24 March 2009

TED celebrates women in technology today

In January, Suw Charman-Anderson declared March 24 Ada Lovelace Day -- a day to celebrate female role models in technology. She asked other bloggers to help her celebrate "a woman in technology whom I admire."

Ada Lovelace (1815-1852) is best known for writing a description of the Analytical Engine, a mechanical general-purpose computer designed by Charles Babbage. She appended notes on the machine that included a method for calculating Bernoulli numbers, and though the machine was never built, the method is considered the one of the world’s first computer programs. Ada also expressed the foresight that computers could do more than just crunch numbers.

We’d like to highlight a few modern Ada Lovelaces of our own:

In the mid-1990s, Brenda Laurel asked: Why are all the top-selling video games aimed at little boys? She spent two years researching the world of girls to create a game that girls would love. Watch her 1998 TEDTalk here:

Movable Type’s Mena Trott is the founding mother of the blog revolution. At TED in 2006, Mena talked about the early days of blogging, when she realized that giving regular people the power to share our lives online is the key to building a friendlier, more connected world. Watch Mena’s TEDTalk here:

Aimee Mullins talks about her prosthetic legs -- she’s got a dozen amazing pairs -- and the superpowers they grant her: speed, beauty, and an extra six inches of height. Using technology, Aimee redefines what the body can be. Watch her 2009 TEDTalk here:

Learn more about Ada Lovelace here.

-- Bonnie Burke

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08 March 2009

4 great talks for International Women's Day

To celebrate March 8, International Women's Day, we suggest these four TEDTalks gems from some amazing speakers -- artists, scientists and economists who think deeply about the role of women.

Author and activist Isabel Allende discusses women, creativity, feminism -- and the power of passionate thinkers and doers:

The former Finance Minister of Nigeria, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, talks about one key opportunity to grow African economies -- by investing in women and the businesses they start:

(For more, watch Jacqueline Novogratz >>)

Scientist Nalini Nadkarni explores the world of the forest canopy -- and shares her findings with the world below, through dance, art and bold partnerships. She's working to inspire the next generation of women scientists:

The wonderful Nellie McKay sings "Mother of Pearl" (with the immortal first line "Feminists don't have a sense of humor") and "If I Had You" from her sparkling set at TED2008:

Find these four and many more astonishing women (including the legendary primatologist Jane Goodall, oceanographers Sylvia Earle and Tierney Thys, games theorist Brenda Laurel, Zipcar inventor Robin Chase ... ) on TED.com >>

Posted by Emily McManus | Permalink

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29 October 2008

TEDTalk from the vaults: Blog godmother Mena Trott on TED.com

A founding mother of the blog revolution, Movable Type's Mena Trott talks about the early days of blogging, when she realized that giving regular people the power to share our lives online is the way to build a friendlier, more connected world. (Recorded February 2006 in Monterey, California. Duration: 16:58.)

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Watch Mena Trott's 2006 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 300+ TEDTalks -- including more talks about media that matters.

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