I'm often asked about limiting the time those with Autism and Asperger's spend on devices, computers, listening to music and exploring all things technological. Of course we can't have children spending 24/7 on electrical devices... or can we?
My personal point of view is that these amazing individuals have been born into a technologically advanced age for a reason, and that the future of humanity relies on their unique abilities:-
"Throughout human evolution, multiple versions of humans co-existed. Could we be mid-upgrade now?
Juan Enriquez sweeps across time and space to bring us to the present moment - and shows how technology
is revealing evidence that suggests rapid evolution may be under way."
"As humans, we can perceive less than a ten-trillionth of all light waves. “Our experience of reality,” says neuroscientist David Eagleman, “is constrained by our biology.” He wants to change that. His research into our brain processes has led him to create new interfaces — such as a sensory vest — to take in previously unseen information about the world around us."
Virtual reality is no longer part of some distant future, and it's not just for gaming and entertainment anymore. Michael Bodekaer wants to use it to make quality education more accessible. In this refreshing talk, he demos an idea that could revolutionize the way we teach science in schools.
TED Resident Fawn Qiu designs fun, low-cost projects that use familiar materials like paper and fabric to introduce engineering to kids. In this quick, clever talk, she shares how nontraditional workshops like hers can change the perception of technology and inspire students to participate in creating it.
Andrew Pelling is a biohacker, and nature is his hardware. His favorite materials are the simplest ones (and oftentimes he finds them in the garbage). Building on the cellulose structure that gives an apple its shape, he "grows" lifelike human ears, pioneering a process that might someday be used to repair body parts safely and cheaply. And he has some even wilder ideas to share ... "What I'm really curious about is if one day it will be possible to repair, rebuild and augment our own bodies with stuff we make in the kitchen," he says.
How do creative people come up with great ideas? Organizational psychologist Adam Grant studies "originals": thinkers who dream up new ideas and take action to put them into the world. In this talk, learn three unexpected habits of originals — including embracing failure. "The greatest originals are the ones who fail the most, because they're the ones who try the most," Grant says. "You need a lot of bad ideas in order to get a few good ones."
Throughout history, speculation has spurred beautiful, revolutionary science - opening our eyes to entire new universes. "I'm talking about science that takes enormous leaps,"says Eric Haseltine.
Machine learning isn't just for simple tasks like assessing credit risk and sorting mail anymore - today it's capable of far more complex applications, like grading essays and diagnosing diseases. With these advances comes an uneasy question: Will a robot do your job in the future?