I thought the most interesting part of the TED Talk was the idea that the algorithms that are written to do various things are beyond the control of the humans that created them. Many of the algorithms that are floating around on the internet are not understood by anyone and I find it very interesting that there are algorithms so complex that what they are actually doing is unknown. The possibility raised by the speaker that its possible that these algorithms could suddenly just stop working was something I had never previously considered. Almost everything is controlled by algorithms, many of them incredibly complex. When these algorithms stop working, it may be nearly impossible to figure out why, or even to know that they are no longer working.
The other part of the TED talk that I found interesting is how much money is poured into infrastructure that works solely towards knocking micro seconds off the amount of time it takes to send a single transaction. The idea that mountains are tunneled through by companies just to gain a seemingly intangible edge over the competition is incredible. The amount of time being saved by multi million dollar investments is less than the amount of time it takes for me to even click my mouse. The complexity of the algorithms involved and the amount of money poured into these fiber optic cables underground is astounding.
Overall the TED talk altered how I think about algorithms. I didn't realize the scope and importance they have in everything I use in my daily life, from watching videos on Netflix to driving my car. The TED talk taught me that there is a whole world of complex algorithms operating beneath the surface of the internet that i'm entirely aware of yet have a significant impact on my life, and that these algorithms can be studied and dissected in the same way that one might observe and dissect living organisms.
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