Why you should make useless things

Email not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser]( [TED]( This week on TED.com May 12, 2018 [Talk of the week]( [Simone Giertz: Why you should make useless things]( 11:57 minutes · Filmed Apr 2018 · Posted May 2018 · TED2018 In this joyful, heartfelt talk featuring demos of her wonderfully wacky creations, Simone Giertz shares her craft: making useless robots. Her inventions -- designed to chop vegetables, cut hair, apply lipstick and more -- rarely (if ever) succeed, and that's the point. "The true beauty of making useless things [is] this acknowledgment that you don't always know what the best answer is," Giertz says. "It turns off that voice in your head that tells you that you know exactly how the world works. Maybe a toothbrush helmet isn't the answer, but at least you're asking the question." [Watch now »]( [Playlist of the week]( [Talks for your inner child]( Fun doesn’t stop at adulthood. Reconnect with your sense of wonder and imagination in these playful talks. 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That’s [probably a lie >>]( The surprising truth about moms, kids and the lifelong effects of parental favoritism [Quote of the Week]( [“]( I often get asked if I think I'm ever going to build something useful, and maybe someday I will. But the way I see it, I already have." [Simone Giertz Why you should make useless things]( [ted radio hour: the fountain of youth]( Aging is inevitable. We can slow it down a little, but could we ever bring it to a grinding halt? In this episode, TED speakers explore how we all might live longer and even better lives. Listen on [Apple Podcasts]( through the [TED Android App]( via [NPR One]( or wherever you get your podcasts. [Facebook] Join us on [Facebook]( [Twitter] Follow us [@TEDTalks]( You are receiving this email because you've subscribed to our mailing list. We also send out [daily emails]( if you can't get enough of us. We love you too. Copyright © 2018 TED, All rights reserved. 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