I've been listening to and reading more about big ideas and developments on the horizon this year than any in recent memory—partially because I've adopted the habit of listening to various NPR news/podcasts more often while I'm out with the dog or driving the hour round trip (twice a day, three days a week) to gymnastics, and partially because of some like-minded idea junkie friends who send me cool stuff to read all the time (and vice versa).
I haven't kept track of everything, so here's an incomplete list of reading/listening material if you find yourself with a little extra time and the need to have your socks knocked off, too.
This story about 3-D printers that features a baby with a rare medical condition that would previously have been a guaranteed death sentence.
And then there is this amazing development in 3-D printing (and another story here) that marks the beginning of the end of prosthetics being out of financial reach for families, especially families with growing children.
I was pretty much blown away by this episode of TED Radio Hour—every single story. Especially the one about how we'll look back at how quaint and ridiculous it was to treat cancer and other diseases with a "hope this works for you" approach, vs. having customized treatment drugs for each individual sufferer. But all the stories were incredible.
Biology has been my least favorite branch of science since high school so I almost skipped listening to this particular story, but I'm so glad I didn't because it was fascinating. Or, maybe I've softened up on my dislike of biology the more years I put between me and Mr. Parker in 10th grade (boooooooorrrrrrriiiinggggg).
Another biological concern that is kind of freaking me out a little is bee-related, and you can hear more about it from this episode of TED Radio Hour.
[Related: I love this poster by artist Hanna Rosengren. available for sale on Etsy—click it to go to her shop]
I've done a ton of reading about social media, privacy, and the effects of an "always on" culture in the past few months, so this TED Radio Hour about the future of privacy kind of freaked me out, too. The privacy ship has sailed in so many ways, and sometimes I am OK with that and sometimes I am not. It's a national conversation that needs to be taken more seriously, though, and especially amongst people in the 5-22 year old schooling set.
And don't even get me started on the implications of this book, which I'm almost finished reading. I am a tech-loving girl through and through, but this is a chilling read.
Finally, bookmark this site because it is wildly interesting to discover what big ideas are being studied at universities around the world. We live in an exciting age, and it feels like the time in between major game-changing developments is shorter than ever before.
Please recommend what big ideas and amazing things have your head spinning these days : )
This post is part of a list-making project called Lists With Friends 2014, an effort to document the year in lists of all types. I love lists, and I love a good project.
