ToastingDesign Blog

When it comes to moving our world forward through innovation, I love this quote from Donald Sadoway, spoken during a TED Talk about the liquid metal battery:

“We can’t CONSERVE our way out, We can’t DRILL our way out, We can’t BOMB our way out. We’re going to do it the OLD-FASHIONED AMERICAN WAY:

We’re going to INVENT our way out, WORKING TOGETHER!”

Check him out on TED Talks: www.ted.com

HAPPY FRIDAY!

 “Think about data in a human context”

This was a fascinating video that really shows some quite powerful tools for looking at data. We are now living in a society where data is recorded about you every day (search history, emails, phone calls, texts, timesheet at work, your location, etc.) yet so little of it do we get to see. When we do, how often is it that the data is just charts that the normal person can’t make sense of? (more…)

Joshua Prince-Ramus makes a strong point about architects:

“architects are for decorative purposes only, and architects are cowards“

Ouch…but he makes some valid points that are very true about our industry that can be summed up by the warning label on a construction helment…check it out

Joshua’s video is two parts that are both fantastic.  The first part outlines the unfortunate state of much of the architecture industry at present while addressing some excellent ideas for moving forward.  The second outlines an innovative project that shows how these steps can create amazing built form!

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What’s your vision of a “sustainable” city?  Much of what we see today are cities full of buildings covered in trees, plants, waterfalls, and other natural items.  However, a sustainable city isn’t a city pasted over by a green film…check out what Alex Steffen has to say:

http://www.ted.com/talks/alex_steffen.html

What I like most about his talk is the fact that he wants us to THINK DIFFERENT…greening anything isn’t just about the green on top, it’s about the systems underneath, the nitty gritty things that aren’t always talked about.  He makes a good point…what about rain collection systems, animal pollination, and the recovery of carbon?  Many of these things aren’t seen on the outside, so many people ignore them, but they are an extremely important component of moving our future forward.

THINK DIFFERENT

I know that many people question the recycling process and how well it really works.  As an avid recycler, even I question the realities of recycling, and the biggest questions come to the realm of recycling plastics.  Plastics 1-7, certain factories only do certain types, ooops can’t do plastic film, bla bla bla…there are so many issues with plastic recycling!

Well, here you go green fans…now, plastic recycling gets real…real sustainability, real economics, real recycling!

http://www.ted.com/talks/mike_biddle.html

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People often credit their ideas to individual “Eureka!” moments. But Steven Johnson shows how history tells a different story. His fascinating tour takes us from the “liquid networks” of London’s coffee houses to Charles Darwin’s long, slow hunch to today’s high-velocity web.

http://www.ted.com/talks/steven_johnson_where_good_ideas_come_from.html