Jim discusses screensavers, information theory, and (with crowd participation) the Whitney music box, which sets an algorithm to music. Blending visual, musical, technical, mathematical, and intentionally useless elements, Jim gives a notable Gel talk.

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Introducing the 20Q: Robin Burgener describes his invention of the 20Q Ball, a small toy that uses a neural network to (surprisingly accurately) play the game of 20 Questions.

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Sister Ellen Stephen, or ES as she's also known, talks about "food and spirit" from her perspective as an Anglican nun. Her wide-ranging exploration of community (also shown in her books "Vessel of Peace" and "Together and Apart") make this a talk well worth watching.

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Andrew is a composer with a twist: he creates songs by request. Readers of his website (songstowearpantsto.com) email him ideas - often silly, random, or ridiculous - which he dutifully turns into full-fledged songs. They're often surprisingly catchy and witty, and Andrew's range of musical styles is amazing. He's an outstanding Gel presenter who, like others we've seen, takes "throwaway" material and creates something great.

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America's scale of consumption is beyond the reach of any camera... unless Chris Jordan is standing behind it. His work combines photography, information visualization, and wry commentary on the culture and environment. One of the all-time most popular Gel talks.

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Marie runs the Tide and Current Taxi, which takes passengers on a boat (that she hand-built) on voyages on New York City's East River ... with no planned destination. Her work touches on design, art, and community, which helped make it one of the most popular presentations at Gel '07.

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Hospitality is the key element of success, argues New York restaurateur Danny Meyer. He should know: his restaurants are consistently the highest-ranked in Zagat's New York survey. Go to Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, Shake Shack, or any of Danny's other restaurants and you'll have an opportunity to see how hospitality forms a good experience.

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Listening to nature: Doug Quin invites the Gel audience into a "listening experience" as he plays some of the most interesting and varied sounds he's collected in nature from all over the globe.

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Henning describes the important place that dance occupies in culture today, and shows some of the elements that go into creating a choreographed dance - both for ballet and modern dancers.

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Kindergarteners rule: A simple team project involving dry spaghetti shows the enduring superiority of management by kindergartener.

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Frog's Leap creates outstanding wines - but that's just the beginning. For almost 30 years, John Williams has built an organization that creates good outcomes for customers, employees, and the earth. (Frog's Leap was organic from the beginning, well before it became trendy.) Case study in "creating good" in many ways simultaneously.

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