This week on TED.com: Frank Gehry and Paola Antonelli on design and building

The D in TED stands for Design -- and two of this week's talks show why. Legendary architect Frank Gehry, in conversation with Richard Saul Wurman, looks back over his career and shares the deepest truths of his architectural practice. And MOMA design curator Paola Antonelli makes the case that this is a very special moment for design, right here, right now. This week we also debut a new Theme on the site: Architectural Inspiration.

Frank Gehry: Nice building. Then what?
Frank Gehry wanted to be a scientist when he grew up. But after blowing up a part of his house, at age 14, he decided against it. He's gone on to create some mindblowing buildings, including the Guggenheim at Bilbao and LA's Walt Disney Concert Hall. This wildly entertaining conversation with Richard Saul Wurman (then host of TED) touches on many topics, including the power of failure, the importance of collaboration, and the need for architects to bring personal expression to the table. Watch this talk >>

Paola Antonelli: Design as art
Paola Antonelli, design curator at New York's MOMA, wants to spread an appreciation of design, in all shapes and forms -- and to remove any stigma of it being considered mere decoration. She takes the TED2007 audience on a whistlestop tour of some design exhibitions she has organized, including "Mutant Materials," "Workspheres" and "Safe." Watch this talk >>

David Gallo: Underwater astonishments
David Gallo shows jaw-dropping footage of amazing sea creatures, including a shape-shifting cuttlefish, a pair of fighting squid, and a mesmerizing gallery of bioluminescent fish that light up the blackest depths of the ocean. He focuses on the work of two scientists: Edith Widder at the Ocean Research & Conservation Association, and Roger Hanlon at the Marine Biological Lab. Watch this talk >>

J.J. Abrams: The mystery box
J.J. Abrams traces his love of the unseen mystery -- the heart of Alias, Lost, and the upcoming Cloverfield -- back to its own magical beginnings, which may or may not include an early obsession with magic, the love of a supportive grandfather, or his own unopened Mystery Box. Watch this talk >>

Deborah Gordon: How do ants know what to do?
Deborah Gordon studies the ant colonies of the Arizona desert. She asks: How do these chitinous creatures get down to business -- and even multitask when they need to -- with no language, memory or visible leadership? Her answers could lead to a better understanding of all complex systems, from the brain to the Web. Watch this talk >>

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Michael Yarbrough on Ashraf Ghani's "How to fix broken states"
This man's searing passion. His critical attacks on Western sloth and absence of focus. His demands to realign our priorities. The coupling of those with what's probably a clear and rational understanding of why capitalism has done best -- and with what appears to be a deep compassion for his people. Awesome.

Brian McCabe on Robert Neuwirth's "Shadow cities of the future":
I believe that Neuwirth identified something rather articulately when discussing the inevitable "slumization" of the world: the human beings living in squalor. There will always be scholars, politicians, and even well-informed citizens who will argue over this issue. However, what seems to always be a footnote or a shadow to these discussions is the human being. Who are these people and do they matter? Of course they do ... in more than one way. In fact, as Neuwirth suggests, these people represent the future of many global hearths around the globe. How we view them now, how we treat them now, and what we do to help them now, will be all that matters.

TEDSTERS WE LOVE
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Brian Sam-Bodden
Westerville, OH
An idea worth spreading
Bring back the idea of trade at the individual level, with technology as an enabler intermediary. Stop waste and foment reuse -- from perishables at the local level to long-lasting items.

Hege Brende
Trondheim, Norway
My TED story
By glorious accident sifting through the web ;-)

Submit a film for Pangea Day!
If you had the world's attention for a few minutes ... what story would you tell?

Pangea Day is looking for short films that will make people laugh, pause and think. They can be fiction, nonfiction, real life or animation. Above all, they should tell a story that someone else on the other side of the world will be able to relate to.

Pangea Day will be offering a $3,000 licensing fee to every featured Pangea Day filmmaker. You could also win $20,000 to develop a treatment and a nonbinding first look with Participant Productions

Register at www.pangeaday.org. Then upload your film to www.youtube.com/group/pangeaday. You may also submit your film via Withoutabox.

Need music for your Pangea Day film? Our friends at Elias Arts, the renowned music company in Santa Monica and New York City, have created a Pangea Day Music Library. This music is a gift to Pangea Day filmmakers in appreciation for their efforts -- and because powerful images and themes deserve music to match.

Go to www.eliasarts.com/pangeaday to register and request a password to access the music library.

Submissions close February 15, 2008

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