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TEDxNASA: An Idea WorthSupporting

Chris Bonney Checks In from the Front Lines

I went to the TEDxNASA conference the other day. It lasted eight hours and includedtwenty-nine different presenters, each one charged with giving the talk of theirlives in eighteen minutes or less. Presenters included physicians, engineers,neuroscientists, business people, writers, artists, climatologists, naturalists, biologists, musicians, artists and even an astronaut currently at the InternationalSpace Station.

TED, if youre not familiar with it, is a small international nonprofit devoted toIdeas Worth Spreading. There is no person named Ted. Rather, TED stands for:

T echnology E ntertainment D esign

TED puts on two annual conferences, one in California and the other in Oxford,England. Both bring together the worlds most fascinating thinkers and doers. Thepremise of TED is that not only will new technologies, ideas and artistic expressions

be exposed, but that the people who see or hear them will take these ideas to the nextstage or, using these ideas as a catalyst, apply or transfer something they heard orsaw at TED to an unrelated category. TED isnt selling anything but the idea of ideas.

For those of you in the commercial trenches who want something a little more literal,the message of TED is this simple:

Ideas are valuable.Ideas shared lead to other ideas.Ideas create value.

TEDxNASA was independently produced by NASAs Langley Research Center andthe National Institute of Aerospace. It followed the standard TED conference formatand was made possible by the hosts and by several high tech industry co-sponsors.

The intention of TEDxNASA was to create a confluence of science, creativity,commerce and innovation. In keeping with TED standards, the desired outcome of the conference was that attendees might learn something new that they can transferto another category or see or hear something that takes what they learned or already know to a higher level.

Accordingly, the theme of TEDxNASA was Space to Create, in recognition of theimportance of making space to create innovation . While that might not sound like a

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revelation to those who are involved in the create-on-demand world on a daily basis, being exposed to such a purposely diverse array of presenters was undoubtedly acultural shock for an audience heavy with linear engineering types.

Before I describe some of the ideas shared at TEDxNASA, let me tell you how exhilarating it was to be in the midst of nearly a thousand forward-thinking people whose work and passions lead them to be focused on and dedicated to exploring possibilities . That physical proximity alone created a magnificent future-orientedthinking space for the consideration of ideas and questions.

The ideas presented at TEDxNASA are not constrained by any political, social or,generally speaking, economic conditions. Most are timeless, empowering, applicableto almost anyone, and large enough in their scope to compel thinking beyond theroutine.

Almost all of the speakers at TEDxNASA invoked one or more of the followingthemes as they described their work, their art or their game-changing ideas:

What If? Why Not?How could we?

Heres what some of the presenters had to say:

Neuroscientist Dr. Paul Aravich of the Eastern Virginia Medical School

opened the day with a passionate presentation on current research that seeksto demystify the human brain. Aravich described new research that showshow individuals with severe brain injuries or who were born withdevelopmental challenges are capable of far greater physical renewal,intellectual accomplishment, and even greatness than ever thought before.He challenged the audience to look at mental illness, substance dependency and even some aspects of criminality as types of brain injuries that researchmay in time prove fixable.

Creativity coach Gregg Fraley demonstrated the value of learning specificphysical and metaphorical exercises for making ourselves open to new thoughts and ideas.

Artist Pat Rawlings , whose illustrations bring concepts of aeronautics andspace to life for aerospace industry insiders and laymen alike, talked aboutthe importance of visual literacy in explaining complex scientific ideas. Hespecifically addressed the challenge of melding the talents of artists, whothink in terms of possibilities, with those of engineers, who think inprobabilities.

Virginia Tech professor and head of the universitys robotics lab Dr. Dennis

Hong demonstrated the challenges, creative opportunities and successes his

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associates and students are facing as they develop some of the worlds mostinnovative robotic devices.

Event emcee and writer Sam Horn demonstrated through her ownexperiences the value of human connections and real space gatherings.Sometimes the greatest value is not in the presentations, Horn noted, but inthe connections we make with people we meet at presentations.

Radio personality John St. Augustine talked briefly about the importance of recognizing that lives and accomplishments are built more on a foundation of little moments than they are on the grand gestures.

Author Dan Pink presented new research from the field of behavioraleconomics about the value of monetary incentives. Turns out theyre a goodidea when the path to the desired end is known and you just want to see who

can get there the fastest. But when the solution to a problem is not clear andcreativity is called for in finding solutions, monetary incentives actually hinder progress. Also, for those managers puzzled by todays young workforce, Pink urged concentration on three concepts: autonomy, mastery and purpose.

NASA aeronautical engineer Anna McGowan , one of the articulate andengaging young speakers Ive heard in a long time, described how transportation is destiny, and more specifically how enabling the mobility of people has been the key to the advancement of quality of life and economic

vitality in all cultures across all times. McGowan noted that the real task forthose interested in creating innovation is to look upon the impossible asinspiration and hasten the translation of ideas that initially seem ridiculousinto the ideas that are ubiquitous.

Knowing full well that he was addressing an audience that included severalhundred aerospace engineers, innovation consultant and founder of Accentures Global Process Excellence Practice Steve Shapiro reminded usthat many of the elegant solutions to challenges we face in business,engineering and other areas really arent rocket science, and are more likely to be found by tapping into unexpected connections and the experiences of others. Citing examples from business and science, Shapiro encouraged any project team genuinely interested in achieving innovation to bring insomeone from a completely different discipline to shake things up andintroduce strategies, tactics, experiences and possibilities from othercategories.

Pianist Michael Jefry Stevens and trumpeter Dave Ballou played a strikingly discordant, but just as strikingly connected composition that reminded usthat even within the world of music there are scales, chords and rhythms yetto be explored. Artist Chakaia Booker made the same point in demonstrating

the works she creates from discarded vehicle tires.

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Musician, college performer of the year and popular Vegas entertainer Mike Rayburn believes we are all surrounded by infinite potential and describedhow his career was both saved and expanded when he was asked to play music outside of his customary styles and answered Why not? instead of Icant.

Physician Dr. Sue Morter combined quantum science, bio-energy, naturalhealing and ideas from the field of human potential in an energeticpresentation about how the electrical energy that emits from our bodiesliterally stonewalls our ability to perceive enough of our physicalenvironment to recognize opportunities, possibilities and innovation. Its notenough to want to be creative or understand the need for innovation. Achieving these ends, says Morter, requires specific physical and mental actsto make the human body ready to perceive and act upon fresh input andthinking.

Planetary and atmospheric scientist Dr. Joel Levine shared some of the latestresearch about Mars, including a new-as-this-week satellite photograph of afrozen lake on Mars that up until this event had not been shown to the public. Why the interest in Mars? Because Mars was formed at the same time as ourearth and has, as new research is finding, climate and natural resourceconditions that may make Mars earths most similar galactic sibling. Levinereminded us why interplanetary exploration remains vitally important, anddemonstrated a jet-powered unmanned airplane that, if funded, could gatherin just one week more, information about Mars than has ever been known

before. Sports writer and author Mitch Albom ended the formal lecture portion of the

day talking about the way that ones ability to see, create and achieve breakthroughs in any category is largely a function of ones ability to giveoneself over and be an empathetic listener and observer.

Given the forward orientation of the day, it was fitting that the finalpresentation at TEDxNASA was a short speech and song from a 13 year-oldchild. Jamia Nash , actress and rising star in the American contemporary music scene, sang TEDxNASA out after inviting all present to be goodleaders, good stewards and good mentors to the young.

Its easy to want to throw your hands up and scream INFORMATIONOVERLOAD! after spending eight hours listening to twenty-nine differentpresenters do their best to give you their talk of a lifetime. Some were obviously better than others. Some of what Ive described here probably sounds more trite inmy telling than it was in person.

For a first-time conference organized literally from the germ of an idea to fullrealization in just eight weeks, TEDxNASA was a rousing success and evidence of the

quality of talent, ingenuity, planning and organizational capability and

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determination of the people who work in our own proverbial background at theNASA Langley Research Center and at the National Institute of Aerospace.

Is there a larger message from TEDxNASA? This is what I took away. It applies to allof us. Its not new, but it always bears repeating:

1. We are connected, and should be more so.2. There is a lot we can learn from each other.3. We each have vast potential for creating innovation. But most of us need to

take deliberate action and apply specific mental and physical steps to do so.4. Bringing more minds and more diverse perspectives to almost any task will

improve the outcome.5. The future is not just the next political election or business cycle. It is fifty

or one hundred or more years away. If we dont think in those terms,decisions may not be ours to make.

6. Looking well into the future not only enables us to see bigger and get pastthe real and perceived political, social and economic obstructions of today, but also reminds us of the larger span of history, the role of exploration atevery stage of history and the short role, relatively speaking, that each of usplays in it.

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