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ving a whirlwind tour through the history of Utopian attempts Morrison creates a fictional utopian island and in eight causally connected steps explains how it evolves from paradise-on-earth to totalitarian state, every time. He believes we would live happier lives if we erased this impossible island from our mental maps, once and for all and asks us to reframe our ideas of social justice and change without Utopia as an imagined end point. Ewan Morrison is an award winning Novelist and Filmmaker known for his controversial interventions in politics and the arts. He practices “experiential writing” - throwing himself into new experiences in order to write about them “from the inside”. His “adventures” have included becoming a swinger, a secret shopper and a New Age convert. His books include Close Your Eyes, the internationally renowned Tales from the Mall and Swung - which is also a feature film. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx