Re-imagining dinosaurs through intelligent speculation | C.M. Kosemen | TEDxMadrid

Paleoartist CM Kosemen addresses the way we picture dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, since most of his predecessors depicted them as bare-skinned, ultraviolent monsters, instead of as living, breathing, “regular” organisms related to present-day birds. That helps him reflect on how imagination and guessing is a necessary part of the scientific method, in what he calls "intelligent speculation". Thanks to the influence of this vision in his field, we can finally get a more realistic yet whimsical image of the lost creatures from our remote past.

C. M. Kosemen is an artist and independent researcher born in Ankara, Turkey in 1984. He studied at Cornell University, Istanbul’s Sabancı University and holds a Masters’ degree from London’s Goldsmiths College. Kosemen’s areas of interest include surreal art, Mediterranean history, palaeontology, evolution, zoology and visual culture. As a researcher, Kosemen’s book credits include All Yesterdays: Unique and Speculative Views of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals, and the Cryptozoologion, the Biology, Evolution and Mythology of Hidden Animals (2012). Kosemen was also an editor for Benetton’s Colors magazine and worked in various advertising agencies.

This event took place on September 21st, 2019 at Teatro Circo Price in Madrid under the theme RETROFUTURO.

Director: Daniel Goldmann Editor: Xavi Fortino Camera crew: Josep Fernández, David Ramos, Nacho Valentín Marcos, Diego García, Toni Català. Live sound: Daniel Davidson Production assistants: Conchi Manzano, Tessa Demichel y Llanos Velasco. Produced by: Manilafilms.com Live light and sound: Teatro Circo Price technical team Live screens: RGB Corp (rgbcorp.eu) Design and Motion Graphics RETROFUTURO: Alvaro León (alvaroleon.com) Sound design & audio mix RETROFUTURO: Francisco Mejía (pararayos.tv)" He studied at Cornell University, Istanbul’s Sabancı University and holds a Masters’ degree from London’s Goldsmiths College in Documentary Film and Media Studies. Kosemen’s areas of interest include surreal art, Mediterranean history, palaeontology, evolution, zoology and visual culture.
As a researcher, Kosemen’s book credits include Osman Hasan and the Tombstone Photographs of the Dönmes, All Yesterdays: Unique and Speculative Views of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals, and the Cryptozoologion, the Biology, Evolution and Mythology of Hidden Animals. Kosemen was also an editor for Benetton’s Colors magazine and worked in various advertising agencies. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx