TEDxNASA 2010 Focus: Science and/or Pseudoscience?

NASA Invites Public To Discuss “What Matters Next” At TedxNASA
“More than 20 top speakers — focusing on education, innovation, family, technology, literature and art — will share inspiring and thought-provoking stories at TEDxNASA, as they do at a full TED event. The challenge of those presenting is to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes or less, based on the theme. NASA’s Chief Technologist Bobby Braun and Jim Green, director of the Planetary Science Division in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington are among those slated to speak.”
Earlier TEDxNASA postings
Keith’s note: NASA LaRC has yet to post the entire agenda and speakers for this event. Let’s hope that they give extra thought to whom they select this year at this NASA-sponsored/endorsed event and that they do not pick New Age pseudoscience self-help gurus again this year. This presentation by Sue Morter was deemed worthy of inclusion in last year’s event. Here is how presentation was described by NASA: “By understanding the relationship between human energy fields, conscious thoughts and subconscious memory, she will explain how we can become who we really are.” Watch the video and you’ll see. I certainly never heard any of Morter’s outlandish ideas in physics class.
I attended last year’s event. It was thoroughly recorded on video and streamed somewhat after the fact. What I cannot understand is why participation in this event is limited to those in attendance when simple live webcasting could vastly enhance its reach. Otherwise, taxpayers have to wait months until the videos are posted online. Once again, NASA tries to embrace a wider audience and enhance its relevance and yet simultaneously ignores the use of simple tools whereby such a broader audience could actually be reached.
Keith’s update: NASA LaRC PAO tells me that they are going “to try to stream the event live”. The word “live” is not contained in the press release.