Monday, March 11, 2013
There is so much information on the internet. Unfortunately much of it is plain wrong or
just a waste of time. Even when you find
a site with good information, wading through it can seem like drinking from a
fire hydrant. A few years ago in this
column I introduced you to TED. I was not sending you to a weird dating
service. TED is not a guy; it is a web site that features videos and
discussions that will challenge your brain. After viewing some great material
this past week I am prompted to urge you to give TED a try. It will renew your
faith in the value of the internet.
TED (Technology Entertainment and Design) began in 1984 as a
conference sponsored by the Sapling Foundation.
The foundation’s mission is to disseminate “ideas worth spreading.” The initial conference invited the very top
minds in the fields of technology, entertainment and design to share ideas,
discoveries and inventions. The
conferences are still held but videos of the individual presentations are now
made available free on the web.
Today there are more than 1000 videos and the subject matter
has broadened. You can find
presentations on religion, psychology, astronomy, education, medicine and many
other subjects. The great thing about
TED is that it invites the very best and brightest. Right now you can watch Jane Goodall, Bill
Gates and several Nobel laureates. All
you need is a computer and access to a broadband Internet connection. Point your browser to www.ted.com
The presentations are very fast paced. TED asks each presenter not to exceed 18
minutes. Some make use of videos and graphics while others stay with a standard
lecture format. Each presentation is
translated into several languages.
There are topics and opinions that will challenge you. All of them will make you think. I have watched several and each of them has
been outstanding. You will find a new
presentation posted most every day and all of them are archived and searchable
by topic or presenter.
Perhaps the most jaw dropping talk was by Surgeon AnthonyAtala who demonstrated an early-stage experiment that could someday solve the
organ-donor problem: a 3D printer that uses living cells to output a transplantable
kidney. Using similar technology, Dr. Atala’s young patient Luke Massella
received an engineered bladder 10 years ago; we meet him onstage.
Another recent segment argues that an insect's ability to fly is perhaps one of the greatest feats of evolution. Michael Dickinson looks
at how a common housefly takes flight with such delicate wings, thanks to a
clever flapping motion and flight muscles that are both powerful and nimble.
But the secret ingredient: the incredible fly brain.
The next time you find that the 500 channel cable universe
offers little to watch or your Twitter account is less than stimulating, spend
some time with TED. It will be time
well spent.
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