I just stumbled upon Pranav Mistry’s talk at Ted India via the (still and always inspiring) Surfstation blog and was completely blown away by his work at developing what is inarguably some of the most groundbreaking practical application technology out there. Yes, I am prone to exaggeration (I do work in advertising after all) but I am not inflating this. Mistry’s work could really revolutionize the entire computer and interactive industry. His emphasis is on bridging digital data with the physical world in the hopes that we can one day rise from behind our computers and again live physically. It really is something that has to be seen to be believed, but it left me terribly excited. I cannot wait for the day that this technology makes it into the commercial market.
Infamous design super hero Stefan Sagmeister suggests you might want to take some time off to recharge those creative batteries and help get those inspirational juices flowing through the system once again. The only thing is, we live and work in a dog eat dog, money by the minute (billable hours anyone?) society that sucks creativity dry like a ravenous vampire. We take less time off in America than any other country on this entire planet. I am taking two weeks off next week for the first time in 2 years. I can’t imagine in my wildest dreams even considering taking off an entire year.
Thanks for the advice Stefan, but until the system gives a little, I don’t see many of us that aren’t already independently wealthy taking off an entire year. Not unless you want to lose your job and your mortgage. It’s not that I don’t agree, it’s just that I also live in this country called America where I work as an Art Director and designer and exist in a reality where never before in all of history has time been more equivacol to money. My vacation usually consists of a beer at the end of a long day. Until perceptions and norms seriously shift, or until the working public has just finally had enough, I don’t see employers bending much on allowing time off for employees that are burned. That is exactly why you see so very many people burning themselves right out of the ad business. Sometimes the well just dries up after it’s been over tapped day in and day out.
I definitely support his argument, I just don’t know who the hell, other than independent small business owners with a penchant for risk and an enjoyment for bucking trends, could realistically try something like giving both themselves and their employees a real amount of time off to recharge. I think time will tell, in this system that is quite literally killing all of us with stress that he is probably right.
I just saw this posted at Surfstation and decided (after reading a passionately written post) to listen to a talk by Gordon Brown as part of a recent TED conference. Brown delivers a really unique talk for a man in his position and really espouses some unusual views on how he believes the world is being shaped by emerging technology. The juxt of his position being that we are now in a unique era where we have a genuine opportunity for real change driven by people who are able to connect instantaneously. It’s a ballsy thing to put into the stream of consciousness from a politician but that is exactly why it is hard not to take it as a genuinely heart felt cry for real change and progress.
There is a great talk that was recently posted at TED given by Eames Demetrios, their grandson, that commemorates the genius of Charles and Ray Eames. Over the course of the talk, some rare footage is shown from the couples amazing foray into the design world.
More on the talk from the TED website:
“The legendary design team Charles and Ray Eames made films, houses, books and classic midcentury modern furniture. Eames Demetrios, their grandson, shows rarely seen films and archival footage in a lively, loving tribute to their creative process.”
Ahh, if only Herman Miller hadn’t made their furniture totally unafordable for the average middle-class furniture design lover.
Philip Rosedale speaks at TED about his amazing creation, ‘Second Life’. I have never actually gotten involved with Second Life but I have always been amazed by the concept and it was enlightening to hear Rosedale muse on the concept. Rosedale goes by the avatar “Philip Linden” when he is living his ‘Second Life’. I really is a fascinating idea that belies a multitude of ramifications and I am sure it will only evolve further and further as time goes on. It will definitely be interesting watching it unfold and what it may inspire in the future.
So where is the internet going? It has really only been around for about 5,000 days. So, what will happen in the next 5,000? Well, Kevin Kelly has some ideas.
I apologize, I was lax on posting a new Ted Talk last week. I have selected a new talk this week by Adam Grosser about creating refrigeration without electricity. It’s an amazing idea that could do wonders for third world countries that do not have access to electricity and therefore do not have the ability to refrigerate food. Below is a further explanation of the talk:
Adam Grosser talks about a project to build a refrigerator that works without electricity — to bring the vital tool to villages and clinics worldwide. Tweaking some old technology, he’s come up with a system that works.
I have decided to post a TED talk every week from here on out. There is just so much good content on the TED website that it needs to be shared. Some of the worlds most intelligent people are speaking at TED about a lot of things I think we should all be thinking about.
Mark Bittman gives a talk this week about what is wrong with what we eat and how our diet is impacting our ability to live on our planet. It’s an excellent talk and in incredibly important topic.
TED is something I check a few times a week now every week. I feel kind of ridiculous for not having written about it yet. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design. TED started in 1984 as a conference to bring about the brightest minds and most innovative thinkers from those 3 categories. The speakers are challenged to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (although there have been a few to run over). The TED website makes the best talks from the conference free to view. There are already more than 200 talks archived at the site making it a true resource for inspiration to just about anyone interesting in just about anything. I have watched videos about topics ranging from Cern’s Large Hadron Collider to speculations on how our world will end. It’s some of the most thought-provoking content I have found on the internet and it always leaves me truly inspired. It’s an amazing effort and offers a unique insight into some of our world’s deepest thinkers.
TED is committed to spreading ideas. Ideas that can help shift attitudes and hopefully help change the world. The TED conference is held annually in Long Beach, California.
You can learn more about TED at their home website along with the TED Prize. Before you go there, you can view just a tiny tidbit of some of the amazing things going on their by watching Johnny Lee transform a $40 Nintendo Wii remote into a digital whiteboard. It’s on the lighter side of speculating on how the world will end but still amazing nonetheless
03/15 MEXICAN DRUG WAR The FBI has vowed to help Mexican officials in an escalating violent war with rival drug cartels that claimed the lives of 2 American employees of the consulate in the Cuidad Juarez. Both were murdered after leaving a consulate social event. On Sunday, The State Department authorized the temporary departure of dependents of U.S. government personnel from the consulates in Ciudad Juarez along with five other northern border Mexican cities.
03/12 FIVERR The website Fiverr asks, in a very broad way, what would you do for 5 dollars? Or better yet, what could you get done for 5 dollars?
03/10 COREY HAIM DIES 80’s movie star Corey Haim passed at the age of 38 at a hospital in Burbank, California. Some reports have suggested the cause of death may have been an overdose as Haim struggled with drug addiction for years following his success.
02/27 ICEBERG ADRIFT A massive iceberg has struck Antarctica dislodging a gigantic block of ice measuring 48 miles (78 kilometers) long and about 24 miles (39 kilometers) wide and holds roughly the equivalent of a fifth of the world’s annual total water usage. Holy crap.
02/27 CHILEAN EARTHQUAKE A powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake has struck Chile with a death toll so far standing at 82.
