Quants are the math wizards and computer programmers in the engine room of our global financial system who designed the financial products that almost crashed Wall st. The credit crunch has shown how the global financial system has become increasingly dependent on mathematical models trying to quantify human (economic) behaviour. Now the quants are at the heart of yet another technological revolution in finance: trading at the speed of light.

What are the risks of treating the economy and its markets as a complex machine? Will we be able to keep control of this model-based financial system, or have we created a monster?

A story about greed, fear and randomness from the insides of Wall Street.

Uploaded on Mar 4, 2010

Activist and fundraiser Dan Pallotta calls out the double standard that drives our broken relationship to charities. Too many nonprofits, he says, are rewarded for how little they spend -- not for what they get done. Instead of equating frugality with morality, he asks us to start rewarding charities for their big goals and big accomplishments (even if that comes with big expenses). In this bold talk, he says: Let's change the way we think about changing the world. More TED talks here on YouTube. Published on Mar 11, 2013

Date: March 7, 2014

Robert Reich has a special Tax Day message, explaining why the wealthiest 1% pay a much lower tax rate than the rest of us--and what we can do about it. Published on Apr 15, 2014

Walmart Chairman and Former CEO Michael T. Duke says Walmart looks at more than just corporate profits when it considers sustainability. He speaks at the ECO:comics conference in Santa Barbara, Calif.Published on Apr 3, 2014

Smaller environmental footprint will lead to greater profit in the long run is Mr. Duke's main point in this excerpt of ana interview  Environmental sustainability is a narrow focus of the term ignoring the social - people - and prosperity elements, both of which Walmart plays a big role with a considerable impact on citizens. Walmart and Sam's Club employs roughly 2.2 million people worldwide and is the largest private employer in the United States.

In April, top CEOs and investors, pioneering entrepreneurs, environmental experts and policy makers convene at ECO:nomics, The Wall Street Journal’s conference in Santa Barbara, to discuss and debate the most critical issues facing leaders who are driving change at the intersection of business and the environment. 

We will have large corporations with infrastructures that have a smaller ecological footoprint and institutional self-promotional statements and conferences such as ECO:nomics, but our future will remain unsustainable as the mind-set of what Dr. Chet Bowers refers to as "deep cultural assumptions that support the individualistic/industrial/consumer-dependent culture that is ecologically unsustainable" remains the driving force in our Society and at Walmart.

Today's existing buildings use 72% of our nation's electricity, much of which is wasted. We cannot transform our energy system and prevent runaway climate change if America's commercial buildings continue to consume dirty fossil fuels at today's rates. Join the movement to change this by visiting http://www.rmi.org/stand and get involved! Published on Apr 7, 2014

Stockholm whiteboard seminars: Elinor Ostrom explains how people can use natural resources in a sustainable way based on the diversity that exists in the world. Uploaded on Apr 3, 2009

Irish house performance and an external insulation upgrade in Rathfarnham.

Watch how communities around Ireland are combating the rising environmental and financial costs of fossil fuels with new initiatives that help them take control of their energy needs and put stheir4 communities back in charge.