16 May 2008
TEDAfrica 2008 plans suspended
From Chris Anderson, Curator of TED, and Emeka Okafor, TEDAfrica director:
Regretfully, we're having to suspend plans for our TEDAfrica event scheduled for the end of September 2008 in Cape Town, South Africa.
We sought to have this event launched under the control of a local team operating under a license. The goal was to build on the full impact and quality of TEDGlobal held in Tanzania last year. But after reviewing progress with our licensees, we have mutually agreed that that is not going to be achievable in the available time. Our licensees did all they could to deliver on an ambitious plan, and we commend their effort.
We apologize to those of you who are disappointed or inconvenienced. Please email jane@ted.com with any specific questions or concerns. TED remains committed to its growing and passionate African community. We are considering a number of options, and expect to make a further announcement soon.
In the meantime, we will be focusing on Neil Turok's TED Prize wish: that the next Einstein should come from Africa. See the website that TED and partners Avenue A/Razorfish just launched, NextEinstein.org, to support the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) -- and follow the wish's progress on the TED Prize Blog.
15 May 2008
Stephen Hawking meets Nelson Mandela for AIMS
Above: Professor Stephen Hawking met South Africa's former president, Nelson Mandela, in Houghton, Johannesburg, today. From left to right are Stephen Hawking, Neil Turok, Nelson Mandela, Pik Botha and David Block. Photograph by Dr Robert Groess.
Professor Stephen Hawking today met with South Africa's former president Nelson Mandela to discuss the NextEinstein initiative -- part of Neil Turok's TED Prize wish to develop math and science talent all over Africa.
The NextEinstein initiative builds on the success of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, AIMS, a pan-African centrer for postgraduate training and research, based in Muizenberg, Cape Town. AIMS has so far graduated 160 young scientists from 30 African countries; 53 students, including 20 women, are currently enrolled.
The Next Einstein plan is to create many AIMS centres all over Africa. The second AIMS centre opens in Abuja, Nigeria, in July and additional centres are planned in Ghana, Uganda, Madagascar, Ethiopia, Botswana, Rwanda and Sudan.
Upon meeting Mr Mandela, Professor Hawking said, "I am very pleased to meet you. I admire how you managed to find a peaceful solution to a situation that seemed doomed to disaster. It was one of the great achievements of the twentieth century. If only the Israelis and the Palestinians could do the same."
In turn, Mr Mandela expressed a great interest in AIMS and a desire to visit the centre.
Professor Hawking leaves tonight for Cape Town to participate in a workshop on cosmology at the new National Institute for Theoretical Physics at Stellenbosch.
15 May 2008
What's wrong with what we eat: Mark Bittman on TED.com
In this fiery and funny talk from the 2007 EG (Entertainment Gathering) conference, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman weighs in on what's wrong with the way we eat now (too much meat, too few plants; too much fast food, too little home cooking), and why it's putting the entire planet at risk. (Recorded December 2007 in Los Angeles, California. Duration: 20:08.)
Watch Mark Bittman's talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances.
Read more about Mark Bittman on TED.com.
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14 May 2008
The bad news about the news: Alisa Miller on TED.com
Alisa Miller, head of Public Radio International, talks about why -- though we want to know more about the world than ever -- the US news media is actually showing less. Eye-opening stats and graphs. (Recorded March 2008 in Monterey, California. Duration: 4:29.)
Watch Alisa Miller's talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances.
Read more about Alisa Miller on TED.com.
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13 May 2008
The amazing intelligence of crows: Joshua Klein on TED.com
Hacker and writer Joshua Klein is fascinated by crows. (Notice the gleam of intelligence in their little black eyes?) After a long amateur study of corvid behavior, he's come up with an elegant machine that may form a new bond between animal and human. (Recorded March 2008 in Monterey, California. Duration: 10:16.)
Watch Joshua Klein's talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances.
Read more about Joshua Klein on TED.com.
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12 May 2008
20 new AIMS scholarships from Barclays
Amy Novogratz reports from the AIMS celebrating weekend in Muizeberg, Cape Town:
During a luncheon to celebrate the opening of the new Research Center at AIMS -- the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences -- Barclays announces their support by starting with 20 AIMS scholarships a year, renewable.
Stephen Hawking (right) is in South Africa for this event -- and to deliver his first-ever lecture in Africa. This all grows out of 2008 TED Prize winner Neil Turok's wish -- that the TED community will help him to educate the next Einstein in Africa. More reports from the AIMS party to come!
Below, AIMS founder Neil Turok receives the support of the South African government at the luncheon.
10 May 2008
More pics from Pangea Day
The audience in Cairo:
Audience at Mumbai:
From the audience in LA taking a picture:
Photo: Marla Aufmuth
Hypernova performing in LA:
Photo: Marla Aufmuth
Jonathan Harris in L.A.:
Photo: Marla Aufmuth
Audience in L.A.:
A crowd shot at Rio:
Rokia Traore performing in London:
The crowd outside Somerset House, London:
The crowd in Kigali laughing with Dr. Kataria:
Drummers in Kigali:
Dancers in Kigali:
10 May 2008
How to throw a Pangea Day party -- in Shanghai
Panthea Lee and Dan Shemie write from Shanghai:
So after weeks of plotting, scheming and ceaseless fretting, our Friends of Pangea Day event in Shanghai has gone off without a hitch. For those unfamiliar with the situation, a brief explanation: the Chinese government has launched a serious crackdown on cultural events in the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics. Case in point: two weeks ago, exactly one week before the event was scheduled to begin, the government announced that it was cancelling China's largest music festival this year. The 'official' reason? Local police would not be able to provide adequate security for the event. The real reason? Government anxiety surrounding current pro-Tibet sentiments worldwide.
As such, putting on a film event in China -- especially as the content was not known beforehand -- is tricky business. No venues would touch it (we finally got an artists' warehouse in an industrial zone in south Shanghai), trying to figure out how to get a secure internet connection caused many sleepless nights (The Panopticon's Great Firewall is the bane of our existence), we had to keep our events out of Chinese media (we told all Chinese journalists it was a private event to cover ourselves and make sure there were no repercussions after), and we had plans b, c, d, e and f in place for the 4-hour broadcast. We tried rerouting our connection through the US, were considering a Hong Kong option as well; had dealt with StarWorld Asia (a Pangea Day broadcaster in Asia) but with little luck; had techies in Vancouver helping us out; had Slipbox hook-ups in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal -- basically, everything we could think of. Last minute (two hours before the global broadcast started), we got an illegal satellite connection to the Philippines, with a link to StarWorld. Praise be.
So yeah, it's been a ride. We have learned more about computers than we could have ever imagined learning in a three-day period, but the result was worth it. We held an 8-hour marathon showcasing local filmmakers -- there is no forum for Chinese filmmakers to show their work here, due to government regulation, as such we felt this was especially important -- prior to the 4-hour broadcast we're all seeing now. In total, we've got a 12-hour marathon. We've had roughly 1000 people come through our dingy little warehouse space, and we're loving being able to participate in the global phenomenon.
So cheers from Shanghai -- despite all the barriers, we're seeing Pangea Day, along with all of you, in China.
Two very exhausted, but very relieved, organizers,
Panthea Lee and Dan Shemie
10 May 2008
Amazing stories on the Pangea Day Blog
Visit the Pangea Day Blog for a minute-by-minute feed of what's coming up next and what we just saw, and reports from Friends of Pangea Day parties around the globe! It's not to late to start your own Pangea Day party -- check in and say hi.
Check out the Pangea Day Twitter feed too -- TED's June Cohen is reporting live from the set in LA, while Friends of Pangea Day events in Milano and Cracow are checking in from their parties (with DJs).
And follow the action in photos on OVI.com/pangeaday, where you can upload photos and join a stream of Pangea Day chat.
10 May 2008
Pangea Day is now!
We're one hour into the four-hour broadcast of Pangea Day. Follow the show live on PangeaDay.org -- and follow the action on the hopping Pangea Day Blog below the video window, with live updates and commenting!
Photo: Marla Aufmuth
10 May 2008
1 hour to Pangea Day!
It's less than an hour until Pangea Day, the global celebration of the power of film to unite the world. Right now, here in LA, the stage is quiet (above) -- but at 18:00 GMT this stage and five others around the world will be full of people and music and amazing films. Watch it on TV or live, or join us online at PangeaDay.org, or follow the events on your mobile phone or live on the Pangea Day Blog. Happy Pangea Day!
Photo: Marla Aufmuth
09 May 2008
Pangea Day: 5 films win grants from Participant Productions
(Above: Scenes from the filmmakers' reception Thursday night in Los Angeles. We were asked: "Raise your hand if you came from outside the United States to be here.")
Last night in Los Angeles, Participant Productions honored 5 films from around the world by giving their filmmakers $5,000 grants. The grants are awarded by Participant, makers of Charlie Wilson's War and the new Standard Operating Procedure and other amazing films, as part of its Outstanding Filmmakers Awards Program. Learn more about the 5 grant winners -- each film links to a page on PangeaDay.org >>
From Africa, DEAR MANDELA (documentary) by Dara Kell and Christopher Nizza (South Africa)
From Asia/Australia, I REMEMBER LEBANON (documentary) by Zeina Aboul Hosn (Lebanon)
From Europe, MY MOTHER’S DAUGHTER (documentary) by Saleyha Ashan (UK); pictured left.
From North America, MOVING WINDMILLS (documentary) by Ari Kushnir (US)
From South America, PAPIROFLEXIA (animated) by Joaquin Baldwin (Paraguay)
08 May 2008
Who's blogging from Pangea Day?
(Above: a scene from Thursday's tech rehearsal on the Pangea Day set)
UPDATED: You can follow news from Pangea Day on the Pangea Day Blog -- and get updates from bloggers at screenings and viewing parties around the world. If you're going to be blogging Pangea Day as well, write to us with the subject line "Blogging Pangea Day" and we'll add you to the list!
Hosting Pangea Day events and blogging:
+ At the Ammarin Bedouin Camp in Beidha/Petra
+ Pangea Day Dharavi/Mumbai
+ A New York City screening hosted by the Acumen Fund
+ Friends of Pangea Day Vancouver
+ Pangea Day Cambridge UK
+ Pangea Day Milano
+ At Wide Awake Living
+ Jack Hidary
+ Na Lua Nova will blog in Portuguese (from a birthday party!)
08 May 2008
Dance + physics = juggling: Michael Moschen on TED.com
Michael Moschen puts on a quietly mesmerizing show of elegant, even artistic juggling. Don't think juggling is an art? You might just change your mind after watching Moschen in motion. (Recorded March 2002 in Monterey, California. Duration: 37:02.)
Watch Michael Moschen's talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances.
Read more about Michael Moschen on TED.com.
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07 May 2008
Pangea Day bloggers touch down in Mumbai, Rio, LA
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Pangea Day bloggers are on the ground at the 6 live broadcast locations around the world, and reports are starting to come in.
Reporting from Rio de Janeiro, Saralena and Claire write,
We just touched down after an overnight journey from New York City -- and are completely struck by the beauty of the city. A meeting with the Pangea Day team in Rio proved that we are more than ready to have a fantastic celebration on Saturday.
The event will be at the top of Morro da Urca. The only way to get there is by a cable car (see pic, left) that can carry no more than 100 people at a time. During the hours it will take the cable car to carry the 1500+ attendees to the top, some amazing pre-show entertainment is planned -- including screenings by the Nosdomorro Film School (a Favela Cinema organization), dance performances, and musicians.
Meanwhile, Tom in Mumbai writes,
After the 15-hour flight, Virginia and I have arrived in Mumbai. It's the perfect Indian city for Pangea Day -- huge, diverse, and rapidly changing. Over the week we'll be promoting the event, encouraging the press to participate, and capturing many of the Friends of Pangea Day events.
Our friends the KaosPilots are organising an event in Dharavi, one of the largest slums in Asia. This is a real example of how Pangea Day is including an audience that wouldn't otherwise get to participate. (See more details of the Dharavi initiative here.)
And from Virginia, also in Mumbai:
We arrived last night, exhausted and exhilarated by our wild taxi ride through Mumbai. It felt like I'd fallen right into a Rushdie novel. I can't wait to learn more about this amazing city that is so completely new.
This morning we're looking out onto the Arabian Sea talking with Katie, "Decibel" Dave, and Yeshish about spreading the word about Pangea Day over the next three days. We're excited to reach out to local organizations and filmmakers to fill up the seats and make Mumbai '08 a lively event.
Meanwhile, our Los Angeles team sends this photo from the Sony soundstage in progress (left). See more photos from LA on OVI.com/pangeaday and look for lots more news from LA in the days to come, including reports from the May 9 filmmaker retreat, where 100 filmmakers from around the world will meet to talk about their art.
Check the Pangea Day Blog for frequent updates from Cairo, LA, Kigali, and London. (And if you're participating in any pre-Pangea Day activities, let us know at blog@pangeaday.org!)
Get the latest Pangea Day news on the Pangea Day Blog >>
Find Pangea Day photos and video on OVI.com/pangeaday >>
Tips
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Tips? Comments? contact (at) ted (dot) com
Blogs We Watch
>> TEDPrize.org | Updates on the 2008 TED Prize winners and wishes: Dave Eggers' wish blog; Karen Armstrong's wish blog; Neil Turok's wish blog
>> Thomas Dolby | TED Musical Director, blogging at ThomasDolby.com
>> Bruno Giussani | TED European Director, blogging at LunchOverIP.com
>> Emeka Okafor | TEDAfrica Director, blogging at Timbuktu Chronicles and Africa Unchained
TED Bloggers
Chris Anderson | Curator
June Cohen | Director of TED Media
Amy Novogratz | TED Prize Director
Tom Rielly | Humorist
Jason Wishnow | Director, Film + Video
Emily McManus | Editor, TED.com
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