Tag Archives: Tom Kalil

News, Politics, Government

Open for Questions: The BRAIN Initiative

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By <a href="/author-detail/290">Ezra Mechaber</a>

Today, President Obama unveiled the BRAIN (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) Initiative, which aims to help researchers find new ways to treat, cure, and even prevent brain disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury.

At 12:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, April 2nd, you'll have a chance to ask questions about the initiative in the latest Open for Questions session with Tom Kalil, Deputy Director for Technology and Innovation in the Office of Science and Technology Policy; Dr. Francis Collins, Director of National Institutes of Health; and Dr. Arati Prabhakar, Director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

Here's how you can participate:

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

News, Politics, Government

BRAIN Initiative Challenges Researchers to Unlock Mysteries of Human Mind

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By Francis Collins and Arati Prabhakar

Note: Have questions about the BRAIN Initiative? Today, at 12:00 p.m. EDT, Tom Kalil, Innovation Advisor; Dr. Francis Collins, Director of National Institutes of Health; and Dr. Arati Prabhakar, Director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will answer your questions. Ask on Twitter with #WHChat.

Today at the White House, President Obama unveiled the “BRAIN” Initiative—a bold new research effort to revolutionize our understanding of the human mind and uncover new ways to treat, prevent, and cure brain disorders like Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, autism, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury.

The BRAIN Initiative — short for Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies — builds on the President’s State of the Union call for historic investments in research and development to fuel the innovation, job creation, and economic growth that together create a thriving middle class.

The Initiative promises to accelerate the invention of new technologies that will help researchers produce real-time pictures of complex neural circuits and visualize the rapid-fire interactions of cells that occur at the speed of thought. Such cutting-edge capabilities, applied to both simple and complex systems, will open new doors to understanding how brain function is linked to human behavior and learning, and the mechanisms of brain disease.

In his remarks this morning, the President highlighted the BRAIN Initiative as one of the Administration’s “Grand Challenges” – ambitious but achievable goals that require advances in science and technology to accomplish. The President called on companies, research universities, foundations, and philanthropies to join with him in identifying and pursuing additional Grand Challenges of the 21st century—challenges that can create the jobs and industries of the future while improving lives.

In addition to fueling invaluable advances that improve lives, the pursuit of Grand Challenges can create the jobs and industries of the future.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

News, Politics, Government

White House Displays Enthusiasm for Maker Movement's Potential in Google+ Hangout

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By Alex Kantrowitz, Contributor

The White House acknowledged the ascending Maker movement Thursday, engaging movement leaders in a Google+ Hangout and expressing enthusiasm for the movement’s potential to spark the American manufacturing industry. Hosted by White House innovation advisor Tom Kalil, the Hangout focused on the nature of the movement– it encourages people not just to consume but build their own products as well– and how it could help catalyze American manufacturing. The movement has been a growing force of late. Its flagship event, Maker Faire, drew a combined 165,000 people in just its New York and San Francisco locations in 2012. Many thousands more participated in “Mini Maker Faires” across the globe, all with the purpose of creating new products or watching others demo theirs. Outside of Maker Faire, the movement has also spurred the creation of “Makerspaces” across the country, i.e. physical spaces where “Makers” are encouraged to come and create products with available tools and training. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

News, Politics, Government

White House Hangout: The Maker Movement

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By <a href="/author-detail/45">Kori Schulman</a>

This week, the White House will continue a series of conversations with Administration officials on Google+. On Thursday, March 28th at 3:00 pm ET, White House innovation advisor Tom Kalil will join a Google+ Hangout to discuss the Maker Movement with leading innovators and Makers from around the country.

More and more Americans are becoming Makers, a growing community of young people and adults who are designing and building things on their own time. For example, 120,000 people participated in the May 2012 Maker Faire in San Mateo, California, sharing projects such as a flame-powered pipe organ, a fully automated ragtime band, and a 12-foot-tall aluminum robotic face controlled by 12 joysticks.

President Obama believes we need to give more young people the ability to become Makers. As the President said at the launch of his Educate To Innovate campaign to improve science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, “I want us all to think about new and creative ways to engage young people in science and engineering, whether it's science festivals, robotics competitions, fairs that encourage young people to create and build and invent—to be makers of things, not just consumers of things.” The Maker Movement can also promote innovation in manufacturing, one of President Obama’s top priorities.

During the Hangout, Tom Kalil will discuss the elements of an “all hands on deck” effort to promote Making, with participants including:

Watch the hangout with Tom Kalil live on WhiteHouse.gov, or tune in to the White House's Google+ page or YouTube channel. You can also join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #WHHangout.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House