The Misanthrope’s Guide to the End of the World To diagnose somebody’s worldview, the single most effective test is to ask about their end-of-the-world opinions. You find out whether they have tragic or idealistic worldviews. You learn about their morality. (Note: most links are to items on my End of the World trail. The Eschatology Party Game You may want to play this game at your next party. How will the world end? There is an eighth question that I will reveal at the end, which is perhaps the most fundamental of all. Something in my writing apparently attracts people who are passionate about these things. These eager correspondents react with anything ranging from annoyance and disappointment to outright rage when they realize that my views are mostly of the “lemme make some popcorn and watch” variety (which is why I’ve stopped responding to such emails). Not that I am an unalloyed misanthrope. Curiously though, my misanthropy does not extend beyond humans. I like the idea that we are not really necessary. The Garbage vs.
The Flight of the Pringle - Past News Tom Lange knows more about flying Pringles than probably anyone alive. As director of modeling and simulation at Procter & Gamble Co., it's Lange's job to use finite element analysis to predict what something will smell like, whether a bottle will break, and if a Pringles chip will take flight. "We break things into a million little parts and then write simple math equations about how each little part affects the other parts," says Lange, who is responsible for the economic, as well as structural, analysis of different materials. His latest challenge was to analyze airflow around the unique double-saddle design of Pringles chips. Though he won't say what modifications they made, "we were able to speed things up," says Lange, who adds, "I have the coolest job."
Futurist Thomas Frey Author of the 2011 book “Communicating with the Future,” Futurist Speaker Thomas Frey is a powerful visionary who is revolutionizing our thinking about the future. “The greatest value in understanding the future comes from spotting the major cultural, demographic, societal, and economic shifts early and translating them in to viable business strategies,” says Tom. Thomas continually pushes the envelope of understanding as part of the celebrity speaking circuit by creating fascinating images and understandings of the world to come. As the Executive Director and Senior Futurist at the DaVinci Institute, he works closely with the Institute’s Senior Fellows and Board of Visionaries to develop original research studies, which enables him to speak on unusual topics, translating trends into unique opportunities. Each year his talks touch the lives of tens of thousands of people. 1.) What makes this a significant event is the volatility of the tool itself. 2.) 3.) 4.) 5.) Cities matter. 6.) 7.)
Agile Planning Image courtesy The last IBM Global CEO Study ('The Enterprise Of The Future') interviewed 1,130 CEO's in 45 countries and 32 industries. It found that organisations felt bombarded by change, and that many are struggling to keep up. Eight out of ten CEOs saw significant change ahead, and yet the gap between the expected level of change and the ability to manage it had almost tripled since the previous study in 2006. An inability to cope with the pace of change. We live in exponential times. In order to be successful, said the IBM report, the enterprise of the future will be hungry for change, innovative "beyond customer imagination", disruptive by nature. And yet, with the current economic malaise, there has never been more reason to become more adaptive or a better time for re-invention. Many industries, including advertising, have gotten lazy. "Our structures need to be more speedy. The fact is that small companies are naturally more adaptive and agile, simply because they have to be.
Innovation in Practice "As usual, for these co-written things, John often had just the first verse, which was always enough: it was the direction, it was the signpost and it was the inspiration for the whole song. I hate the word but it was the template." - Paul McCartney Fifty years ago on Feb. 9, 1964, the Beatles made their first appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show." A record 73 million people watched that night. The Beatles were innovators, and they did it systematically using templates. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, The Beatles have sold more albums in the United States than any other artist. How were they so effective? The Beatles practiced team innovation. The Beatles were experimenters. "Above all, the Beatles remained curious about all types of music, and they continually reinvented their own music by injecting it with fresh influences from multiple cultures. The Beatles loved technology. Oddly, McCartney seemed uncomfortable using templates to write songs.
Interactive The World of Seven Billion The map shows population density; the brightest points are the highest densities. Each country is colored according to its average annual gross national income per capita, using categories established by the World Bank (see key below). Fascinating Ways Hospitals Are Implementing iPads Everyone’s heard one of the most recognizable Apple catch phrases: there’s an app for that. With the dawning of the iPad, this is especially true now for the realm of medicine. Having portable, lightweight access to wifi connection allows the iPad to function as a fantastic reference tool for medical professionals. We’re going to list off the most interesting, useful ways doctors and nurses are using iPads in a hospital setting. For Medical Professionals Doctors typically have to cart around patients’ charts in order to be prepared for each new person they’ll be assessing. The iPad, however, makes this whole process a breeze. Doctors and nurses alike are using iPads to view tests like X-rays, MRIs, and EKGs whenever they need them. But the iPad offers more than efficiency — it’s also a tool for easy knowledge reference and for training purposes. For Patients Conclusion The iPad is extremely lightweight and portable, which allows for easy transport for doctors and nurses in hospitals.
Resilient Manufacturing Last Friday, I had pleasant breakfast with Justin Mares (he graciously drove out of the city to meet me and see some of the historical sites nearby), the young COO of Cloudfab (the 3D fabrication start-up). We had an interesting conversation about the future of manufacturing and how his company could quickly position themselves as leaders in the space. Came up with what I thought was a killer business strategy. Hope they try it out. Here's what the simplistic model for the what most manufacturing will look like in twenty years is: 1) Design everywhere. 2) Platforms to standardize the design/quality and match demand with supply. 3) Manufacture everywhere/anywhere it is convenient/inexpensive (download the specs and get to work). First thing to note is that China doesn't factor into the above. Second thing to note is that this is that the organizations that will emerge in this space will either be HUGE or very small. Is this system resilient? Very much so.
Technology areas to watch in 2012 through 2016 1. Energy Revolution - Mass produced fission, fusion, and maybe cold fusion 2. Memristors and other significant computing and electronic improvements. 3. Robotics 4. Urbanization Broad Group skyscrapers, Tata flat packed buildings 5. Space 6. The most controversial has the highest potential impact 1. There is the highly controversial possibility of Rossi-Focardi Energy catalyzer. Brillouin Energy is another cold fusion contender There is also work in this area by Brian Ahern and NASA and other agencies are investigating it. EMC2 Fusion, Lawrenceville Plasma Physics, General Fusion and/or Tri-alpha energy could develop a first full scale prototype commercial system by Dec, 2016. A desktop high frequency fusion system has been proposed for space propulsion and energy generation. In Chapman’s aneutronic fusion reactor scheme, a commercially available benchtop laser starts the reaction. High frequency lasers are an area that is rapidly progressing. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.