Daniel Hawes is a Ph.D. candidate at Carleton University who researches how positive emotions can improve critical thinking in a person. In the Talk, Dan discusses several studies that show how cognitive thinking improves with positive reinforcement, and highlights about practical applications which can help students overcome common issues such as anxiety.
Dan is one of Canada’s leading digital media producers having produced over $75M of animated TV, movies, games, and mobile apps. He is Co-creator of Chilly Beach and creator and/or producer of nine TV series and 300+ episodes of TV sold in over 100 countries.
He holds a Master of Digital Experience Innovation from the University of Waterloo and is presently completing his P.h.D at Carleton University focused on applying cognitive science insights to the design of Virtual Reality learning experiences. Dan’s company Toonrush.com, based out of Waterloo Ontario creates animation and games with a focus on immersive VR experiences. Dan also teaches “The Art and Business of Gaming” and “Managing Creative Enterprises” at Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at