Did your invitation to this
year's TED conference get lost in the mail? Or perhaps you just don't
want to pony up the $7,500 needed to attend the cerebrally super-powered
conference. Have no fear, Long Beach still offers another opportunity
to swim in smarts this weekend, thanks to a decidedly more radical (and
less expensive) "unconference" aboard the Queen Mary. Meet BIL, TED's
prankster sidekick of sorts, which returns for a fifth year, bringing an
open-source alternative to TED's exclusivity. Although they are not
affiliated with the TED conferences, BIL takes on a similar format of
people offering short presentations on wildly diverse topics, such as
science and social change. That's basically where the similarities end.
"TED is really more of a baby boomer event," explained Adam Mefford, founder of Currency, a monthly BIL and TED-styled event geared toward entrepreneurs. Mefford was also a TED conference attendee in 2005. "At 23, I was definitely one of the youngest there," he said.
At BIL, the average age edges from the late 20s through 40s, but the biggest way BIL diverges from TED is its fluid, all-inclusive, organizational strategy. At BIL anyone can be a participant, audience member or even a speaker. All one needs to do is sign up on its website. In addition, BIL can be free to attend for anyone willing to put in some volunteer time.
"Very interesting things can happen at BIL," said Doug Campbell, co-founder (along with Mefford) of another younger-skewing answer to TED, MindshareLA. Campbell was inspired by attending BIL and TED conferences, and is coming back to BIL this year as a speaker. "You can't predict what's going to happen at BIL, since it's participant-run and open source."
Given that BIL is not curated, this year's lineup covers a mind-bending array of topics.
"Our two main themes this year seem to have evolved into space and sex — but not together," said Alexis Bright, a BIL organizer. "Other themes include longevity, energy, culture/psychology, and law and government." Virgin Galactic Chief Executive George Thomas Whitesides will talk about the latest developments in commercial space vehicles, and theorist and scientist Aubrey de Grey will share his research on regenerative medicine's potential to extend human life indefinitely. Brian Dunning of the Skeptoid podcast will be debunking what he calls the mass media's spread of pseudoscience, and Dave Asprey, founder of the Bullet Proof Executive website and coauthor of the upcoming "Better Baby Book," will discuss how to "biohack" your body through experimentation and science.
For those seeking talks with a more physical focus, there's the Sex Positive Boiler Room, with workshops and discussions on the topics of intimacy, sex, modern dating and relationships. There's also yoga, dance, tae kwon do and gymnastics classes.
Yet, the question lingers. If TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, then what about BIL? Benevolent Intellectuals Learning? Breeding Ingenious Luminary? "BIL stands for whatever you as a participant want to make of it," BIL host and organizer Simone Syed said. "We were TED's alter ego, and what better than to reference one of our favorite childhood movies, 'Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure'?"
BIL's organizers carry the motto "Wherever TED goes, so goes BIL." And, although BIL has been the one tagging along, inspiration seems to be flowing both ways. Both conferences have been expanding in size and scope the last few years. Independently organized BILs have sprung up in Santa Cruz, Monterey, Phoenix and even Afghanistan. Likewise, there's been an explosion of "TEDx" events — independently organized with the TED model as a guide — held all over the world. "It's obvious the idea of TEDx was directly inspired by BIL," said Reichart von Wolfsheild, BIL organizer and host of the History Channel's "Invention USA." "We just happened to do it first."
Healthy competition aside, there's no bad blood. In fact, there are several speakers who have graced the stages of both TED and BIL. But for dedicated "BILders," the personal connections formed at BIL are unparalleled.
"Whereas TED is very much about the speaker performing for the audience, BIL is about the audience meeting the audience," Wolfsheild said. "If you leave BIL without making at least one friend, something is wrong with you."
The BIL conference
When: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Where: The Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach
Cost: $50 to $100; free to volunteers
Info: http://www.bilconference.com
calendar@latimes.com
"TED is really more of a baby boomer event," explained Adam Mefford, founder of Currency, a monthly BIL and TED-styled event geared toward entrepreneurs. Mefford was also a TED conference attendee in 2005. "At 23, I was definitely one of the youngest there," he said.
At BIL, the average age edges from the late 20s through 40s, but the biggest way BIL diverges from TED is its fluid, all-inclusive, organizational strategy. At BIL anyone can be a participant, audience member or even a speaker. All one needs to do is sign up on its website. In addition, BIL can be free to attend for anyone willing to put in some volunteer time.
"Very interesting things can happen at BIL," said Doug Campbell, co-founder (along with Mefford) of another younger-skewing answer to TED, MindshareLA. Campbell was inspired by attending BIL and TED conferences, and is coming back to BIL this year as a speaker. "You can't predict what's going to happen at BIL, since it's participant-run and open source."
Given that BIL is not curated, this year's lineup covers a mind-bending array of topics.
"Our two main themes this year seem to have evolved into space and sex — but not together," said Alexis Bright, a BIL organizer. "Other themes include longevity, energy, culture/psychology, and law and government." Virgin Galactic Chief Executive George Thomas Whitesides will talk about the latest developments in commercial space vehicles, and theorist and scientist Aubrey de Grey will share his research on regenerative medicine's potential to extend human life indefinitely. Brian Dunning of the Skeptoid podcast will be debunking what he calls the mass media's spread of pseudoscience, and Dave Asprey, founder of the Bullet Proof Executive website and coauthor of the upcoming "Better Baby Book," will discuss how to "biohack" your body through experimentation and science.
For those seeking talks with a more physical focus, there's the Sex Positive Boiler Room, with workshops and discussions on the topics of intimacy, sex, modern dating and relationships. There's also yoga, dance, tae kwon do and gymnastics classes.
Yet, the question lingers. If TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, then what about BIL? Benevolent Intellectuals Learning? Breeding Ingenious Luminary? "BIL stands for whatever you as a participant want to make of it," BIL host and organizer Simone Syed said. "We were TED's alter ego, and what better than to reference one of our favorite childhood movies, 'Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure'?"
BIL's organizers carry the motto "Wherever TED goes, so goes BIL." And, although BIL has been the one tagging along, inspiration seems to be flowing both ways. Both conferences have been expanding in size and scope the last few years. Independently organized BILs have sprung up in Santa Cruz, Monterey, Phoenix and even Afghanistan. Likewise, there's been an explosion of "TEDx" events — independently organized with the TED model as a guide — held all over the world. "It's obvious the idea of TEDx was directly inspired by BIL," said Reichart von Wolfsheild, BIL organizer and host of the History Channel's "Invention USA." "We just happened to do it first."
Healthy competition aside, there's no bad blood. In fact, there are several speakers who have graced the stages of both TED and BIL. But for dedicated "BILders," the personal connections formed at BIL are unparalleled.
"Whereas TED is very much about the speaker performing for the audience, BIL is about the audience meeting the audience," Wolfsheild said. "If you leave BIL without making at least one friend, something is wrong with you."
The BIL conference
When: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Where: The Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach
Cost: $50 to $100; free to volunteers
Info: http://www.bilconference.com
calendar@latimes.com
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