Aimee Mullins: My Super Powers

Princess
by Princess
19-Jan-2011
 

Athlete, actor and activist Aimee Mullins talks about her prosthetic legs -- she's got a dozen amazing pairs -- and the super-powers they grant her: speed, beauty, an extra 6 inches of height ... Quite simply, she redefines what the body can be. TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes.

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divaneh

What an interesting woman

by divaneh on Thu Jan 20, 2011 03:59 PM PST

Turning a negative into a super positive, that's what I call spirit. She is surely very insightful, an excellent speaker with a very good share of humour. The joke about Pamela Anderson was very funny. Thanks for sharing dear Princess.


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Princess

Excellent observation, as usual

by Princess on Thu Jan 20, 2011 04:57 AM PST

Ari, I have been too much in awe of this woman's spirit and what she has been able to achieve, that I had failed to consider the consequences of what she is suggesting (if taken to an extreme.) 

As much as we depend on and value technology in the modern world, to the point that we actually are being enslaved by it without always realising it, I sometimes wonder how far we are from bionic bodies which would allow us to surpass all the limitations set by our biological bodies.

Given that I have watched myself change my attitude towards introducing certain technologies to my daily life in a relatively short time, the eyes with which we might see things today might not be the same as we see them 10 or 20 years from now.

I am glad you liked it.  


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Ari Siletz

Arftul speaker

by Ari Siletz on Wed Jan 19, 2011 08:29 PM PST

Mullins proposes the idea that prosthetics need not indicate disability, in fact in some cases a modern prosthetic can be perceived as an unfair advantage. Though somewhat ahead of our time and technology, the attitude is an early sign of a revolution in the way we think about about our birth bodies. Would you give up your natural eyes for an attractive looking optical device that sees much better? No? How about if you couldn't compete for jobs with people who did have the augmentation?      The absence of self pity or insecurity in Mullins' words and tone--even subtle ones--suggests she means what she says. Convincing presentation! Loved the "art leg."

 


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