Pawan Sinha details his groundbreaking research into how the brain’s visual system develops. Sinha and his team provide free vision-restoring treatment to children born blind, and then study how their brains learn to interpret visual data. The work offers insights into neuroscience, engineering and even autism. (Recorded at TEDIndia, November 2009, in Mysore, India. Duration: […]
One of the social spaces featured at TEDActive (the intimate TED simulcast held in Palm Springs) was a lounge packed with interactive, technology-driven artwork and sponsored by Bing. We’ll be posting a series of awesome shorts by an attendee who captured some of the pieces and spoke to the artists who made them. Via the […]
Temple Grandin, diagnosed with autism as a child, talks about how her mind works — sharing her ability to “think in pictures,” which helps her solve problems that neurotypical brains might miss. She makes the case that the world needs people on the autism spectrum: visual thinkers, pattern thinkers, verbal thinkers, and all kinds of […]
Eric Topol says we’ll soon use our smartphones to monitor our vital signs and chronic conditions. At TEDMED, he highlights several of the most important wireless devices in medicine’s future — all helping to keep more of us out of hospital beds. (Recorded at TEDMED, October 2009, in San Diego, CA. Duration: 16:59) [ted id=772] […]
The land of the free has become a legal minefield, says Philip K. Howard — especially for teachers and doctors, whose work has been paralyzed by fear of suits. What’s the answer? A lawyer himself, Howard has four propositions for simplifying US law. (Recorded at TED2010, February 2010, in Long Beach, CA. Duration: 18:22) Watch […]
In this wide-ranging, thought-provoking talk from TEDxAmsterdam, Kevin Kelly muses on what technology means in our lives — from its impact at the personal level to its place in the cosmos. (Recorded at TEDxAmsterdam, November 2009, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Duration: 16:32) Watch Kevin Kelly’s talk from TEDxAmsterdam on TED.com, where you can download this […]
At TED2010, Bill Gates unveils his vision for the world’s energy future, describing the need for “miracles” to avoid planetary catastrophe and explaining why he’s backing a dramatically different type of nuclear reactor. The necessary goal? Zero carbon emissions globally by 2050. (Recorded at TED2010, February 2010 in Long Beach, CA. Duration: 27:49) Watch Bill […]
The thesaurus might equate “disabled” with synonyms like “useless” and “mutilated,” but groundbreaking runner, actor and activist Aimee Mullins is out to redefine the word. Speaking at TEDMED, she hows how adversity — in her case, being born without shinbones — actually opens the door for human potential. (Recorded at TEDMED, November 2009, in San […]
The leader of Britain’s Conservative Party says we’re entering a new era — where governments themselves have less power (and less money) and people empowered by technology have more. Tapping into new ideas on behavioral economics, David Cameron explores how these trends could be turned into smarter policy. (Recorded at TED2010, February 2010 in London; […]
James Cameron: Curiosity — it’s the most powerful thing you own. John Kasaona: We realized that stopping poaching is completely different from catching poachers. Glenna Fraumeni, talking from TEDActive in Palm Springs. Read this. Adora Svitak: We kids still dream about perfection. Our audacity to imagine helps push the boundaries of reality. Sir Ken Robinson: […]
Benoit Mandelbrot: Bottomless wonders spring from simple rules repeated without end. Magnus Lindkvist: We are afraid to say “I don’t know.” George Whitesides: A stone is simple. But you can build cathedrals of stones. Alan Siegel: We need to build humanity into our paperwork. Philip K. Howard: The law must be simple enough that people […]
The Creativity Lab by Steelcase was a hub of brainstorming, collaboration, intense discussion and even a little hardware hacking throughout TEDActive. Here’s an inside look at what the space had to offer. At the PUR Water station. TEDx event buttons in high production — collect ’em all! An interview in progress at AT&T’s HD Video […]
In a demo that drew gasps at TED2010, Blaise Aguera y Arcas demos new augmented-reality mapping technology from Microsoft. (Recorded at TED2010, February 2010 in Long Beach, CA. Duration: 8:14) Watch Blaise Aguera y Arcas’ demo of augmented mapping on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other […]
Throughout TEDActive, TEDsters had a chance to participate in something truly magical: the making of a music video (UPDATE: watch the video!). To help out, the musicians and producers with the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus stopped in Palm Springs for all four days of the conference. The Bus, a nonprofit mobile recording studio, travels […]
David Byrne, Thomas Dolby and Ethel rock out playing (Nothing But) Flowers. Dave Weaver: “How do you answer, ‘What’s a TED?’” Sarah Silverman: A new perspective on the number 3000. David Rockwell on the Imagination Playground: “No project has ever made me happier.” Yoni Benatar pilots mini drones from his iphone with augmented reality. Eve […]
“The Sleepy Giant,” Charles E. Carryl (1841-1920) My age is three hundred and seventy-two, And I think, with the deepest regret, How I used to pick up and voraciously chew The dear little boys whom I met. I’ve eaten them raw, in their holiday suits; I’ve eaten them curried with rice; I’ve eaten them baked, […]