TED talk about cool materials for toys and other use

original article http://www.boingboing.net/2008/10/31/ted-talk-about-cool.html

We all love the intelligent, entertaining TED videos. I recently found one that so creatively applies to our class.

Two men named Zach Kaplan and Keith Schacht lead a research team that passionately looks for new and interesting products with extremely unusual properties. Six of these products were demonstrated in the TED video. I won't go into detail about all six of these, but you can watch the video for yourself to get the full effect. But I will summarize for you my favorite.

A Japanese company named GelTech sells small, soft magnets. I suppose they sell them as toys, though I'm not sure what a child is supposed to do with them. But Keith and Zach, fascinated by just the idea of "soft magnets," start rattling off possibilities that are unheard of to the world. Among these ideas is the world's fastest water slide. A magnet would line both the body board and the slide that would repel each other. Add water, and you have a slick, frictionless ride. (skip the video to 3:35 to see the concept). Truly proving that they are not phony scientists, they show how an aluminum tube can be used as a brake for the rider.

Another of my favorites was their use of a "dry liquid" developed by 3M. This substances evaporates 25 times faster than water, making it feel cold to the touch. This weird stuff has many fun applications. It is already used in sprinkler systems in many new buildings. Water guns could be loaded with it for battles which wouldn't damage the phone in your pocket or leave you shivering for the next hour.

Kaplan and Schacht, who call themselves "The Inventables," are masters of the remix. They understand, with more than a hint of nerdiness, the application of creative intelligence into the real world. They are hybrids of two mindsets - scientific inquiry and remix. But the "Inventables" have one major flaw: what have they invented? The guys like to talk the talk, but us consumers want to see them walk the walk. From the sound of it, they are great at thinking innovative uses for weird toys, but what have they created? If they can break through from the laboratory to the market, everyone would be better off. They claim that for three years they have been looking at over 200 different cool toys with unusual properties. Add that to the three years past since this talk was given in 2005 and it appears these enthusiasts have spent six years in this field.

Let's hope that someday we get to carry soccer goals in a duffle bag, have dry squirt gun fights, and ride the mile high water slide.

- Jordan Morsberger