Added: 10 months ago
From: TEDtalksDirector
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  • Angela Belcher very inspiring speech. I hope your find your way to help "us" the human race in to a better place on this planet. I am impressive, stunned, happy to see that some people cares and understand!

  • Fascinating info.. thanks you.

  • grate invention..love the video ..and very interesting

  • The future is bright still.

  • She should have had so much more time. This is important!

  • I probably got like 60 years left to live and It's going to be amazing to live this life with this explosion of ground breaking science.

  • I wish she had more time but that was awesome!

  • This just gave me an idea for a science fiction book:)

    

  • Comment removed

  • I had (basically) this same idea about 28 years ago, except that I was thinking organically "grown" vessels for space exploration...my friends laughed at me.

  • I'm grateful thousands outside her classroom will hear this, maybe even discuss it. So many industry roadblocks are set up to keep such genuinely good thinking from ever getting off the ground, or even heard. We live in stupendous times and genius with good intention like this is what will eventually change the world from a toxic hell to a wondrous heaven as it was intended. Thank you Mrs Belcher.

    Consider, if you will, these creatures have intelligence and consciousness!?!

  • its rare that sceientists will announce a goal, and then achieve it in the same talk! great work!

  • Too good!

  • Shit, she's married. Hopes crushed.

  • Shit, shes married. Hopes crushed.

  • you think I'll be able to grow me a gf?

  • @xjustamem0ryx

    "viral gf. just add water!"

  • This is heavy, Doc! I think we are at the beginning of an industrial revolution never seen before. Probably the transition from hunters & gatherers to agriculture (hunting nature vs. domesticating it) is the closest analogy. This includes "additive manufacturing" aka 3D printing, self-assembly of structures such as DNA origami, and this synthetic biology, and also radical improvements for humans (artificial organs, growing/printing organs, cyber enhancements, repairing aging and so on).

  • I've bookmarked this page in order to link to it when I see a creationist vs evolution argument. The creationists will be informed as to the reality and usefulness of evolution, and the rest will be well entertained.

  • @TheThomaswastaken

    tbh the creationists will probably just plug their ears "A LA, LA, LA, LA!"

  • This is amazing. I hope noone forces that female to the kitchen.

  • wow

  • one of nature's secrets is not using patents but let new "discoveries" prosper

    in other words: if nature had patents, life on earth would still consist only of bacterias (with windows 3.1 on them lol)

    anyhow...: this is pretty brilliant stuff!

  • If this brings me one step closer towards the ability to emit lightning from my penis, I am totally in favour of it. If not, many apologies for my eccentric fetishes and limited understanding of bioengineering.

  • @xjustamem0ryx rofl!!!

  • Seeing all this leaves me stunned by realizing the potential/ power we have as humans. Time to change the world plz. I'm sick and tired of the old. Bring on the new and innovative!

  • @DurexDurpaneu2

    sure..."Right After This Break! Don't Go Away! Next We Have Bacterial Mud Wrestling!"

  • @DurexDurpaneu2 Hell. Yes. We could rock so much as a species, and I think we've kinda forgotten that.

  • If the viruses actively retain those structures after building them, what happens then if the viruses die for some reason..

    Also, would a battery like that be susceptible to a biological infection of some kind during its lifetime?

  • @Qadi11 Viruses don't die I think...

    That doesn't matter. Normal batteries also run out and break and stuff. It doesn't matter if biological batteries become degraded since you can get new ones easily and throw away the old ones, except now, they do not destroy the environment.

  • @ForteMajor

    I guess ur right..

  • @ForteMajor Viruses can die...we kill them all the time with Clorox. It's just too many to rid the planet of them XD.

  • @HybridD91 Actually they're not alive. I think by killing them you mean destroying their RNA or DNA.

  • @HybridD91 viruses are not alive. they are DNA or RNA in a protein enclosure. they are more like molecules programmed to do something. They cannot replicate themselves, they need to insert the DNA they carry into the genome of a host bacteria or cell so that the cell will replicate for them.

  • who needs viagra when you can have a brand spanking new virus-powered er3cti0n.

  • @xjustamem0ryx HIV!!!!!

  • let us drive a virus-powered prius

  • let us drive a virus-powered prius

  • WoW !

  • animal hosts? uncontrolled biodiversity?

  • High power virus battery:

    Where can I get one?

    Where does the power come from?

    Is it rechargeable?

  • Next Gen Internet @ /watch?v=mnx-uUeHuqg

  • engineer the viruses to build entire cities!

    cyborg blow-up dolls inc!

  • i have always conceived of our ability to manipulate DNA to construct things we have today, such as clothes or even things as complex as whole cars, or by now advanced automobiles. :P

  • Ads in 20 years: "Are you tired of fixing your flying cars? buy our mechanic bacteria and we'll give you 2 car washer viruses absolutely free!"

  • @solsav

    ftmfw! lol

  • Too bad she talked so fast and had to rush it, it would be a lot nicer if she would have just told it slowly. However this got my interest :D, how about a PhD at MIT? :D now i have something to study for :D

  • How can I invest in this?

  • Umbrella Corporation

  • I think she is confused on the role of the viruses (or maybe I am). The viruses are only used to insert DNA into the bacteria to change the bacteria into ones that will make batteries, etc. Your car wouldn't be powered by viruses, but by batteries made by bacteria which were engineered using viruses. She talks about the viruses grabbing nano-wires but I think she meant to say the bacteria do this. Can someone correct me? I vote we give more money to these smart people!

  • @WarmWeatherGuy Yea im having problems with the same thought as you, however she also shows the virusses with the ''grabed'' molecules on the surface in the slides.

    The E. coli cells are only used to replicate the viruses in this case. The viruses can be made to latch onto and coat itself with inorganic materials including gold and cobalt oxide. The long tubular virus (coated in cobalt oxide) now acts as a minuscule length of wire called a nanowire.

    So nop she doesnt mean bacteria ^^

  • @Dmevi Thanks. You got me to watch it over again. At 6:35 she says ...it allows the virus to express random protein sequences. Obviously viruses do not make protein. I think that she speaks that way because it is the viruses that they are manipulating. The bacteria are only there to make the protein. It is the proteins that are doing all the chemistry to build batteries, etc. Are you thinking that the extra proteins are becoming part of the virus? Or are the extra proteins floating freely?

  • This talk was like crack to me...

  • Zombie apocalypse

  • @darkcase123

    I knew Resident Evil wasn't a video game for nothing!

    practice for the world's end!

  • Can't wait till i can grow a laptop in my backyard.

  • This is staggering!

  • Why couldn't I have a prof or teacher like her? Quite inspiring and I love that she hands out small periodic tables that say "Welcome to MIT, now you're in your element." Clever and thoughtful. Great talk.

  • Inspired, vibrant higher education!

  • Fascinating. Thanks!

  • Now we can build nano-suits than can mimic the environment around it thus making the wearer invisible >:)

  • @nathegera

    TAG UR IT :)

  • OMG!

  • Very Interesting

  • What's the downside. What if the virus gets into a water supply or the ocean? Any safety issues?

  • @utimatevacation bacteriophages can only infect bacteria, they are harmless to animals. also, many organisms used in labs are designed so that they can not survive "on their own", outside of the lab (or some other optimal environment).

  • Somewhere in Alabama, a politician is calling this an abomination against god.

  • OMG talk slower

  • @pwnmonkeyisreal They have a limited amount of time to talk

  • I came onto this vid to laugh at a woman called A Belcher. I leave enlightened.

  • very interesting, but I found it hard to listen to her, because she hardly ever pauses. If I was her husband would go mad :-)

  • @yossieven She was nervous..like VERY nervous.

  • @yossieven Her brain works faster than her mouth. It's a very common problem with the highly intelligent.

  • @xxFNORDxx :-) the brain always works faster than the mouth :-) Hers just process words faster than average and it doesn't necessarily mean intelligence. I know ppl who spoke stupid things very fast ;-)

  • @yossieven I've known people who've written stupid things slowly.

  • @yossieven It's a 10minute TED talk and she was talking about bioengineering. Are you seriously confused as to why she never paused?

  • @Icemario87 I think it took 10 minutes because she talked that fast :-)

  • This is how science ought to progress. Using what is abundantly available in nature and producing non toxic waste.

    We dig up some of rare elements to build things. Nature takes what is available in huge quantities.

  • @Abhanshu1 Problem is we have people who are against science that can threaten big corporations. That must change.

  • wait until they start building highway bridges out of bone tissue. Make is self regenerating.

  • @formula1fan07

    Not just out of bone tissue, from what she's saying, a self assembling bridge made from nanotubes and nano structured materials, including metals... so fraking cool!!!

  • so basically this lady invented magic

    awesome

  • @MsTreasuredChest No, it's science. But yes, we used to call this "magic" or more specifically, "religion".

  • @Monchanger religion isn't magic. Religion is a complex set of rituals (including verbal rituals) based upon a belief in magic. The magic could go away tomorrow but the rituals won't. And they think if the magic goes so do they (but they won't... I'm putting money on atheist christians and atheist muslims in 50yrs+).

    "No god's not real because god is magic. But you're still going to hell if you don't pray before you eat!"

  • @Icemario87 Well said. But not exactly my point. Ask any "magician" (e.g. Randi) what magic is and they won't say anything about the supernatural. Rather, they will explain that what they do is simply deception, which is what I was suggesting religious "leaders" practice. As you pointed out, the rituals out may be inspired by alleged supernatural events (or be such events, as claimed in Catholic mass), but they actually serve as a distraction from the questioning of faith.

  • @Monchanger Got ya, makes sense. It was a bit of a leap for me from "science as magic" to "magic as religion" to "magic (and therefore religion) as deception," given the comments.

    And despite the fact that both religion and magicians employ deception, the redeeming quality of the magician is that his(her) audience suspects it. The show itself reminds you that it is just a show.

    With religion the deception is lifelong and complete, even encouraging proliferation.

    Two kinds of deception, imo.

  • @CoinDl I disagree. But I think she most defininitly deserves the NOBEL price!

  • These talks should get translated for educational purposes around the globe.

  • Bioengineering viruses? What could possibly go wrong?

  • Why was she given so little time to speak? That makes no sense.

  • @Elusefelier There just isn't enough time sometimes

  • Like this if you want to drive a virus-powered car

  • God would be proud.

  • @cmd2tuts the god who is so omnipotent that he cant do anything about our diminishing planet but he is able to look on while mere humans find ways by themselves to save it.

  • Nerds will save the world!

    Great talk :)

  • WOW! I don't understand a lot of what she said because she was going so fast but her ideas and creations are amazing. @CloudMeetsSky I fully agree! Cut defense and fund more biotechnology.

  • Awesome!

    Only criticism: Ms. Belcher should slow down in her speech during the presentation.

  • Would be interesting to be at her lecture. Turn away for a second and you've already missed couple books of information.

  • Brilliant, give this Lady a Nobel Prize!

  • hope it won't be another "umbrella corp." :/ playing with viruses isn't safe for me. What do you think? :>

  • @Titter85 Yeah, that whole zombie things was too much, hope that doesn't happen again.

  • brilliant. but what about Virus rights ? are they getting adequate minimum pay for all they do ?

  • She is an amazing woman who does amazing work..I wish I was friends with her 3:

  • could she speak any faster?

  • EPIC!

  • oh lawwd

  • geek-gasm

  • @BestestMoron Stop whining

  • @BestestMoron i dont think they're screwing around with viruses that infect human cells just bacteria, so I'm sure you have nothing more to worry about

  • @consummateVssss

    If they were working with silicon based micro organisms, you would have had a case... but a carbon based life is one among us. I  fully mentally support her efforts... its just that there are two sides to macro-world coins & since most were drinking the WoW!! kool-aid, I just brought up the flip side.

  • this is amazing

  • I love this lady! When I can grow my own living spaceship, I'm naming it after her!

    Conversely if a zombie comes to my doorstep to kill me, I'm going to assume its her haha... Please make viruses look good and not worse than they already can be. 8)

  • I just gained +10 optimism in humanity.

  • Belcher is the best chemist alive today!

  • she talks way to fast :/ this is not listening friendly xD

  • @iFarsight agreed i had to pause it just to comment. lmao

  • @iFarsight yeh, but what did you think of the content?

  • @morthim i really liked the content :) most of the videos on this channel is great and I'm really into science that the average bloke would only think exists in sci-fi movies :P

  • Great talk - but damn! - take a breath every once in a while!

  • The start of our becoming Aliens

  • I think there has been some genetic engineering of the alkaloid crystalline compound C8H10N4O2 (caffeine) going on at MIT...

  • Her own work is introduced at 6:24 She is using evolution and selection to engineer microorganisms that solve specific tasks such as bulding small self assembling objects. It sounds like fun.

  • I just love to hear people smarter than me, what a great sense of humor.

  • supoib!

  • BRAVO

  • Apparently, 5 oil company executives have seen this video.

  • We should be pouring our money into this, not the military.

  • @CloudMeetsSky neither this nor the military... Scince since it should be free and military because the military is used on bullshit

  • @Terje1337

    A fellow Anarchist?

    It was merely a comment. obviously Science research should be done freely, as it will be mans salvation. It will get us off this rock that has so graciously mothered us and back into the stars where we have been beckoned since man could dream.

  • @CloudMeetsSky pretty close to an anarchist, but I believe a really tiny government, police and courts would be in our favour.

    but I wont argue with you as we both fight the same fight

  • @CloudMeetsSky Funny thing is that if we poured all our money into this and it was a smashing sucsess, it would go straight to the military for their benifit, not ours.

  • @Spencerianism

    I whole heartily agree. Obviously we would have to change the minds of the majority in order for this to work properly.

  • @CloudMeetsSky I hear you loud and clear on that one, but unfortunatly, in that case, we're screwed. The majority is...insane.

  • @CloudMeetsSky actually, the military has been supporting the battery research...

  • @CloudMeetsSky You did not know the Military is a big cash cow, war is a big business, selling arms it generates a lot of profit

  • @cristoretornebiblia The thing is, it doesn't really generate profit, it simply transfers wealth from the taxpayer to a corporation. A true profit is when you give the people something they want for a lower cost than they are willing to pay.

  • @CloudMeetsSky this comment should be on most TEDtalks

  • @CloudMeetsSky why is this commentary not shown in the top commentaries? it has 147 thumbs up.

  • My god man. you could make a self replenishing, photocatalytic hydrogen powered car battery. all you gotta do is add water and SUNLIGHT ?!?!

    WHY THE HELL ARENT WE THROWING MONEY AT THIS!?!?

  • @JustinHFX because oil. :/

  • @JustinHFX

    Because of politicians who are in the oil companies' pocket.

  • @JustinHFX

    "we" aren't throwing money at it because it would go against planned obsolescence and consumption.

  • @JustinHFX you wont need the alternator no more at least a gain of 10HP in power... that means 10HP less to be consumed nice

  • MIT? I thought she was from Caltech. Decide!

  • @DrQuijano She's an MIT professor lecturing at Caltech. Happens all the time.

  • ''But evolution isn't real!!'':D :D :D

  • I wonder if I could get one of them microbe shell making organisms to make me some houses or something.

  • first i was like "meh"

    but then my head asploded O.O

  • i was very very disapointed in teh first few minutes , was begining to ownder if this speaker would tell us what we already knw and offer no solutions , and then when she showed the solutions i was awestruck by 2 things. 1 how simple and effective they were, 2 how she reguards them as simple and effective instead of mindboggling successes O.o

  • so if we start growing batteries and solar cells, could we use natural selection to evolve them to be more efficient?

  • @AHughman08 Yes, that's the point :)

  • This is our future if mind dead tea party cretins don't kill government research on everything. Brilliant.

  • At first she said "what if" a lot and I thought it'd just be sci-fi speculation. Then she showed that she's done it already and my head exploded.

  • wooow that was amazing bio tech is incredible!!!

  • this is so amazing

  • We survived gun powder, dynamite, Yperite and fission. This will do us all in...

  • @Blackthorn2323

    And how in the world would it do that?

  • @sdrawkcabgnipytmi

    What genetic engineering?

    So i don't get why it's certain that those viruses and bacteria will not suffer mutations that would make them get away from the applications they were designed for...

    If they do, and breed like camels in Australia, that might be a problem.

    But more importantly, the technology will become, like computers, much more accessible. So even private terrorists(as in other then the US government ) will be able to work in the field.

  • @Blackthorn2323 do you wish computers didn't exist - coz terrorists can use them?

  • @Blackthorn2323

    There are billions of viruses in each drop of sea water. Are you terrified of the ocean? You have more bacteria living in your body than you have cells. Why are you not terrified that these will mutate into pathogens? Why do you think that engineered viruses and bacteria are so much more dangerous than the ones I mentioned?

    On the other hand, the fact that it's becoming increasingly easy to engineer these things does make bioterrorism easier to commit. I can't argue with that.

  • bitch grow me a battery!