A fascinating talk from Ron Eglash. I like these fabulous discoveries. We think we invented or discovered everything in modern science, but some mysteries are well beyond our knowledge.

"I am a mathematician, and I would like to stand on your roof." This is how Ron Eglash greeted many African families while researching the intriguing fractal patterns he noticed in villages across the continent. He talks about his work exploring the rigorous fractal math underpinning African architecture, art and even hair braiding. (Recorded June 2007 in Arusha, Tanzania. Duration: 16:51.)

An inspirational speech of Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple and Pixar. He held this speech  for the college graduates on Stanford  University in 2005. In it are a few stories of his life. Love, loss, death and how things are connected through time. I saw this speech some time ago and was impressed. Jobs knows how to give a speech, he does not need MacWorld or other events for that. Watch and learn…

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Mary Poppendieck gave a presentation about competing on the basis of speed. It gave me more insight in the problem field, and I think it is a great presentation.

How can a company be fast at software development and still deliver quality software? Companies that compete on the basis of speed create a huge competitive advantage. But going fast is not easy. Speed requires a precise understanding of value: who, what, when, where, how, and why people will love your product. And it means getting value to them without complexity creeping into either your product or your process. Complexity comes in three basic flavors:

• Inconsistency – Anything that is uneven, unbalanced, or irregular.
• Overload – Any excessive or unreasonable burden.
• Waste – Anything that unnecessarily takes up time, effort, space, or money.

All three flavors of complexity are rampant in software development processes, and you can’t go fast until you root them out.