xocea

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just one person dreaming of a more logical, sustainable, and usable world

Wake up! It's They Might Be Giants on TED.com

Filed under: news — (author unknown) at 10:06 am on Wednesday, April 30, 2008

In a very, very early-morning set, They Might Be Giants rock the final day of TED2007. Songs include "Older," "Bee of the Bird of the Moth," "Asbury Park," "Fingertips," the premiere of "Phone Calls from the Dead," and "Alphabet of Nations." (Recorded March 2007 in Monterey, California. Duration: 17:21.)


Watch They Might Be Giants' show on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances.

Read more about They Might Be Giants on TED.com.

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Bionic athletes and the future of sports

Filed under: news — (author unknown) at 10:59 am on Tuesday, April 29, 2008

bionic_athelete.jpgESPN The Magazine's April 23 cover story takes a look at the future of sports -- a world where prosthetics can enhance athletic skill beyond current human capabilities:

The prosthetic-enhanced athlete will be able to run faster, jump higher and pitch harder than mere mortals. From an idea lab at MIT to a prosthetic design company in Iceland to amputees who see no limits to what their bodies can attain, [...] technology will change the way we think about what is possible for the human body to achieve.

The article is a great complement to Dean Kamen's 2007 TEDTalk, which offers a preview of an extraordinary prosthetic arm and a perspective on the hope it gives to maimed soldiers.

What really goes on at the Large Hadron Collider: Brian Cox on TED.com

Filed under: news — (author unknown) at 7:41 am on Tuesday, April 29, 2008

"Rock star physicist" Brian Cox talks about his work on the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Discussing the biggest of big science in an engaging, accessible way, Cox brings us along on a tour of the massive complex -- and describes the vital role it's going to play in understanding our universe. (Recorded March 2008 in Monterey, California. Duration: 14:59.)


Watch Brian Cox's talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances.

Read more about Brian Cox on TED.com.

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UPDATE: Andrew Mwenda out on bond, must report to police

Filed under: news — (author unknown) at 5:46 am on Monday, April 28, 2008

Andrew Mwenda writes to the mailing list Africa Club:

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I want to thank all of you for your support and encouragement. I am now out and free, although reporting to police tomorrow, unsure of the outcome. The struggle for freedom in Uganda is not going to be easy. The challenges are enormous and so are the risks. But we will not be intimidated from the cause of liberty by state harassment. I believe ever more strongly now that liberty is critical for the advancement of Africa. As a people we need to stand up and challenge bad government whenever it rears its ugly head. We have for long left it to others; we the educated elite escape to the comfort of the West seeking protection instead of staying home and fighting for freedom.

The consequences on me as an individual are not particularly important. What is important are the ideals for which I and The Independent stand. Please do not think that I am underestimating the resolve of the Uganda government to harm me -- possibly jail me or torture me or worse still even kill me. I suffered the violence with which they kidnapped me on Saturday. I could have disappeared. However, I know that although they can imprison or kill me, they cannot imprison or kill the ideals for which I and The Independent stand. We may suffer setbacks along the way, but I have profound faith in the final triumph of the cause of liberty in Uganda.

Andrew


Earlier: James Shikwati reports that journalist Andrew Mwenda has been released on bond, but must report to police tomorrow. Mwenda was arrested Saturday night, along with other staffers of Uganda's Independent newspaper, following a Saturday-night raid on the paper's offices. Shikwati writes:

I talked to Andrew this morning. He is strong and as usual an optimist! Listen to Andrew "…if anti-democratic forces in Africa do nothing, it will mean they are not noticing our work."

He asked me to [write] that he is very strong, energetic and will not be cowed by government intimidation.

The Free Andrew Mwenda Facebook page is collecting news and calls to action. Though Mwenda has been released on bond for now, this is the second raid on the paper in two months.

Read the Independent's minute-by-minute account of the raid and arrests >>

Two weeks until Pangea Day!

Filed under: news — (author unknown) at 5:37 pm on Sunday, April 27, 2008

Pangea113x85.jpgOn Saturday, May 10, 2008 -– Pangea Day -– join the world for four hours of amazing short films, visionary speakers and great music.

Pangea Day is a celebration of the power of film to unite us all. You'll see films that are funny -- sad -- gorgeous -- stark -- powerful. Voices that have never been heard before. Things you've never seen. Scenes from worlds you've never been to. A cross-section of our amazing, complicated, noisy, beautiful world.

And once you've lived inside so many other heads, we hope, you'll be moved to act. To become involved in a pressing issue -- to share your own video or photos -- to join a discussion that might move the world a bit further toward understanding.

Find out how to watch Pangea Day -- on TV, at a local party, in a digital cinema or online. You can even keep track of the day on your mobile phone.

Host a Friends of Pangea Day party: More than 1,000 locally planned events -- in homes, theaters, clubs and parks -- will screen Pangea Day. Check our Google Map to find a party near you or to sign up to host one.

Andrew Mwenda arrested, newspaper office raided

Filed under: news — (author unknown) at 6:07 pm on Saturday, April 26, 2008

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Reuters Africa is reporting that Andrew Mwenda and two other staffers of the Independent have been arrested by Ugandan officials. Reuters reports:

KAMPALA (Reuters) - Ugandan security forces on Saturday raided the offices of a magazine seen as critical of President Yoweri Museveni's government, arresting three journalists and taking computers, a lawyer said.

Read more >>

The story in the Independent has more detailed coverage of this second raid since the launch of the newspaper in October.

In March, Andrew Mwenda was named a Young Global Leader for 2008 by the World Economic Forum. Watch the recent BBC World Debate in which Mwenda participated at this year's TED.

4 ways to get more out of TEDTalks

Filed under: news — (author unknown) at 11:00 am on Friday, April 25, 2008

These 4 tools can help you get more from TEDTalks:

Miroscreen_small.jpgThe TED Miro player: This free, open-source player lets you easily download TEDTalks, store them and play them offline. Talks are arranged in channels based on our most popular Themes. The TED Miro player comes in especially handy for educators who want to ensure reliable playback when using TEDTalks in the classroom. And if you're on a PC that has trouble with MP4 playback, the TED Miro player usually does the trick!

Learn more here >>

Transcripts: We've been working on transcribing all our TEDTalks, and as we complete each one, it is stored here on the TED Blog. This is the first step in a much larger project for subtitling and transcribing our talks.

See all transcribed talks here >>

TEDnewsltr.jpgNewsletter: You can subscribe to the weekly TED newsletter by scrolling to the bottom of this page and entering an email address into the little white box that says "Newsletter." It's a great way to make TEDTalks a habit -- and to stay involved in other events of interest, such as Pangea Day, happening on May 10, 2008, around the world. We never sell our email addresses to third parties, and it's easy to unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of the newsletter.

RSS feeds: You can subscribe to a feed for all new TEDTalks video, or for this blog, where we announce all the new TEDTalks and other TED news.

Subscribe to the TED Blog RSS feed >>
Subscribe to the TEDTalks RSS feed >>

Dean Ornish's 2008 TEDTalk temporarily offline

Filed under: news — (author unknown) at 9:57 am on Friday, April 25, 2008

Dr. Dean Ornish's 2008 TEDTalk has been temporarily taken offline for technical reasons -- we'll announce when it has been replaced. Sorry for this inconvenience.

In the meantime, you might check out Dr. Ornish's 2005 TEDTalk on America's killer diet -- or one of these related TEDTalks and Themes:

+ Dr. Ernest Madu on reinventing health care to serve the poorest communities >>
+ Aubrey de Grey on why we age and how we can avoid it >>
+ The theme Medicine Without Borders, collecting talks on the boldest frontiers of medicine and health >>

World Science Festival May 28-June 1 in New York City

Filed under: news, science — (author unknown) at 7:24 am on Thursday, April 24, 2008
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The inaugural World Science Festival, a celebration of science and discovery, will take place May 28-June 1 in New York City. Organized by physicist Brian Greene, who explained string theory at TED2005, the event will bring together a range of speakers -- including many TEDTalks favorites such as philosopher Dan Dennett, inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil, mathemagician Arthur Benjamin, and rock-star physicist Brian Cox (whose TEDTalk from 2008 on the CERN supercollider will be posted next week). Many other fascinating people -- such as Michio Kaku, Maggie Turnbull, Patricia Churchland and Oliver Sacks -- will be speaking or presenting. Browse the list of speakers.

The festival also celebrates film, theater and storytelling about science. Look for the American premiere of Mark "E" Everett's film about his father, a much-misunderstood physicist. On that same evening further uptown, a roster of distinguished scientists will take the stage at Symphony Space to share stories of experiments gone wrong.

Events for kids and families include a science-themed street fair around Washington Square and an awesome-sounding roundup of cool jobs in science.

Visit the World Science Festival website >>

Your genes are not your fate: Dean Ornish on TED.com

Filed under: news — (author unknown) at 6:56 am on Thursday, April 24, 2008

From TED2008: Dr. Dean Ornish shares new research that shows how adopting healthy lifestyle habits can affect a person at a genetic level. For instance, he says, when you live healthier, eat better, exercise, and love more, your brain cells actually increase. And new findings show that a healthier lifestyle can turn off disease-provoking genes and turn on the good ones. (Recorded March 2008 in Monterey, California. Duration: 3:35.)


Watch Dean Ornish's 2008 talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances, including Dr. Ornish's earlier talk on America's killer diet.

Read more about Dean Ornish on TED.com.

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