PopTech Audio: PopCasts

Esther Duflo: Ending Poverty

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:00:28 +0000

Esther Duflo, MIT economist and co-founder of the Poverty Action Lab, asks why the world’s poorest people tend to stay poor. Duflo’s pioneering research applies randomized trials, used extensively in drug discovery research, to development economics. What she discovers are strategies for transforming current approaches to development policy.

George Church: Know Your Genes

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:57:34 +0000

Geneticist George Church believes that genome sequencing can bring us closer to personalized medicine. Several years ago, Church launched the Personal Genome Project, a public database that connects genes to diseases as well as physical and biological characteristics. 100,000 volunteers are expected to contribute by 2010.

Serena Koenig - PopTech 2006

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:10:14 +0000

Dr. Serena Koenig, director of Haiti programs for Partners in Health, isn’t afraid to ask the searing questions, especially about global inequalities in health care. With a simple philosophy—equal lives deserve equal treatment—she addresses the dilemma head-on.

Willie Smits: Saving Rainforests

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:22:38 +0000

Biologist Willie Smits has spent the last thirty years searching for ways to restore fragile ecosystems. From his home in Indonesia – a leading producer of greenhouse gases – Smits has discovered a method of sustainable energy production: using the forest to generate biofuels with a carbon-positive impact.

Katy Payne: Elephant Songs

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:13:11 +0000

Animal communication researcher Katy Payne has been studying the sounds of African elephants and humpback whales for decades. Her research has led her to fascinating conclusions on how acoustic phenomena shape relationships and communities. In1999, Payne founded the Elephant Listening Project to monitor elephants’ movements.

Luis von Ahn Harnesses Brainpower

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:10:08 +0000

Computer scientist Luis von Ahn’s programs harness the human brainpower to solve complex problems. von Ahn invented ReCaptcha, a program that uses squiggly characters that humans easily decipher but blocks spambots – and helps digitize millions of old texts. The CMU professor also makes games that use human knowledge to improve computers. Find them at gwap.com.

Zee Avi: You Tube Sensation

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:43:03 +0000

Shortly after posting self-styled videos on You Tube, singer songwriter Zee Avi woke up to 3,000 emails one morning. One offered her a recording contract with Brushfire Records. Since then, Avi left her home in Kuala Lumpur for Los Angeles. Avi performs melodic, melancholy songs tinged with irrepressible optimism. mp3s: 1, 2, 3, 4

Zoë Keating: Radical Cello

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:51:21 +0000

Cellist Zoë Keating uses a cello and a small box of electronics to create a one-woman avant-garde orchestra. A former member of the cello-rock trio Rasputina, Keating has played live on radio and television, in the Nevada desert, in medieval churches, punk clubs, and in venues across North America and Europe.

John Forté: An Impresario Returns

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:36:35 +0000

John Forté is an accomplished musician and producer who recently released StyleFREE the EP, his first album since serving seven years in federal prison. Forte’s career was interrupted by a 14-year sentence for a first-time non-violent drug offense; Former President Bush commuted his sentence in 2008. mp3s: 1, 2, 3, 4

Zoë Keating: Avant-Cello

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 22:02:04 +0000

Dan Nocera: Personalized Energy

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:50:16 +0000

MIT Professor Dan Nocera believes he can solve the world’s energy problems with an Olympic-sized pool of water. Nocera and his research team have identified a simple technique for powering the Earth inexpensively---by using the sun to split water and store energy---and thus making the large-scale deployment of personalized solar energy possible.

Nicole Kuepper: Low-cost Solar

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:47:26 +0000

Ph.D. candidate Nicole Kuepper has been passionate about solar energy since she received a toy solar-powered car for her 8th birthday. Kuepper has recently patented a simple low-temperature process for printing low-cost solar cells that could make solar energy affordable across the developing world.

Laura Kurgan: Human Geographies

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:53:46 +0000

Architect Laura Kurgan is the Co-Director of the Spatial Information Design Lab at Columbia University. Kurgan visualizes complex political and social data to advocate for social reform. One project, “Million Dollar Blocks”, shows how the government spends more than one million dollars to incarcerate prisoners who live within a single census block.

Ashley Merryman on Parenting

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:22:10 +0000

Ashley Merryman has co-authored numerous articles about parenthood. Over the past two years, she and journalist Po Bronson have collaborated on an award-winning series of articles in New York Magazine. Their most recent work, a book titled NurtureShock, explores cutting edge research that challenges many familiar myths about how to best parent kids.

Steve Barr Fixes Failing Schools

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:14:23 +0000

According to Steve Barr, the fastest way to fix education in America would be to make private schools illegal. As the founder of Green Dot Public Schools, Barr is devoted to improving public education in blighted cities. His efforts have transformed high schools across Los Angeles into charter schools that send nearly 80% of students to college.

Dennis Littky on Big Picture Ed

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:18:51 +0000

The co-founder and co-director of Big Picture Learning, Dennis Littky believes that cookie-cutter teaching fails too many students. So Littky works to make alternative, non-standardized curriculums the new standard. Big Picture now has more than 70 schools nationwide.

Gideon Obarzanek’s Digital Moves

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:25:22 +0000

Hailed by The Australian as the country’s best modern dance company, choreographer Gideon Obarzanek’s Chunky Move dazzles audiences with its use of site-specific installations and interactive sound and light technologies. Obarzanek's avant-garde performances explore the tensions between the rational world we live in and richness of our imagination.

Neri Oxman: On Designing Form

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:13:13 +0000

Architect Neri Oxman is the founder of MATERIALECOLOGY, an interdisciplinary design initiative expanding the boundaries of computational form-generation and material engineering. Named one of Fast Company’s “100 Most Creative People in Business,” Oxman investigates the material and performance of nature in an effort to define form itself.

Reuben Margolin's Kinetic Art

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:22:16 +0000

First inspired by the mysterious and mathematical qualities of a caterpillar’s crawl, artist Reuben Margolin creates large-scale kinetic sculptures that use pulleys and motors to create the complex movements and structures we see in nature. Margolin takes to the PopTech stage to share some of his extraordinary mechanical installations.

Anthony Doerr: Butterflies

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:20:58 +0000

Fiction writer and memoirist Anthony Doerr is the author of three books: The Shell Collector, About Grace, and Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World. In this moving story, the award-winning writer shares a chance encounter between migrants in western Wyoming.

Robert Guest: On U.S. Power

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:15:05 +0000

Robert Guest is a Washington correspondent and the Lexington columnist for The Economist, covering American news and politics. Despite some predictions otherwise, Guest suggests that America is uniquely positioned to continue as the world's leading superpower thanks to its unparalleled ability to attract working immigrants from around the world.

Anthony Doerr: Am I Still Here

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:24:49 +0000

Fiction writer and memoirist Anthony Doerr is the author of three books, The Shell Collector, About Grace, and Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World. Here, the award-winning writer shares a story about how networked technologies can alienate us from nature and the things that matter most.

Paul van Zyl: Legacy of Torture

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:47:39 +0000

Co-founder of the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), Paul Van Zyl has devoted his career to human rights. The South African has been helping his country out of apartheid through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Van Zyl calls on America to hold its own commission to "openly and publicly" confront the torture that recently occurred in Guantanamo and elsewhere.

Alec Ross on Statecraft 3.0

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:45:04 +0000

Senior Advisor on Innovation to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Alec Ross, says it's time to reboot US diplomatic efforts abroad. Ross calls for 21st century statecraft based on the innovative use of new media. Previously, Ross co-founded One Economy, a nonprofit devoted to closing the digital divide, and brought his expertise to then Senator Obama’s presidential campaign.

Erica Williams on Youth Politics

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:42:22 +0000

Erica Williams is a Washington, D.C.-based activist and commentator who currently serves as the Deputy Director of Campus Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress. In this riveting Poptech talk, Williams discusses how the Millennial generation—today’s 18-30 year olds—are re-imagining the nature of political engagement.

Michael Pollan: Sustainable Food

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:15:25 +0000

Author and activist Michael Pollan is a passionate advocate for sustainable food. In his compelling PopTech talk, he explores how our industrial food system keeps us overly dependent on fossil fuels, destroys our environment, and makes us sick. Breaking this cycle requires changing our relationship to food - and eating more meals together.

Will Allen on Urban Farming

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:08:22 +0000

Will Allen is co-founder and director of Growing Power, Inc., an organization that is transforming the production and delivery of healthy foods to underserved, urban populations. Growing Power operates as an urban farm and education center in Milwaukee, WI, and more recently, Chicago, teaching urban youth how to produce low-cost healthy foods for their communities.

Marije Vogelzang: Dine By Design

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:32:24 +0000

Marije Vogelzang runs her own food-design laboratory, Proef. She is inspired by everything that surrounds the act of eating – from the stories and rituals surrounding food preparation to the emotional impact of the texture and color of specific foods. The result? Edible art installations that are at once provocative and intimate.

Saul Griffith audits energy use

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:00:49 +0000

Inventor, engineer and MacArthur Genius Grant-winner, Saul Griffith thought he was an eco-prude until he audited his total power consumption and learned he burns three times the energy as the average European. So, he developed Wattzon.com, a free, online tool we can use to gauge our energy footprints and learn how to reduce our roles in climate change.

Jason Aramburu: New Energy

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:52:50 +0000

2009 PopTech Fellow Jason Aramburu launched re:char in 2005 to develop low-cost technologies that fight climate change while improving the quality of degraded soils. re:char’s systems convert agricultural waste into renewable fuel and into biochar, sequestering atmospheric carbon and improving soil quality.

Eben Bayer: Bio-packaging

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:54:58 +0000

2009 PopTech Fellow Eben Bayer is co-founder of Ecovative Design, an initiative that transforms low-value agricultural byproducts into strong biological composites that can be used as biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastics, foams, and packaging materials.

Paula Kahumbu: Conservation 2.0

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:59:49 +0000

As executive director of WildlifeDirect, 2009 PopTech Fellow Paula Kahumbu is building a global wildlife conservation community that connects conservationists and their supporters through blogs and direct funding. The goal: a movement powerful enough to reverse catastrophic species loss in Africa and around the world.

Emily Pilloton: Design for Change

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:14:50 +0000

2009 PopTech Fellow Emily Pilloton founded Project H Design to mobilize innovative product design for social good. In its first year, the organization built a community of more than 300 designers and launched more than 20 projects in 6 countries. These initiatives include water transport solutions and designs for foster care therapy.

Josh Nesbit: Mobile Healthcare

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:09:29 +0000

2009 PopTech Fellow Josh Nesbit co-founded FrontlineSMS:Medic to bring the innovative use of mobile phones for healthcare to the developing world. A central clinic laptop runs FrontlineSMS software, enabling community health workers to use text messages to coordinate patient care, offer mobile diagnostics, and map health services.

Nigel Waller on the Mobile Cloud

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:26:10 +0000

2009 PopTech Fellow Nigel Waller launched Movirtu to provide virtual mobile phone services for people earning less than two dollars a day. As Movirtu expands across Africa and Asia, even the poorest individuals can send text messages and make mobile payments as well as find work and access healthcare.

Malcolm Gladwell: Human potential

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:54:23 +0000

Pop sociologist and best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell has honed in on a profound new question: what separates extraordinary and average people? Discussing findings from his much-anticipated book "Outliers," Gladwell details how we're squandering human potential everywhere from the football field to the classroom - and what we can do to change it.

Nina Jablonski: power of touch

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:36:02 +0000

A decade of e-mailing, IM’ing and social networking is beginning to undo forty million years of touching as a primary human modality. Acclaimed primatologist and evolutionary biologist, Nina Jablonski explores this change, man’s role as the only "self-decorating ape," and how our underappreciated skin holds the key to our humanity.

Hasan Elahi lives in public

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:16:09 +0000

Since being detained and interrogated by the FBI as a suspected terrorist, Hasan Elahi has documented his every move in maps and images on the web. He walks us through his “little” self-surveillance experiment, where he’s found that the more public his personal information, the more protected he is.

Elizabeth Streb's extreme moves

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:37:54 +0000

Who says we should only dance on our feet and not on our shoulders, hands or backs? Why dance on the ground but not in the sky? Take a look as self-described 'action inventor' Elizabeth Streb dreams up new ways to set the human body in motion.

Jay Parkinson's Medicine 2.0

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:03:47 +0000

Dr. Parkinson re-imagines the doctor/patient relationship, marrying social networking, IM, video chat, SMS and PayPal with old-fashioned, doctor-in-your-neighborhood, quality care. Pay a virtual visit to his Web 2.0 primary care practice, Hello Health, which offers a new way of keeping people well.

Jonathan Harris on web stories

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:30:12 +0000

Jonathan Harris is redefining the idea of what it means to tell a story. Take a ride through an arctic whale hunt and plunge headfirst into the feelings Harris finds running rampant in cyberspace as he describes what he calls “storytelling platforms.”

Amos Lee's folk soul

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:59:32 +0000

Singer-songwriter Amos Lee’s rich, soulful vocals have been heard everywhere from “The Tonight Show” to “Grey’s Anatomy,” as well as on tour with Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello and Norah Jones. Listen in as he croons a four song medley that takes the Pop!Tech audience to another place.

David Rakoff on cultural excess

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:07:20 +0000

Come along as the brilliantly acerbic David Rakoff takes the Pop!Tech audience on a hilarious journey through our nation's quest for culinary perfection and other cultural excesses.

Abby Falik: Global Service

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:25:43 +0000

2008 PopTech Fellow Abby Falik is the founder and CEO of Global Citizen Year (GCY), which aims to institutionalize a global service “gap year” for young Americans between high school and college – fundamentally transforming how they understand and act on their responsibilities as global citizens.

Janine Benyus - PopTech 2004

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:16:34 +0000

Champion of the Earth honoree and biomimicry pioneer Janine Benyus has transformed the way we think about innovation and design. Benyus challenges us to study nature’s best ideas, then imitate its designs and processes to solve some of our greatest human challenges.

Frans deWaal - PopTech 2004

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:12:20 +0000

Renowned primatologist, psychologist and ethologist Frans de Waal wants to convince us we’re all basically apes, saying we’d be much happier if we paid attention to some of the basic principals of cooperative social behavior that even primates are sensitive to. Watching monkeys engage in peace-making, power relationships and reciprocity is a potent reminder of just how alike we are.

Barry Schwartz - PopTech 2004

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:52:38 +0000

What makes us happy? Societies flourish and people are most content when they are faced with fewer choices and more constraints argues psychologist Barry Schwartz. We are tortured by the idea of having it all - “Impossible!”, he says.

Mark Lynas - PopTech 2005

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:45:53 +0000

Environmental journalist Mark Lynas reports from his global tour of climate change hotspots - documenting the dramatic effects that even one degree of global warming may have around the world.

The Yes Men - PopTech 2006

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:29:47 +0000

Practicing “identity correction” – the Yes Men target large corporations that put profits ahead of everything else. Getting inside the system, and impersonating business leaders, they smuggle stories out to the world to expose big business wrong-doing.

Carolyn Porco - PopTech 2005

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:03:28 +0000

As leader of the Imaging Science Team on the Cassini mission to Saturn, Carolyn Porco brings to the Pop!Tech stage breathtaking images and stories of exploration and discovery that, by her own admission, make grown men cry.

Robert Neuwirth - PopTech 2005

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:35:38 +0000

Having spent two years living in squatter communities across four continents, urban ethnographer Robert Neuwirth finds people living lives of complexity, challenge, and surprising resiliency.

Suketu Mehta - PopTech 2005

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:09:54 +0000

Writer Suketu Mehta glimpses our possible urban future through the lens of the vastly contrasting lifestyles in Mumbai, the biggest, fastest, richest city in India, and with a population of 21 million, larger and more crowded than many nation states.

John Priscu - PopTech 2008

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:55:49 +0000

Join polar scientist John Priscu – and his autonomous robots - as he takes us miles below the Antarctic ice to search for living organisms that may have been cut off from the rest of the planet’s ecosystem for millions of years.

Project Masiluleke: Robert Fabricant

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:42:56 +0000

A signature program of the Pop!Tech Accelerator, Project Masiluleke, harnesses the power of mobile devices to help reverse South Africa’s crippling HIV/AIDS and TB crises. Partners from frog design, iTeach and the Praekelt Foundation discuss the program’s breakthrough approach, which endeavors to connect millions to testing and care. This is Robert Fabricant's talk.

Frank Warren - PopTech 2008

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:36:27 +0000

Four years ago, Frank Warren walked the streets of DC at night, handing out self-addressed postcards to strangers, soliciting their secrets. Watch as the creator of the wildly popular blog PostSecret reveals some of the hundreds of thousands of secrets shared by people from around the world in those four years…including a few of his own.

K. David Harrison - PopTech 2008

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:03:35 +0000

K. David Harrison discusses how language death leads to intellectual impoverishment in all fields of science and culture. Watch as he details efforts to sustain, value and revitalize linguistic diversity worldwide.

Carl Safina - PopTech 2008

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:55:16 +0000

Ecologist, author and lifelong fisherman Carl Safina is fighting to wake people up to the fact that fish are going the way of the buffalo. In this eye-opening Pop!Cast, Safina paints a grim portrait of the impact we’re having on the Earth’s oceans and what we need to do to turn the tide.

Laura Waters Hinson - PopTech 2008

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:50:25 +0000

Filmmaker Laura Waters Hinson went to Rwanda with a chilling question: is it possible to forgive the person who killed your family? Hear the stories of reconciliation she found while making “As We Forgive,” which documents how confessed murderers and genocide survivors are partnering to rebuild Rwanda.

Gary Slutkin - PopTech 2008

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:29:40 +0000

After spending years in Africa fighting AIDS, TB and cholera with the W.H.O., Gary Slutkin returned to Chicago and had an epiphany: the violence plaguing his hometown exhibited all the signs of an infectious disease. Learn how he’s applied epidemiological principles to reduce shootings and violent crime in inner-city Chicago neighborhoods by as much as 75%.

Eric Dawson: Peace Games

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:32:03 +0000

2008 PopTech Fellow Eric Dawson launched Peace Games to address sky-rocketing youth homicide rates. Peace Games has already reached 40,000 children and families in five states, and is changing school cultures – teaching students the conflict resolution and peacemaking skills critical to create a safe learning environment.

Suzanne Seggerman - PopTech 2008

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:34:05 +0000

Suzanne Seggerman is President and co-founder of Games 4 Change, an organization that helps individuals and organizations develop digital games for social change. Listen in as she surveys the burgeoning serious games movement, which uses game technology to address the most serious issues of our day: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, poverty, global warming and the genocide in Darfur.

Ransler & Sinha: Husk Power

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:29:22 +0000

2008 PopTech Fellows Chip Ransler and Manoj Sinha are key principals behind Husk Power Systems (HPS), a for-profit company that’s created a proprietary technology to cost-effectively convert rice husks into electricity. HPS delivers electricity – and dramatically improved lives – to India’s “Rice Belt.”

Erik Hersman: Mapping Crises

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:07:39 +0000

2008 PopTech Fellow Erik Hersman is an innovator and technologist advancing the use of technology as an empowerment tool in the developing world. He is a co-founder of Ushahidi – a free, open source, Web / mobile-based platform capable of crowd-sourcing, sharing and mapping crisis information in near real time.

Melanie Edwards: Counting Lives

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:03:28 +0000

2008 PopTech Fellow Melanie Edwards launched Mobile Metrix to identify and serve the world's one billion "invisible" people. Mobile Metrix connects those at the base of the pyramid to critical products and services, and develops, administers and analyzes surveys for partners and local communities.

Priti Radhakrishnan: Health Access

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:58:29 +0000

2008 PopTech Fellow Priti Radhakrishnan is Co-Director of Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge (I-MAK), a team of lawyers and scientists working to strengthen patent systems and encourage innovation in new medicines, while expanding broad access to the best and latest treatments.

Tevis Howard: Microforestry

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:12:19 +0000

2008 PopTech Fellow Tevis Howard founded KOMAZA to help end extreme poverty for rural Kenyan families living in arid landscapes. The organization partners with poor families to plant high-profit commercial tree farms that generate life-changing income and help preserve indigenous biodiversity.

Tshewang Dendup: Evolving Bhutan

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:04:32 +0000

2008 PopTech Fellow Tshewang Dendup of the Bhutan Broadcasting Service is training his compatriots in journalism, filmmaking, business, and other key skills to help them thrive as Bhutan undergoes its historic transition from absolute monarchy to democracy.

Sigworth & Thompson: Secure Meds

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:43:53 +0000

2008 PopTech Fellows Taylor Thompson and Nathan Sigworth are co-founders of PharmaSecure, a for-profit startup with a breakthrough solution to the $50+ billion, global pharmaceutical counterfeiting racket – which kills millions each year.

Peter Whybrow - PopTech 2008

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:08:30 +0000

Leading neuropsychiatrist Peter Whybrow recently authored "American Mania: When More Is Not Enough," a neurobiological look at the instinctual and social behaviors that balance a market economy. Pay attention as he explains how America's reward-driven culture is pushing the physiological limits of our evolutionary inheritance - making us sick in body and mind.

Brian McCarthy: Container Homes

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:16:02 +0000

2008 PopTech Fellow Brian McCarthy is Founder and CEO of PFNC, a manufacturer and provider of affordable housing. The company converts surplus U.S. shipping containers into residences for the 1.1 million laborers who work in maquiladoras in Mexico, providing improved safety and sanitation and enabling wealth creation.

Laurie Garrett - PopTech 2008

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:57:32 +0000

The only author to ever win a Peabody, Polk and Pulitzer, Garrett has a distinct and well-informed perspective on the failings of our global health system. Here she has some critical considerations for increasing the effectiveness of aid to Africa, narrowing the life expectancy gap between the developed and developing worlds, and preventing the spread of pandemics.

Ian Lipkin - PopTech 2008

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:51:57 +0000

Pioneering epidemiologist Dr. Lipkin is developing world-changing methods to rapidly identify and decode mystery pathogens. Listen as he explains how an increased understanding of "zoonotic diseases," coupled with advancements in diagnostic technology, is helping us to predict and prevent the next SARS or HIV/AIDS.

Kelly Dobson - PopTech 2008

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:44:49 +0000

An eminent roboticist and Ph.D. at MIT's Media Lab, Dobson is exploring "machine therapy" - a personal, societal and psychoanalytical study of machine design and its effects on peoples' everyday lives. Watch as she exhibits Screambody, Blendie and Omo, three fascinating robots that respond to - and influence - their users in provocative ways.

Steven Badylak - PopTech 2008

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:46:09 +0000

Last year regenerative medicine expert Dr. Badylak shocked the medical world when two of his patients re-grew severed fingertips in just six weeks. Learn how he and his colleagues are applying this breakthrough solution to help Iraqi war veterans re-grow tissue and body parts lost in battle.

Heather Fleming: Design for Good

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:35:45 +0000

2008 PopTech Fellow Heather Fleming is the founder of Catapult Design, which helps foundations and non-profits apply design thinking to global development. Hear her discuss breakthrough design projects, including a low-cost wind turbine that can charge a cell phone or power LED lighting.

Kushal Chakrabarti: P2P Ed Loans

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:17:51 +0000

2008 PopTech Fellow Kushal Chakrabarti’s Vittana Foundation brings student loans to the developing world through the power of person-to-person micro-lending – eliminating barriers to education and providing a path to meaningful, productive employment.

Ken Banks: Mobile-Enabled Change

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:12:45 +0000

2008 PopTech Fellow Ken Banks is the founder of kiwanja.net, which helps non-profits put mobiles to work through innovative offerings like FrontlineSMS – free software enabling coordinated, many-to-many, two-way text messaging. Ken’s solutions are being used worldwide to improve communications in a variety of critical situations.

Imogen Heap - PopTech 2008

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:55:36 +0000

Imogen Heap is an ethereal, Grammy-nominated, electronic chanteuse. Bear witness to her powers of improvisation and see her perform the global smash hit "Hide and Seek" live on the Pop!Tech stage.

Chandler Burr - PopTech 2008

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:52:00 +0000

Chandler Burr is the New York Times' first-ever fragrance critic. His knowledge of the history, culture, emotion, economics, science and global geography of scent may be unrivaled. Come along with Chandler as he leads the Camden Opera House on an interactive, hyper-articulate and hilarious olfactory journey.

Pamela Ronald - PopTech 2008

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:42:56 +0000

You might think that genetically engineered agriculture and organic farming are diametrically opposed, but Pamela Ronald - chair of the Plant Genomics Program at UC Davis - argues the two go together like peanut butter and chocolate. In this informative Pop!Tech talk, Ronald describes how marrying organic farming techniques with G.E. crops holds the potential to help solve the impending global food crisis.

Clay Shirky - PopTech 2008

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:17:42 +0000

Internet guru Clay Shirky presents the chaos of the Web in stunningly clear terms, documenting what a "spontaneously, self-assembling, online philanthropic venture" tells us about human motivation. He explains "designing for generosity," and what we can learn about it from the Josh Groban Foundation, Napster and a top online mobile phone forum.

Bill Bishop - PopTech 2008

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:08:59 +0000

Author of the striking book “The Big Sort: Why the clustering of like-minded America is tearing us apart,” Bishop is ringing an alarm bell on the country’s self-imposed “way-of-life segregation.” Here he details the increasing polarization of American communities and the corresponding impact on American culture, politics, economy and potential.

Rufus Cappadocia and Friends - PopTech 2008

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:51:03 +0000

Rapidly-rising, uncategorizeable cellist Rufus Cappadocia joins forces with a group of incredible Haitian drummers for one of the most rousing performances of Pop!Tech ‘08.

Benjamin Zander - PopTech 2008

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:39:29 +0000

The only conductor to ever lead the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Zander is a prophet of human potential and an unrivaled champion of joie de vivre. Watch as he helps unlock the boundless potential of a 15 year old cellist and teaches the entire Pop!Tech audience what it means to live in a world of possibility.

Marian Bantjes - PopTech 2008

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:26:57 +0000

The legendary Stefan Sagmeister calls Bantjes "one of the most innovative typographers working today,” but on the Pop!Tech stage she eclipsed that lofty praise, marrying poignant personal stories with visually stunning design. Prepare to be wowed as Marian holds forth on the infinity of inspiration and the inherent wonder in cathedrals, neurons, love letters…and cake.

Project Masiluleke - PopTech 2008

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 02:01:03 +0000

A signature program of the PopTech Accelerator, Project Masiluleke, harnesses the power of mobile devices to help reverse South Africa’s crippling HIV/AIDS and TB crises. Partners from frog design, iTeach and the Praekelt Foundation discuss the program’s breakthrough approach, which endeavors to connect millions to testing and care.

Matt Mason - PopTech 2008

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:56:31 +0000

Journalist, author and former pirate radio DJ Matt Mason argues that if you can’t stop the pirates – and you can’t – you should figure out how to out-compete them (like Apple did). Mason is an ardent believer that where there’s piracy, there’s market failure – and a big opportunity for organizations smart enough to understand that “you should talk to marketing before you talk to legal.”

Zainab Salbi - PopTech 2007

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:12:35 +0000

Zainab Salbi, co-founder and president of Women for Women International, gives a voice to what she calls the “backline” of war—the often unheard and ignored experiences of women and their efforts to survive the terrifying consequences of the frontline.

Jay Keasling - PopTech 2007

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:50:12 +0000

Through a series of chemical reactions and a re-imagining of intellectual property practices, Jay Keasling and his partners at One World Health expect to have effective, affordable malaria pills in the hands of African children in a few years. Inspired? There’s more. Watch as Keasling describes the boundless possibilities of metabolic engineering and non-profit biotechnology.

Bill Shannon - PopTech 2007

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:48:29 +0000

Bill Shannon dances — on four legs. Born with a bilateral hip deformity, this ingenious performance artist’s work will challenge your notions of disability.

Enric Sala - PopTech 2007

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 21:58:00 +0000

Watch pioneering marine ecologist and Scripps Institution professor Enric Sala build a time machine to the 16th century – exposing a pristine coral reef few human eyes have ever glimpsed. He also explains how 99.9% of the world’s coral reef research has been flawed and posits tourism as a way to save these endangered, natural wonders.

Cary Fowler - PopTech 2007

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 21:25:11 +0000

Agricultural impresario Cary Fowler is kind of a latter-day Superman: his mission is to protect life on Earth, and he even operates out of an arctic fortress. While Dr. Fowler can’t fly or leap tall buildings, his work has captured the world’s imagination, and he’s safeguarding mankind’s future with a practical solution: seeds.

Bob Freling - PopTech 2007

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 21:15:50 +0000

Robert Freling has set his sights on the ambitious goal of providing clean, sustainable solar energy to the world's two billion people who currently go without. As the executive director of the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF), he works toward his goal with projects that range from powering schools and health clinics to providing access to clean water through solar-powered pumps.

Sarah Otterstrom - PopTech 2007

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 21:12:23 +0000

Ecologist and leading biodiversity conservationist Dr. Sarah Otterstrom illustrates the power of collaboration to combat climate change. Through partnerships, employment generation and environmental education in Nicaragua, Otterstrom finds ways to rebuild native forest, benefiting wildlife and people alike.

Stefano Merlin - PopTech 2007

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 21:06:45 +0000

Renewable bamboo, coconut waste and sawdust aren’t usually used as fuels for factories, but in the northeast Brazilian Atlantic rainforest, ecological expert Stefano Merlin is pushing local factories to do just that. Leading a major fuel-switching initiative that blends social and environmental responsibilities with emission reductions, Merlin hopes that his most recent work will create what he calls in this address “a long-term biomass supply for the future.”

Kelly Joe Phelps - PopTech 2007

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:52:38 +0000

With roots in folk and country-blues, Kelly Joe Phelps serves up music the Washington Post says is brimming with “poignancy, passion and spirituality.” Live on the Pop!Tech stage, the distinctive singer-songwriter coaxes satin-smooth melodies from his guitar, while his raw, honest voice delivers heartfelt lyrics.

John Legend - PopTech 2007

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:30:35 +0000

Five-time Grammy award-winner John Legend will move you and motivate you. He weaves stories from his Show Me Campaign—a movement he launched to help eradicate extreme global poverty—in between each soulful song.

Vanessa German - PopTech 2007

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:39:01 +0000

In a stirring performance, slam poet and visual artist Vanessa German imagines the things she could accomplish if her hands were two shooting stars or a raucous jazz quintet.

Zoë Keating - PopTech! 2007

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:25:47 +0000

Canadian-born cellist Zoë Keating layers the sounds of her cello with live electronic sampling, as if she were an entire string ensemble condensed into one woman. Watch and listen to her infuse the Camden Opera House with wave after wave of beautiful and diverse rhythms.

Davy Rothbart - PopTech 2007

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:23:43 +0000

The creator of FOUND magazine digs up some of his best finds, ranging from unusual “To do” lists to surprising flyers and discarded notes.

Carl Honoré - PopTech 2007

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:27:31 +0000

In this busy, hectic world, speed often trumps quality of life. Best-selling author and Slow Movement purveyor Carl Honoré urges us to slow down and alter our culture of speed and its negative effect on our happiness.

Dan Gilbert - PopTech 2007

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:23:29 +0000

Why haven’t we rallied our collective power to solve global warning? Join best-selling author Dan Gilbert as he explores our capricious reaction to different threats—from tooth decay to anthrax to climate change.

Jessica Hagy - PopTech 2007

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:21:27 +0000

Equal parts artist, writer and joke teller, Jessica Hagy describes her work as “a little project that helps me make fun of some things and sense of others.” Watch how the creator of the wildly popular blog, Indexed, injects humanity, humor and a modern sensibility into her medium—the 3 x 5-inch index card.

Sheila Kennedy - PopTech 2007

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:55:00 +0000

Most of us wouldn’t see anything remarkable about a cell phone battery, a dishwasher switch and the light from a crosswalk signal. But Sheila Kennedy reveals how the combination of these common items can create something groundbreaking: portable, durable, reliable lighting for the third world.

Caleb Chung - PopTech 2007

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:39:32 +0000

Toy designer Caleb Chung—famous for creating 1998’s hot toy of the year, “Furby” — provides a playful peak into his wild creative process. He reveals that his recipe for success is to blend the uniquely human qualities of artistry and empathy with the science of technology.

Daniel Pink - PopTech 2007

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:36:45 +0000

Provocateur Daniel Pink has built a career on his keen insights into business, technology and the economy. Engaging, enlightening and funny, the best-selling author heralds a new job market—one that devalues the logical and rule-based in favor of the artistic, empathic and inventive.

Louann Brizendine - PopTech 2007

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:28:06 +0000

Dr. Louann Brizendine, founder of the Women’s Mood and Hormone Clinic and author of the bestselling book, The Female Brain, tells us why the brain is not a unisex organ. She offers compelling insight into how these differences explain distinct emotional and behavioral patterns between genders.

Steven Pinker - 2007

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:24:42 +0000

What can we glean about underlying thought structures from the way we ask someone to "pass the guacamole"? Preeminent psychologist and best-selling author Steven Pinker examines how the words we use, from swears to simple requests at the dinner table, reflect how we think.

Adrian Bowyer - PopTech 2007

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:20:17 +0000

A machine that builds itself? Adrian Bowyer, leading researcher at the University of Bath, shows us that this seemingly fantastic idea is not far from becoming reality. The self-replicating rapid prototyper, or “RepRap,” could have dramatic effects on people in developing countries.

Paul Polak - PopTech 2007

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:09:59 +0000

From his extensive experiences working with the poor of the developing world, Paul Polak has learned a lot about effective market-based approaches to alleviating poverty. He argues that in order to be successful, solutions must be simple, inexpensive, easy to reproduce, and most important, respond to the expressed needs of the people they are meant to benefit.

Jessica Flannery - PopTech 2007

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:05:34 +0000

The cofounder of Kiva.org, the first peer-to-peer microloan website, demonstrates how the Internet can facilitate meaningful, positive connections between lenders and entrepreneurs in the developing world and even help us all become microfinanciers.

Christian Nold - PopTech 2007

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:01:29 +0000

Christian Nold thinks we should pay more attention to how our environment shapes our emotional and physiological states. His work with Bio Mapping—which measures people’s responses to their environment and connects those feelings to their physical location—suggests that a map of emotional landscapes represents a powerful tool for analyzing the relationship between place and broader social issues.

Chris Jordan - PopTech 2007

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:36:08 +0000

Artist Chris Jordan brings the enormous scale of our mass consumption into high-resolution. He shares Running the Numbers, composite photographs of discarded cell phones, computers, aluminum cans and other modern detritus, urging us to consider the consequences of our consumer culture while insisting that each of us has the power to make a difference.

Victoria Hale - PopTech 2007

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:07:20 +0000

Simply put, Victoria Hale’s organization has saved thousands of lives. Join the founder of OneWorld Health—the first nonprofit pharmaceutical company in the US—as she shares her vision of bringing an end to what she calls the “diseases of poverty.”

Van Jones - PopTech 2007

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:03:57 +0000

Activist Van Jones is tackling two of our biggest problems—urban poverty and environmental peril—with a fresh, dynamic plan. His vision for providing America’s poor with "green jobs instead of jails" touts a Green Revolution that includes everyone.

Kwame Anthony Appiah

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:31:01 +0000

Expert on race, ethics and philosophy, Kwame Anthony Appiah takes to task the myths of Western culture and civilization, explaining the “Golden Nugget” theory and its five major errors. Get ready for his deconstruction of a monolith.

Ivan Marovic - PopTech 2005

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:27:22 +0000

You say you want a revolution? Ivan Marovic’s got one for you—a nonviolent one, that is. This Serbian activist is connecting the virtual world to the real world with a video game to promote nonviolent strategies. It’s an interactive approach that teaches in a way books and films can’t.

Eloma Simpson Barnes - PopTech 2004

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:23:30 +0000

With a voice that could move a mountain, orator Eloma Simpson Barnes practically channels Martin Luther King, Jr., as she performs one of his speeches. She emulates King’s cadence, intonation and enunciation in this inspirational reminder to stand up for what you believe in.

Ben Saunders - PopTech 2004

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:02:01 +0000

Follow explorer Ben Saunders’ solo, unsupported journey across the frozen Arctic Ocean and grasp the true limits of human potential. At 26, he’s the youngest person to ski to the North Pole and only the fourth in history to accomplish the feat. He’s also witness to climate change at work.

Richard Alley - PopTech 2004

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:37:01 +0000

Get inspired by Richard Alley’s optimistic view on global warming. This world-renowned paleoclimatologist does have some bad news about climate change, although he’ll convince you that we not only have the tools to solve the problem, but we can make money doing it too.

Brian Fagan - PopTech 2004

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:26:18 +0000

If you think this is the first time humans have grappled with climate change, you weren’t paying attention in archeology class. Join world-famous archeologist Brian Fagan as he travels back in time to teach us a lesson that ancient civilizations learned the hard way: adapt or die.

Nassim Nicholas Taleb - PopTech 2005

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:23:13 +0000

Nassim Nicholas Taleb is not afraid to say “I don’t know.” In fact, he’s proud of his ignorance. A mathematician, philosopher and hedge-fund manager all in one iconoclastic package, Taleb demonstrates the wisdom in admitting the limitations of our knowledge.

African Fellows - PopTech 2005

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:15:40 +0000

Get a glimpse into the future of Africa from this astounding roundtable of African leaders. Internet entrepreneurs, peace activists, government officials, technology experts—even a Nobel Peace Prize nominee—share their visions for taking the lessons of PopTech home.

Malcolm Gladwell - PopTech 2004

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:11:40 +0000

Malcolm Gladwell takes the lessons of psychology and sociology and applies them to business in ways we’ve never thought of before. Here, he deep-dives into the world of office chair invention and soft drink taste tests to answer the question, “Can we believe what people tell us?”

J. Craig Venter - PopTech 2006

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:07:58 +0000

Dr. Craig Venter’s contributions to human genome research have made him one of the 21st century’s leading biologists. He introduces potential opportunities for using recombinant DNA and synthesized cells to help solve the world’s energy problems.

Clifford Ross - PopTech 2006

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:04:14 +0000

Artist, photographer and inventor Clifford Ross demonstrates some of the magnificent images from his invention, the R2. It’s the highest-resolution 360-degree high-definition camera array ever built. He’s using it to shoot his current project—the vast, undisturbed wetlands ecosystem of Brazil’s famed Pantanal.

Alex Steffen - PopTech 2006

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:57:59 +0000

As co-founder and editor of WorldChanging.com, Alex Steffen sees the biggest barriers to building a sustainable planet as political, not technological. Here, he offers an actionable task list of challenges, ideas, products and services to help dematerialize the world.

Bruce Sterling - PopTech 2006

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:55:20 +0000

Author, journalist and contributing editor at Wired magazine Bruce Sterling understands why people get confused about new technology concepts. In what he sees as a culture war of web semantics, Bruce gets the audience’s attention with a unique call for a new vocabulary to better describe experiences with technology.

Neema Mgana - PopTech 2006

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:53:23 +0000

Neema Mgana is a social entrepreneur, Nobel Peace Prize nominee and PopTech Fellow. She gives us an insider’s view into work she started last year with Architecture for Humanity in a PopTech match-up. Together, they’re creating a community-based health center in the rural Singida region of Tanzania.

Yungchen Lhamo - PopTech 2006

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:45:57 +0000

For many, vocalist Yungchen Lhamo has become the voice of Tibet. Yungchen’s powerful a cappella vocals fill the Camden Opera House as she weaves rich narrative with spirit to share her life’s journey.

Stewart Brand - PopTech 2006

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:26:35 +0000

Author, futurist, activist and visionary, the inimitable Stewart Brand puts a lens to the next 30 years of the green movement. He sees increasing urbanization, new cities full of young people, the expansion of environmentalism and more.

Jason Moran - PopTech 2006

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:15:55 +0000

Many consider Jason Moran, 32, the foremost jazz pianist of his generation, with seven albums under the Blue Note label since 1999. Here’s a sample of how he experiments with new methods and ideas to cook up his own flavor of jazz.

Losang Rabgey - PopTech 2006

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:29:30 +0000

Anthropologist and Tibetan studies expert Losang Rabgey shows how technology is being used to open up Tibet to the world, as well as connect lives across the region, in ways true to their various experiences.

Kevin Kelly - PopTech 2006

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:19:43 +0000

Wired editor-at-large Kevin Kelly explores the nature of technology through technology’s eyes. And, watch out!—Kevin thinks we’ll soon be dwarfed by the collective intelligence of all the technology we’re creating.

Blaine Brownell - PopTech 2006

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:12:52 +0000

Blaine Brownell is an architect obsessed with sustainable building materials. He introduces a wonderful world of products made from repurposed materials and provides a glimpse of what a post-fossil fuel world might look like.

Will Wright - PopTech 2006

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:07:13 +0000

The creative force behind The Sims series believes a complex way of understanding the world can be gained through very simple rules. Will Wright unveils his next game, Spore, where players are creators who build—and react to—ever-more complexity within their environments.

Bob Freling - PopTech 2006

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:00:44 +0000

Hear how executive director of SELF, Robert Freling, is lighting up the developing world and empowering self-sufficiency by delivering solar power to more than 2 billion people on the planet living without electricity.

Rodrigo y Gabriela - PopTech 2006

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:56:13 +0000

The Mexican acoustic guitar duo sensation Rodrigo y Gabriela put fast fingers to strings for a performance that will put you on your feet and keep you moving. There’s no better way to say it: they rock!

Brian Eno - PopTech 2006

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:18:59 +0000

Musician, producer and artist Brian Eno shows how simple things can give rise to complex things—in art and life. See how he uses Darwin’s ecological model of the world as a roadmap for human culture now and in the future.

Homaro Cantu - PopTech 2006

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:15:05 +0000

Part mad scientist, part artist, chef Homaro Cantu pushes the traditional limits of known taste, texture and technique in a stunning futuristic fashion. With lab partner Ben Roche, Homaro slices and dices technology to reinvent the way people eat.

Lester Brown - PopTech 2006

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:09:21 +0000

Lester Brown, preeminent environmentalist and head of the Earth Policy Institute, warns that society is too dependent on fossil fuels, and consumption habits must change to maintain a healthy social, economic and environmental balance in the world.

Marcia McNutt - PopTech 2005

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:07:20 +0000

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute director Marcia McNutt takes us on an amazing, otherworldly tour of the deep seas, the incomprehensible life still undiscovered there, and the full power and potential of our oceans.

Jonathan Coulton - PopTech 2006

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:52:37 +0000

Code Monkey get up. Code Monkey go to job. Code Monkey have boring meeting. With boring manager Rob. Want more from singer/songwriter and Pop!Tech balladeer Jonathan Coulton? Download podcast, Monkey.

Theo Jansen - PopTech 2005

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:49:37 +0000

Blending the line between art and engineering, this Dutch visual artist creates “life” in the form of “animals” that walk the beach in the Netherlands, and, to the delight of PopTechers, the stage and streets of Camden, Maine

Bunker Roy - PopTech 2005

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:46:00 +0000

Profound respect for collective wisdom and traditional skills permeate Bunker Roy’s tale of how his Barefoot College empowers local people to improve their communities by demystifying technology and recognizing the dignity of labor.

Marianne Weems - PopTech 2006

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:40:43 +0000

As artistic director of the New York-based performance and media ensemble The Builders Association, Marianne Weems shows us how she puts technology at center stage to extend the boundaries of contemporary theater.

Chris Anderson - PopTech 2006

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:30:12 +0000

What happens when material things become free? Long Tail author and Wired magazine editor Chris Anderson examines new models of wealth distribution and claims we’re moving from economies of scarcity to an age of abundance.

Kent Nichols - PopTech 2006

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:27:44 +0000

What does the future of entertainment look like? Ask a ninja! Entertainer, tech geek and co-creator of AskaNinja.com, Kent Nichols, delivers his rules for phenomenal success in the Participation Economy.

Erin McKean - PopTech 2006

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:14:42 +0000

Self-proclaimed word geek Erin McKean, editor-in-chief of U.S. Dictionaries for Oxford University Press, is on a mission to debunk common misconceptions and elevate the use—and cool factor—of dictionaries. And what’s this about dictionaries being “the vodka of literature”?

Martin Marty - PopTech 2006

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:11:21 +0000

A foremost interpreter of religion and culture says we’re missing a rest-of-world perspective about faith. Martin Marty invites a broader definition of religion as well as a closer look at its meaning for the majority of the world.

Richard Dawkins - PopTech 2006

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:09:01 +0000

Richard Dawkins believes science’s ability to admit ignorance is one of its greatest strengths. On the flip side, he proposes that faith remains arrogant and all too certain of its validity without any rational set of proofs.

Sinikithemba Choir - PopTech 2006

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:06:42 +0000

Prepare to be moved … “Sinikithemba” is Zulu for “give us hope” or “we give hope.” This group of HIV-positive Zulu men and women who provide support to persons with HIV/AIDS at McCord Hospital in Durban shake down the house.

Zinhle Thabethe - PopTech 2006

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:04:38 +0000

Zinhle Thabethe has faced the prospect of her own death. Her personal stories about survival and family loss reflect a nation’s epidemic in a sobering and inspirational wake-up call.

Reggie Watts - PopTech 2006

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:01:45 +0000

Hop on board. Writer, composer, musician and comedian extraordinaire Reggie Watts leads a musical trip that’ll get (and keep) you movin’.

Juan Enriquez - PopTech 2006

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:59:12 +0000

The stars and stripes forever? Futurist and author Juan Enriquez isn’t sure of that. He cites a long history of borders, countries and flags that have changed, and warns the United States isn’t immune.

Jesse Sullivan & Todd Kuiken - PopTech 2005

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:56:10 +0000

Don’t miss the “it” moment from Pop!Tech 2005, as the world’s first non-fictional bionic man maneuvers his prosthetic arm using only his mind. Jesse Sullivan and his doctor, Todd Kuiken, move every heart in the room with indomitable spirit and astonishing bionics.

Thomas Barnett - PopTech 2006

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:30:20 +0000

Strategist and expert on national security affairs Tom Barnett takes command and focuses in on the role of the United States in a geopolitical world of “core” and “gap” states. As you were, soldier.

Neil Gershenfeld - PopTech 2005

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:08:13 +0000

Twenty minutes may not really be enough time to fully understand the implications of the so-called Fab Lab, invented by the director of MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms. But it’s a mind-blowing place to start!

Thomas Friedman - PopTech 2006

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:58:42 +0000

You may know Tom Friedman as a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and author, but a fashionista?! Well, sort of. Tom purports that green is the new red, white and blue, and that our current energy crisis is like no other.

Aiden and Van Vuuren: Dirt Power

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:49:18 +0000

2009 PopTech Fellows Aviva Presser Aiden and Hugo Van Vuuren co-founded Lebônê Solutions in 2007 to help meet the need for off-grid energy and lighting in the developing world. Fuel cells sold by local entrepreneurs generate electricity from soil microbes to power LED lights, cell phones, and other devices.

Deb Levine: 21st Century Sex Ed

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:02:18 +0000

2009 PopTech Fellow Deb Levine founded ISIS – Internet Sexuality Information Services – in 2001 to promote sexual health. Using the web, mobile phones and other media, ISIS gives people private and convenient access to information on critical health issues like HIV prevention and unplanned pregnancies.

Derek Lomas: Open Source Games

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:05:00 +0000

2009 PopTech Fellow Derek Lomas is director of the Playpower Foundation, a global network of developers, designers, academics, NGOs and businesses. Playpower leverages the availability of ultra-low-cost computers to create and distribute affordable, effective, and fun learning games for under-privileged children worldwide.

James O'Brien: Hands-on Education

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:12:46 +0000

2009 PopTech Fellow James O'Brien assembled a staff of like-minded educators to create BCAM – Brooklyn Community Arts & Media High School. The fledgling educational-innovation tank combines performance-based academics and professional training in media and arts to prepare teenagers for success in the 21st century.

Hayat Sindi: Accessible Health

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:17:40 +0000

2009 PopTech Fellow Hayat Sindi co-founded Diagnostics For All to offer point-of-care diagnostic tools micro-fabricated in paper. These technologies allow healthcare workers to monitor the treatment of the 60% of people living beyond the reach of medical infrastructures. Sindi is also an advocate for science education and careers for women in the Middle East.

Stuckert & Rembert: Green Ideas

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:19:58 +0000

2009 PopTech Fellows Taylor Stuckert and Mark Rembert co-founded Energize Clinton County after the departure of a major employer threatened the Wilmington, Ohio region. The grassroots movement transformed the crisis into an opportunity for the region to become the country’s first Green Enterprise Zone.

PopTech 2009: Thursday Highlights

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:40:45 +0000

Erica Williams's passionate generational call, musician Zee Avi's bright lyrics, artist Chris Jordan's stunning albatross photos, Mayor John Fetterman on his town isn't, and kinetic sculptor Reuben Margolin on the movement of light.

PopTech 2009: Friday Highlights

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:54:28 +0000

Dennis Littky on why kids drop out of school, Jay Rogers on building family cars, Rinku Sen on the continuing racial divide, Zoe Keating's electronic layering of cello, Zach Lieberman on helping a paralyzed man make art, Hayat Sindi with a diagnostic lab on her fingertip, Robert Guest on America's greatest strength, and Josh Nesbit on cell phones.

PopTech 2009: Saturday Highlights

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:00:36 +0000

Michael Pollan on voting with your fork, Nick Bilton on news, Neri Oxman on an eggshell membrane, Marije Vogelzang on designing playful eating, Naif Al-Mutawa on comics, James Fowler on connections, Dean Ornish on changing your genes, and Zoë Keating, Ruby Jane Smith, Mark O'Connor musically closing the day.

Mukara Meredith

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:05:51 +0000

Tony Hey: Citizen Science

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:14:59 +0000

As Corporate Vice President of External Research for Microsoft, Tony Hey is responsible for public-private partnerships with scientific and engineering communities, government agencies, and industry partners worldwide. At PopTech 2009, Hey discussed the critical role of citizen scientists in understanding complex data-intensive problems like climate change and galaxy formation.

Lorrie Vogel: Pioneering Designs

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:15:25 +0000

As General Manager for Nike’s “Considered” team, Lorrie Vogel is conducting pioneering research in sustainable product design. Vogel says that green design requires fundamentally altering Nike business practices – which would dramatically cut waste, boost the use of eco-conscious materials, and transform social attitudes around consumption.

PopTech 2009 Fellows Presentation Highlights

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:36:39 +0000

Highlights from the Class of 2009 PopTech Social Innovation Fellows presenting on the PopTech stage.