Dean KamenEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

This is a big episode for Designed for Life, as we proudly reach number 100! We are delighted to have Dean Kamen, an American engineer, inventor, and businessman, on the show. Dean is known for his inventions of the Segway, iBOT, and Slingshot (a water purification system) and for founding what he proudly calls his greatest invention, FIRST. In this episode, we investigate the mindset of a serial inventor to discuss what drives a high-school student to set up a business that yields $60,000 before he finishes school and then pushes him to overcome design challenges, legislation, and the challenges posed by naysayers as he follows his belief that engineering can be a power for good. Chris Hatherall is the principal of Warrington UTC, a design and technology teacher, and a Design & Technology Association Trustee. Last year, he came across FIRST and set up a robotics challenge for his local primary schools, which was hugely successful. This year, the challenge has spread to more UTC's nationally and is open to primary colleagues nationally through this network. From small beginnings, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Technology) has become a global challenge, with events across multiple countries and nearly three million students competing. Dean's vision was to harness the passion seen openly for sporting events held in large stadiums with hugely competitive students and turn this into one of the world's biggest and most exciting STEM activities. 2025 is the 35th year of FIRST activities. Last year's competition saw 3,468 teams enter, including almost 87,000 students and 27,700 mentors across 28 countries, including the USA, Canada, China, and Turkey. It is an open competition open to all, and while it is truly competitive, it emphasises the need for collaboration, respect, and teamwork. It seems appropriate that we welcome a new sponsor to Designed for Life for our 100th episode. Welcome to Arachne.digital, who have joined the show with an offer to help schools, charities, and public institutions protect against global cyber threats. We are delighted to welcome them on board. So, without further ado, grab an hour to yourself and listen to Designed for Life—In Conversation with Dean Kamen and Chris Hatherall. https://www.experiential.bot/get-started https://www.firstinspires.org/ To hear a seven-year-old girl's perspective on FIRST, follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igR409sJly0 Robotpagent@utcw.co.uk https://www.arachne.digital/

How to bring passion and enthusiasm into the classroom. Could we turn science into something as exciting as sport? The renowned inventor Dean Kamen has his own recipe for how to boost creativity, which he shares with us in this inspirational talk with Carmen Morenés, Director General of Fundación Telefónica.

ECIA Foundation Executive Director Debbie Conyers joins Digi-Key Electronics’ Vice President of Business Development Paul Dosser for a thought-provoking conversation with inventor Dean Kamen. He explains in detail how his wildly successful FIRST® programs have addressed the ‘demand problem’ of lack of interest in STEM careers by engaging with students early to ignite the inventor’s spirit among young people all over the globe.

Neill Duffy talks to Dean Kamen, inventor, engineer and Founder of FIRST, an organization that uses sport as the model to promote and encourage learning in science and technology amongst kids. Dean discusses the success of the FIRST Robotics program that sees American school kids compete in a sports-like setting whilst simultaneously acquiring vital science and engineering skills.

In this episode, our podcast host Dr. Emily Church looks at how technology is innovating modern medicine at an exponential rate to be smarter and proactive. In a special recording from Visioneering, XPRIZE founder Peter H. Diamandis is joined by two of the world’s greatest entrepreneurs: iBOT & Segway inventor engineer Dean Kamen, and science innovator and founder of United Therapeutics, Martine Rothblatt. They discuss the future of health and medicine where biology IS technology. Drawing from their own inspirational experience, including printing new organs, and eradicating diabetes and Alzheimers, Peter, Dean and Martine discuss the positive impact that innovation is having on human health and longevity. Recently named by Fortune as one of the “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders,” Peter H. Diamandis is the founder and executive chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation, which leads the world in designing and operating large-scale incentive competitions. He is also the executive founder of Singularity University, a graduate-level Silicon Valley institution that counsels the world's leaders on exponentially growing technologies. As an entrepreneur, Diamandis has started over 20 companies in the areas of longevity, space, venture capital and education. He is cofounder of BOLD Capital Partners, a venture fund with $250M investing in exponential technologies, and co-founder and Vice Chairman of Celularity, Inc., a cellular therapeutics company. Diamandis is a New York Times Bestselling author of two books: Abundance – The Future Is Better Than You Think and BOLD – How to go Big, Create Wealth & Impact the World. His newest book in this series of exponential technologies—The Future is Faster Than You Think—was released on January 28, 2020. He earned degrees in molecular genetics and aerospace engineering from the MIT and holds an M.D. from Harvard Medical School. Diamandis’ favorite saying is “the best way to predict the future is to create it yourself.” Dr. Martine Rothblatt founded Lung Biotechnology, as well as its parent company, United Therapeutics, in order to develop therapies for orphan diseases such as PAH. She earned her PhD in medical ethics from the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary College, University of London and also obtained JD and MBA degrees from the University of California at Los Angeles. Prior to entering the life sciences field, Dr. Rothblatt was active in satellite communications, founding Sirius XM Satellite Radio and serving as its Chairman and CEO. She has also published many books, including Your Life or Mine: How Geoethics Can Resolve the Conflict Between Public and Private Interests in Xenotransplantation. Dean Kamen, Founder of FIRST and President of DEKA Research & Development Corporation Dean Kamen is an inventor, an entrepreneur, and a tireless advocate for science and technology. His roles as inventor and advocate are intertwined—his own passion for technology and its practical uses has driven his personal determination to spread the word about technology's virtues and by so doing to change the culture of the United States. As an inventor, he holds more than 440 U.S. and foreign patents, many of them for innovative medical devices that have expanded the frontiers of health care worldwide. While still a college undergraduate, he invented the first wearable infusion pump, which rapidly gained acceptance from such diverse medical specialties as oncology, neonatology, and endocrinology. In 1976, he founded his first medical device company, AutoSyringe, Inc., to manufacture and market the pumps. Then, working with leading diabetes researchers, Dean pioneered the design and adoption of the first portable insulin pump. It was quickly demonstrated that using a pump could much more effectively control patients’ blood glucose levels. . At age 30, he sold AutoSyringe to Baxter Healthcare Corporation. Following the sale of AutoSyringe, Inc., he founded DEKA Research & Development Corporation to develop internally generated inventions as well as to provide research and development for major corporate clients. Kamen led DEKA's development of the HomeChoiceTM peritoneal dialysis system for Baxter International Inc. The HomeChoiceTM system allows patients to be dialyzed in the privacy and comfort of their home and quickly became the worldwide market leader. Kamen also led the development of technology to improve slide preparation for the CYTYC (now Hologic Inc.) ThinPrep® Pap Test. Kamen-led DEKA teams have also developed critical components of the UVARTM XTSTM System, an extracorporeal photophereisis device marketed by Therakos, a unit of Johnson & Johnson, for treatment of T-Cell lymphoma. An advanced prosthetic arm in development for DARPA should advance the quality of life for returning injured soldiers. Other notable developments include the HydroflexTM surgical irrigation pump for C.R. Bard, the CrownTM stent, an improvement to the original Palmaz-Schatz stent, for Johnson & Johnson, the iBOTTM mobility device, and the Segway® Human Transporter. Kamen has received many awards for his efforts. Notably, Kamen was awarded the National Medal of Technology in 2000. Presented by President Clinton, this award was in recognition for inventions that have advanced medical care worldwide, and for innovative and imaginative leadership in awakening America to the excitement of science and technology. Kamen was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 1997. He was awarded the Lemelson-MIT Prize in 2002, and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in May 2005. He is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical & Biological Engineering, as well as many other national and international engineering organizations. In 2010, Dean hosted the Planet Green television series Dean of Invention. In addition to DEKA, one of Dean's proudest accomplishments is founding FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), an organization dedicated to motivating the next generation to understand, use and enjoy science and technology. Founded in 1989, this year FIRST® will serve more than 1,000,000 young people, ages 6 to 18, in more than 86 countries around the globe. Last year, high-school-aged participants were eligible to apply for more than $50 million in scholarships from over 200 leading colleges, universities, and corporations. Links: https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc https://www.unither.com/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We sat down with Dean Kamen, the inventor of the Segway, the AutoSyringe and founder of FIRST Robotics, and get his thoughts on what it takes to inspire today’s youth. Currently, Dean is actively involved with his global initiative FIRST Inspires, which he feels is crucial for students everywhere to be inspired and motivated by technology, so THEY can solve the world’s problems. I’m excited to share his inspiration with you.