"Green chemistry is replacing our industrial chemistry with nature's chemistry book." - Janine Benyus
I sometimes wish I could schedule my time so that I can attend the lectures, concerts, gallery openings of great thinkers, scientists, artists and designers. Two websites give me the opportunity to do this.
On TED, there are audio/video presentations on a wide variety of themes, including art and photography. I am uplifted by biologist, Janine Benyus, quoted above, who gave the speech, "12 Sustainable Design Ideas From Nature." She explores the concept of integrating the elegant and efficient natural processes with human processes. Her talk reveals startling product design solutions.
On Listeningtowords, you can hear/see a lecture on almost any subject. Not all of the formats are easily accessible and sometimes the quality is not great, but there are some gems. I listened to former UN ambassador and US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, discuss "Promoting Democracy: Fourteen Points for the 21st Century." Hearing her forthright and clear discussion of the past and present pathways to a democratic world is enlightening. She confirms my belief that the Bush family's Iraq war fetish is the wrong path and will have unrealized consequences for years to come. Her insights on North Korea and the United Nations are interesting. This video and others are well worth the time spent listening. I like being able to replay portions or the entire presentation to better understand concepts discussed.
Both websites provide audio/video presentations by experts in every field of endeavor. Isn't the Internet great! Check them out.
