-thought.
- Why things hurt. Lorimer Moseley http://bit.ly/1FYU5zN
This fantastic video explains the rarely-taught basis of pain, and the role of the brain in the pain response. It provides an insight into some ground-breaking experiments that demonstrate astonishing results, more of which can be found in this BJSM podcast with the same speaker! http://bit.ly/1FZ177G
- Your body language shapes who you are. Amy Cuddy http://bit.ly/1H7CibQ
Something that although not SEM related, is infinitely useful whether you’re plucking up the courage to ask a question at a conference or whether you’re going for that dream job in SEM. It’s not about faking it ‘til you make it, fake it until you become it.
That’s just some of the fantastic resources available online – now we want to hear from you. For a chance to win a copy of Brukner & Khan’s Clinical Sports Medicine, share using the hashtag #TED4BJSM and comment on the Facebook stream (pinned post) to let us know which TED talk you would recommend to others in SEM or one that has made an impression on you. As always, you can let us know your thoughts on Facebook, Twitter (@BJSM_BMJ) or Google +, we look forward to hearing from you!