TED: the world’s greatest thinkers about genetics and medicine September 22, 2007

TED (stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design) is a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader.

Genomics pioneer Craig Venter takes a break from his epic round-the-world expedition to talk about the millions of genes his team has discovered so far, in their quest to map the ocean’s hidden biodiversity. He updates the TED audience on his discoveries, from the 2,000 photoreceptor genes found in the Sargasso Sea to the thrill of being under house arrest in French waters. Venter ends with his vision for engineered species that can replace the petrochemical industry by creating clean energy.

Nobel laureate James Watson opens TED2005 with the frank and funny story of how he and his partner, Francis Crick, discovered the structure of DNA. The tale is full of colorful details: How Watson had planned to be an ornithologist until Schroedinger’s book What Is Life? transformed him into a geneticist. Watson finishes with one of the topics currently making him tick: the search for genetic bases for major illnesses.

Eva Vertes isn’t a normal young person. At least, that’s what our culture would tell us. Her discovery, at age 17, of a compound that inhibits brain cell death was regarded as a step toward curing Alzheimer’s and won her Best in Medicine at the International Science Fair. Quickly labeled a microbiology prodigy, Eva now aims to find better ways to treat — and avoid — cancer.

Medical inventor Robert Fischell accepts the 2005 TEDPrize, and unveils his three wishes: To finalize the design on an invention to treat migraine headaches without drugs; to discover new cures for brain disorders; and to create a Brain Trust to rethink our approach to medical liability.