Many readers are familiar in some way with TED Talks or the TED
Conferences that have become so ubiquitous that they are often listed
number-one among video podcasts in the App Store. A bit of background
that you may find interesting: TED is an acronym for technology,
entertainment and design, and it started as a one-time event in
1984. In 1990 the conferences became an annual event and the organization
has grown exponentially ever since. The trademark feature is the
fact that all speakers are limited to a maximum of 18 minutes to present
their thoughts and concepts. This unique requirement leads to very
information-rich presentations and the ability to enjoy multiple presentations
in the span of an hour.
Searching for any talks that are related to dentistry, I did find a presentation
by Christina Warinner, an archeological geneticist who studies
the microbial DNA in fossilized dental plaque (we call it calculus). You will
be impressed with the quantity of data that can be harvested from calculus
attached to the teeth of a skeleton. If you would prefer to enjoy one of
the most watched TED talks of all time, search for "Ken Robinson says
schools kill creativity.” This video, viewed more than 13 million times, is
funny and educational. Mr. Robinson makes a great case for his claim that
schools teach us to be good workers rather than creative thinkers. My
favorite quote from his talk: "If you are not prepared to be wrong, you will
never come up with anything original.” Finally, if you would like pure
entertainment, search for "Rives: The 4 a.m. mystery" a humorous look at
the multiple references to four in the morning. No doubt, this could also
be a time you have received an after-hours call from one of your patients.
To date, there have been more than 1,400 TED Talks and none that I
could find that were given by dentists - until now. I am very pleased to
announce that we will have this successful format as an integral part of the
2013 Townie Meeting in Las Vegas. Dubbed "Townie Talks" we will have
many of our afternoon speakers providing short format talks during our
morning sessions on Thursday and Friday. This will provide a fast-paced
learning environment in the morning with the added benefit of getting a
preview of the long-form afternoon courses.
Townie Talks speakers include: Dr. Howard Farran, Dr. Joe Steven, Dr.
Steve Buchanan, Garrett Gundersen, Trisha O’Hehir, Dr. Mark Murphy, Dr.
Mark Trolio, Dr. Sameer Puri, Dr. Tarun Agarwal, Fred Joyal, Dr. Lee Ann
Brady and Dr. Michael DiTolla. For lecture descriptions, check out page 47.
While we are on the topic of Townie Meeting 2013, I would like to
offer my passionate appeal for your attendance at this one-of-a-kind dental
event. This may be the closest you can get to a dental version of Burning
Man, Woodstock or Mardi Gras - take your pick. We often describe this
educational event as one part dental CE, one part party and a pinch of
family reunion. This is an event that you must experience to appreciate
and once you attend, you will want to come back. See you in Vegas!
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