RobiNZ Personal Blog

The Pencil and the Battery Electric Vehicle

Had a chance, and interesting, coincidence today in my podcast playlist. Pocket Casts has my favourite podcasts set to auto-download and add themselves to ‘Play next’. Two episodes were ready to play when I left for the morning commute.

The power of graphite; in pencils

First up a new season of The Boring Talks* kicked off with ‘Pencils’: Brian Mackenwells on why we should all appreciate the pencil.

Part of it (~0:05:00 onwards) told how a limited source of pure graphite (needed for pencils) in the 16-18th century made the British Cumberland graphite deposit a strategic asset. From its discovery in 1595 more or less every pencil in the world came from there.

In 1794, with France cut off from British imports due to war, Nicolas-Jacques Conté invented the clay/graphite ‘lead’ process (still used to make pencils today) to reduce that dependency.

The graphite of power; in Battery Electric Vehicles

Next up ‘The Fully Charged Show Podcast’ episode ‘Can batteries really be ethical, recyclable & sustainable - FC LIVE USA 2020’  included discussion on the sustainability of sourcing raw materials for batteries (from ~0:25:00 onwards).

One of the concerns raised was limited sources, currently all in Asia, and zero security of supply for a material used for batteries… graphite!

Thought it amazing how the technological importance of an element - centuries apart - and how it could be a strategic asset for totally different reasons, arrived in my podcast playlist at the same time.

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* Don’t be fooled, they may be on niche topics but are certainly not boring!

Neko, Danco, Pingu, BBQ? | Antarctic Mission Log 05

After a perfect first day on the Peninsular we awoke to find similar weather on the second. It was still eerily calm and clear below a high cloud cover.

I remember (from the 1990s) a book* of stunning Antarctic watercolours by NZ Artist David Barker and it seems we woke up in one. The clear water and muted light, thanks to that cloud, created a watercolour palette, absent of harsh sun glare, as we glided into the first landing spot of the day. My only rostered activity was not until after dinner, but there was plenty to see and do before then.

Neko Harbour Landing

The morning ashore at Neko Harbour was a chance to see more penguins, you can never see too many!, don snowshoes again or just enjoy the calm.

I didn't know, until researching this post, Neko is not from Japanese** but a Scottish whaling boat, the Neko, which operated in the area between 1911 and 1924. I'm sure we were probably told this but it had escaped my memory!

If you tired of looking at the bay, a 90° turn revealed rush hour commuters on the penguin highway against a background of bergs and towering ice cliffs.

After you, no, after you, no, after you...

The rookeries are busy, parenting, rock stealing for nests and (it seems) lots of pooing.

Lost, just a feather, not a buried penguin!

Not mine!

The Zodiaks were taking the long way back to the ship, touring and exploring the coast and ice flows.

And we're off, the ship repositioned for the afternoon landing while we had lunch.

Danco Island

The cruises between landings are spectacular. No wind and mirror calm sea under high cloud cover on the way to our afternoon stop; Danco Island.

There is a lot of work and skill supporting the excursions. The ship has ten Zodiaks which makes landings very efficient.

Launching the Zodiaks sometimes means dodging passing icebergs which do their own thing even in seas as calm as this. The tides are modest (~1m) but there is still a lot of water on the move, carrying with it tonnes of ice.

Several boat loads of gear are taken ashore including Survival Kits. They have short term essentials, gear, nutrition etc in case we can not get back to the ship.

So far, thankfully, they have only been used as snowshoe fitting seats.

Bags of 'guidance poles' to mark safe walk routes and no-go areas.

Finally, the people. Zodiaks and outboards get a tough time; sometimes driving through broken ice (hard as rock) and enduring rocky shore landings. Was told of, but didn't see, a chrome 'broken prop trophy' awarded to the Zodiak skipper if they damage a propeller.

You have to wear a life jacket on the Zodiak and must put it in a big bag when you land. It means if, on departure, there is a jacket left in the bag someone is still ashore. Another subtle way, in addition to the ship swipe in/out, of checking nobody is left behind. Below 'Clouds' and the ever present observer penguins supervise a landing.

I headed up the hill to capture another amazing view.

Even with snow shoes walking in soft snow was an effort

But these little fellows do it too

Coming up this far evades hunting seals but not all predators.

Skua are constantly on the lookout for eggs, chicks or sick adults/carcases for their dinner.

It is hard to convey the scale of these landscapes; capturing our climbers trekking my best attempt.

This is taken from the same spot, camera zoomed out, and that row of dots mid-frame is them!

Time to head back to the ship for a rather special dinner.

Barbeque on the heli-deck

While we had fun the hotel crew had been busy cooking a lovely BBQ dinner. It was great but, unfortunately, I had to rush to be ready for a very special activity; overnight camping on ice departing at 20:00. Because everyone had made the most of the day (late back) campers got priority in the dinner line, an upgrade!, but I still only had about 30 minutes to dine and run.

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Day 5 – 28th November 2019 | Neko Harbour and Danco Island (Kerr Point, Camping)

GPS position at 0800: 64°50.7 S 62°32.4 W | Air Temp: 8°C | Wind: NW1 | Sea state: Calm

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* In 'Antarctica: An artist's logbook' (published 1991) New Zealand (British born) artist David Barker joined a 1988 Pelagic Antarctic Expedition to the Antarctic Peninsular as the official expedition artist. Best known for superb maritime landscape paintings he was also a talented yacht designer who built large (up to 18m) advanced race/cruise catamarans in the 1980s. I can't recall where I saw this book, probably a library, but found a second hand copy in a Wanganui Bookshop (Biblio is a wonderful thing!)

** Once had an adopted stray cat called Neko (Japanese word for cat), suggested by a Japanese friend as I was just calling him 'Cat'.

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Log 04 - Index - Log 06 to come

Drake Passage Crossing | Antarctic Mission Log 03

After casting off, from Ushuaia, we headed East along Beagle Channel. It's about 73NM (135km) before you turn South across Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsular. Ortelius cruises at around 10.5Kn (19km/h) so we would not enter Drake Passage until sometime overnight. The channel was very calm and the forecast for Drake Passage promising, but nothing can be guaranteed once heading South of Cape Horn. Although not prone to motion sickness (never had it coastal sailing, inter-island ferry or flying) this was my first open ocean voyage. I had mild OTC 'Sea-Legs' and prescription Ondansetron motion sickness medications. Following the advice of my Travel Doctor (while getting a few vaccination updates for later parts of the trip) I took the 'Sea Legs' as a precaution; keeping the Ondansetron only if really needed as more likely to have undesirable side effects.

First evening at sea

I spent a bit of time exploring the ship, getting cameras and gear sorted or just hanging out on deck taking in the scenery. it was also the first chance to meet the crew (52) and fellow passengers (~105). Dr Karl's media profile there meant most passengers were Australian, half a dozen Kiwis, a few from the USA, Dubai (based) and elsewhere.

The crew is very international; South African, Dutch, Luxembourg, British, Swedish, French, Italian, Indian, Guatemalan , Austrian, Russian, Bulgarian, Latvian, Filipino, British included. Below Werner, our (giant) Photography Guide who, in addition to running photography tutorials/excursions, was documenting the voyage.

Ortelius is Dutch registered but was flying Argentinian & Pilot On-board Flags for the first part of this Beagle Channel leg until the handover to our Captain. The day was improving to starboard; clear blue skies contrasting with storm clouds gathering over the mountains in the distance to port.

 

Time flew, it seemed, and mid-evening we were summoned for dinner. It was really nice; I had Fish with fried polenta, broccoli and grilled peppers and fresh fruit salad dessert. This high standard, of both quality and service, was maintained throughout the voyage. Given there is no alternative that was a relief!

After dinner as the light faded the contrast between port and starboard became even more stark; golden sunset vs black cloud!

As the crew steered us into the night it was time to bank some sleep, and I did.

Across Drake Passage proper

Slept most of the night but occasionally the ship would move strangely and wake me, otherwise good. Daylight revealed we were traversing the prevailing westerly swell diagonally creating the odd rolling action. That said  I really didn't expect to see Drake Passage this calm. Have seen the Auckland Hauraki Gulf rougher.

We got a bit of a sleep-in today, compared to later in the trip, but it was soon time for breakfast. The selection of cereals, granola, yoghurt and fruit, followed by coffee and a small croissant was great for me as I don't do cooked breakfasts. For those who do there was plenty of choice there too. Although just a cruising day there was plenty to keep us busy and lots of time to just enjoy the views, wildlife and company of fellow travellers.

   

The admin briefings covered all we needed to know before going ashore. There was the Biocheck (check clean and vacuum outer layers), collection of our loan Zodiac inflatable life jacket & 'Muck' tall shore landing boots. The 'Mucks' were so good that, combined with the GOR-TEX shoes mentioned previously, I never wore my own hiking boots!

A compulsory Shore Visit Briefing covered what we should, and shouldn't, do to comply with the IAATO Visitor Guidelines and just the practical aspects of getting ashore safely. Other briefings covered the details of the optional activities; Camping, Kayaking, Snowshoe Walking, and Mountaineering. There was also the all important 'Activity Opportunity Lists' to check out. With a hundred people, four activities and only so many days you were allocated a session/activity slot. If weather or circumstances didn't allow it to take place, too bad. I was happy to see kayaking and camping early in the voyage for me; other days you could just enjoy the Zodiac cruises, landings and snow shoe walks.

Meanwhile the boat rolled gently on, crossing the swell in an otherwise calm sea. Compare the horizon in the two photos below, taken across the deck from the same viewpoint. As it was gentle I wasn't feeling any motion sickness, albeit still on the 'Sea-Legs', but you did have to take care moving around the ship. I remember once walking up the stairs and must have, inadvertently, matched the falling movement of the ship. it felt oddly like walking on level ground between decks!

 

You could, and I did, spend hours watching seabirds glide; their soaring makes flight look so effortless. We saw a wide variety including: Wandering, Southern Royal, Black-browed, Grey-Headed and Light Mantled Albatross, Southern Giant & Cape Petrel (Pintado), Wilson’s Storm-Petrel, Antarctic Prion, Antarctic Fulmar, and Imperial (Blue Eyed) Shag.

 

There were several Antarctic Minke, Humpback, Fin Whale sightings but those I got to were too distant to bother photographing. There was no danger of starvation either. Lunches were typically soup to start (if you wanted) and a self service buffet, with a theme which changed daily. There was no Off Menu Podcast dilemma: I had Papadum AND bread!

 

Most of the ship was open access with only occasional 'Crew Only' restricted areas if something hazardous was going on. I was impressed the bridge was mostly open as long as you observed some basic protocols; no rubber boots (to avoid vinyl scuffs), don't touch the controls, and keep quiet the main ones!

 

In addition to the briefings we had several talks from Dr Karl and the Expedition Crew. Dr. K was his usual self with his unique delivery; a barrage of diverse ideas which coalesce into a cohesive theme. One line I remember:

'Dolphin's aren't always friendly, but they have better PR than sharks'

Other speakers & topics included:

• Eduardo | Ask the Astronomer (Q&A on all things cosmic)
• Claudia | Ocean Wanderers | Bird life of the southern ocean
• Pippa | Marine mammals | About the Seals, Whales we would/had seen.
• Claudia & Eduardo | Climate system | Claudia atmospheric climate system & Antarctic convergence, Eduardo oceanic currents
• Werner | Photography Tips and Techniques
• Martin | Climbing Mount Vinson - the highest point of Antarctica

It meant what I thought would be 'the quiet time' on the cruise was actually packed with activity. The reading and podcast listening I thought would fill the days were untouched!

  

No matter what else was going on, there was always the spectacular environment to captivate.

And then it got cold(er)

 About halfway we entered the Antarctic Convergence:

The Antarctic Convergence or Antarctic Polar Front is a curve continuously encircling Antarctica, varying in latitude seasonally, where cold, northward-flowing Antarctic waters meet the relatively warmer waters of the subantarctic.

Antarctic waters predominantly sink beneath the warmer subantarctic waters, while associated zones of mixing and upwelling create a zone very high in marine productivity, especially for Antarctic krill.

This line, like the arctic tree line, is a natural boundary rather than an artificial one, such as the borders of nations and time zones. It not only separates two hydrological regions, but also separates areas of distinctive marine life and climates.

The Arctic has no similar boundary because of the large bodies of land contiguous with the northern polar region. (credit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Convergence)

This was the first appearance of snow and fog, but the seas remained calm (considering where we were).

It was certainly time to get some of the cold weather gear out as the icebreaker puffer jacket and light merino gloves i wear at home for 'Winter' weren't quite up to this. Time for woolly hats, proper wind/waterproof gloves (actually my winter cycling gloves from the Tibet Trip) and a layer of Icebreaker thermals under their Merino Tee and mid-layer. I still had two more thermal layers and proper snow/ski gloves if needed but as only ventured out for photos was toasty warm for now. If put all my layers on I would be wearing more merino than a sheep!

 

 

Of course none of this phased the accompanying aviators but snow added another dimension to the photographs, and the challenge of working little camera buttons with gloved fingers.

Antarctica Ahoy!

This was my first sight of Antarctica, technically the offshore islands, but we had another night of sailing. Tomorrow it's all go.

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25/11 | GPS position at 0800: 56°37.7’ S 65°31.8’ W | Air Temp: 9°C | Wind: N4/5 | Sea state: Slight

26/22 | GPS position at 0800: 61°19.8’ S 62°51.9” W | Air Temp: 9°C | Wind: ESE4 | Sea state: Slight

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Travel Notes:

• Long (2m) USB phone cable good
• Small 2 plug + 4 USB multi-board worth it

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Log 02 - Index - Log 04

One of these cars is a work of art

Guess which..

The Fiat 500 acquired by The Museum of Modern Art in New York - www.fiatpress.com

Jill Perrott Manukau to Muriwai Exhibition

Excuse the rubbish photo but good to see (in the window of the local orchard) my favourite Westie Artist has an exhibition coming up. She has an amazing ability to capture the essence of this dramatic landscape.

April 29 - May 28, West Coast Gallery. Piha

www.jill-perrott.co.nz

www.westcoastgallery.co.nz

Parrs Park Evening

TEDx Auckland 2015 Victorious? | #TEDxAKL @TEDxAuckland

My notes & photos from TEDx Auckland 2015. I only took the phone (for both notes & photos) and was sitting right at the back of the hall so my shots are a bit ‘distant’.

• The italics are the speaker profiles sent out by TEDx Auckland
• The bullet points my OneNote notes taken on the day (which may contain errors) and a few post-TEDx thoughts after.

SIOUXSIE WILES

Award-winning scientist Dr. Siouxsie Wiles describes herself as a microbiologist and bioluminescence enthusiast but to others she is “that pink-haired science lady”. She believes that playmakers like Lego should lead the way in stamping out gender-stereotyping in toys.

• 18/150 minifigs feminine when first looked
• 20% feminine 2014
• Lego friends mostly feminine but they suck
  • Hands don't move
  • Can't ride a bike, can brush hair
• In NZ: 98% plumber mechanics builders men, 97% teacher female
• Lego have had a solution for years, the two face Voldemort minifig could be male/female
• Of 200 head introduced 2013 had 2 expressions
• Just make all figures with both gender two sided faces is a simple and elegant solution
• #letkidsdecide

I know Siouxsie, from Skeptics in the Pub, and had seen her speak before so wasn’t at all surprised she was great. Must be a double edged sword being first up to kick off a big day. Big expectations but the benefit of getting out of the way to enjoy the rest of the speakers. As a life long Lego fan (having Grandparents living on duty free Norfolk Island helped that) I the topic was of interest. I loved the simple solution Siousxie offered, something Lego could, and should, easily implement.

 

GRANT SCHOFIELD

Grant Schofield lives and breathes the motto “be the best you can be”. Through his work as Professor of Public Health and director of the Human Potential Centre at AUT, his focus is on preventing the diseases of modern times, and seeing what it takes to help people live a long, healthy and happy life.

• Ever think about how you are going to die?
• Aspire to live long, then drop dead without lingering
• Worked on pacific atoll, still had population of 40k, 50% have diabetes
• Lost traditional values, living on instant noodles not the best
• How did we get to the point where butter is like marijuana, most have tried it but wouldn't use it daily
• George:
  • Grant found him after he commented on a blog post, looked a bit like a rock star.
  • Drug user with hepatitis c
  • Figures out new way of eating, health improves
  • Was on benefit in West Auckland, now research assistant at AUT public health
  • George’s journey enabled by internet
• Public health should involve the public

Sometimes complex problems have simple solutions. Public health should involve the public.

 

RILEY & STEVE HATHAWAY

Riley Hathaway is a 14-year-old ocean ambassador, who presents her own TV series called ‘Young Ocean Explorers’. In it, Steve and his daughter Riley present captivating stories about what happens when a teenager comes face to face with the marine animals we’re all curious about.

• Started with dad helping daughter with school project in waste plastic on turtles, fantastic response, inspired the series
• Using Kids to inspire kids works
• If we win the kids we all win

Great message and amazing where a school project can lead.

SHAUN HENDY

Shaun Hendy is the founding Director of Te Pūnaha Matatini, a Centre of Research Excellence hosted by the University of Auckland. Shaun believes that the challenge for New Zealand is to overcome our relatively small and widely dispersed population base and build a city of four million people.

• NZ primary sector ~50%
• Denmark similar size
  • same primary sector
  • 4x other export
• NZ 1 patent/1000 people, chch 1/1000, akl 1/750
• Sydney 1/500
• Larger city, more innovation
• To improve:
  • Connect:
    • Connect innovators
    • Create social network
    • Cities enable connection but technology can too
  • Diversity:
    • Barcode invented by AMTRAK, didn't work till combined with laser
      • Innovation is diverse ideas connected
    • Diversity drives innovation: Detroit (old Auto) vs S.F. (Tesla)
  • Share:
    • Hitachi in Japan led idea/ patent sharing
    • Dominant global business model of shared patents responsible for 2/3 patents worldwide

Interesting to compare the culture of patent sharing to some of the patent trolls who hoard and stifle innovation. I wonder, in spite of some awesome examples, if New Zealand will ever get beyond the commodity mentality.

 

People rush out for coffee at the end of the first session

 

STEVE POINTING

Steve Pointing is Professor of Applied Ecology at AUT and for over a decade has led an astrobiology research team collaborating with NASA. He has broadened his interests to consider the societal impacts of discovering life on other planets: How will this change our perception of humanity?

• Science was his escape from bullying
• Studies extremophiles in Antarctica, NZ, Tibet
• Is there life on Mars
  • Almost certainly
• Aliens likely to be microbes, imagine bio security risk of returning samples
• Will discovery of alien life impact faith?
  • Probably not
  • Pope Francis happy to baptize alien
• Consider impact of Spanish on Aztec South America
  • Disease
  • Cultural loss
  • Genetic changes from interbreeding
• If we discover alien life, are we going to be the colonists or the Aztecs?

Strange leap from potential of alien microbes to the Pope being open to welcoming Aliens!

 

HONG SHENG

Dr. Hong Sheng Chiong is currently an eye doctor in Gisborne hospital. In 2014, he founded OphthalmicDocs, an R&D company that focuses on the development of ultra mobile and economical eye tests and diagnostics devices.

• A dream to end preventable blindness
• Has worked in Kenya, Nepal
• 285 million vision impaired, 39m blind 80% preventable
• Human Eye 576 megapixels resolution equivalent
• Invented device optical camera for smartphone
  • Tested on Wife, baby & a fish he caught!
  • Didn't work well
  • Got engineering help from Facebook
  • Created working product
• Now open source 3d printable item
  • 3d house
• $25 instead of $25,000
• http://www.ophthalmicdocs.com/

As I have fairly poor vision — short sighted, astigmatism and a risk of glaucoma — I know how it would impair life without treatment. Hong Sheng got a deserved standing ovation for a brilliant combination of invention, technological innovation and creative distribution to get affordable health care to people who really need it.

 

TOM SCOTT

Tom Scott is an award winning political columnist, editorial cartoonist and documentary maker. Some of the films and television dramas he either wrote or co-wrote include Footrot Flats and Tiger Country. He's currently working on a six-part television series on Sir Edmund Hillary.

• Charlie Hebdo: Not great drawings, but great messages
• Father came to NZ after war, in part to escape religion in northern Ireland
• Cartoons in the French Peace cartoon gallery
• Why do states like Pakistan & North Korea devote so much of limited GDP to nuclear weapons? Where are the keys? Tucked under the drivers sun visor probably!
• His biggest concern: Global Warming
• 95% of people are decent, 5% nutters and shitters try to ruin it for the rest of us.

Have known his work my whole life. Great to hear Tom speak about his work, our world and some of the bizarre things that are considered normal.

 

GAVIN HEALY

Gavin Healy, who is originally from Ireland, will speak about the impact of growing up in a country devastated by centuries of civil war, and how the 5,500 year old spiritual sites that surrounded his childhood home gave him hope...

• Thoughts determine behaviour
• Brain rewired by thought
• Denial is easier then acceptance and behaviour change
• Suggested religion but wouldn't give car keys to a stranger, wouldn't give brain to something wasn't sure exists
• Investigated spirituality, Celtic etc
• Formed ‘I Stop’ to get kids out of the Northern Irish troubles
• Theory: If thoughts create neuron pathways, & those pathways create addiction, what is media doing to our brains?
  • Marshall institute ran smoking is ok campaigns, now working on climate change
  • Creating doubt is their goal, doubt feeds denial
• Met kiwi wife, moved here and reconnected with environment
• Created
  • Good Magazine
  • Element Magazine (Herald insert)
• About to launch social media site
  • Message: Change the world by changing how you think
  • Grow new behaviour with new thoughts, spirit & world
  • Www.elementmagazine.co.nz

Some interesting views on the way media is influencing us, maybe our brains. Have been thinking about this myself since the Tibet trip. Both Buddhism and the political oppression combined with media control have impacted a whole society. Maybe (in a different way) the same is happening here.

 

BILLIE JORDAN

Billie Jordan established a hip hop dance crew with her elderly neighbours (aged 68 to 96 years old) with the audacious goal of performing at the World Hip Hop Championships in Las Vegas within eight months. From that point on, her life and the lives of her dance group changed forever.

• At what point are you considered old?
• Ageism is real
• US senior citizen suicide rate 3x youth rate
• Old age should be the most liberating time of your life
• All the group have physical/mental aging problems to some degree. ASIDE: Why do people still whisper about dementia? It's going to happen to all of us who live long enough to some degree
  • I think because all mental health problems still stigmatized
• Her story:
  • Both parents abusive, felt Suicidal
  • Cut off from that and moved to Chch
  • Traumatized by quake survival
  • Moved to Waiheke, created flash mob of oldies top connect with others
    • Set them impossible goal: Performance at World Hip-hop championship in Vegas
    • Learnt hip hop off YouTube to be their choreographer
    • They got there
    • Their doctors say are healthier now than have been in years

Billie and her crew were just awesome. What I found really sad was the prejudice they encountered (from both family and community) which was much more discussed in the AUT Lounge session after.

Hip Hop-eration video

 

 

BAILEY WILEY

Bailey Wiley filters neo-soul classicism through modern, righteous and true live musicianship. The star of the show is her golden voice – effortless and organic, supported by her raw talented band.

Nice!

 

DALE NIRVANI PFEIFER

Dale is changing the way we connect online. Her #donate software, developed to make giving easy on social media, is unleashing the next generation of generosity. Her goal is to support the evolution of the human experience with money by creating a generosity-based financial system.

• Grew up in NZ, whanaungatanga principles strong
• Social media for good
  • Connected
  • Awareness
  • Informed
• Ice bucket challenge
  • Sparked social media giving
  • Cross cause giving
• Fan the flames of generosity
• Her https://goodworld.me service allows you to use the #donate tag to give to charity via Facebook and Twitter
• Paradox of generosity
  • Giving is also self serving
  • Givers are happier
• Give what you want to receive

I hadn’t heard of Goodworld and how the #donate tag worked before this talk. A neat way to enable more people to give, breaks through the hassle of giving.

 

JANETTE SEARLE

Janette Searle had a life changing conversation that turned into ‘Take My Hands’ a not-for- profit organisation that redistributes prosthetic, orthotic and medical equipment to those in need.

• Working at conference found NZ hospitals dump unused limbs - later worked out equiv of 60,000 boxes of medical equip/year goes to landfill
• Arranged to get some unused limbs to Pakistan
  • Worked out 1 limb cost $0.30 to get to a boy in Pakistan
• Turned it into a trust
  • PBT transport, Mondiale & NZ Post supported
• Designed a platform (now open)
  • Partnerships:
  • IT: Item tracking & management
  • Knowledge: Advisory board
  • Stories: Telling about the impact
• Now used from
  • Blissful act s of kindness palm nth
  • Furnishing the pacific
  • The floating foundation
• Everyone can make a difference, you don't need to wait until you're rich and retired.

The last note sums it up. A simple idea, connecting a waste problem to a resource shortage, and she made it happen. Brilliant.

 

SIR BOB HARVEY

Sir Bob Harvey is the Chairman of Waterfront Auckland, has served 6 terms as Mayor of the city of Waitakere and recently published his biography ‘A Life Less Ordinary’. Sir Bob’s involvement in leadership, creativity and his passion for the environment will be the foundation of his TEDx talk.

• Leadership in a landscape
• Grew up in Newton Gully
• Cycled to Piha, bit never got there, Karekare took his eye & heart so he never got to Piha
• First sea air rescue ever was at Karekare when float plane picked up woman who'd drifted out.
• Slept on beach, saw Waterspout and discovered dead whale, inspired to do something creative
• Ad agency worked on:
  • Manapouri
  • Norm Kirk campaign - Its time first NZ modern political campaign,
  • David Lange - Was huge, but got a little slimmer
• Major of Waitakere:
  • Named it Eco City - a green bastion of sanity
• Inspired by Karekare
  • Driftwood talks to itself but we cant hear it, that's not crazy, but it is edgy.
• If you want to find leadership: find your place and believe in you.

Bob’s talk really resonated with me. Maybe because I’m a Westie and love the West Coast that was ‘his place’. I don’t live on that coast but would never want to live far from it. I made a point of hanging around to thank him personally for the talk, inspiring.

 

SORCERESS SOUNDSYSTEM

A futuristically classic sound in a distinctive blend of funky drum rhythms and soulful synthesizers – that is how you can explain the diverse music mix of Sorceress. The duo has evolved into a widely respected soul electronica act with a truly global following.

To be honest, initially had my doubts, then the trumpet came out and the performance soared. Loved it.

 

TAME ITI

Tame Iti will explore the old saying of "Te ka nohi ki te ka nohi" (Dealing with it eye to eye) and how it creates a far more productive space for open dialogue around any issue.

• Mana:
  • Sense of self
  • Sense of place
  • Sense of heritage
• At primary school principal banned Maori at school
  • He tested that and had to write lines on the blackboard
• Authority is not mana
  • Make them face you
  • Eye to eye
• Went to crown treaty hearing
  • They were up on stage
  • He didn't want to be looked down on
  • Took a ladder to do his submission from
• The mana of the people is equal to that of any authority
• History has woven us together, we are the basket, the kité, which holds the future. We must face each other eye to eye

When I saw Tame Iti on the line-up I remembered the underwhelming Willie Jackson session last year. No worries about that as Tame Iti was brilliant. A great message, beautifully delivered.

 

MAX CRYER

Max Cryer (MBE) was New Zealand television’s first quiz host and was awarded ‘New Zealand Entertainer of the Year.’ He has an Honours degree in English Literature and Etymology, and for TVNZ he produced over 100 episodes of “University Challenge” and 100 episodes of ‘Mastermind’. [and MC Vaughn in W3

• English language has a world of its own
  • No country called Germany
  • No city called Venice
  • No place called Gallipoli
  • But we use all these words
• Impact of internet on language
  • Met without meeting
  • Dating without dating
  • Grooming... Doesn't work out well
  • Friend you haven't met
  • Text evolved to texting & texted
  • We Chat in rooms with no chat
  • Tweet in silence
• @ amphora symbol has no name in English
  • Used for pricing before the web was invented: 4 yards @ £3 yard
  • That is why it's on the keyboard
  • In many languages has a name but in English has none
• Spam was originally Spiced Ham
  • Monty Python popularised spam spam spam
  • Something we get in profusion but don't want

Have known Max’s work my whole life, listen to his Radio Live spot with Graeme Hill every weekend (via the podcast usually), was great to see him live. He didn’t disappoint.

 

LISA MATISOO-SMITH

Lisa Matisoo-Smith is the Professor of Biological Anthropology in the Department of Anatomy at the University of Otago. Her primary area of interest is in looking at the biological evidence for the human settlement of the Pacific.

• Uses DNA to understand human migration history
• Pioneered by NZ Allan Wilson
  • Mitochondrial Eve
• All the diversity in humans today happened in about the last 60,000 years
• Polynesian triangle (New Ginea, Samoa, Tonga) colonised over 3500 before present BP
  • NZ 1200 to 750 BP
• Polynesian chicken bones found in South America dated 750 years before Columbus. They returned via Ecuador bringing kumara with them
• Studied rat dna in Polynesia, community engagement from the led to acceptance of human dna project
• 30 female mitochondria means there were thousand or more, not previous thought hundreds, woman settled here (NZ) in initial migration.
• The longest journey: Africa to Aotearoa: A genetic study of NZ

Had heard of Lisa’s work (I think thanks to G Hill on Radio Live) and interested. A few years ago I submitted my DNA to the National Geographic Genographic Project. The results showed that my (paternal) ancestral DNA left Africa about 60,000 years ago migrating across continents to the U.K. & Western Europe. From there a much more recent migration resulted in me being Kiwi born. It was interesting to hear how Lisa’s work was rewriting, or restoring, the remarkable abilities of the Polynesian settlers.

 

MICHEL TUFFERY

Michel Tuffery has a deeply held belief in the possibility of art to create connections: "I’m not a social worker, I’m an artist who’s trying to create a conversation".

• C3WEST 'Transforma Project' partnered with Museum of Contemporary Art and Campbelltown Arts Centre, Sydney, Australia, 2012-2014
  • Aboriginal settlement near Campbelltown,
    • Cars stolen, burnt, dumped in river
    • Solo mothers
    • Drugs, needles in bush
  • Interviewed elderly
    • River used to pristine
  • Started boxing club for kids
    • Trained for hour
    • Fed & ate with them
  • Had kids design transformers made of car wrecks, printed on paper & t shirts
  • Worked with council, army, tow truck companies and community to clear it up
  • Built a Kangaroo transformer sculpture that changed a community
  • http://www.micheltuffery.co.nz/

Interesting to hear how art was used to build community in an area with many social challenges.

And that’s it:

There was a strange sky to greet us, the result of a full'ish moon being eclipsed by a cloud!

This was a new venue for TEDx. Although the auditorium was great I thought the lack of foyer space, compared to the previous Aotea Centre, really impacted the ability to circulate and socialise during the breaks. Food, from The Food Truck, was good but they were seriously challenged trying to feed a couple of thousand people in the one hour break. It was fortunate there was no rain, always a risk in Auckland’s changeable climate, as the outdoor areas got a lot of use. In short, a great day but I hope it returns to Aotea next year.

TEDx Auckland 2014, unexpected Himalayan cycle tour preparation!

When I saw TEDx Auckland 2014 announced I really wanted to go but was a bit torn. I loved the 2013 event but it meant a precious day of weekend gone. Weekends were crucial as I was trying to get fit for a rather demanding cycle tour in the Himalayas.

The TEDx 2014 theme was ‘Ascending’:

Ascending is about individuals and society rising to a higher level of consciousness.

Ascending is about finding the positives in any situation and building on them to make our lives, community, business and planet better.

As it turned out, the day spent at TEDx may have been the most valuable trip preparation I ever did thanks to Mike Allsop!

• Click on the speakers name to link to a video of their talk (if on YouTube)
• Bullet points in italics are unedited notes I took during the day using OneNote on my Nokia Lumia 1520 phone. I also used it for all the photos and John Boone session video clip.

The gathering crowds, the Aotea Centre was a near sell-out!

Waiting to Ascend, the stage is set:

TEDx Auckland — 2013 remembered, bring on 2014!

While buying my ticket to TEDx Auckland 2014 remembered I’d never gotten around to writing a post about the 2013 event.

Earlier this year there was some flack about TED, prompted it seems by some ‘dubious’ TEDx events. From my experience at TEDx Auckland it certainly wasn’t one of those. The Aotea Centre was full, the speakers uniformly excellent and it covered a wide variety of topics.

In his intro MC @VaughnDavis (below right) made a comment which summed up my TEDx experience. He said with TED on-line you tend to self censor, focus on the familiar, topics of interest. With the live event you can’t and it is a good thing. It was, as he suggested, the unexpected which made a real impression.

For example I’m not a fan of poetry but one memorable session was Grace Taylor’s Rising Voices (Youth poetry movement) and the powerful performances by Marina Alefosio & Brian Gashema. They’d never been on stage before and got a thoroughly deserved standing ovation from the full house Aotea Centre audience.

I had heard of Dr Richard Nunns but never seen him lecture. His style was awesome, building from a slow, seemingly rambling, start to an amazing mash up of traditional Maori instrumentals, a string quartet and hip-hop (with King Kapisi). Pity there isn’t a video of that session

My notes

Rather than trying to review all the sessions in detail, it was a while ago!, here are the notes I made on the day with a few [added comments]. I’ve added links to the actual presentation page, most of which have videos, if you want to see what inspired them.

The photos are all mine (my TEDx 2013 Album on Flickr). It was nice to be at an event which encouraged photography, tweeting and recording!

• Jimmi Hunt – The worlds Biggest Waterslide - 
  • Love the suit
  • Built the giant slide, lilo’ed down the Waikato River
  • Depression 20% in NZ
  • Ask for help livemoreawesome.com
  
• Lillian Grace – Know your country: Wiki NZ
  • Presents data without analysis to remove bias [does that follow or does analysis sometimes reduce bias?]
  • Form your argument from solid data
  
• Dr Richard Nunns – rediscovering traditional Maori music 
  • 1950's only a few Maori instruments known
  • His work has rediscovered 46-47
  • [loved his opening remarks] “I can speak for hours on a marae and people love it, but TED organizers expect something profound in 15 minutes”. “Took me 7 minutes to turn off my cell phone in the green room”
  
• Mark Sagar – Baby X
  • Artificial behaviour and emotional modelling
  • Live neurobehavioral models [potential to use for brain disease modelling & study]
  • Brain + face + nervous system = behaviour
  • Face is muscles driven by nerves, by brain
  • Brain Lego :-)
  • See Laboratory for Animate Technologies
  
• David Truebridge  Our need to create 
  • Left right brain balance
  • Art'tivision activism [I didn’t make many notes but this was an interesting talk]
  
• Pete Russell – Oooobee Ooooby - Out of our own backyards
  • Hacking the supply chain www.ooooby.org
  • Imported frozen pastry [in previous business]
  • Went to world food forum, learnt mega food was killing small producers
  • New goal: Make local food available & economic
  • Grower to door
  • Food commons [like creative commons] model
  
• Grace Taylor - Rising Voices, the power of words
  • Powerful demonstration of spoken word as a cultural, social change enabler. [Amazing performance and I don’t (generally) like poetry!]
  • Her challenge to us: What story would you tell?
  
• Malcolm Rands – A new model for business
  • Solar panel project
  • Ethical business
  • Ecostore
  
• Joseph Michael – Dark Cloud/White Light
  • HD Time-lapse NZ landscape photography (amazing)
  • joemichael.net
  
• Helen Clark – (former) NZ Prime Minister – Yes She Can! 
  • Women can
  • When they do it has to count
  
• Robert Oliver – Pacific food – Recipe for development 
  • Little Pacific food seen in pacific resorts, same in Caribbean
  • Menus join tourism to agriculture
  • Pacific became dumping ground for high fat low quality meat
  • Wrote Me'a Kai book Random House
  • TV1 Sept
  
• Richard Faull – Rethinking the Brain (works with Jenny Morton) 
  • Brain stem cells in adult makes new
  • Neurogenasis Neurogenesis
  
• Ash Graham  (Music)

  

• Brian Sweeney – The NZ Story, Living on the Edge 
  • NZ Edge.com
  • Punk Eek - change happens on the edge
  • Diaspora >
  • Brain drain > Network
  • Consumers > Export
  • Ernest Godwin
  • Find your edge
  
• Sophie Tamati – Hika language App 
  • Hika language learning system for mobile web devices
  
• Welby Ings – Creativity in education 
  • Creativity is disobedient thought
  • Schools favour literacy and numeracy, if you don't have them ability is missed
  • If we pursue tick box completion education is dumbed down
  • Organizations are not human, creativity is.
  • Creativity is constrained by fear & power
  • Learning is not safe
  • Humboldt University; "Where they burn books they will eventually burn people" 1802
  
• Joseph & Maia (Music)
• Robyn Paterson – Finding Mercy 
  • Finding Mercy documentary
  • People are not born to hate, they must learn – Mandela
  • A very moving performance
  
• Dale Williams  - Small town turnaround
  • 2004 - high unemployment, crime, vandalism
    • Career advice tertiary education not employment focused
  • Local solutions for local problems
    • Employer focused
    • Pre-employment info
    • Established local careers expo
    • School leavers connection program. If no plans contacted every 14 days
    • Work readiness training - time management, drivers license, tools, skills - with mentoring
  • Result: Nobody under 25 unemployed since 2006, low crime, no graffiti
  • Why isn’t he Mayor of Auckland, a thousand times better than Len Brown [and this was written before the Bevan debacle]
  
• Wrap Up -  A chance to thank the TEDx Auckland team

Between sessions the foyer included exhibits from some speakers and even live art. Lovenotes, handmade stationery from waste paper, were being made and sold on site. There was also a chance for some to experience Baby X but the queues were too long for me.

If I’d written this soon after TEDx Auckland 2013 I would have said keep an eye on the site for 2014 news. However, the tickets for 2014 are on sale at http://tedxauckland.com with one already sold to me! See you there?

Radiolab Live: Apocalyptical and Amazing

I’ve heard all their podcasts—so expected the typical Radiolab brilliance—but this video of the Radiolab Live tour is amazing. I heard the audio version on Sunday and just watched the video. If you have any interest in science and/or art you must see this.

Robert Krulwich and Jad Abumrad appear with comedians, musicians, video, that distinctive Radiolab audio mix and ‘live’ dinosaurs to tell of endings which changed our world.

Radiolab Live: Apocalyptical

http://www.radiolab.org/live/

Thanks to everybody who came out to see us on our 21-city tour! We had a blast, and we're so proud of how this show turned out. It's the best thing we've ever done on stage, which is why we're so excited to share a bunch of Apocalyptical video with you! If you didn't get a chance to catch the show in person -- or if you did and want to relive the cataclysmic glory and share it with your friends! -- feast your eyes on these live performances recorded in Seattle. You'll find incontrovertible proof that Robert Krulwich can shake it, that Jad Abumrad is a live-scoring, storytelling super-freak, and that a guitar, drum kit, and upright bass can summon the apocalypse. Plus: dinosaurs, death, destruction, and comedic mayhem. Enjoy