Science & Technology

How NASA invented a ventilator for COVID-19 … in 37 days | Dan Goods

Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more. Get the behind-the-scenes story from visual strategist Dan Goods about how a single question launched NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab into action at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, propelling an unprecedented pivot from space-exploring robots to live-saving ventilators. It’ll…

Published

5 years ago

June 15, 2021

CYBER TECH TV

Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.

Get the behind-the-scenes story from visual strategist Dan Goods about how a single question launched NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab into action at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, propelling an unprecedented pivot from space-exploring robots to live-saving ventilators. It’ll inspire you to wonder: “Is what I’m doing right now the most important thing I can be doing?”

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You’re welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know.

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Related Topics:coronavirus engineering featured Innovation invention NASA pandemic technology TED Talk TED Talks TEDTalk TEDTalks TEDx

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36 Comments

Septimiu Balica

June 15, 2021 at 4:27 pm

We better get a copy of the project so NASA won’t lose the technology like they did with the apolo 11

Reply
- Dan Calinescu
  
  June 15, 2021 at 5:02 pm
  
  The Saturn V that is.
  
  Reply
Jeezum Crow

June 15, 2021 at 4:29 pm

One unused machine? Good job

Reply
Yashdeep Balu

June 15, 2021 at 4:38 pm

Dont say who invented corona virus

Reply
Septimiu Balica

June 15, 2021 at 4:41 pm

This project was created with only two billion dollars of your taxes. Thanks to you! the loyal sheep.

Reply
Undertone 13

June 15, 2021 at 4:48 pm

It’s been a while since TED is just another tool to the propaganda machine.

Aren’t you people sick of the pushing of this lame narrative?

Reply
chapinero017

June 15, 2021 at 5:04 pm

The engineers at NASA are the GOATs of Earth!!

Great marketing on demonstrating to the world how NASA will always be there to help us in our most challenging times 🙂

Reply
Ligia Sommers

June 15, 2021 at 5:16 pm

????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Reply
Ian Sweigart

June 15, 2021 at 5:32 pm

I heard the ventilators were actually killing the covid patients from multiple MD. Some sort of relation to high altitude sickness and the machines exacerbating the condition. If this is true, no celebrations are due here. In fact 37 days would be a very high turn around for NASA…historically speaking. How long did the Apollo air filter take? ????

Reply
kanghyun yoo

June 15, 2021 at 5:40 pm

thanks

Reply
Idaho Potato

June 15, 2021 at 6:18 pm

Great job
If you can just turn around and take a pic of the earth that would be great

Reply
Kaweesi Ahmed

June 15, 2021 at 6:30 pm

How can we get to make this ventilator in Uganda can you guide us too. We need them. Please answer

Reply
Troy A

June 15, 2021 at 6:33 pm

And it will only cost $5 million dollars.

Reply
Stephen Delaney

June 15, 2021 at 6:55 pm

How NASA went to the moon in 1969 and haven’t been able to reproduce it ever since.

Reply
Targeted Victim

June 15, 2021 at 7:12 pm

The Dutch media, various youtubers, twitchers, and the dutch police are trying to drive me to suicide. They have hacked my phone, laptop, and computer and are echoing whatever I do over the internet. I want my privacy back so I’ll keep spamming until I die or they release me. They have been stalking me for over 3 years now.

Reply
suffist

June 15, 2021 at 8:22 pm

Just wait till they start doing diversity hires.

Reply
Nigel Bird

June 15, 2021 at 8:35 pm

the ventilators that killed people…….

Reply
DailyToker

June 15, 2021 at 8:39 pm

This guy is so full of…

Reply
- Dominic A
  
  June 15, 2021 at 9:48 pm
  
  Oxygen
  
  Reply
Magnus W

June 15, 2021 at 9:03 pm

What a circlejerk video and comment sections

it’s a fucking ventilator

Reply
Pete Melbourne

June 15, 2021 at 10:25 pm

How did it take them so long? A group of F1 teams went from startup to first ventilator produced in 100 hours.

Reply
G '93

June 15, 2021 at 10:41 pm

Without God giving them their brains this wouldn’t be possible.

Reply
A Person

June 15, 2021 at 10:53 pm

Haven’t watched the video but awesome job!

Reply
Shaun Rankin

June 15, 2021 at 11:19 pm

Cant “return” to the moon, but anything needed for the plandemic, boom they can magyver it up ????

Reply
Gianluca Manco

June 15, 2021 at 11:54 pm

????????????????✨✨✨????????????????????✨✨✨

Reply
Momanny4107

June 16, 2021 at 12:28 am

And were they ever used…? No

Reply
HUE CAO

June 16, 2021 at 3:16 am

a s
d
w
d
a
s
w
d
a
s
^_^

Reply
Kevin Wells

June 16, 2021 at 4:49 am

Congrats. I’ve been around Nasa, sometimes designing electronics for some of their projects, and I’ve always been very happy to work with the various teams. I loved going to the facilities, and learning of some of their very exciting programs. Yes, it may receive government funding, etc… but (no offense to some government employees) – Nasa still thinks forward. They are even cool with outsourcing space projects – so yeah, I’ve always loved the people there and their diverse interests.

Reply
Dean Watt

June 16, 2021 at 8:53 am

Haha, how a propaganda machine that is NASA, invented something for a virus so serious, one needs a test to know whether or not they have it. By the way, easy to use, less parts which are easy obtainable, isn’t revolutionary. The same people taking vaccines, are the same people believing they’ve landed a rover on a conceptual rock millions of miles away. The irony begins when I start getting replies about how dumb I am. Please try not to let this trigger you, one day you too may get the chance to fly to distant rocks.

Reply
Seb Reb

June 16, 2021 at 11:00 am

why inventing a ventilator for covid19 ? against would make more sence 🙂

Reply
BigMo

June 16, 2021 at 12:09 pm

So what I’m hearing….. this publicly funded group that launches toys into space actually has the capacity to make positive impacts here on earth.

Reply
sslash31

June 16, 2021 at 4:37 pm

Oh wow they built a machine that help kill thousands of people

Reply
leonardo vera

June 16, 2021 at 5:14 pm

Didn’t ventilators kill people that had COVID

Reply
James Kulevich

June 17, 2021 at 12:53 am

Weren’t needed.

Reply
nealrutgerskid

June 17, 2021 at 4:41 am

Didn’t indian engineers create another ventilator at the start of the pandemic in the same time frame.

Reply
Joseph Pak

June 20, 2021 at 7:51 pm

JPL can show 4K video from Mars but can’t provide a quality video for TED? ????

Reply

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