TED Blog

LHC back in action

2009-11-20T21:24:02Z

Tonight scientists at CERN are rebooting the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) in an attempt to recreate conditions fractions of a second after the Big Bang by crashing opposing proton beams, traveling at nearly the speed of light, into one another. Shortly after the LHC’s debut last September, a manufacturing glitch in wiring led to a liquid helium explosion that left the surrounding equipment damaged and ice-coated. The LHC faced another (albeit more humorous) setback earlier this month when a bird dropped a piece of baguette into the machine, causing a short circuit.

Now that repairs are completed, scientists hope the LHC will offer insight into several puzzling theories such as dark matter and the Higgs boson, a particle which gives other particles mass. For the latest updates, follow @CERN on Twitter. To learn more about the LHC, check out Brian Cox’s talks on CERN’s supercollider and what went wrong at the LHC.

Meet Anwar Dafa-Alla, TED translator

2009-11-20T15:56:29Z

In the next weeks, the TED Blog will shine the spotlight on the fantastic TED volunteer translators -- offering a glimpse of the people whose efforts continue to enrich the Open Translation Project. Today, we'd like you to meet Anwar Dafa-Alla.

Tell us about yourself.

My full name is Anwar Fatihelrahman Ahmed Dafa-Alla. I was born in Port Sudan, Sudan on January 23, 1978, and got my early education there. Graduated from the AASTMT as a Computer Engineer in 2003.

I'm married and have a small Sudanese family, my beloved wife Salma and my lovely daughter Egabl, the most valuable people in my life.

I'm the oldest brother of nine, four boys and four girls.

I worked as web designer/developer during my university days, and then as a part-time lecturer in my home town after graduation, for two colleges, and I established my own small company in the capital city of Khartoum in 2003, just before I came to South Korea and joined the Master course in Chungbuk National University, CheongJu, Chungbuk, Korea.

I finished my Master course in 2006, established my own company here also, till I suspended it and switched again to full-time Ph.D student at the same lab, hopefully to graduate next year, 2010. My research areas include, but are not limited to, databases, data mining, security, social networks, Internet applications and some mathematics.

What drew you to TED?

Some Sudanese friends and I are sharing video lectures, papers and whatever comes to our hands. My lab mate sent me a link to a very inspiring talk. Later I watched the "African Einstein" talk by Neil Turok. The first thing came to my mind is how to spread this talk to many people in my country and our continent.

We love to follow the new ideas and discoveries from all disciplines. And I'm always optimistic that the best that humanity can offer has yet to come.

Participating in establishing several NGO and groups in Sudan, such as Sudan Developers Association, I believe in the ability of open source and collaboration work in changing our world to a better place.

And that's exactly what I found in TED. I believe that every idea worth spreading, no matter what's my humble opinion about it, reveals some "hidden possibility" in human-human interaction or even human-machine interaction. I'm a big fan of Hans Rosling, and I always whisper to myself: let my dataset change your mindset. :-)

Why do you translate?

I'm a kind of restless guy, so I would do more than one task in parallel (multitask). Education is a life mission for me, through which my country Sudan, my continent, Africa, and the whole world can flourish.

I translate for the millions of Arabic language speakers (spoken by more than 280 million people as a first language). I translate because it's a way to promote mutual respect between different cultures, people, religions, etc. Translation is a way to exchange ideas among us as humans.

I also translate for my friends; I think it's a good gift that could change something in their lives. I translate for my daughter, your daughter and every kid and for the coming generations. I hope they'll one day benefit a little from my translations.

Participating in the translation project is good method to show how compassionate we are toward each other, given that Arabic speakers are from different religious and cultural backgrounds.

Being from a country like Sudan, 7,000 years old, and the first civilization that built pyramids, I translate to promote peace and prosperity in my country also, complementing the efforts of my friend Emmanuel Jal who has done good steps that will change people's perception about our Sudan -- even among Sudanese themselves. The message of peace and love, that we're one people, one nation, unlike what politics suggest. So, through translation I can change a little bit as well.

Currently my country has some conflicts; a lot of people have a single story about Sudan; even in our neighbor countries, we are stereotyped in a bad way. And that must be changed by us, solving our problems and participating actively in the global society. I met with a lot of talented people in Sudan; they couldn't get the chance to show their creativity. For example, I met with Mamoun, 12 years old boy who does mathemagic. Unfortunately, he's suffering from a disease.

I translate also because it tends to create new tribes and I meet a lot of great people. One of my favorite hobbies is to know people and cooperate with them for good causes. I would like to thank everyone who contributes something through TED, the compassionate place, where the are great Ideas Worth Spreading.

TEDxNASA and TEDxAmsterdam stream live tomorrow!

2009-11-19T17:57:42Z

Tomorrow, Friday November 20th, two of our most exciting TEDx events so far will be streamed live. TEDxNASA was organized by NASA's Langley Research Center and the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA). It's a full day of talks on science, technology, entertainment and the arts. Speakers include author Mitch Albom, experimental artist Chakaia Booker innovation coach Gregg Fraley, robotics inventor Dr. Dennis Hong and Oprah & Friends radio host John St. Augustine.

TEDxAmsterdam is another day-long experience, with a string of fascinating speakers. The program will be opened by the Mayor of Amsterdam and includes the Netherlands' Minister for Foreign Affairs, TEDsters Kevin Kelly and Bjarke Ingels as well as our own TEDGlobal Director Bruno Giussani and many other notable academics, artists, entrepreneurs and techies.

TEDxNASA runs from 10 am to 7 pm EST. To watch the stream, click here >>

To see the TEDxNASA speakers, click here >>

TEDxAmsterdam begins at 9:15 am CET. To watch the stream, go to the TEDxAmsterdam homepage here >>

To see the full TEDxAmsterdam program, click here >>

If you're in the Netherlands, you can watch TEDxAmsterdam with a group of other involved and interested viewers. To find a free simulcast location across the Netherlands, click here >>

East vs. West -- the myths that mystify: Devdutt Pattanaik on TED.com

2009-11-19T15:00:00Z

At TEDIndia, Devdutt Pattanaik takes an eye-opening look at the myths of India and of the West, and shows how these two fundamentally different sets of beliefs about gods, death and heaven help us consistently misunderstand one another. His goal is to help us all understand these founding beliefs -- and use them to understand one another better. (Recorded at TEDIndia, November 2009, Mysore, India. Duration: 18:26)

Watch Devdutt Pattanaik's talk on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 550+ TEDTalks.

Jim Fallon on CBS' Criminal Minds tonight!

2009-11-18T21:00:10Z

Via the TEDActive Blog:

At last year's Palm Springs experience, neuroscientist Jim Fallon gave a chilling talk on the biology of psychopathic killers. Tonight he will appear in an episode of the popular CBS series Criminal Minds, playing himself and addressing the potential for genetic tragedy in chronically war-torn areas of the world. The episode, "Outfoxed," airs at 9 pm EST.

If you haven't yet seen his talk, it's definitely worth a look:

Learning from leadership's "missing manual": Fields Wicker-Miurin on TED.com

2009-11-18T15:23:25Z

Leadership doesn't have a user's manual, but Fields Wicker-Miurin says stories of remarkable, local leaders are the next best thing. At a TED salon in London, she shares three. (Recorded at TEDSalon London 2009, September 2009, Oxford, UK. Duration: 16:36)

Twitter URL: http://on.ted.com/18T

Watch Fields Wicker-Miurin's talk on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 500+ TEDTalks.

TEDTalks: New ways to share!

2009-11-18T15:22:18Z

Today, we've added some great new ways to share TEDTalks you love. Above is our new share bar, to be found just below the player window on every Talk page. It puts all the ways to share TEDTalks in one spot -- social media buttons (via AddThis), download options, embed code and an improved way to email links to your friends. Maybe our favorite feature is "Tweet this talk!" which creates a handsome short URL for you (thanks to Awe.sm). Go forth and share.

TEDxSF streaming live today!

2009-11-17T17:01:44Z

The exciting TEDxSF event is happening today, and they'll be providing a free, live webstream of all their talks. The program promises to be interesting, with talks on neuroscience and willpower, the rise of Silicon Valley, fashion design and the new entrepreneurs of film, as well as an appearance by TED Fellow Meklit Hadero and much more.

To watch TEDxSF, tune in at 4 pm PST by clicking here >>

To learn more about the speakers, click here >>

Wanted: Translators

2009-11-17T16:07:25Z

The goal of TED's Open Translation Project is to bring ideas worth spreading to the wider world by offering TEDTalks with subtitles in as many languages as possible. Still, many of the world's languages aren't yet represented in the project, and we want to fill those gaps. Today, we're putting out a call to translators worldwide to help us translate the languages that the project hasn't yet covered.

We're looking for translators who speak these languages, in particular:

Akan
Assamese
Filipino
Galician
Gujarati
Icelandic
Khmer
Maltese
Marathi
Mongolian
Nepali
Panjabi
Sinhala
Tagalog
Tibetan
Tswana
Yoruba
Zulu

In some cases, translations in the languages above have already been completed, but remain unpublished because they still need to be reviewed. (Some of the languages only have one translator.)

If you speak a language that isn't on this list -- or one which isn't on the list of currently available languages -- we're still interested!

Find out how to become a TED translator >>

Science-inspired design: Mathieu Lehanneur on TED.com

2009-11-17T16:00:19Z

Naming science as his chief inspiration, Mathieu Lehanneur shows a selection of his ingenious designs -- an interactive noise-neutralizing ball, an antibiotic course in one layered pill, asthma treatment that reminds kids to take it, a living air filter, a living-room fish farm and more. (Recorded at TEDGlobal University 2009, July 2009, Oxford, UK. Duration: 18:04)

Twitter URL: http://on.ted.com/8B

Watch Mathieu Lehanneur's talk on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 500+ TEDTalks.

The first 5 TEDTalks from TEDIndia

2009-11-17T15:34:54Z

Here's the schedule for the first five TEDTalks to be released from TEDIndia. They're premiering here on TED.com as well as on ted.indiatimes.com -- and on mobile phones at http://indiatimes.vuclip.com.

Live now: Pranav Mistry's SixthSense demo -- and an amazing announcement.

Premiering Thursday, Nov. 19: Devdutt Pattanaik contrasts the mythology of India and the West -- and the differing worldviews each mythos produces.
IST: Thu 19 Nov 2009 8:30 PM
EST: Thu 19 Nov 2009 10:00 AM

Premiering Monday, Nov. 23: Hans Rosling predicts the exact date when India's GDP will match that of the United States.
IST: Mon 23 Nov 2009 8:30 PM
EST: Mon 23 Nov 2009 10:00 AM

Premiering Thursday, Nov. 26: Mallika Sarabhai tells a story in dance, to show how theater and performance art can create global social change.
IST: Thu 26 Nov 2009 8:30 PM
EST: Thu 26 Nov 2009 10:00 AM

Premiering Monday, Nov. 30: Shashi Tharoor talks about what India will need to do to become a superpower.
IST: Mon 30 Nov 2009 8:30 PM
EST: Mon 30 Nov 2009 10:00 AM

The thrilling potential of SixthSense technology: Pranav Mistry on TED.com

2009-11-16T15:30:00Z

At TEDIndia, Pranav Mistry demos several tools that help the physical world interact with the world of data -- including a deep look at his SixthSense device and a new, paradigm-shifting paper "laptop." In an onstage Q&A, Mistry says he'll open-source the software behind SixthSense, to open its possibilities to all. (Recorded at TEDIndia, November 2009, Mysore, India. Duration: 13:51)

Watch Pranav Mistry's talk on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 550+ TEDTalks.

Ueli Gegenschatz has died

2009-11-14T00:21:20Z

After an accident during a BASE jump on Nov. 11, aerialist Ueli Gegenschatz has died in a Swiss hospital.

This spring at TED, Gegenschatz spoke movingly of his desire "to come as close as possible to the human dream of being able to fly." Our thoughts are with his friends and family.

Meet Shlomo Adam, TED translator

2009-11-13T21:47:21Z

Since the TED Open Translation Project launched in May of 2009, more than 1,200 translators have joined the effort to make TEDTalks available in non-English languages. One of the very first translators to join the project was Shlomo Adam. Shlomo joined the project before it went public, and contributed both translations and feedback on the system as we built it. He has now translated more than 50 talks into Hebrew.

In the next weeks, the TED Blog will shine the spotlight on more TED translators -- offering a glimpse of the people whose efforts continue to enrich the project. We're proud to make Shlomo our first.

Tell us about yourself.

I'm 55. I was born in Israel. I've gone through all kinds of phases in my life. Now live in Kibbutz Mishmar Ha-Emek in Jezrael valley, half an hour's drive away from Nazareth, five minutes' drive away from Megiddo. Not that this means anything.

I've had the questionable privilege of having learned many practices, including four years of how to be a professional soldier -- but that was many years ago when I was young and stupid. (Now I'm merely older.) Eventually it turned out that the things I'm most interested in are:

The Alexander Technique, which I teach
People of all kinds and realms
The way the mind works
Evolution, genes, memes, etc.
Learning

All that plus many more areas of interest.

What drew you to TED?

A dear friend had sent us one of the TEDTalks -- the amazing talk by Jill Bolte Taylor, "My stroke of insight." I felt I had to put Hebrew subtitles on that talk and somehow place it on the web. After preparing it I asked whether anyone at TED would be interested in it. It so happened that TED was just starting the Open Translation Project. That's how I got to TED.

Why do you translate?

I've been translating ever since I started reading English books, simply because I wanted to understand what I was reading and because I love to learn. So, if anyone else can enjoy something I do for myself, why not share it, pretty much the way TED shares their talks?

What are your favorite translations?

The surprising spread of "Idol" TV: Cynthia Schneider on TED.com

2009-11-13T15:00:00Z

Cynthia Schneider looks at two international "American Idol"-style shows -- one in Afghanistan, and one in the United Arab Emirates -- and shows the surprising effect that these reality-TV competitions are creating in their societies. (Recorded at TEDGlobal University 2009, July 2009, Oxford, UK. Duration: 5:38)

Watch Cynthia Schneider's talk on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 550+ TEDTalks.