The TED Blog caught up with Arthur Benjamin after his talk on why we should stop mandating that students learn calculus in school — to ask him what he would have done with an extra minute on stage. Here’s what he had to say: Arthur Benjamin: If I had an extra minute, I’d also talk […]
Brian Andreas gave a Palm Springs-only talk about how scientists and technologists can use the power of storytelling to build public support for their projects. He outlined the three most important characteristics of a good story. Here, we asked him what he would say if given a few extra minutes on stage: Brian Andreas: I’d […]
The TED Blog caught up with John La Grou shortly after his three-minute talk from TED@PalmSprings to ask him about the history — and the future — of his RFIDs-in-electrical-outlets project. La Grou wants all electrical outlets to be “smart” — so they can prevent fires, save lives and help conserve energy. John La Grou: […]
Jose Abreu is well known for his inspiration of disadvantaged Venezuelan youth. His work with El Sistema and the beautiful music that it has produced are an inextricable part of the country and the region’s culture and history. El Sistema has given huge numbers of children direction, purpose and opportunity that they may otherwise never […]
Shai Agassi gave one of the most powerfully convincing talks at TED2009 on the necessity of the fully electric car. Here are choice attendees’ highlights via Twitter: Shai Agassi “Hybrids are like mermaids. When you want a woman, you get a fish; when you want a fish, you get a woman” — ashdonaldson Brilliant – […]
Nina Jablonski talked to us about skin. One thing we learned is that those with lots of melanin have to recognize that they have a lot of natural sun screen in their skin, which slows the process of making Vitamin D. I had the opportunity to ask Nina some of the questions emailed in (to […]
In a surprise appearance earlier today, Hans Rosling, who is counted among the 10 most popular TEDTalks, lit up TED2009 by clearly illustrating statistics on HIV/AIDS. His boundless energy and colorful graphics caused TEDsters to respond with equally enthusiastic tweets. Let’s take a peek: Here comes Hans Rosling, of course, almost everyone’s favorite TED talks […]
As Ed Ulbrich addressed the crowd at TED2009, Twitter came alive with statements of amazement and admiration. He was explaining the role of technology in recent blockbuster “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” Let’s roll the latest tweets: TED Live: Ed Ulbrich says his team of artists & technologists made a breakthrough in digital animation […]
TED sponsor Vosges specializes in luxury chocolate products. They’re providing a suite of delectable chocolate tastings at TED2009 in Long Beach and Palm Springs. The TED Blog sat with Vosges to ask whether the success of the flavor combination of their most famous product, the bacon chocolate bar, was a surprise: Vosges: It wasn’t a […]
Ray Anderson gave a profound and powerful talk about his decades-deep commitment to sustainable ways of doing business through his carpet company Interface — culminating in the Mission Zero plan. During the talk he read a poem written by one of his employees, Glenn Thomas, after Glenn heard Ray talk. Having received a number of […]
We certainly saw a peak of activity on Twitter as Bill Gates gave his TED2009 presentation. There were two main impressions of the talk, both not typical of the technological giant’s image. People came away deeply inspired and amused. Take a look: Gates is such an inspiring change agent. I wish that more people in […]
Chris Anderson managed to sum up the mood at TED2009, and on Twitter, when he described P.W. Singer’s presentation on robots and war as “a bit frightening.” Here are some of your thoughts, as tweeted in recent minutes: Scary presentation. Democratization of technologies of warfare will be accessible to all, fallacy to think only nation […]
Storyteller and poet Rives is the star of the new special “Ironic Iconic America.” He’s a regular on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam. Offstage, he designs and writes pop-up books, a little something he calls paper engineering. Rives has had a tightly packed schedule since TED@Aspen last year, where he was also co-host. He performed at […]
There are eight unique chairs in the Palm Springs simulcast lounge, waiting to give rest to tired attendee feet. Each has a different personality, a different design aesthetic. All are designed by Steelcase. The Cachet stool — at right — is designed to soothe our eco-conscience. It’s 99% recyclable by weight and was built to […]
TEDBlog talked to Tom Milks of Aardvark Applications about Palm Springs’ exclusive demonstration of their incredible Immersa-Dome. As soon as the dome lowers over your head, you feel as though you’re about to be taken somewhere else. Then the hemispheric display turns on — with its synced-up surround sound, wind and scents — and you […]
TEDBlog interviewed Adam Votaw, Executive Chef of the Riviera Resort and Spa. Tell us about one of your suppliers and why you chose them. Our chicken comes from a farm in Napa Valley called Rosie’s. It’s 100% certified organic. We chose this supplier for several reasons: sustainable farming and environmental health: stewardship of land and […]