21 August 2009

Skiing to the North Pole: Ben Saunders on TED.com

As the media team’s vacation draws to a close, we’re highlighting our last archive gem -- a lively talk on the raw determination of one adventurous young man.

In Ben Saunders’ talk from 2005, he recounts his dangerous journey to become the youngest person to ski solo to the North Pole. Of course, Saunders has not since quit his thrill-seeking ways. In 2008, he set out from Ward Hunt Island, just north of Canada, with the goal of skiing to the North Pole in record time, but had a devastating equipment failure and was forced to abandon the trip. Consistently undaunted, he has two more expeditions planned. He will re-attempt the North Pole speed record and in October he plans to embark on an adventure he’s calling SOUTH -- the first return trip to the South Pole on foot as well as the longest polar expedition ever to be completed without dogs, vehicles or other support.

Saunders has also devoted some time to the quieter craft of writing. He wrote a chapter for and the introduction to the Lonely Planet Guide to the Middle of Nowhere, and has contributed to Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century. He is set to complete his own book in 2010.

Twitter URL: http://on.ted.com/2T

Watch Ben Saunders' talk on TED.com where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 475+ TEDTalks.

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12 December 2008

Frugal living through holes

Perforations, firstly, make stamps easy to tear off. Architects and engineers employ them to create lighter and more breathable structures.

Now, graphic designers at Dutch creative agency SPRANQ re-introduce us to the cute doodads as a novel way to save ink.

Ecofont, a free sans-serif typeface, is bejeweled with circular gaps along its spines, stems, bowls, descenders and ascenders.

How much of a letter can be removed while maintaining readability? After extensive testing with all kinds of shapes, the best results were achieved using small circles. After lots of late hours (and coffee) this resulted in a font that uses up to 20% less ink.

Side note: The famous Aricebo Observatory's reflecting mirror is made of almost 40,000 aluminum panels -- all of which are perforated. (Radio wavelengths can be the size of a football field, so tiny holes in the dish don't interfere with the capture of information.)

And as long as you're saving ink, why not save paper too? Reduce your margins by half an inch. Also, listen to Ben Saunders share tips on getting to the North Pole, like cutting off your toothbrush handle to save an ounce of weight to carry.

(Via Lifehacker via QuickOnlineTips.)

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24 March 2008

Ben Saunders plans to break another record

Ben Saunders, who spoke at the 2005 TED Conference about his solo trip to the Geographic North Pole, is heading north again in an attempt to set a world speed record. From Ward Hunt Island in Canada he'll ski against bitterly cold winds across the Arctic Ocean's frozen, fluctuating surface. He hopes to complete the trip in 30 days. "More than geographic exploration," says his website, "Ben is exploring the limits of his own human potential."

Watch Saunders' inspiring video announcement:

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-- Matthew Trost

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