Roth’s 'riveting' TED talk now online

In this age of the Internet connectivity, an invitation to speak at the annual Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) conference is a high honor. The price to attend the four-day event, which took place in February in Long Beach, Calif., is steep, but the words of the “world’s most inspired thinkers” remain accessible to all online as TED talks. This year, the Hutchinson Center’s Dr. Mark Roth was among 50 individuals honored and challenged to give “the talk of their lives”—in 18 minutes.

Roth, a cell biologist in the Basic Sciences Division, made headlines with his discovery that exposing mice to small amounts of hydrogen sulfide would put them into a reversible state of suspended animation or hibernation.

In his Feb. 11 TED talk, Roth spoke about his research and the promise of suspended animation technology to buy time for cardiac and trauma patients and take the “emergency” out of emergency medicine. He received a standing ovation.

Roth’s words are now reverberating online as “More than off the charts. Best of show,” “riveting” and “mind-blowing,” among other accolades. Watch Roth's TED talk here.

Among those chosen to present at the 2010 TED talks: philanthropist Bill Gates, mathematician Benoit Mandelbroit, singer/songwriter Sheryl Crow, musician/artist David Byrne, comedian Sarah Silverman, chef/activist Jamie Oliver and “Avatar” director James Cameron.

Read more about Roth in the Center’s Quest magazine blog.