Daniel Lubetzky

It is an interesting question posed by Wall Street Journal’s Matt Ridley: what genes contribute to aggressive and violent behavior, and how could one hypothetically find the answers by looking at Osama’s brain?  In this article, Ridley consults with psychologist  Prof. Baron-Cohen who lists the various genes that may aggregate to produce either violent or empathetic behavior.  If morality is predetermined by our genes, there are severe moral implications attached.

Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, redacted by Adeena Schlussel

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At TED this week, I was struck by a presentation that Dr. Anthony Atala made where he unveiled how they were creating cells, and how they were using MRIs to scan and 3-D printers to mold and create organ like kidneys for patients who need a transplant.

The NY Times had an article on the 3 D Printers.

Add to that the new technology to “print” with cells, and the possibilities transcend anything anyone would have imagined to be possible just a few years ago.

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CNN reported an amazing story about a father who was reunited with his long lost daughter via Twitter.  Daniel Morales obtained a phone and began tweeting via the “Unheard in New York” project that was initiated by a group of interns hoping to give a voice to the homeless.  This story shows that those spearheading the project did not only accomplish their amazing goal, but that they created a salient example of how social media can be used for immense good.

“Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, redacted by Adeena Schlussel.”

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My brother shared this hilarious video, which while mocking the obsession of people with Apple products, actually highlights the power of brands.

Apple does actually have a lot of technological reasons for its success. But its brand indeed transcends much of the functional strengths to the iconic sphere and status symbol.

Then again, there is another side to this debate which says the iPhone really IS better:

This video, launched by Entrepreneur Magazine encapsulates some of the attributes that made KIND’s Daniel Lubetzky win the 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and carries new meaning since the Award was announced.  Among the key lessons: build a supportive environment for a super-star team, and use technology to simplify life, and food, rather than to complicate it.

Innovator – Kind Snacks from OC Creative Media on Vimeo.

by Adeena Schlussel

My cousin shared this very cool presentation showing the evolution of our globe by geography and time – the life expectancy and wealth of 200 countries over the last 200 years. Fascinating.

And you can also play around with this platform across a plethora of indicators…

http://graphs.gapminder.org/communityproxy/ChartDataServlet?

A recent New York Times article depicts Sweden’s amazing efforts to decrease their use of fossil fuels.  The most admirable aspect of Sweden’s efforts- also the key to their success- is that the country uses what it’s got; instead of turning to solar energy or wind turbines (two approaches that would both be inappropriate for the country’s climate) they capitalize on farming byproducts to produce energy.

Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, redacted by Adeena Schlussel

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Israeli entrepreneur, Amit Goffer just invented an incredible device to  benefit the disabled population: robotic pants that use sensors to allow paralyzed patients to walk and stand.  The Washington Post reported on the product called “ReWalk,” which will hopefully be for sale after the next coming years of trials and tests.  While there are bound to be many obstacles for the inventors and the early adapters, this looks like a truly incredible opportunity for anyone who is paralyzed and I am excited to see this brilliance at work.

Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, redacted by Adeena Schlussel

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Although technology has countless benefits in our lives, there are more and more reports that suggest there is an accompanying negative effect on our brains and on our children’s development, as I have written in the past. A recent article in the New York Times paints a scary picture:  some teens prefer the instant gratification of a YouTube video or a Facebook status update, to the enriching (albeit, delayed) gratification that one can glean from reading a book.  Although children have always enjoyed distractions when it comes to work, technology has carried a whole new slew of tools with which to procrastinate with that prove to be increasingly dangerous.

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A recent New York Time article points to a new useful site called WorthMonkey, aimed to help users determine if used goods for sale are fairly priced or not.

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