“Athletic” is a term we use to describe human beings. But could it also be used to describe a machine? In a demo recorded yesterday in his robot lab at TEDGlobal 2013, systems engineer Raffaello D’Andrea shows us that the answer is yes. He demonstrates with quadcopters, mechanically simple flying robots with four propellers. Their […]
These sprightly opening titles for Session 2 are directed by Sebastien Roux / Superdeux, with collaborators Friends of Mine and Junior Market. Why did they choose 3D robotic animation to open this session on the hopes and fears surrounding drones? As the makers explain, “Flying machines will soon take over the world. Until then, let’s […]
When it comes to drones, a lot of ideas float in the ether. Technologists see potential for flying machines to help us in all sorts of unexpected ways, governments take measures that seem hard and fixed, and meanwhile the media oversimplifies and dramatizes the issue. The conversation on drones is ever changing — especially with […]
Anne-Marie Slaughter, public policy expert and author of the widely read 2012 article “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All,” closes the first session of TEDGlobal with a talk about how she became a woman she never imagined. In 2010, Slaughter, says, “I had the chance to be considered for promotion from my job as […]
Two years ago, as she put her 5-year-old son Aboody to bed, Manal Al-Sharif faced an unexpected question from him: “Mommy, are we bad people?” Earlier in the day, she had noticed bruises on his face. He didn’t want to tell her why. Now, in the evening, he confessed that boys at school had hit him […]
Classical guitar virtuoso Tariq Harb had a surprising major in college: finance. The Jordanian-born musician moved to Canada in 1999 to study at Concordia University. But after a few years in the financial sector, he found himself deeply unfulfilled. He decided to go back to the thing he loved when he was younger — music. Only he […]
Writer and political activist George Monbiot (with only three days’ notice, says Bruno!) joins Session 1: “Moments of Truth.” As a young man, Monbiot went off on adventures in the wild as an investigative ecology journalist. When he returned after six years to his life in Britain, he found himself inundated with the mundane, scratching […]
Steve Howard has spent his life working toward sustainability. So on the TEDGlobal 2013 stage, he explains why he wanted to work for, of all places, Ikea. Howard, who now holds the delightful title of Chief Sustainability Officer at the Scandinavian furniture behemoth, says that the company is dedicated to sustainability because of three numbers: 3. […]
This morning, a group of around 35 protesters showed up outside the Lyceum Theater in Edinburgh to object to the appearance at TEDGlobal of the former Prime Minister of Greece, George Papandreou. We went over to speak to the protesters, to find out why they were demonstrating and to ask them if they had a […]
The former Prime Minister of Greece, George Papandreou, takes the stage as the first speaker at TEDGlobal 2013. It’s already been a long morning, with a few dozen protesters earlier objecting to his presence in Edinburgh outside the conference center. And Papandreou cuts something of a pensive figure as he tells us he’s set to give […]
This morning, trombonist and composer John Kenny calls TEDGlobal 2013 to attention with the droning, warbling sounds of the carnyx, a Celtic Iron Age vertical trumpet topped with a bell shaped like a boar’s head, with a moving tongue that produces a wild, almost human ululation. Once known throughout Europe as a battle horn and […]
There’s a distinct sense of anticipation in the air here in Edinburgh, Scotland, as the lights are about to dim and we’re about to embark on the rollercoaster ride that is a TEDGlobal conference. The first session of the week, “Moments of Truth” tackles several difficult issues, including economic austerity, environmentalism, feminism and terrorism. Here […]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLkD-C8A8p4&feature=youtu.be] Each session of TEDGlobal 2013 has a unique set of opening titles, curated by We Are Pi — the firm that created that gorgeous kaleidoscope video for TEDxSummit. Each set of titles is in a different style, with great music, and we’re excited to share them with you! The titles for Session 1 are […]
“What would happen if you wanted a bunch of people to come with you on a journey?” TED Curator Chris Anderson asked this to a crowd of 100+ TEDx organizers from 43 countries — including Sudan, South Africa, France, China and Egypt — during his talk at the TEDx Workshop on Sunday, June 9, at TEDGlobal […]
TED University Session 2 began with a difficult challenge, especially for 8:45 in the morning: describe yourself in six words. After several TEDGlobal 2013 attendees bravely took the stage to share their introductions, Kelly Stoetzel urged her co-host June Cohen to share her own six-word self-description. Cohen, who runs TED’s Media Team, raised a huge […]
By Samantha Kelly TED University kicks off the TEDGlobal 2013 conference with purpose — as a reminder that the people who attend TEDGlobal are not just here to watch, but rather, they’re here to share ideas. At TED U, audience members brave the stage and give their own TED Talks that run the emotional gamut […]