Carmel Majidi: Soft robots

“We really need to reexamine the types of materials that we use in robotics.” Carmel Majidi discusses how the robots of the future will be pliable and soft to accommodate the characteristics of the human body.

Miriah Meyer: Seeing Data

“In data visualization, what we really need to do is move beyond thinking that visualization is just about pretty pictures.” Miriah Meyer explains how data visualization can be more concise, practical and scientifically useful, and still be aesthetically pleasing.

Nick Martin: Learn Online

“In the field of international development, so many people need new skills.” Listen to Nick Martin describe his unique, interactive model for online training for social change.  techchange.org

Emily Jacobi: Digitizing Democracy

“What are the possibilities of new technology to transform situations for some of the world’s most marginalized groups?” Emily Jacobi describes how her group, Digital Democracy, is using technology to improve local social and environmental projects, like assisting local efforts to document oil spills in Peru. www.digital-democracy.org

Erik Hersman: BRCK breakthrough

illustration by Peter Durand

“The great challenge of our time is to connect people and information.” Erik Hersmanshows off the BRCK, a way to connect to the Internet that is physically robust, able to connect to multiple networks, a hub for all local devices and has enough backup power to survive a blackout.  www.brck.com

Reichert and Robertson: First in flight

illustration by Peter Durand

“Impossible is nothing.” Todd Reichert and Cameron Robertson show how they designed and built a sprawling flying machine that was the first human-powered helicopter to fly an award-winning 3 meters high for 60 seconds. poptech.org/people/cameron_robertson_and_todd_reichart

Duygu Kuzum: Brain Computing

illustration by Peter Durand

“My transition from electronics to the brain has not been an easy one.” Duygu Kuzumshows how she is using her skills as an electrical engineer to make computers operate more like the human brain.  www.stanford.edu/~duygu/Duygu_Kuzum/

Helen Marriage: Art interventions

“These life-changing moments, the joy that you see on the faces of these audiences, that is not a frivolity.” Helen Marriage shows how to create breathtaking, city-wide art installations in places like downtown London.  www.artichoke.uk.com

illustration by Peter Durand

Ellen Langer: Mindfulness over matter

illustration by Peter Durand

“We have many, many studies that suggest that the limits we assume are real are artificial, and that we don’t have to accept them at all.” Harvard psychology professor Ellen Langer discusses the surprising power of being present during everyday activities. www.ellenlanger.com

Jason Hong: Smarter phones

illustration by Peter Durand

“In the near future, our smart phones will know everything about us.” Jason Hong shares his work on the leading edge of the balance between the next wave of mobile phone technologies and privacy concerns.  www.cs.cmu.edu/~jasonh/

Nathaniel Raymond: Data rights

illustration by Peter Durand

“Our technical innovation has superseded our moral and ethical innovation.” Watch Nathaniel Raymond argue passionately that information during a disaster should be protected under international law and human rights standards just like food, water, medicine and shelter. hhi.harvard.edu

Lisa Aziz-Zadeh: Brain and body

illustration by Peter Durand

“Our bodies are the frames that our brain uses to understand other people.” Lisa Aziz-Zadeh explores the complex relationship between emotions, physical movement and brain activity.

Alex Hornstein: Power for people

illustration by Peter Durand

“What I’m interested in is how to reach people.” Alex Hornstein says that simple systems that use mostly existing infrastructure can power rural homes that lack electricity.

Anushka Ratnayake: Farm Savings

illustration by Peter Durand

“We create agricultural layaway plans to help farmers use their money efficiently.” Learn how Anushka Ratnayake is using mobile technology to help poor farmers easily save money for seed and fertilizer. www.myagro.org

Adam Magyar: Photos of time

illustration by Peter Durand

“Transformation of reality by the camera.” Adam Magyar talks about using industrial cameras and computers to photograph and process urban images that capture a moment of time and then visually expand it. More at: www.magyaradam.com

Kevin Slavin: Debunking Luck

“That’s amazing, the idea that anything that seems to be built out of chance or instinct or luck can yield to a computational assault.” Pioneering gamer Kevin Slavin takes the PopTech audience on a colorful tour of the history of luck in America, games of chance, gambling and mathematical formulas.

Julia Watson: Sacred places

illustration by Peter Durand

“I am an architect and I am interested in preserving these sacred places.” Julia Watson explains why it is so important to preserve environmentally sensitive sites and ecosystems around the world while considering the interests and participation of local inhabitants.

Christina Agapakis: Toe cheese

illustration by Peter Durand

“I’m really excited about things that sometimes are a little bit gross, a little bit disgusting.” Microbiologist Christina Agapakis shows how she makes cheese from bacteria collected from the human body. Armpits. Mouths. Between toes.

Esther Wang: Measure impact

Psychologist Esther Perel is recognized as one of the world’s most original and insightful voices on couples and sexuality across cultures. Fluent in nine languages, the Belgian native is a celebrated speaker sought around the globe for her expertise in emotional and erotic intelligence, work-life balance, cross-cultural relations, conflict resolution and identity of modern marriage and family.

Zach Lieberman: Creative Teaching

“We are not sitting in front of a screen. We are trying to create a space for reimagining what is possible.” Zach Liebermann talks about teaching creativity in the information age at his School for Poetic Computation. More at: www.sfpc.io