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TED Theme: Tales of Invention

TED has always loved a good creation story. No matter the scale -- kitchen, continent, or solar system -- invention grants us access to the frontiers of our understanding. Legendary designer Philippe Starck's lively ruminations on his own creative process suggest how the patterns of ...

TED has always loved a good creation story. No matter the scale -- kitchen, continent, or solar system -- invention grants us access to the frontiers of our understanding. Legendary designer Philippe Starck's lively ruminations on his own creative process suggest how the patterns of a civilization might affect, say, the design of a citrus juicer. Jan Chipchase investigates the worldwide impact of mobile phones -- and the impact of culture on next-generation mobile technology. Explorer and adventurer Bill Stone, meanwhile, fires up a rapt audience with his ambitious plan to harvest energy from the moon. Copyright lawyer Larry Lessig gives a brief history of creative freedom and copyright, and talks about how contemporary copyright law could strangle future artistic invention and interpretation. William Kamkwamba tells how he built a windmill from scrap metal when he was 14 years old. And Amy Smith shares her transformative low-tech tools for saving life in the developing world.

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    Ludwick Marishane: A bath without water

    If you had to walk a mile for a jug ...

    If you had to walk a mile for a jug of water every day, as millions of people do, it's unlikely you'd use that precious water to bathe. Young entrepreneur Ludwick Marishane tells the amazing, funny story of how he invented a cheap, clean and convenient solution: DryBath, the world’s first bath-substituting lotion.

    Dec 4, 2012 Read more
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    Timothy Prestero: Design for people, not awards

    Timothy Prestero thought he'd designed the perfect incubator for newborns ...

    Timothy Prestero thought he'd designed the perfect incubator for newborns in the developing world -- but his team learned a hard lesson when it failed to go into production. A manifesto on the importance of designing for real-world use, rather than accolades. (Filmed at TEDxBoston.)

    Aug 16, 2012 Read more
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    Vinay Venkatraman: Technology crafts for the digitally underserved

    Two-thirds of the world may not have access to the ...

    Two-thirds of the world may not have access to the latest smartphone, but local electronic shops are adept at fixing older tech using low-cost parts. Vinay Venkatraman explains his work in "technology crafts," through which a mobile phone, a lunchbox and a flashlight can become a digital projector for a village school, or an alarm clock and a mouse can be melded into a medical device for local triage.

    Jul 22, 2012 Read more
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    John Graham-Cumming: The greatest machine that never was

    Computer science began in the '30s ... the 1830s. John ...

    Computer science began in the '30s ... the 1830s. John Graham-Cumming tells the story of Charles Babbage's mechanical, steam-powered "analytical engine" and how Ada Lovelace, mathematician and daughter of Lord Byron, saw beyond its simple computational abilities to imagine the future of computers. (Filmed at TEDxImperialCollege.)

    Jul 21, 2012 Read more
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    Matt Mills: Image recognition that triggers augmented reality

    Matt Mills and Tamara Roukaerts demonstrate Aurasma, a new augmented ...

    Matt Mills and Tamara Roukaerts demonstrate Aurasma, a new augmented reality tool that can seamlessly animate the world as seen through a smartphone. Going beyond previous augmented reality, their "auras" can do everything from making a painting talk to overlaying live news onto a printed newspaper.

    Jul 19, 2012 Read more
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    Chris Gerdes: The future race car -- 150mph, and no driver

    Autonomous cars are coming -- and they’re going to drive ...

    Autonomous cars are coming -- and they’re going to drive better than you. Chris Gerdes reveals how he and his team are developing robotic race cars that can drive at 150 mph while avoiding every possible accident. And yet, in studying the brainwaves of professional racing drivers, Gerdes says he has gained a new appreciation for the instincts of professional drivers. (Filmed at TEDxStanford.)

    Jul 11, 2012 Read more
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    Massimo Banzi: How Arduino is open-sourcing imagination

    Massimo Banzi helped invent the Arduino, a tiny, easy-to-use open-source ...

    Massimo Banzi helped invent the Arduino, a tiny, easy-to-use open-source microcontroller that's inspired thousands of people around the world to make the coolest things they can imagine -- from toys to satellite gear. Because, as he says, "You don't need anyone's permission to make something great."

    Jun 27, 2012 Read more
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    John Hodgman: Design, explained.

    John Hodgman, comedian and resident expert, "explains" the design of ...

    John Hodgman, comedian and resident expert, "explains" the design of three iconic modern objects. (From The Design Studio session at TED2012, guest-curated by Chee Pearlman and David Rockwell.)

    Jun 8, 2012 Read more
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    Damian Palin: Mining minerals from seawater

    The world needs clean water, and more and more, we're ...

    The world needs clean water, and more and more, we're pulling it from the oceans, desalinating it, and drinking it. But what to do with the salty brine left behind? In this intriguing short talk, TED Fellow Damian Palin proposes an idea: Mine it for other minerals we need, with the help of some collaborative metal-munching bacteria.

    Jun 7, 2012 Read more
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    Carl Schoonover: How to look inside the brain

    There have been remarkable advances in understanding the brain, but ...

    There have been remarkable advances in understanding the brain, but how do you actually study the neurons inside it? Using gorgeous imagery, neuroscientist and TED Fellow Carl Schoonover shows the tools that let us see inside our brains.

    May 17, 2012 Read more
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