Here is the third part of my
notes from the TEDxBoston that occurred a few days ago. I have heard a lot
about TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) but have not attended before so I
was pleased to see how it worked. Here are my notes from the third group of
sessions. These
are live notes, only slightly edited, so please excuse typos, etc. After lunch
Muhan came back with two other musicians to perform another moving piece.
Next, Bill Staby covered how to harvest ocean waves for usable energy. Their initial application is using ocean waves to take the salt out of ocean water to produce usable drinking water. There is a lot of wave energy available and globally 50% of the population lives within 100 miles of the shore. Ocean waves are also consistent and predictable. Wind energy creates waves but waves continue after the wind stops. Waves are stored wind energy and available in many locations. However, the cost is still high compared to other forms of natural renewable energy such as wind. There are also a lot of regulations to deal with as the ocean is not owned by anyone. The wave energy converters cannot be seen from the shore, unlike the issues with wind. They are doing pilot programs in South Africa.
Sapir Ng showed how his group is working to convert an abandoned subway tunnel in Boston into a cultural center and many other things. Susan Rodgerson discussed how she has involved kids in large-scale art efforts through Artists for Humanity. Her group employs high school students who come to their center and make art for businesses. They pay the kids and also hope to generate over 40% of their operating budget through this work.
Scott Kirsner, discussed how we need a cultural revolution. He began with the example of the art deco district in Miami Beach. I have been there several times and appreciate this effort. Scott next talked about how many New England college students leave the area after school or after they become successful. He wants to connect students with startups who stay here. He listed many successful examples of firms that stayed and grew, including the most successful IPO of 2009.
Scott listed several groups that support this concept of linking students with startups in the Boston area. One group he started links students with innovative companies. It is called Innovation Open Houses. Scott wants other companies to participate. He listed efforts at a wiki - neinnovation.com/students - to compile a list of participating companies. The site says, “We have a pretty simple job description here in New England: attract the smartest young people from around the world, and create opportunities for them to solve important problems and build big businesses here. It's just what we do.”
Connor White-Sullivan now provided a session on how the revolution will not be televised. Connor is a recent collage graduate from UMass Amherst. He conveyed how watching a TED session showed him how the Web has changed everything. So he wants to help use the Web for good. He showed a graphic that showed the separation of political values in the US into extremes. The political middle is very lonely place now. Connor, working with others, built a group to support greater interaction between people and the government and allow both sides of an issue hear each other. This site is called localocracy.org.
Frank Reynolds discussed the changing face of neuroscience. Frank taught himself how to walk after he was paralyzed when he realized there were no medical answers. The doctors told him there was no recovery from his condition. So he studied neuroscience and spinal cord injuries. He got himself to walking again through his own research. Now he wants to provide this for others. Frank discovered there were silos of information in his area. Scar tissue often covers over healthy tissue. With the right work, this healthy tissue can be recovered and people can recover. They have been successful with monkeys and now hope to get FDA approval to work with humans.
As I wrote at the end of my part two notes, this TEDxBoston session provided access to a diverse set of themes, some are not directly related to the major themes of this blog but I wanted to share with you how a TEDx session flows. The common theme is thinking outside the normal and creating innovation. I felt that the message across most of the sessions was that innovation becomes effective when it involves innovative way people are engaged with new ideas and technology. I think this is very related to this blog. I was pleased to attend and will be looking at the TED site for more.
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