TEDBlog April, 2009 Archive
15 April 2009
Tour the AlloSphere, a stunning new way to see scientific data: JoAnn Kuchera-Morin on TED.com
JoAnn Kuchera-Morin demos the AlloSphere, an entirely new way to see and interpret scientific data, in full color and surround sound inside a massive metal sphere. Dive into the brain, feel electron spin, hear the music of the elements … (Recorded at TED2009, February 2009, in Long Beach, California. Duration: 06:28.)
Watch JoAnn Kuchera-Morin demo the Allosphere on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 400+ TEDTalks — including more visualizations.
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14 April 2009
WordPress.com now supports TED embeds
Thanks to user requests and some kind engineers, we’re thrilled to report that TED’s embeddable video player now works with WordPress.com.
You can embed TEDTalks following the instructions at the support site:
Visit TED and locate the talk you would like to embed in your blog.
Click on the red “Share” button at the bottom of the player window.
Copy the “Link to this talk” URL or the video’s ID number from the overlay window. Use that in one of the following shortcodes:
or
Publish the post or page.
14 April 2009
How biotech will drive our evolution: Gregory Stock on TED.com
In this prophetic 2003 talk — just days before Dolly the sheep was stuffed — biotech ethicist Gregory Stock looked forward to new, more meaningful (and controversial) technologies, like customizable babies, whose adoption might drive human evolution. (Recorded at TED2003, February 2003, in Monterey, California. Duration: 17:52.)
Watch Gregory Stock’s talk from TED2003 on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 400+ TEDTalks — including more talks about biotech.
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13 April 2009
From software exec to electric car revolutionary: Exclusive interview with Shai Agassi
Shai Agassi has a record of accomplishing huge tasks in record time — from completing his college degree by 18 to founding several successful software companies before 30. In recent years, he has shifted his intense focus to the global problem of climate change.
He discusses his blow-by-blow plan to propagate the electric car in today’s TEDTalk. It’s a remarkable move for a highly successful young businessman, and in this interview with the TEDBlog he explains how his country and his children, with a little help from TED, pushed him to try to change the world.
Here’s an excerpt:
“The first week my wife and I went to Costa Rica, and the second week to my first TED. I was awed and inspired by what I saw on stage. I sat back and watched 50-odd people, and 1,000 others in the crowd, applying themselves to serve humanity. When I came out of that TED, I knew for sure what I had to do. I wanted to be one of those people.”
Read the full interview, after the jump >> (more…)
13 April 2009
A bold plan for mass adoption of electric cars: Shai Agassi on TED.com
Forget about the hybrid auto — Shai Agassi says it’s electric cars or bust if we want to impact emissions. His company, Better Place, has a radical plan to take entire countries oil-free by 2020. (Recorded at TED2009, February 2009, in Long Beach, California. Duration: 18:06.)
Watch Shai Agassi’s talk from TED2009 on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 400+ TEDTalks — including more talks about cars.
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11 April 2009
The week in comments
We love your comments here at TED, and often what our community has to say is as interesting as the talk or post itself. The clever quips, the personal revelations and the hot debates don’t go unnoticed — we read every one.
A few of our favorite comments this week:
On our home page makeover:
Love it – love the resizing based on rating tags – brilliant! I would expect nothing less from the TED folks. :) — Kristen via facebook
On the TEDBlog’s interview with Bonnie Bassler:
Oh great, what’s next? facebook for bacteria? — Kevin via facebook
On Bonnie Bassler’s TEDTalk: Discovering bacteria’s amazing communication system:
I’d like to suggest using the identical molecule for the quorum sensing of pathogenicity. For instance if evil bacterial species #101032234 usually wait until it’s 1 billion strong before it launches its attack fool it into attacking when it’s only 1 million strong. That way the it will be easily defeated before it has a chance to grow in number.
The downside… the bacteria may evolve guerrilla tactics. — Chris
On Nathaniel Kahn’s TEDTalk: My father, my architect:
“His failure to satisfy the family life is an inevitable association of great people, but I think his son will understand this..” the man at the end is purely genius in his (possibly inadvertent) comforting of Nathaniel Kahn. It seems to truly touch his heart, as it did with mine. — Jeffrey
On Emily Levine’s TEDTalk: A trickster’s theory of everything:
I think this lady would be good value over a few martinis — Ben
On Renny Gleeson’s TEDTalk: Busted! The sneaky moves of anti-social smartphone users:
TED: Renny Gleeson breaks down our always-on social world … Did I just do what he just said? — knkartha via twitter
Keep the comments coming — we’re listening.
10 April 2009
Busted! The sneaky moves of anti-social smartphone users: Renny Gleeson on TED.com
In this funny (and actually poignant) 3-minute talk, social strategist Renny Gleeson breaks down our always-on social world — where the experience we’re having right now is less interesting than what we’ll tweet about it later. (Recorded at TED2009, February 2009, in Long Beach, California. Duration: 03:47.)
Watch Renny Gleeson’s talk from TED2009 on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 400+ TEDTalks — including more communication.
Get TED delivered:
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10 April 2009
Warp your room (not your mind) with this awesome illusion
Via speigl.org via verylowsodium:
Instructions:
1. Stare at the image for 10 seconds
2. Look at something — your hand, a book, your friend
3. Enjoy!
For more on illusions — and the delight of our buggy minds — see Al Seckel’s 2004 TEDTalk >>
10 April 2009
Will Wright forms his own think tank, the Stupid Fun Club
A Forbes article points us to an interesting bit of news for star game designer (and TED speaker) Will Wright:
[Will Wright] is leaving EA to go hang out with robots. Wright will run a former side project called Stupid Fun Club. EA said it is making an equity investment in the venture and Wright, and EA will own equal portions of the company.
Says its website: “The Stupid Fun Club is an entertainment development studio. The ideas developed here can be manifested in video games, online environments, storytelling media and fine home care products.”
The site also includes a fairly cryptic flash toy — or is it a game? — that we’d love to hear your thoughts on.
Watch Will Wright’s 2007 TEDTalk >>
09 April 2009
George Ayittey on "Dead Aid"
Economist George Ayittey gave a blistering talk at TEDGlobal 2007, laying out his case that not only has Western aid not helped in most African countries — it’s actually hurting.
We asked Ayittey for his thoughts on the new book Dead Aid, which has lately been burning up the talk shows and opinion columns with a message similar to Ayittey’s. Author Dambisa Moyo says that aid is killing the very countries it’s supposed to help. She singles out for criticism the celebrity crusades to “save Africa,” and the skewing view they present of African life. Here’s a snippet of what Ayittey says about the issues Moyo raises; for the full interview, hit the jump:
If you want to help American farmers, you ask them what sort of help they need and whether such assistance is working. Why don’t Americans ask Africans what type of aid they need and whether the aid Americans have provided is working? So what is wrong with an African, Dambisa, telling Americans that the foreign aid they are providing isn’t working and it is “Dead Aid”?
Read the full interview, after the jump >>
Download the unedited notes for this interview, including reading list, sources and much more >> (more…)
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