The third Dublin TEDx talk took place two weeks ago (Friday 12th March 2010) at the Science Gallery. The theme of this talk was around Creativity and Innovation; perfect timing given that the Innovation Task Force Report launched there the evening before.

Damini Kumar, Lecturer/Programme Director of Product Design at NUI Maynooth, Ireland’s Ambassador for the 2009 European Year of Creativity and Innovation and inventor of the non-drip teapot was the first speaker. She began her talk by pointing out how every business, government, public sector body and proverbial dog on the street is talking about the need to foster creativity and innovation; we’re all in agreement that it needs to be done but there’s very little awareness of how we can do it.
She continued by reiterating some key points about creativity: firstly, everyone can be creative but a good starting point is to have curiosity about the world-Why is that things work a certain way and do certain things? 
She also contends that making mistakes and learning from them is essential to creativity and shouldn’t be seen as failure-rather, people should take risks and try out new ideas.
She referenced many of Edward be Bono’s lateral thinking techniques as examples of how to generate fresh thinking and new ideas and highlighted the need (integral to all good design) of ensuring that ideas have value, be beneficial and must have the end user in mind.
Her final pointers included the importance of not reinventing the wheel but rather the  need for collaboration between universities, industries and public sector bodies.
 
Damini then related how, when studying mechanical engineering and then product design she always wanted to invent something that would change the world. When her university lecturer suggested she focus her attention on solving the problem of the non-drip teapot she decided that her world changing invention would be in the realm of the household.   The tea pot effect, a phrase coined in 1959, refers to the certainty of tea, no matter how carefully poured dripping from the spout!
 
 Damini’s research led to her creating a prototype pot (and owning the worldwide patent) which she christened the D-pot, to counteract the problem. How this works is as follows: a v-shaped groove is made at an upward slant at the underside of the spout near the top. There is a raised edge inside the lip of the spout. This interior edge acts as a dam by holding back any potential dribbles when the pouring action is completed. The spout is also longer than usual, preventing liquid surges and ensuring a smooth flow of tea down the spout and into the cup.

Damini brought along the original D-pot prototype (pictured) which has been exhibited in museums all around the world.

The excellent speaker line up also included:

  • Mark Cummins, creator of Plink –a phone app that identifies any work of art from a photo.
  • Margaret Wertheim, The Institute for Figuring. Crochet, hyperbolic geometry and the coral reef. The exhibition (including classes) in now on at the Science Gallery.
  • Simon Berrow, Founder of Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation
  • Luke O’Neill, Professor in the School of Biochemistry and Immunology
  • And, in keeping with the theme of the evening, a recording of 2006 TED speaker, Ken Robinson, on Education kills Creativity.

(Photo: Courtesy of Justin Hourigan; www.scaryideas.com)

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