So what went down at TED on day two? Well, a lot, as it happens. As curator Chris Anderson commented rather tiredly later, “that was the most intense day of TED I can remember, ever.” Here, a lightning round-up of some of the day’s key moments. Edward Snowden trundles onto stage The first big surprise […]
By Liz Jacobs and Kate Torgovnick Are we on the brink of a resource crisis? All signs point to yes. As the human population grows, the planet is buckling under the pressure of our needs. In this inaugural All-Stars session, 11 classic TED speakers return to the stage to share their deep concern for preserving […]
Erik Hersman is still going strong, through the longest day of TED2009 liveblogging the details, so that Ethan Zuckerman can accept an award in Denver and we still don’t miss a moment. Most recently, he’s been documenting two of the most momentous talks from the last session, Invent. Here’s a bit of his take on […]
Link fixed: Insects and animals have evolved some amazing skills — but, as Robert Full notes, many animals are actually badly engineered. The trick is to copy only what’s necessary. He shows how human engineers can learn from animals’ tricks. Watch for robots inspired by ants and geckos — and a key insight into animal […]
This month’s National Geographic has a great story on biomimetics, or biomimicry, the art of studying nature’s engineering. If you’re inspired by this story, check out these TEDTalks for more on biomimicry. Clicking on a name (or an image above) will launch the TEDTalks player >> + Scientist Robert Full (whose work with geckos is […]
Robert Full (watch his TEDTalk on gecko feet) and his team at UC Berkeley have uncovered more oddly-worth-knowing facts about geckos and how they move. It turns out that, along with their amazing sticky paws, geckos use their tails as a kind of fifth limb to help them balance while they climb walls. The team […]
Biologist Robert Full shares his fascination with spiny cockroach legs that allow them to scuttle at full speed across loose mesh and gecko feet that have billions of nano-bristles to run straight up walls. His talk, complete with wonderful slow-mo video of cockroach, crab and gecko gaits, explains his goal of creating the perfect robotic […]
Researchers in Japan have invented a nimble humanoid robot that can regain its own footing after taking a tumble. Its secret lies in letting go of control: Rather than follow a strict set of predetermined rules, it makes on-the-fly adjustments based on body trajectory and momentum. This approach may sound familiar … it applies the […]