I knew this was going to happen once I made my first TED post. Now I am going to have tell you about what exciting new things I see each day!
Jennifer Lin on Piano Composition and Improvisation– Everything she plays is very good, but I especially recommend the segment labeled “Improvisation.” Some lady from the audience chooses five musical notes, and this bitch just sits right down and plays a beautiful piece off the top of her head built around those notes.
William McDononogh on Cradle to Cradle Design– McDonogh is the kind of guy who gives you hope that maybe the human species is not doomed to grow and consume and waste its way into oblivion. After watching this, I realized I’d actually read an article in Wired magazine about the work his firm is doing building sustainable cities in China. He’s also got a wonderfully cynical and dry sense of humor, as evidenced by this quote about trees:
“Imgaine this design assignment: Design something that makes oxygen, sequesters carbon, fixes nitrogen, distills water, accrues solar energy as fuel, makes complex sugars in food, creates microclimates, changes colors with the seasons, and self-replicates. [Shrugs] Why don’t we knock that down and write on it?”