Smart Squares

David Merrill is an MIT graduate student who has created something called Siftables—cracker-sized "smart" squares equipped with wireless sensors that you can stack like blocks. Why bother? They do math. They play music. They interact. They also represent a breakthrough way to learn [and teach] and communicate complex ideas to children and adults. In addition, they create a new vehicle for all sorts of visual and mobile applications. Here's Merrill at TED2009 earlier this month:



When he's not working on Siftables, Merrill is exploring new ways to access digital information away from one's computer.