The first few minutes of Paul MacCready’s TED Talk are a bit dry, but don’t let that dissuade you from watching the whole thing. It’s excellent:
Paul MacCready — aircraft designer, environmentalist, and lifelong lover of flight — talks about his long career. After his record-breaking work on human-powered aircraft in the 1970s, with the Gossamer Condor and Gossamer Albatross, MacCready’s attention turned to addressing a problem he calls “Nature vs. Humans.” The result: a pioneering electric car, refined alternative energy sources, and (bringing his enthusiasms full circle) a breathtaking solar plane. (Recorded February 2003 in Monterey, California. Duration: 21:32.)