TED: Knowledge Revolution

I had the opportunity to sit in on the “Knowledge Revolution” session of the 2011 TED Conference earlier this week, and given the panel of speakers, I was definitely humbled and amazed by some incredible accomplishments. From working to rid the world of Polio to debt relief in Nigeria to creating new solutions for our educational system, the work these individuals are involved with and the results they are experiencing speaks for itself.

As I thought about the content of the session that was, frankly, way over my head in many ways, it occurred to me that the common theme between the speakers was building off what we already know, and collaborating to find solutions to amazingly complex problems.

These are not difficult concepts, but they are often overlooked. How many times have we all tried to solve a problem from scratch without researching what is already known about the issue, or without asking someone else for help in finding a solution?

There is power in taking the time to learn from history, to learn from our own successes and failures, to tuck ego and pride away and collaborate with others who have similar goals to solve similar problems, big and small. It is invigorating to think about what can happen (and what is currently happening) when those small steps are taken.

~ Jim

TED: Beauty. Imagination. Enchantment.

When viewing TED2011 last night, these three words kept running through my head, and I realized when exposed to art, they all lead to one another, but not always in that order.

For two hours last night, I was simply enchanted by the artists who shared a brief insight to their imaginations by displaying the beauty they create. It was inspiring; especially to this fledging artist who found her passion for clay work a little later in life. Not enough room here to tell you all I took away, but here are a few thoughts.

Beatrice Coron, is a papercutter artist who found her calling at nearly 40. After walking on stage draped in the most beautiful cloak cut from a single piece of paper, I washooked. Fascinating me with the simplicity of a silhouette, I was left enchanted by the complexity of the stories she tells in one single strand of paper.

Sarah Kay took my breath away! She was lucky, finding her passion at the age of 14 and harnessing it to become a remarkable performance poet. Not only beautiful, her imagination is bursting from her core and she clearly knows how to look inside herself to discover what matters most. Now 22, she is wise beyond her years advising us to put the things we know to be true into the work we do. So honest and so enchanting.

Kate Hartman is a funny and thoughtful artist and technologist. She creates devices and interfaces for humans, houseplants and glaciers in a playful manner that questions the ways in which we relate and communicate. Her recommendation to discover the act of listening is simple, yet so underrated. I mean, we all have two ears and one mouth right?

I want to thank Shea Hembrey for the laughs. This artist and curator is immensely talented, brilliant and amusing. We should all live by his three H’s – putting Head, Heart, and Hands into our work. And I will always keep this thought in mind: if you can’t find what you like, create it yourself.

And to Jason Mraz – you are A-W-E-S-O-M-E! I didn’t think it was possible to adore you even more but “You #$*&ing did it!” Thanks for the anti-Sesame Street performance. I promise to be better at acknowledging others around me each day.

~ Wendy

TED: Threads of Discovery

Printers that can “print” human organs in less than 24 hours. Artistic sculptures that are as tall as skyscrapers but as soft and pliable as lace. Solving brain disorders like depression and epilepsy with light. Modular energy packets that reduce households’ energy usage at peak times. Using strands of silk to make everything from biodegradable cups to fiber optics.

Do such wild and fascinating things exist in our world?

Yes, or they will soon thanks to the brilliantly creative and dedicated minds of Fiorenzo Omenetto, Daniel Tammet, Janet Echelman, Ed Boyden, Christina Lampe-Onnerud, Steve Gullans and Anthony Atala—the featured speakers of the TED “Threads of Discovery” session I had the pleasure of listening to yesterday afternoon.

The overarching theme was so simple. What already exists, and may even be considered old, that you can reinvent to do something new? From strands of silk or handmade fishing nets from India, to the concept of a LEGO or our own organ cells, these TED speakers questioned conventional perceptions of items we are already aware of and discovered or invented something entirely new, and in some cases lifesaving.

Parts of the session were well over my head. I never excelled in math, so neuroscience hypotheses are lost on me. Yet TED brings it back to the practical, the understandable, and probably most important, the wondrous.

What is “old” in your life, or your profession, that you can challenge and make new tomorrow?

~Alexis