TEDBlog September, 2011 Archive
14 September 2011
The art of wearable communication: Kate Hartman on TED.com
Artist Kate Hartman uses wearable electronics to explore how we communicate, with ourselves and with the world. In this quirky and thought-proviking talk she shows the “Talk To Yourself Hat”, the “Inflatable Heart”, the “Glacier Embracing Suit”, and other unexpected devices. (Recorded at TED 2011, in Long Beach, California. Duration: 9:06.)
Watch Kate Hartman’s talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 1,000+ TEDTalks.
10 September 2011
TED Blog exclusive video: A new method for escaping tall buildings
Watch video >> Kevin Stone: A new method for escaping tall buildings
Exclusive video from TED2011: We’ve been building high-rises for a hundred years. But there’s still no good way, in an emergency, to get people out of tall buildings quickly. Kevin Stone asked: Why? At TED2011, he shares what his “Why?” led him to: the Rescue Reel. It’s an example of ingenuity driven by curiosity and passion.
Download this talk: high-res | regular | low-res (smallest file)
09 September 2011
Dance your Ph.D., win a trip to TEDxBrussels
Scientific Ph.D. dissertations are notoriously difficult to explain. That’s why, for the past three years Science Magazine has sponsored the Dance Your Ph.D. competition. Scientists, from graduate students to professors, are invited to film an interpretive dance illustrating their research. If that sounds crazy, well, that’s probably because it’s run by John Bohannon of Gonzo Labs, who specializes in crazy-sounding but effective ways to communicate science. Above is the winner of the 2010 competition. (Watch all of the 2010 and 2009 videos.)
Past winners have received subscriptions to Science, money and accolades. This year, Bohannon is speaking at this year’s TEDxBrussels event, and the organizers have offered to fly the winner out to attend the conference and receive their prize on stage.
The competition has become far more successful than anyone expected — the videos have collectively received about a million views, and the participants tell stories of reactions from excitement to job offers from people who’ve seen the dances.
So if you have a Ph.D. in science, get dancing. If you don’t, take a look at a new way to appreciate and maybe understand some cutting-edge research.
09 September 2011
Fellows Friday with Minou Norouzi
Interactive Fellows Friday Feature:
Join the conversation by answering Fellows’ weekly questions via Facebook. This week, Minou asks:
How can uncertainty be perceived as a strength?
Starting Saturday, click here to respond!
You describe yourself as a “moving image artist.” Why not a “documentary filmmaker”?
Moving image artist comes with a less troubled definition. When I’ve referred to myself as a documentary filmmaker, people have questioned whether or not what I do is in fact documentary films. And I’m interested in that debate. Referring to myself as an artist can lead to a whole lot more questions. So I feel Moving Image Artist is more precise, in a general kind of way, and it’s a quick way of saying I make films within a fine art context.
How did your professional artistic career begin?
At the time, I was living in Los Angeles and made a piece called Imago. It’s a portrait of actors in their day jobs, delivering their favorite lines from a movie. Imago marked the beginning of me feeling comfortable as an artist. I think when you feel very at home with a piece of work, it resonates.
What do you hope people take away from your films?
I like to think I am creating a flat canvas in which people can project themselves. I want the work to be about submitting to a lack of understanding, and feeling slightly comfortable with being confused — or just accepting that not everything is solvable. I like incompletion.
08 September 2011
Get Ready for TEDxYouthDay 2011!
TEDxYouthDay is a series of TEDx events designed to empower and inspire youth and kids across the globe! TEDxYouthDay will take place all over the world from Saturday, November 19th through Monday, November 21, 2011 — all around Universal Children’s Day.
For 3 days, TEDx organizers across the globe will host events for (and by) young people. Each event will vary widely in size, format and theme, but they share a common vision: inspiring curiosity, igniting new ideas, and empowering young leaders.
Chosen by the TEDx community, the unifying theme for TEDxYouthDay 2011 is: Play, Learn, Build & Share. More than 85 TEDxYouthDay events are happening this year, each with their own unique focus. You can help extend the reach of this global movement by organizing an event or hosting a viewing party! Learn more here: www.tedxyouthday.com.
Explore our video collection of TEDxYouth events around the world and visit TED.com to see a complete list of TEDxYouthDay events. Follow TEDxYouthDay on Twitter to stay updated or ”like” the TEDxYouthDay Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/TEDxYouthDay
Join Our TED Conversation
In preparation for TEDxYouthDay, we started a TED Conversation that asks:
What is the single most important question that the youth of this era need to ask themselves?
We RT’ed it on @TEDNewsand here are some of the great replies that came in:
- @MrOliThomas: what can I do?…
- @BGrufferman: How can I help get the Equal Rights Amendment passed once and for all?
- @Mikeriddell62: Why didn’t I act?
- @Jonwizard: Why am I apathetic about my government, how does that affect both society and me, and what can I do to change and participate?
- @Bloggertom: Deal or No Deal?
- @Teewhyare: How much can we grow?
What do you think today’s youth should ask themselves? Reply to our TED Conversation, or leave a comment below.
08 September 2011
Making matter come alive: Lee Cronin on TED.com
Before life existed on Earth, there was just matter, inorganic dead “stuff.” How improbable is it that life arose? And — could it use a different type of chemistry? Using an elegant definition of life (anything that can evolve), chemist Lee Cronin is exploring this question by attempting to create a fully inorganic cell using a “Lego kit” of inorganic molecules — no carbon — that can assemble, replicate and compete. (Recorded at TEDGlobal 2011, July 2011, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Duration: 15:11.)
Watch Lee Cronin’s talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 1,000+ TEDTalks.
07 September 2011
TED Blog exclusive: The continuing saga of The99, superheroes inspired by Islam
Watch video >> Naif Al-Mutawa: Crossover comics: bridges or propaganda?
Exclusive video from TEDGlobal 2011! Following up on his TEDTalk last year, Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, creator of comic The99, talks about what happened after his Islam-inspired superheroes met the Justice League of America in a crossover comic. In the US, a backlash against the animated TV show kept it off the air. Critics accused The99 of radicalizing young children. Naif agrees: The99 will radicalize all children — to teach tolerance.
Watch and share and embed this talk, then plan to chat live with Dr. Naif on September 13 at 1pm Eastern time in TED Conversations. His question to you: Can fictional superheroes provide positive role models in children’s lives?
Join the conversation on September 13, 1pm Eastern >>
07 September 2011
My father the forger: Sarah Kaminsky on TED.com
Sarah Kaminsky tells the extraordinary story of her father, Adolfo, and his activity during World War II — using his ingenuity and talent for forgery to save lives. (Recorded at TEDxParis, January 2010, in Paris, France. Duration: 14:01.)
Watch Sarah Kaminsky’s talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 1,000+ TEDTalks.
06 September 2011
Explore the relaunched Encyclopedia of Life: EOLv2
Yesterday, the Encyclopedia of Life launched EOLv2 — a new design and new features for this database of all life on Earth. Inspired by E.O. Wilson’s 2008 TED Prize wish, the Encyclopedia of Life contains some 700,000 pages, each listing a different living thing. The redesign is meant to increase ease of use — and allow users to personalize the site and to interact with fellow enthusiasts worldwide.
EOL.org has grown and evolved significantly since its launch in 2007. It’s grown from 30,000 pages in February 2008 to 700,000 today. The global partnership of 176 content providers behind EOL.org is progressing toward an aspiration of 1.9 million pages — one for every species known to science.
The Encyclopedia of Life is the result of E.O. Wilson’s 2007 TED Prize wish “that we will work together to help create the key tool that we need to inspire preservation of Earth’s biodiversity: the Encyclopedia of Life.” The TED community rallied around Wilson and provided resources to help build and develop the original EOL — both funders and content partners came on board to help EOL.org establish itself as a unique tool suitable for both scientists and ordinary citizens. Today, EOL has grown to become a global community of collaborators and contributors serving the general public, enthusiastic amateurs, educators, students and scientists from around the world.
“EOL.org Version 2 will effect an extraordinary expansion of the Encyclopedia of Life, opening its vast and growing storehouse of knowledge to a much larger range of users, including medicine, biotechnology, ecology and now increasingly the general public,” says E.O. Wilson.
Watch E.O. Wilson’s TED Prize talk >>
Explore the Encyclopedia of Life >>
– Casson Rosenblatt
06 September 2011
Unintended consequences: Edward Tenner on TED.com
Every new invention changes the world — in ways both intentional and unexpected. Historian Edward Tenner tells stories that illustrate the under-appreciated gap between our ability to innovate and our ability to foresee the consequences. (Recorded at TED 2011, March 2011, in Long Beach, California. Duration: 16:10.)
Watch Edward Tenner’s talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 1,000+ TEDTalks.
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