Dean Kamen on Inventing and Giving

Dean Kamen is an innovator, but not just of things. He hopes to revolutionize attitudes, quality of life, awareness. His focus now is on off-grid electricity and water purification for developing countries; another recent project is a prosthetic arm for maimed soldiers.

Discussion questions before you watch the Kamen lecture:

1.       How do you think technology can be used to foster peace and social justice?

2.       What do you think is the role of for-profit business and inventors in creating a more peaceful or just world?

http://www.ted.com/speakers/dean_kamen.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/dean_kamen_on_inventing_and_giving.html http://www.ted.com/talks/dean_kamen_previews_a_new_prosthetic_arm.html 

Discussion questions after you watch the Kamen lecture:

1.       Dean Kamen argues that cars originally existed to transport people over larger distances, rather than just around the block.  But now that more people live in cities, cars create problems?  How does he explain why this is true?  How can solving transportation problems improve social justice in cities?

2.       We often speak of becoming dependent on technology, but Dean Kamen's devices show how technology can make people more independent. How could individual independence help create a more socially just world?

3.       This talk ends with an example of how the inefficiency of many technologies, can be harnessed for energy for other projects.  Why is it so crucial to use excess energy to generate water? Why are water projects of so much concern to people working for peace?