TEDx New College: ‘The Art of Technology’

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New College students are bringing experts in technology, art, communications, artificial intelligence and virtual reality to the Sarasota-Manatee region on April 16 with TEDx NewCollegeofFlorida, a local edition of the famous TED Conference series.
The theme of the conference is “The Art of Technology.” As the organizers say:  “We believe there is something that unifies every art form, and we believe that something is technology. We dream, think, and create with our tools, and in turn, our tools create us.”
Among the experts addressing aspects of that theme:

  • David Houle, a globally-known futurist and Emmy-award winner who helped to create and launch MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon and CNN Headline News.
  • John Denning, a healthcare information technology expert, New College alumnus and leader of a team that made worldwide headlines when they developed an artificial intelligence system that was the first in history to pass the iconic Turing Test.
  • Eric Bear, founding facilitator of Agile Learning Systems, a global network of micro-schools that support self-directed education.
  • Kate Merrill, a tech-sector mergers and acquisitions attorney with Intel Capital.
  • Erich Barganier, a New College alumnus, Fulbright Award winner, and professional musician and composer.

TEDx NewCollegeofFlorida is entirely student-run, the brainchild of fourth-year student Heath Hawkins, who recruited a team of students to plan and participate.
“I wanted to create an open door for students to unleash their vision at New College, and tap into the collective genius that I knew existed here,” Hawkins said. “I crafted this vision, applied for my TEDx license, and after eight weeks, received my license to organize the first ever TEDxNewCollegeofFlorida.”
Although “Ted Talks” are becoming well-known, Hawkins promises this will be unlike anything else in the Ted portfolio.
“From the get-go, I set out to create an event that would break the paradigm of what TEDx is. There are currently over 400 pages of TEDx talks, all of which follow the same ol’ rigmarole. We’ve gone to great lengths to find the most unorthodox, innovative speakers to showcase the meaning of The Art of Technology in a way that you would not find at other TEDx events.
“The event theme, ‘The Art of Technology,’ encompasses a wide array of topics that appeal to our Sarasota’s progressive interest- especially those of students, educators, and forward-thinking professionals. Expect to hear talks on the Art of Artificial Intelligence, Sustainability, and Computational Creativity, as well as the Technology of Freestyling, Biology, Progressive Education, and Religious Experience.
“The rest is secret and has to be seen at the event.”
To learn more, visit the conference website: http://tedxnewcollegeofflorida.com
Calendar details:
TEDx NewCollegeofFlorida: The Art of Technology
Saturday, April 16, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
New College of Florida’s Sudakoff Conference Center
Tickets: $25 or free to college students with ID and completed event application form. http://tedxnewcollegeofflorida.com/tickets/
For more information: http://tedxnewcollegeofflorida.com