Yves Rossy (aka Jetman) came to TED Global 2011 with perhaps the most exciting presentation and profile, after all he embodies one of the oldest aspirational dreams for humans: the desire to fly! Powered by four jet boosters he has taken the passive gravity-driven experience of free-fall and extended ‘flight’ times with his ground-breaking daring and equipment.

Finding and talking to people at the TED Global conference is not hard- we even carry on our giant name tags suggested topics for ‘ice-breaking’ conversations. Finding and talking to someone you really want to at a particular time is harder; a lot harder…

A sunny day always brightens me up- and this week in conference at the TED Global 2011 event in Edinburgh the Scottish weather has been kind enough that I have managed a sunny 20 minute walk to the venue twice in a row! This sunny start gives a kind of power- an optimism that helps kick start the day in the right way.

Solar power applied in a different way helps run a remarkable college in India where the incredible ingenuity of folk knowledge is collected and nurtured- The Barefoot College, indeed the only college in the world powered solely by solar power.

Inside the auditorium of the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, delegates to TED Global 2011 grapple with concepts such as ‘Emerging Order’, ‘Living Systems’ and ‘Everyday Rebellions’. Philosophers, historians, chemists and performers recruited from the interlinked fields of Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) then brainstorm these key phrases gracefully into conversations and challenges- these will then continue to resonate within the relationships that we are all building within the TED universe.

Preparations for the Alliance participation in TEDGlobal 2011 conference in Edinburgh, UK are now complete and the critical things are all in place- the booth is set up (and our first visitors most impressed), Alliance video is looping on the screen, Nissan LEAF and Renault Twizy looking their best under the lights, and the most important element for a week long conference is assured: a reliable source of good strong coffee!