[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:00.88,0:00:04.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Joseph Keller used to jog\Naround the Stanford campus,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:04.98,0:00:09.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and he was struck by all the women\Njogging there as well.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:09.72,0:00:13.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Why did their ponytails swing\Nfrom side to side like that?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:13.87,0:00:17.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Being a mathematician,\Nhe set out to understand why.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:17.03,0:00:18.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:00:18.20,0:00:20.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Professor Keller was curious\Nabout many things:
Dialogue: 0,0:00:20.53,0:00:22.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,why teapots dribble
Dialogue: 0,0:00:22.52,0:00:24.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or how earthworms wriggle.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:24.85,0:00:27.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Until a few months ago,\NI hadn't heard of Joseph Keller.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.58,0:00:31.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I read about him in the New York Times,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:31.46,0:00:32.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the obituaries.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:32.91,0:00:36.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The Times had half a page\Nof editorial dedicated to him,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.71,0:00:40.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which you can imagine is premium space\Nfor a newspaper of their stature.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:41.37,0:00:43.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I read the obituaries almost every day.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:44.69,0:00:47.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,My wife understandably thinks\NI'm rather morbid
Dialogue: 0,0:00:47.74,0:00:52.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to begin my day with scrambled eggs\Nand a "Let's see who died today."
Dialogue: 0,0:00:52.16,0:00:53.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:00:54.02,0:00:55.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But if you think about it,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:55.34,0:00:58.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the front page of the newspaper\Nis usually bad news,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:58.78,0:01:00.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and [cues] man's failures.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.78,0:01:03.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,An instance where bad news\N[cues] accomplishment
Dialogue: 0,0:01:03.47,0:01:06.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is at the end of the paper,\Nin the obituaries.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:07.40,0:01:08.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In my day job,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:08.79,0:01:11.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I run a company that focuses\Non future insights
Dialogue: 0,0:01:11.29,0:01:13.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that marketers can derive\Nfrom past data --
Dialogue: 0,0:01:13.74,0:01:16.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a kind of rearview-mirror analysis.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:17.09,0:01:18.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And we began to think:
Dialogue: 0,0:01:18.27,0:01:23.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What if we held a rearview mirror\Nto obituaries from The New York Times?
Dialogue: 0,0:01:24.51,0:01:27.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Were there lessons on how you could get\Nyour obituary featured --
Dialogue: 0,0:01:28.01,0:01:29.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,even if you aren't around to enjoy it?
Dialogue: 0,0:01:30.01,0:01:31.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:01:31.52,0:01:34.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Would this go better with scrambled eggs?
Dialogue: 0,0:01:34.17,0:01:35.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:01:36.16,0:01:39.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so, we looked at the data.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:39.87,0:01:44.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,2,000 editorial, non-paid obituaries
Dialogue: 0,0:01:44.39,0:01:48.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,over a 20-month period\Nbetween 2015 and 2016.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:48.05,0:01:52.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What did these 2,000 deaths --\Nrather, lives -- teach us?
Dialogue: 0,0:01:52.90,0:01:54.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, first we looked at words.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:54.96,0:01:56.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This here is an obituary headline.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:56.74,0:01:59.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This one is of the amazing Lee Kuan Yew.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:59.06,0:02:01.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If you remove the beginning and the end,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:01.61,0:02:04.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you're left with a beautifully\Nworded descriptor
Dialogue: 0,0:02:04.97,0:02:09.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that tries to, in just a few words,\Ncapture an achievement or a lifetime.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:09.67,0:02:11.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Just looking at these is fascinating.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:12.30,0:02:15.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Here are a few famous ones,\Npeople who died in the last two years.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:15.62,0:02:16.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Try and guess who they are.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:16.96,0:02:18.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[An Artist who Defied Genre]
Dialogue: 0,0:02:18.43,0:02:19.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's Prince.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:20.50,0:02:22.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Titan of Boxing and the 20th Century]
Dialogue: 0,0:02:22.36,0:02:23.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Oh, yes.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:23.54,0:02:24.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Muhammed Ali]
Dialogue: 0,0:02:24.79,0:02:26.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Groundbreaking Architect]
Dialogue: 0,0:02:26.36,0:02:27.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Zaha Hadid.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:28.84,0:02:30.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So we took these descriptors
Dialogue: 0,0:02:30.62,0:02:33.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and did what's called\Nnatural language processing,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:33.16,0:02:34.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where you feed these into a program,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:34.96,0:02:36.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it throws out the superfluous words --
Dialogue: 0,0:02:36.85,0:02:41.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"the," "and," -- the kind of words\Nyou can mime easily in "Charades," --
Dialogue: 0,0:02:41.09,0:02:43.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and leaves you with the most\Nsignificant words.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:43.31,0:02:45.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And we did it not just for these four,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:45.16,0:02:47.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but for all 2,000 descriptors.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:47.70,0:02:49.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And this is what it looks like.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:51.00,0:02:55.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Film, theatre, music, dance\Nand of course, art, are huge.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:56.48,0:02:58.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Over 40 percent.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:58.46,0:03:00.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You have to wonder\Nwhy in so many societies
Dialogue: 0,0:03:01.01,0:03:05.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we insist that our kids pursue\Nengineering or medicine or business or law
Dialogue: 0,0:03:05.47,0:03:07.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to be construed as successful.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:07.87,0:03:09.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And while we're talking profession,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:09.59,0:03:10.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,let's look at age --
Dialogue: 0,0:03:10.76,0:03:13.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the average age at which\Nthey achieved things.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:13.30,0:03:15.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That number is 37.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:16.27,0:03:19.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What that means is,\Nyou've got to wait 37 years ...
Dialogue: 0,0:03:19.95,0:03:23.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,before your first significant achievement\Nthat you're remembered for --
Dialogue: 0,0:03:23.37,0:03:24.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on average --
Dialogue: 0,0:03:24.55,0:03:27.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,44 years later, when you\Ndie at the age of 81 --
Dialogue: 0,0:03:27.05,0:03:28.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on average.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:28.24,0:03:29.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:03:29.27,0:03:30.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Talk about having to be patient.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:30.98,0:03:32.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:03:32.06,0:03:34.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Of course, it varies by profession.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:34.57,0:03:35.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If you're a sports star,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:35.78,0:03:37.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you'll probably hit\Nyour stride in your 20s.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:37.93,0:03:40.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And if you're in your 40s like me,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:40.60,0:03:42.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you can join the fun world of politics.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:42.62,0:03:43.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:03:43.70,0:03:47.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Politicians do their first and sometimes\Nonly commendable act in their mid-40s.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:47.64,0:03:48.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:03:48.92,0:03:50.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If you're wondering what "others" are,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:50.88,0:03:52.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,here are some examples.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:52.82,0:03:54.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Isn't it fascinating, the things people do
Dialogue: 0,0:03:54.96,0:03:56.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the things they're remembered for?
Dialogue: 0,0:03:56.87,0:03:58.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:04:00.14,0:04:01.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Our curiosity was in overdrive,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:02.00,0:04:05.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we desired to analyze\Nmore than just a descriptor.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:06.100,0:04:11.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, we ingested the entire\Nfirst paragraph of all 2,000 obituaries,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:11.97,0:04:14.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but we did this separately\Nfor two groups of people:
Dialogue: 0,0:04:14.77,0:04:17.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,people that are famous\Nand people that are not famous.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:17.57,0:04:20.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Famous people -- Prince,\NAli, Zaha Hadid --
Dialogue: 0,0:04:20.28,0:04:24.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,people who are not famous\Nare people like Jocelyn Cooper,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:24.54,0:04:25.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Reverend Curry,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:25.72,0:04:26.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or Lorna Kelly.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:26.91,0:04:30.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm willing to bet you haven't heard\Nof most of their names.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:30.12,0:04:33.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Amazing people, fantastic achievements,\Nbut they're not famous.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:34.72,0:04:37.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So what if we analyze\Nthese two groups separately --
Dialogue: 0,0:04:37.53,0:04:39.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the famous and the non-famous?
Dialogue: 0,0:04:39.08,0:04:40.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What might that tell us?
Dialogue: 0,0:04:40.52,0:04:41.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Take a look.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:44.56,0:04:46.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Two things leap out at me.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:46.57,0:04:47.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,First:
Dialogue: 0,0:04:48.11,0:04:49.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"John."
Dialogue: 0,0:04:49.33,0:04:50.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:04:51.91,0:04:55.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Anyone here named John\Nshould thank your parents --
Dialogue: 0,0:04:55.33,0:04:56.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughter)
Dialogue: 0,0:04:56.68,0:04:59.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and remind your kids to cut out\Nyour obituary when you're gone.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:01.06,0:05:02.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And second:
Dialogue: 0,0:05:03.85,0:05:05.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"help."
Dialogue: 0,0:05:06.52,0:05:09.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The uncovered, many lessons\Nfrom lives well-led,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:10.01,0:05:12.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and what those people immortalized\Nin print could teach us.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:12.87,0:05:17.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The exercise was a fascinating testament\Nto the kaleidoscope that is life,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:17.64,0:05:20.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and even more fascinating
Dialogue: 0,0:05:20.37,0:05:23.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was the fact that the overwhelming\Nmajority of obituaries
Dialogue: 0,0:05:23.47,0:05:26.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,featured people famous and non-famous,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:26.49,0:05:28.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who did seemingly extraordinary things.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:29.57,0:05:32.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They made a positive dent\Nin the fabric of life.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:32.71,0:05:33.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They helped.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:34.77,0:05:37.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So ask yourselves as you go\Nback to your daily lives:
Dialogue: 0,0:05:37.39,0:05:40.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,How am I using my talents to help society?
Dialogue: 0,0:05:40.33,0:05:43.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because the most powerful lesson here is,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:43.33,0:05:47.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,if more people lived their lives\Ntrying to be famous in death,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:47.69,0:05:50.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the world would be a much better place.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:51.06,0:05:52.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thank you.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:52.26,0:05:55.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Applause)