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Why Did a Whale Heart Caption Horrify Sarah Kay? · TED Talks Daily

TED Talks Daily

"a Bird Made of Birds" | Sarah Kay

"The universe has already written the poem you were planning on writing," says Sarah Kay, quoting her friend, poet Kaveh Akbar. Performing "A Bird Made of Birds," she shares how and where she finds poetry. (Kay is also the host of TED's podcast "Sincerely, X." Listen on the Luminary podcast app at luminary.link/ted)

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Notes

  1. What Happened When a Fellow Poet Found a Photo of a Blue Whale Heart? at 0:48

    A fellow poet named Cobb Ahkbar found an online photo of the anatomical heart of a blue whale that scientists had hung on a hook from the ceiling. Full answer

  2. Why Did a Whale Heart Caption Horrify Sarah Kay? at 1:13

    When Cav A shared the photo, the caption called it another reminder that the universe has already written the poem you were planning on writing. Full answer

  3. What Happened When the Starlings Shifted in the Sky? at 2:10

    Birds called starlings fly in a murmur oration, generally just a big cloud of birds. Full answer

  4. How Do You Respond When the Universe Has Already Written the Poem? at 2:46

    For the first time, the reminder did not fill the moment with despair. Maybe the job is not to invent something new. Full answer

  5. Why Does a Fig Become Possible After a Lady Wasp Dies Inside a Flower? at 4:16

    A fig becomes possible when a lady wasp lays her eggs inside a flower, dies, and decomposes into the fruit, leaving evidence of her transformation. Full answer

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