17 March 2009

I'll wait for the bicycle version

It takes a certain courage to look at the design of nearly every ground vehicle that exists and say, "You know the real problem with these? They run on wheels." A stunned silence descended over the TED office as this amazing demo video hopped from email to email, and we think you may react the same. Or, possibly, by shrieking.

The inspiration for this vehicle is Theo Jansen's kinetic sculptures and, we suspect, Dean Kamen's Segway.

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01 July 2008

Beyond the Top 10 TEDTalks: user favorites

Last week, TEDTalks celebrated our 50 millionth view by counting down the Top 10 TEDTalks of all time (so far) -- and inviting people to share their own favorites. Here are a few:

My favorite is still Susan Savage-Rumbaugh and those bonobo apes.
-- S.F., Boynton Beach, Florida

Stamets (mushrooms), Isabel Allende (passion), Dave Eggers (schools), and Ballard (ocean) -- not to be missed.
-- Marian Angele

Majora Carter's talk on her environmental work in the Bronx.
-- lydia chadwick

Majora Carter's is my absolute favorite!
-- Ariel, a TED fan

I am dropping a line to say how much I enjoyed Aubrey de Grey's speech on aging.
-- Diana Pasley

I think Malcom Gladwell is that hidden gem.
-- +Jono

I nominate Theo Jansen's talk on creating new creatures as one of the "Hidden Gems."
-- Paul

If your own favorite TEDTalks aren't on the Top 10 list yet -- or you'd like to share your own hidden gems -- write to us at contact@ted.com or post a comment.

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07 February 2008

Theo Jansen's car commercial

Via YouTube, here's a neat commercial from BMW South Africa starring TEDTalks star Theo Jansen. Lots of footage of Theo and his beautiful strandbeests:

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06 September 2007

Creatures on the beach: Theo Jansen on TED.com

Dutch sculptor Theo Jansen shares the story of his "Strandbeests," eerily lifelike kinetic sculptures that he has built from plastic tubes, old lemonade bottles and plastic ties. He hopes that these artificial life forms, as he calls them, will one day survive on their own, crawling the beaches of Holland. (Recorded March 2007 in Monterey, California. Duration: 8:25.)

Watch Theo Jansen's talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances.

Read more about Theo Jansen on TED.com.

NEW: Read the transcript >>

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