My TED talk will center around nuclear energy, its benefits, and its history (and the reluctance surrounding it). It may sound like a lot, which is why this outline is a perfect way for me to get my ideas out.
Introduction – grab the audience’s attention
- “How do you think the world will end?”
- For the past half century, many people feared that nuclear weapons would be the end of the world
- However recent developments suggest that another cause may be upon us: climate change
- Interestingly, this shift in potential causes of the apocalypse has opened the door for an energy source that’s previously been unpopular: nuclear energy
Narration
- list the benefits of nuclear energy
- But why has it been so unpopular? Or maybe to be more audience centric, ask, but why do you feel so uneasy when nuclear energy is talked about being implemented?
Rising action
- tell a story
- Introduction of nuclear energy was violent – atomic bombs
- Development of nuclear energy at times was disastrous- Chernobyl and three mile island
- Popular culture didn’t help- perpetuated the Liniear no threshold model related to radiation poisoning
Climax
- there’s been a shift
- List several important developments that have suggested climate change
- Add in the fact that it’s linked to unsustainable energy sources
Falling action
- there is an energy source that’s effective and could replace much of fossil fuels – nuclear energy
- Use this time to address the biggest refutation point to my argument- talk about how safe nuclear energy is compared to how it’s perceived to be
Denouement
- urge people to reconsider their perceptions of nuclear energy
- Remind people of the urgency of the situation and end the talk
Slides: types of images I can use
Slide 1: landscape of an apocalypse
Slide 2: show a picture of nuclear energy – preferably in a light that both highlights what nuclear energy is but also not particularly intimidating
Slide 3: a graphic that suggests how beneficial nuclear energy is – easy to read, easy to understand
Slide 4: nuclear bomb
Slide 5: chernobyl/ 3 mile island meltdown
Slide 6: Godzilla, the hulk, Spider-Man (all creatures that were mutated because of radiation)
Slide 7: collage of various climate relevant pictures, highlighting climate change
Slide 8: pictures that highlight the destructiveness of fossil fuels
Slide 9: image that shows people handling a nuclear reactor safely (in other words, the opposite of Homer Simpson)
Slide 10: picture that highlights we’re at a critical point- making one wrong step could have dire consequences – that way I can incorporate the audience as I try to convince them of the necessity of nuclear energy
Hi Matt! I like your outline, it has a nice amount of detail and the inclusion of the slides and what pictures you want on them was a nice component. For the introduction, including a story would probably be effective, and introducing the commonplaces surrounding nuclear energy was a nice touch. It is important that you want to address how the past views were developed and how they are being changed throughout your body as a whole. Including a refutation in your argument was also a good idea, it could be used to strengthen your point about the perception of nuclear energy and add an extra layer of complexity to your discussion of the shift. Finally, I think that emphasizing urgency in your conclusion will be an important aspect to this TED talk, an effective call to action can tie together a performance. Overall, good job on this outline, it shows clearly where you are heading for the paper and TED talk.
Hi Matt,
I really like how detailed your outline is. You have managed to separate and structure all of your main points very nicely. I also like how you even included what you plan to put on your slides, I have most certainly not thought that far yet! I think it will be important to emphasise the shifts that have happened as a result of these different events so that your listeners can easily follow a long with it. Well done on your outline and best of luck with the rest of it!
Hi Matt,
I like how you set up your outline following the outline we discussed in class. It’s easy to follow, and does a good job laying out the order shift and when and how it occurred, It’s also set up in a way that will keep the audience interested. Your plans for your slides are well thought out and will help keep the audience’s attention while connecting to your speech. It look like you have your TED talk planned out really well! Good job and good luck with the rest!