 Thomas Goetz is a writer, entrepreneur, and catalyzer of new ideas. He is a correspondent at The Atlantic and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. From 2001 through 2012, he steered the ship at WIRED, delivering such groundbreaking ideas as big data, the genomic revolution, and the robot-driven workplace. His expertise lies in two areas: the revolution in personalized medicine and healthcare, and how technology is changing our lives. An expert in public health and award-winning science journalist, he has a knack for putting technical information in a clear context, connecting what’s ahead with where we’ve been. He is the author of the 2010 book The Decision Tree, and of The Remedy, forthcoming in fall of 2013. His TED talk on redesigning health information has been viewed more than 300,000 times. His talks are fast-paced, far-reaching, and lively explorations of big ideas that matter. “Thomas was extraordinary,” one client reported. “My clients and their guests absolutely loved him, and found him informative, amusing, and a great resource.” “The Decision Tree is a game changer. A brilliant synthesis of science, public health, and reporting that puts each of us at the center of our own healthcare revolution.” ~ David Kessler, former commissioner of the FDA, author of bestseller The End of Overeating TOPICS In his book, The Remedy: A True Detective Story about Science, Sherlock Holmes and the Invention of Innovation, Thomas Goetz explores how one of the most profound discoveries of the late 19th century - the Germ Theory of disease, became a platform for rooting out the bacteriological causes of cholera, anthrax, and tuberculosis. But discovering disease was one thing, and curing it quite another. In this talk, Goetz explores how health isn't just about diagnosis and treatment, but about the contexts in which we pursue science and administer medicine. The 1880s was a period of invention unlike anything the world had seen before - or since. Everything from the toaster to the paper clip to the experimental method was invented, perfected, and distributed, changing the fabric of everyday life. In this burst of discovery emerged a new way to engage with technology and integrate science into society -- a relationship we're still struggling with today. Thomas Goetz not only traces the emergence of innovation, but examines the gap between the discovery of an idea and its circulation into social change. Healthcare has a problem: 70% of mortality, and 70% of costs, are attributable to poor human behavior. Simply put, we know what we’re supposed to be doing better, but we don’t do it. Changing people’s behavior is the riddle of our age. Some of the largest, and most formidable, opportunities for progress come down to changing people’s behavior. Obesity. Smoking. Drug Compliance. Chronic disease. For years, feedback has been a recognized tool to address these problems. But it’s been too expensive, labor-intensive, and difficult to maintain for most people. Now that’s changing. New technology is making it possible to help people more readily and easily change their behavior. Goetz offers a four-step framework that helps people change their habits, improve their sleep, and make better decisions every day. This exciting, empowering talk introduces a compelling new tool for healthcare and other industries, one that can improve all of our lives. This is what we know: People who have a sense of mission, a sense of meaning, live longer, happier, more rewarding lives. But what we don’t know is how to give it to them. How do you get people excited about their health, their work, their neighborhoods? The last few years has seen a wave of ground-breaking research into the science of purpose. It demonstrates that when people acquire purpose, the changes can be measured in our genes, our heart function, and our lifespans. Now, this research can show how to help people acquire that sense of purpose – techniques that reassert the value of family and community, and reduce the burdens of anxiety and stress. This talk tackles the big arc of purpose, touching on Darwin, DNA, and the paradox of our too-comfortable world. This thought-provoking, inspiring talk brings the audience to the frontiers of science, exploring how they can better manage their organizations, their families, and their own health. Predicting the future is a fool’s game – but seeing the patterns from the past can point the way towards tomorrow. This talk explores the classic phenomenon of Moore’s Law, the exponential improvement in computer processing, and looks at other technologies where exponential growth is happening. From sensors to hardware storage to data crunching, these other laws of technology offer a simple, powerful lesson: As technology improves, new innovations and new markets emerge. This talk takes a page out of the WIRED magazine playbook and shows how technological progress can affect and improve your business. | More Video: TED Talk
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Thomas Goetz
TAGS: Healthcare, Science, Technology, TED
