ASU Polytechnic hosts TED2012 webcast, Feb. 29
ASU’s Polytechnic campus will host a live webcast of TED2012 from 9:30 a.m. to 7:45 p.m., Feb 29. TEDx is hosted by Barrett, The Honors College at Polytechnic campus and will be held in the Cooley Ballrooms inside the Union at 5999 S. Backus Mall in Mesa.
TED (Technology, Entertainment & Design) is a nonprofit organization that hosts conferences in which individuals from all industries and backgrounds meet to discuss ideas worth spreading. The free talks cover a wide range of topics including social issues, developing technologies, and innovative ideas. The TED movement has grown to include two annual conferences – the TED Conference in Long Beach and Palm Springs each spring, and the TEDGlobal conference in Edinburgh UK each summer.
TEDx events, such as the simulcast of the Feb. 29 event at ASU Polytechnic, are held by independent organizations that receive special licenses from TED to hold free screenings and talks. It gives organizations like ASU the opportunity to localize the program by highlighting speakers that have a tie to the community or a shared interest in the organization’s vision. The live speakers promote engaging discussions and the opportunity to make unexpected connections with other participants.
The day’s schedule includes “The Lab” from 9:30 to 11:15 a.m.; “The Earth” from noon to 1:45 p.m.; “The Crowd” from 3:15 to 5 p.m.; and the announcement of the TED Prize from 6 to 7:45 p.m. Live speakers will be highlighted between events.
Live speakers at ASU Polytechnic:
Lee Gutkind: (11:15 a.m.-noon) Dubbed by Vanity Fair as “the Godfather behind creative nonfiction,” Gutkind is an author and founder of Creative Nonfiction, the first and largest literary magazine to publish nonfiction exclusively. His latest book, “Almost Human: Making Robots Think” was featured on the Daily Show with John Stewart. Gutkind spent six years as a fly-on-the-wall researcher at the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Melon University in Pittsburgh where scientists and students are working to design, build and test robots so advanced that will work alongside humans. “Almost Human” is a portrait of robotic subculture. Gutkind is the Distinguished Writer-in-Residence in the Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes at ASU and a professor in the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication.
Jennifer Gale: (1:45-3:15 p.m.) Gale is a local advocate for sustainability and co-founder of “Paper or Plastic? Neither One Please!” Her work addresses the volume of plastic disposables as a vital issue for the planet.
Solutions Exhibition: (5-6 p.m.) Sponsored by Changemaker Central and the Programming and Activities Board, the Solutions Exhibition is a forum for students to showcase new ideas and learn how to transform ideas into reality.
“TED talks align well with the Barrett mission – they engage attendees with thought leaders and stimulate dialogue in a high-energy environment” said Mark Henderson, associate dean of Barrett at the Polytechnic campus. “We look forward to hosting students, educators and the community at ASU Polytechnic to hear and discuss the ideas worth spreading at TED2012.”
Attendees at TEDx may stay for the entire day’s schedule or drop by for a shorter time period throughout the day. Workstations will be set up, and attendees are welcome work on laptops during the event. Admission is free; food will be served throughout the day.
For more information, visit http://barrettpoly.asu.edu/2012/01/tedxbhcpoly/ or email Jennifer Brady.
A list of speakers for TED event can be found here.