Today's Sessions at TED07

Today's sessions had many highs and just a few lows.

Here are a few highlights:

The first part of the program was titled Stop, Look, Now Look Again, and no title could have been more appropriate. The first session kicked off with an incredible presentation by Carolyn Porco, one of the leading scientists on the Cassini spacecraft programs investigating Saturn. She shared amazing photos of the planet (one of which included the view of the earth through the rings) Saturn that was truly beautiful. 

A brief technical glitch stopped her in mid-program, and Apple could not have paid for a better commercial in front of this group when her computer "froze," and had to be rebooted.  At the reboot, the giant WINDOWS screen popped up, and the audience roared with laughter.  Only to be topped a few minutes later with the response from one audience member when Porco asked TED technicians "Whose controlling these things (referring to her slides), one joker in the audience yelled out Bill Gates.

Philippe Starck, was entertaining, but I found his presentation a bit difficult to follow.  I think I understood the points he was trying to make. He saved himself with a great sense of humor.

Steven Pinker presented an interesting look at the history of violence.  The basic premise of which is that man is much less violent today than in the past.  What was great was the statistics he used to back up his presentation.

Two highlights of the day were repeat performers.  Hans Rosling and Jeff Han.  Both of these presenters wowed the audience at TED2006 with their presentations, Rosling with his fantastic graphic presentation on world health and Han with his new multi-touch computer.  This year they took what they shared last year to the next level.  Rosling shared new data, but also showed new the latest version of his software.  Then he swallowed a sword.  It was one of the more unusual TED events, but his point was that we can do what we think is impossible.

Han, showed a giant version of his computer interface that is actually on display in the Simulcast Lounge.  No presenter has ever appeared to have more fun with what they do.  I had an opportunity to spend time with him last evening at the cocktail event, and he has now started his own company to grow the idea.  Last year he was in the academic world.

Not being a scientist, and having barely made it through basic science in high-school, I don't feel qualified to comment on the multiple speakers from the scientific world, but Nobel Prize Winner Murray Gell-Mann (the man who discovered Quarks) gave a wonderfully warm and humorous presentation. 

I can honestly say however that I did not understand a thing that DNA scientist Jonathan Widom talked about.  I know that it was important, but his presentation would have been better if delivered to a room of DNA scientists.  After a fairly technical introduction, he said that he would devote the balance of his talk going into the technical detail.  The audience chuckled (thinking he was joking), and then he really did go into technical detail.

The day wrapped up with a wonderful musical event featuring Raul Midon.  He is a singer and guitar player with a combination Jazz and Argentinian flavor.  He was fabulous.