31 March 2006
Ads We Love: "Boardroom"
Each year at TED, we punctuate the program with interstitial videos: TV commercials, short films, music videos and montages that represent some of the best work of the year (or, rather, the best work of the year that can double as an interstitial). Over the weeks to come, we'll share many of them with you here.
First up: Boardroom, a provocative pitch with a punchline. And the most-requested spot following TED2006. Created by Vancouver ad agency Rethink for Science World.
30 March 2006
Keeping up with the Dolbys
It's a great month for following TED favorites online. First Malcolm Gladwell, and now Thomas Dolby has launched a blog. Of course, Thomas has always had a strong online presence, but a blog makes everything more personal. How else could we learn what happens in his garden shed?
29 March 2006
A generation of women defined
Arranged marriages and online dating, political protests and pre-natal care: These are just some of the topics that surface when women in their 20s and 30s are asked to define their generation. The answers take the forms of stories shared — through prose, poetry, paintings, film — in Imagining Ourselves, a participatory online exhibit (and published anthology) that throws a spotlight on the most educated, professionally empowered generation of women in history.
The exhibit was mounted by the International Museum of Women, and many TED women have had a hand in it, including museum board member Lori Bonn, Chair Elizabeth Colton, and Global Council members Eve Ensler and Hafsat Abiola. Contributors include Isabel Allende, Queen Rania Al-Abdullah, Zadie Smith, Ani DiFranco, French actress Julie Delpy and Ukrainian skater Oksana Baiul. But the exhibit is an open mike of sorts, and it's the unknown artists and personal stories that give the site its soul.
28 March 2006
Rives' TED Moment...
Over the last month, we've made mention of many TED Moments. Everyone seems to remember different details, different conversations... But leave it to Rives, slam-poet in residence at TED2006, to take it to an entirely different level ... (Note: scroll down in his blog to March 5th)
27 March 2006
Powerful Global Warming Ads
Al Gore socked us between the eyes with his talk on global warming at TED. Nice to see that an organization that TED has supported in the past, Environmental Defense, has just released a couple of powerful PSAs (especially the second). They're predicting they'll get $100m worth of media time to run these, though I'm sure they'd take more if 
anyone's offering. The ads' concluding message: "There is still time". I hope this is true.
27 March 2006
Pangea Cinema: A wish in progress
When Jehane made her TED Prize wish to bring the world together for one day a year through the power of film, we decided the only way to do it was to really do it, in a big, noticeable way. We partnered with Steve Apkon of the Jacob Burns Film Center, America's most successful non-profit cultural arts center, who came up with a plan to pull this off, and concluded that it will cost US$10 million over 5 years. How to raise the money? Individuals can fund the roll-out of this wish in any country on the planet by becoming a Goodwill Ambassador to that country; the cost is proportionate to the population. Thanks to TEDster Richard Fox and his team at Pinstripe Media, we have a temporary Pangea Cinema site up, with details and costs of sponsoring each country. If you're interested in funding a piece of this wish, email amy(at)ted(dot)com.
27 March 2006
Making global mentoring a reality
Last October, Chris put a challenge to the TED community, pledging $1000 to the person who created the most eye-popping proposition on Pledgebank. Lucy Hooberman took that prize with her global mentoring project, a plan to match professionals in the developed and developing worlds, which was originally hatched at TED2005. A BBC new media executive by day, Lucy pledged to develop a mentoring program and website (and to mentor two people in the developing world for at least six months), should 250 people agree to do the same. In fact, 350 joined the pledge.
Four months later, the mentoring project is off and blogging. Lucy's created a site to host the initiative, a Frappr map to identify participants worldwide, and a blog to track their progress, in getting the organization off the ground. It's exciting to watch it take shape. And it's not too late to take part. Email Lucy (mail-at-mentoringworldwide-dot-org) if you have something to offer ...
26 March 2006
Unprecedented Memory Memorialized
The brain is incredible. The human capacity for perception, reason, logic -- the sheer processing power inside our skulls -- is, well, mind-boggling. But as incredible an organ as is the human brain, it is fallible. Even the "geniuses" we'll hear from at TED2007 have imperfect brains. Take, for example, human memory -- we all forget things. Even Ken Jennings ultimately lost on Jeopardy (but, sadly, not until he had already dispensed with my brother Josh).
The certain fallibility of human memory has been the life's work of James McGaugh, a brain researcher at the University of California at Irvine. Which is precisely why, according to a recent story on ABCNews.com, Dr. McGaugh is so intrigued by a woman called AJ who came to him seeking an explanation for her monumental recall. For any given date over her lifetime, AJ can remember the day of the week, the weather, personal and historical events, you name it. Her memory so exceeds that of any individual's memory documented to date, that AJ has left researchers stumped. They have found no explanation for her incredible recall. In hopes of better understanding AJ's database like brain, the UC Irvine researchers begin a comprehensive set of brain scans on AJ in the coming months. I certainly look forward to reporting what the researchers discover. That is, of course, if I can remember to check back on the story.
25 March 2006
Falcon 1 destroyed...
Next time you miss the quarterly numbers, consider what this must feel like. Elon, you are one brave man.
24 March 2006
Good luck, Elon
At last year's TED, Elon Musk, co-founder of PayPal, and CEO of SpaceX shared his vision for slashing the cost of going into space. Today's his big day, as Falcon 1 prepares for launch (at 1pm PST).
Its goal is to carry a research satellite into orbit, and if successful, it will be the first time a privately developed rocket has achieved this.
We'll be watching...
24 March 2006
TrendWatch: The "M" Word
At the Stanford Media X Conference last week, Communications Professor Clifford Nass announced that he'd reveal (in six minutes) the most important trend affecting the future of media. Nass, always insightful on matters of media and technology, pointed not to a particular tool, but rather, the way they're used. That is: simultaneously. Among teenagers especially, no one uses a single gadget anymore; everyone multi-tasks, consuming several media at the same time.
This isn't a big surprise, of course. But it bucks a long-term trend. Each medium introduced over the last century has stolen time from the old, while simultaneously increasing the overall time spent consuming media. Today, there are simply no hours left. So we read the news while listening to our iPods, juggling IM sessions, Googling, emailing and talking on the phone. New media, it seems, are no longer unseating old media; they're all sitting side by side.
Needless to say, Nass isn't the only one tracking this trend. This week's Time Magazine cites a number of cross-discipinary studies watching "Generation M" and their multi-tasking ways. It's a refreshingly even-handed piece, and TED favorite Steven Johnson tips the balance with his essay, "Don't Fear the Digital," targeted at parents.
Nass, however, had a different audience mind. He relayed a conversation with one of his corporate clients, in which he'd urged them to run more realistic usability tests, with subjects juggling tasks and technologies. "No one can do that many things at once," the client protested. "Welcome to the world your software lives in," Nass replied.
20 March 2006
Ethos Water Walk
Ethos Water - a TED sponsor and water favorite - has been working to bring awareness to World Water Day - a UN designated day which draws attention to the water crisis worldwide. It's this Wednesday, March 22 - and Ethos, along with Starbucks and a number of non-profits, have organized events in 11 cities in the US. So join them in their Walk for Water ... we are.
20 March 2006
"Ashes and Snow": In L.A. and online
At TED2006, photographer Gregory Colbert gave a rare public appearance, showing 10 minutes of his astounding film and also announcing a controversial new initiative, the Animal Copyright Foundation, which aims to collect royalties from companies using images of nature in their advertising.
Colbert's work envisions a world in which humans live in exquisite harmony with the rest of the animal kingdom. His films are lyrical and hypnotic; his photographs mesmerizing, his exhibit in a class by itself. So if you were moved by his brief presentation at TED, you must see "Ashes and Snow" live, while you can. The immersive exhibit — combining outsized photographs, film and music — travels the world in the Nomadic Museum, and will remain at Los Angeles' Santa Monica Pier through May 14. It is unmissable. But if you just can't see it live, the web site (newly updated with a captivating selection of images and music) plays a pretty good second fiddle ...
17 March 2006
Burt Rutan: "Space Needs You"
At TED2006, legendary spacecraft designer Burt Rutan came out swinging. "Houston, we have a problem," he declared, and went on to lambast the government-funded space program for failing to inspire the next generation. NASA has stalled, he says, especially when it comes to manned flights. And the solution is privately funded spacecraft development (the kind encouraged by the $10M X-Prize, which he won in 2004 with SpaceShipOne).
Indeed, a new entrepreneurial space race has begun. And the rogue Rutan invites all comers. If you missed his talk, he's put it in writing for this month's Business 2.0: Why Space Needs You.
17 March 2006
Testing your Web 2.0 Literacy
Oyogi, Yedda, Yoda, Renkoo, Squidoo, Lando, Lulu ... Web 2.0 companies? Or Star Wars characters? Only a certain kind of person would know for sure...
And if you scored well there, this typographic analysis of Web 2.0 logos will have you nodding in recognition. Hello, VAG Rounded! (Hat 2.0 tipped to David Nestor and Jason Kottke)
16 March 2006
Jill Sobule + Julia Sweeney = Magic
I wish you all could have been there... A little bit of TED magic lit up the stage at LA's Largo last night, where fast friends Jill Sobule and Julia Sweeney created a new kind of performance together. After meeting at TED2006, the two decided to collaborate, but freely admitted that they weren't quite sure what that meant. To the delight of the 150 people gathered, they just made it up as they went along.
The result couldn't have been more delightful: an uncategorizable combination of music and comedy, with the intimacy of old friends swapping stories. Jill would play a song, and then go into a jazzy riff (with back-up on guitar and stand-up bass) as Julia told a loosely related tale, in the down-to-earth, yet utterly captivating way only Julia can. They were small stories — of break-ups and mean girls and gym teachers — but each was a small gem, hilarious and poignant and real. A lot like, well, Jill's songs.
(Speaking of her songs, Jill played, on request, the happy song about global warming she wrote in Monterey. She also premiered "The End of Love," a beautiful, moody piece inspired by Helen Fisher's talk at TED2006. We'll see if we can get that posted here ...)
Truthfully, I've never seen anything quite like Jill and Julia's shared stage appearance. And having seen each of them perform many times, I've never seen them have more fun. I'm hoping this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship ...
16 March 2006
Gladwell v. Levitt, Round 2
At a landmark TED salon last spring, economist Steven Levitt and author Malcolm Gladwell crossed swords over the real reason New York City crime dropped in the 90s. In The Tipping Point, Gladwell credited the innovative policing tactics adopted under NYC Mayor Giuliani (which focused on softer "lifestyle crimes," like subway graffiti and zoning violations) for the reduced murder rate. At the salon — and in Freakonomics (which had just been published that week) — Levitt begged to differ. The hidden cause, he argued, was the legalization of abortion, which had prevented thousands of unwanted children from being born roughly 20 years earlier. (Levitt further argued that New York's drop in violent crime was merely the leading edge of a nationwide trend, consistent with the timing of respective states' abortion laws).
Who had the last word? Well that's an open question ... Nearly a year later, they've picked up the thread, trading persuasive posts on their respective blogs. Gladwell re-opened the discussion, Levitt and Dubner responded. And you can watch it progress from there ...
14 March 2006
Still More TED Moments
Several weeks later, we find we're still intrigued by what was said and done and felt during those four days in Monterey. And it seems we're not the only ones. Writing in his TrueTalk blog, Tom Guarriello notes: "A week after returning home from TED2006, I find myself returning to ideas, experiences and people more than any past year." It's the same with Renee Blodgett: "TED is over but I can't seem to get enough of the stories from this year's event."
So let's continue, shall we? Design Within Reach CEO Rob Forbes put together one of our favorite TED write-ups for DWR's wonderful newsletter. (If you're not one of the 400,000 furniture-lovers who receive it, perhaps you should.) No single moment cited here, just an excellent round-up of themes and thoughts. One of his side-notes resonates: "It was a relief, too, that in an age when problems can seem insurmountable, an undercurrent of optimism and solutions kept participants engaged rather than veering toward quiet despair."
Elsewhere on the web, Renee Blodgett recounts a conversation with Hans Rosling, in which she learns he's one of five sword-swallowers in Sweden (which helps explain his dynamic presentation style). Wil Shipley writes hilariously about just about every TED speaker and attendee, including Einstein, the talking parrot. On a totally different note, Tom Guarriello was struck by, "Amy Smith choking up when speaking of her work having the potential to save the lives of over 1 million children per year." And DK Holland described (in the comments from our previous post) how she presented Al Gore with a copy of her book, and in return: "I got a big bear hug from Big Al... This was perhaps my most perfect TED moment in 11 years..."
12 March 2006
Thomas Dolby farked
Whether or not you saw Thomas's barnstorming performance of "his song" at TED last month, this is pretty funny.
11 March 2006
STEW: Passing Strange
I had the great fortune of seeing Stew's new show Passing Strange this evening at Stanford. The show, co-written by Stew and his collaborator Heidi Rodewald (who describes herself as "the thinner, lighter half" of STEW), is two hours of pure energy, thoughtfulness, poetry, and, of course, Stew. Passing Strange is the story of a young man's journey from church in Los Angeles to a hash bar in Amsterdam to an anarchist collective in Germany and back again to church in Los Angeles in his quest to find "the real" -- what Rick Warren call's The Purpose Driven Life. Stew adeptly narrates the show from a podium on the stage; playing guitar and banjo, he drives the story forward through song and verse. The results are nothing shy of spectacular. If you live in the Bay Area and missed the show this time around, have no fear, Stew will be back in the Fall to perform Passing Strange at the Berkeley Repertory Theater.
10 March 2006
Behind the Scenes: Collecting objects of the future
Note: Reflecting this year's theme (The Future We Will Create), the stage and lobby at TED2006 were accented with a collection of distinctive objects, each representing a vision of the future. Thinc Design principal Tom Hennes led the curation effort, and talks here about how he chose.
By Tom Hennes | A small group of people in my office, the indefatigable Bix Biederbeck (yes, that’s really his name), Tim Burnham and Ricardo Mulero worked for two months to collect designs that represent the future for display on the stage and in the lobby for TED this year. Judging from the comments I received after my brief descriptions of what was onstage on Saturday, I thought it might be useful to say a few more words what we selected and why.
The idea of what is futuristic is one of the most mutable memes — nothing gets older faster, yet some objects (and ideas) seem to remain 'futuristic' for a very long time. When we decided to populate the stage with objects that signify the future, we thought it would be interesting to include not only things that feel like today’s future, but also a number of things that are from futures of the past. And a number of objects that represent the multitude of things that once changed the future. Or tried to.
What could be more futuristic than the red Roomba? For anyone who grew up with the Jetsons (or the ’64 World’s Fair) the only thing that was surprising about it is that it took so long to appear. Or the Ericophone, that shapely red one-piece design from 1954. Shaped to fit the hand, its curves epitomize one vision of the future. Likewise, Vernor Panton’s one-piece molded plastic chair from 1960, offered universal access to a future of sleek, organic simplicity.
Shape is not the only thing that defines the future, of course....
10 March 2006
Signs of life in the rings of Saturn?
"Life will be everywhere," explorer Penelope Boston told us at TED2006. "It will be everywhere we look." Boston boldly proclaimed that we'll find life throughout the universe, as soon as we start looking underground and in caves. And she may well be right...
In a thrilling report published in the journal Science today, we learn there are strong predicters of life on Enceladus, a relatively obscure moon of Saturn. It's only 300 miles wide, but new images (returned by NASA's Cassini spacecraft) have revealed spurts of icy crystals, a possible indication of underground water pockets. And where there's water, there may well be life. "We find ourselves staring at the distinct possibility that we may have on Enceladus subterranean environments capable of supporting life," writes Dr. Carolyn Porco, leader of the Cassini imaging team. "We may have just stumbled upon the Holy Grail of modern day planetary exploration. It doesn't get any more exciting than this."
More detail: Cassini imaging website | New York Times article
09 March 2006
Jill Sobule and Julia Sweeney share the stage in LA
In the weeks, months, years that follow each TED, we track the connections and collaborations that began in Monterey. But only rarely do we see them pay off so quickly! Next week, TED favorites Jill Sobule and Julia Sweeney will perform together in Los Angeles. (Can you imagine anything more delightful?) After meeting at TED, the two resolved that they must collaborate. So Julia will join Jill for her regularly scheduled gig at Largo, next Wednesday, March 15. What exactly will happen when these two take the stage? What will they play? What will the say? We won't hazard a guess. But we can tell you this: You won't want to miss it.
09 March 2006
Jill Sobule's happy song about global warming
Like nearly everyone at TED2006, Jill Sobule was stirred by Al Gore's spectacular speech on the clear and present danger of climate change. The time for action is now, Jill thought. And so she wrote a song.
But since everyone else was so down about the impending collapse of ecological systems, which could lead to floods, drought, hurricanes, food shortages, mosquito overpopulation and species extinction (if we don't do anything to stop it), she decided to write a happy song about global warming.
And here it is. Written and performed first at TED. Recorded in Los Angeles. Al Gore loved it, and so will you: Jill Sobule's "Manhattan in January." Download the MP3.
08 March 2006
Best Description of a TED Musical Act
"We lead off with Ethel, an innovative string quartet, who sound something like Bartok leading a jug band of super-hip Brooklynites… and I mean that in a good way." — Ethan Zuckerman
08 March 2006
More TED Moments
Last week, we posted an entry called Sharing TED Moments, recollecting the most magical Monterey moments. The post drew some great anecdotes from TEDsters, including:
- Diego Rodriguez: Having lunch with Burt Rutan. Seeing the look of surprise on his face when I told him that he was one of my inspirations when I was a teenager, one of the big reasons I studied mechanical engineering.
- Bruno Giussani: Arriving at the Monterey theatre for the session on "Sex and War" and finding a marquee announcing: "Now showing Vertigo; next: The Terminator"
- Ben Saunders: Sirena Huang's quiet moment of thought after Chris' request for an encore had me on the edge of my seat, Majora Carter's heartfelt passion put a lump in my throat, Rives' final performance gave me goosebumps, and I was on the verge of giving a solo simulcast standing ovation to Sir Ken Robinson.
- David Hornik: Despite years as a lawyer and VC, I'm still a musician at heart ... And the music at TED this year did not disappoint ... I particularly enjoyed the collaboration between Ethel and Jill Sobule (the patrol saint of musical storytelling) and only wish there had been more. [David: You'll be happy to know Ethel and Jill are now planning a more formal collaboration. Watch this space ...]
TED Curator Chris Anderson jumped in, adding a long list of his personal TED Moments, including: "The electrifying Rick Warren/Dan Dennett match up ... Thomas Dolby's astounding rendition of "his song" ... Bursting into tears 15 seconds into Sirena's first piece ... Seeing three standing ovations for our TED Prize winners."
And elsewhere on the web, Christopher Herot posted this classic:
At the Friday night party at the Monterey Aquarium I found myself sitting in front of a tank of giant fish discussing string theory with Meg Ryan, Brian Greene and Thomas Stat. As we got into the origin of the universe and whether there was a larger purpose to existence (...) not one but two people brought up what the Dalai Lama had told them about the topic in personal conversations they had had ...
Any more TED moments to share?
07 March 2006
Gossip: The new meme
"When did we start calling gossip 'memes'?" TEDPrize director Amy Novogratz asked today, as we discussed our favorite rumor — I mean "meme" — from TED2006: It seems, many people (including some media outlets) mistakenly believed that David Bowie had joined us in Monterey. He'd be welcome, of course, but he wasn't there. (Nor was he expected.) We concluded that the meme began when "Life on Mars" was played as walk-out music.
Another TED-generated meme: When Chris announced that he and Amy had traveled to Ethiopia, and engaged with local communities as part of their TEDPrize research, some misinterpreted that to mean Chris and Amy were engaged to each other. (Let's just say simply and with dignity that they are not.) "That isn't a meme, that's gossip!" Amy said.
And that's the final word. If it's about you, it's gossip. If it's about someone else, it's a meme.
07 March 2006
Thomas Dolby: Back on stage (NY, SF, LA, UK...)
One of the most joyful moments at TED2006 had to be TED music director (and electronic music icon) Thomas Dolby playing his classic, "She Blinded me With Science." As always, his performance blurred the lines between composition and invention, surprising at every turn. Everyone was left wanting more ...
Wish: granted. Thomas begins this week his first solo tour in years, and it promises a thrilling interplay of music and technology, at once nostalgic and cutting-edge. "I first played my one-man show nearly 30 years ago in electronic underground clubs across Europe," Thomas told us. "I decided to revive it using a combination of state-of-the-art and retro technology." By retro, he means really retro: "vintage 40's and 50's oscilloscopes and ex-Royal Navy field-test equipment that I've gutted and retrofitted for MIDI so it can control my modern software synthesizers."
As if that weren't enough, there's also a synched projection screen using film clips intercut with live shots of his hands working the system (taken from a head-mounted camera, no less). "The audience feels like a voyeur in some deranged ham radio operator's secret garden shed," he jokes. And then there's the music: He'll play some of his earliest heavily electronic songs, like "Leipzig" and "Flying North," alongside more atmospheric pieces like "The Flat Earth."
Intrigued? Of course you are! Fortunately, we've already arranged for TEDsters to catch the magic. On May 3rd, Thomas will headline a TED evening at New York's Joe's Pub, followed by two public shows. Not in New York? Thomas plays this Thursday March 9, at San Francisco's Mighty and April 12 at Anaheim's House of Blues. Check the tour dates for LA, Seattle, Portland...
07 March 2006
Millions and Billions Served (a landmark week online)
Although we'll save our analysis for a later date, it would seem remiss not to mention the two major milestones passed this week: On March 1st, the millionth English article was posted to Wikipedia. The week before, iTunes sold its billionth song. A strong reminder that the mediascape is shifting faster than you can download David Bowie's "Changes" to your iPod.
03 March 2006
Stew's New Musical: On stage at Stanford
If 18 minutes in Monterey merely whet your appetite for singer/songwriter Stew and his provocative story-songs, you're in for a feast: Those in the Bay Area can catch one of the first performances of Stew's new musical, Passing Strange, when it's performed at Stanford next weekend. A handful of free tickets have been set aside for members of the TED community. [Details below.]
Stew's currently an artist-in-residence at Stanford's new Creativity and the Arts program, and over the last month, he workshopped the musical on campus, while students observed and took part. His residency (the first of its kind at Stanford) culminates next week with two performances of Passing Strange, a rock musical that traces a search for belonging from LA to Europe and back again.
Passing Strange was commissioned by the New York Public Theater and the Berkeley Repertory Theater, and will premiere in their 2006-07 seasons. Next week, it plays at Stanford's Roble Studio Theater, Fri March 10 & Sat March 11 at 8 PM. For tickets, TED attendees should call 650.736.4127 or email Bill Bragin: bbragin (at) publictheater (dot) org.
02 March 2006
A tipping point for blogs?
Although this week's focus is squarely on TED2006, there's always room on our radar screen for speakers from TEDs past. Especially when that speaker is the incomparable Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point and Blink. For those like me, who scan each week's New Yorker for his byline, we can now get a more regular fix. Yes. It had to happen. Malcolm has a blog.
02 March 2006
What to do until the TED DVD arrives...
I don't know about you, but my mind is simply abuzz with the sights, sounds, emotions, and ideas I encountered at TED 2006. I can't wait for the TED DVD to arrive so that I can go back and listen to the words of Sir Ken Robinson, hear the music of Thomas Dolby, and soak in the... ahem, insights, of Charles Fleischer.
Until then, Google will have to do.
For example, Joshua Prince-Ramus did a marvellous job of showing us a design process which capitalized on very real contraints in order to create the stunning Seattle Public Library. When was the last time you heard an architect say that focusing on capital and operational budgets provided a springboard to innovation? Until I see his talk again on the TED DVD, this BusinessWeek interview with Prince-Ramus which I Googled is just enough to keep my brain from going hungry.
01 March 2006
Ride Across America
When Chris announced a competition through PledgeBank last October, Chris Markl pledged to cycle across America to raise money for the developing world. TEDster Dan Pallotta teamed up with him and now the ride is a reality. The Yes Ride will begin in Seattle on June 1 and end July 27, 2006 in Boston. Registration is still open if you'd like to join them.
01 March 2006
Sharing TED Moments ...
Every year, we leave Monterey buzzing about our "TED moments": those magical instances of creativity and connectivity that can happen only at TED. Some are collective experiences: a moment of profound inspiration on stage ripples through the audience, and you can almost see the lightbulbs illuminating over 500 heads. Others are deeply personal ... the kind of "A-ha!" moments that happen when you suddenly connect your own ideas with something far deeper or meet a person who transforms your thinking.
Many bloggers have already shared their TED moments: Bill Liao found his world view changed by Al Gore's wake-up call on climate change. Something clicked for John Maeda during Ken Robinson's talk on education. The normally unflappable Ethan Zuckerman found himself tongue-tied in the presence of Dan Dennett. Bruno Giussani mused over the unceremonious removal of Al Gore's namebadge. And Andrew Anker laughed at himself, with Tipper Gore's help.
For me, three TED Moments in particular stand out: all moments when our collective energy surged ...
- The groan of disappointment when Julia Sweeney reached the 18-minute mark in her brilliant one-woman show, "Letting Go of God," and declared, "I'm sorry. I have to stop."
- The sharp intake of breath (in a session bearing that name), as Jeff Han breezily manipulated images on his next generation computer interface, shown publicly for the first time at TED.
- The spontaneous applause following Hans Rosling's play-by-play explanation of globalization. His fast-paced narration began in 1963, when a distinct gulf separated developed and undeveloped nations. In the former, people enjoyed long lives and chose to have small families; in the latter, life expectancy was short and birth rates high. As the time-lapse graph ticked toward 2005, and nations realigned themselves, Rosling observed: "And now, we all have long lives and small families, and we have [pause] a completely new world."
But there are so many others! And of course, the beauty of TED is that we all take something different from it. We're so curious, then, to compare notes ... Tell us: What were your TED moments?
Leave comments here, or email me directly: june at ted dot com.
01 March 2006
2006 TEDPrize Wishes
The three TED Prize wishes presented last week are all insanely HUGE ideas and each has the power to change the world we're living in.
Larry Brilliant: I wish you will help build a global system to detect each new disease or disaster as quickly as it emerges or occurs.
Jehane Noujaim: I wish to bring the world together for one day a year through the power of film.
Cameron Sinclair: I wish to create a community that actively embraces open source design to generate innovative and sustainable living standards for all.
The response has been incredible so far, with hundreds of offers of help already in. We're organizing the resources and creating the plan to grant these wishes, then we'll put out a call for the remaining needs. In the meantime, you can watch the full recorded TEDPrize webcast online.
If you have any ideas, thoughts or offers around these wishes, please email me: amy (at) ted (dot) com. These are exciting times...
Quick links
Read more about the TED Miro player >>
Find TEDTalks that have been transcribed >>
Subscribe to the TED Blog's RSS feed >>
Tips? Comments? contact (at) ted (dot) com
Blogs We Watch
>> Thomas Dolby | TED Musical Director, blogging at ThomasDolby.com
>> Bruno Giussani | TED European Director, blogging at LunchOverIP.com
>> Emeka Okafor | TEDAfrica Director, blogging at Timbuktu Chronicles and Africa Unchained
TED Bloggers
Chris Anderson | Curator
June Cohen | Director of TED Media
Amy Novogratz | TED Prize Director
Tom Rielly | Humorist
Jason Wishnow | Director, Film + Video
Emily McManus | Editor, TED.com
Archives
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
Powered by Movable Type
Subscribe to the TED Blog's RSS feed.
What we blog about
Recent Comments
danwinter on Wake up! It's They Might Be Giants on TED.com
edocarter on 6 ways mushrooms can save the world: Paul Stamets on TED.com
pearlfinder on World Science Festival May 28-June 1 in New York City
eAgent on 18 minutes with an agile mind: Clifford Stoll on TED.com
shijiscott on Italy plays Tibet: A fan video from Pangea Day Milano
davidmabus69 on Dan Dennett on dangerous memes, on TED.com
1940 on Dick Clark on Jill Bolte Taylor
Pianoman on Your brain on improv
eAgent on The power to connect the world: Hector Ruiz on TED.com
eAgent on What really goes on at the Large Hadron Collider: Brian Cox on TED.com
