People who want to be inspired watch TED Talks, largely because of the stories they tell. These stories spark imagination and motivate audiences to think in new ways. TED Talks redefine knowledge and point to potential. Tufekci explains how we are routinely using computers to make subjective decisions like hiring new employees, releasing criminals from prison, and even identifying handwriting. Machine learning has made it possible for computers to make decisions about things we might not have disclosed – for example, about future likelihood of depression or pregnancy.

This should be an officially labeled time of the year. I suggest we call it Maker Time--it's that time after kids get out of school, but before all of the holiday festivities begin. This is the perfect time for kids (and adults) to make something. This is what I tell my own children (I probably heard it from someone else). Don't just be a consumer, be a creator (or the rhyming version--be a maker, not a taker).