TED Session 1

It's marvelous to be in the presence of easygoing genius, and James Watson certainly fits that description.  His ten minute recap of the discover of DNA included several gems, including one I certainly won't have to worry about over the next few days, "never be the smartest person in the room."  He also said, "most scientists say, 'we won't think about something until we know it's right,' " a problem that besets many business-types as well.  Watson's got a great laugh, too.

Janine Benyus gave the same presentation she gave at PopTech, which is to say, exciting, eye-opening and inspiring.  Listen to the lengthier PopTech version here. 

Brian Greene is something of a showman, and in this case, I think the show was only partly successful.  While the headlines are interesting enough, the "so-what?" for me is a bit of a headscratcher.

Richard St. John did a great three minutes on "What Leads to Success," a result of seven years of researching successful TEDsters.  His conclusions?

1. Passion
2. Work
3. Practical
4. Practice
5. Push
6. Serve
7. Ideas
8. Persist

Finally, Frans Lanting showed a wonderfully moving photojournalistic journey through the story of life on the planet.