Project Polymath: Catalyzing Interdisciplinary Education for a New Renaissance Bite the Bullet Point - Magazine Posted Oct 1, 2010 1:49 AM CDT By Dennis Kennedy Illustration by Jim Frazier I’ve recently been in the audience for a lot of PowerPoint presentations, and some of the uses have made me wonder if recent news articles asking “Is PowerPoint killing presentations?” are right on target. In the right hands, PowerPoint or any other presentation program can literally and figuratively make a presentation sing. But they can also drain out all the energy, passion and interest. The standard approach to PowerPoint for lawyers involves text-dense, bullet-pointed slides on conservative, firm-branded backgrounds with minimal, often simplistic clip art. Snore. The biggest problem I see is that people have moved the focus from the speech and the speaker to the slides. Does this mean it’s time for lawyers to abandon PowerPoint for presentations? For most of us, however, PowerPoint can enhance our presentations and help us get our message across. 1) Are slides even needed? 5) Get the details right.
Polymath: ‘A Renaissance Man’ Know something about everything and everything about something T H Huxley The only thing that I know is that I know nothing Socrates Definition of polymath: [n] a person of great and varied learning There is an increasing demand for people who can work across boundaries and in many different fields: people who can understand the linkages and connections between the various disciplines of modern life. This article and the essays that follow were compiled principally as an aide-memoir to me – I make no apologies for repetition of the work of others who have enhanced my understanding – I hope their wisdom may prove as useful to others as it did for me. This web section on polymath explores the connotation ‘A Renaissance Man’ and the relevance of wisdom to current life. It was thought a Renaissance man should - • Be able to defend himself with a variety of weapons, especially the sword Wisdom Wisdom is the ability to make sound choices, good decisions--the best decision. What is a polymath? top
Facebook in Online Privacy Breach; Applications Transmitting Identifying Information In Defense of Polymaths - Kyle Wiens by Kyle Wiens | 8:54 AM May 18, 2012 Polymath is one of those words more likely to show up on the SAT than in everyday conversation. But the reason we don’t use the word much these days has less to do with vocabulary than it has to do with practicality: there aren’t a lot of polymaths around anymore. In case you don’t have your pocket dictionary handy, a polymath is a person with a wide range of knowledge or learning. Think people like Leonardo da Vinci (artist and helicopter designer), Benjamin Franklin (founding father, inventor, and all-around lady-killer), Paul Robeson (scholar, athlete, actor, and civil rights activist), and even Steve Jobs (engineer, businessman extraordinaire, and marketing mastermind). Still, while we admire the select “geniuses” that can do it all, we tend to disparage the regular folk who attempt to spread their knowledge around a little. But why? “It’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” Angelou said to the Smithsonian. And that’s fine.
What’s the difference between Taxonomies and Ontologies? - Ask Dr. Search A Reader Asks: What’s the difference between Taxonomies and Ontologies? And do I even need to care !? Editor’s Note: For basic definitions of the terms in this article please see our online glossary of terms. Dr. Wow, that’s a great question! I’d summarize the similarities and differences this way: For casual users, these are very similar concepts. Beyond academic precision, ontologies try to represent knowledge in a form so carefully that even computers can derive meaning by traversing the various relationships. Taxonomies can also be read and used in computer software, for example Verity’s Topic Sets were a form of taxonomy, and could be loaded into a profiler to classify incoming documents; many other companies have had this idea as well. Why this Matters? And as to your question “… and do I even need to care?” Are you considering Taxonomies for an upcoming project? Other terms associated with Taxonomies A “Knowledge Base” or “KBase” may also refer to a taxonomy or ontology. In Closing:
Polymath Leonardo da Vinci is regarded as a "Renaissance man" and is one of the most recognizable polymaths. A polymath (Greek: πολυμαθής, polymathēs, "having learned much")[1] is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas; such a person is known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems. The term was first used in the seventeenth century but the related term, polyhistor, is an ancient term with similar meaning. The term applies to the gifted people of the Renaissance who sought to develop their abilities in all areas of knowledge as well as in physical development, social accomplishments, and the arts, in contrast to the vast majority of people of that age who were not well educated. Renaissance ideal[edit] Robert A. This Renaissance ideal differed slightly from the "polymath" in that it involved more than just intellectual advancement. Related terms[edit] Polymath and polyhistor compared[edit] Other uses of 'polymath'[edit] See also[edit]
The Art of Storytelling in Presentations – Connecting In late March I’ll be speaking at Hook: The Presentation Conference about The Art of Storytelling in Effective Presentations. As we lead up to that event, which you can register for here, I wanted to write a few articles about the different aspects of storytelling (in no particular order) that I’ll be addressing. I wanted to start with Connecting, which I believe is why including storytelling in your presentations is so important. As Nancy Duarte said in her most recent book “Resonate” (which is a must buy): Stories are the emotional glue that connects an audience to your idea. As a presenter trying to convey an idea, whether it’s to educate, persuade, encourage action or otherwise, it’s imperative that you make a connection with your audience. If this was a sales presentation, and you are up against various other vendors, how are you going to win the business if they forget everything you said? Stories are different from facts, figures and features. Connect: Authored by: Jon Thomas
Want to Be a Polymath Like da Vinci? Follow These Four Steps This is a guest post by Christopher Hutton of Liter8 Ideas. Polymath (noun) - A person of wide-ranging knowledge or learning. Polymaths aren’t born, they’re made. They are created by way of human patterns and practices that were copied from the years of Da Vinci and Michelangelo. And so, we have an opportunity to perform behaviors that will build us into potential Polymaths. This post will give you the four crucial steps you should follow when you’re trying to become a polymath. 1. A polymath is a person that knows many things. Determine what you want to be an expert in. It’s helpful if you set exact and specific goals for you to perform. A way of building a plan for personal growth is writing something like a bucket list. For example, I want to write a thorough journalistic treatise on the topic of psychology and economics. It’s also worth picking goals that span a number of realms. Have someone else offer suggestions. 2. 3. However, this practice cannot be simplistic repetition. 4.
The Polymath Newsletter, The Polymathic Lifestyle "Since everything is related, I can start anywhere. I choose to start in the Bahamas." Douglas Adams, 1952-2001 One of our founders, like most polymaths, has a large and eclectic personal library. I tend to socialize with polymaths. According to Hirsch and his Cultural Literacy, every American should 'get' my Nietzsche-Schrodinger reference. Polymathica is a social group for eclectic, lifelong learners, but in a way we are also a nascent cultural viewpoint. However, Polymathica isn't really about that. The short answer is, "I don't know. The dictionary defines a polymath as someone knowledgeable in many subjects. At the core of a polymathic personality is an unrestrained curiosity -- about nearly everything. When we meet polymaths, we hear the same statements over and over. The Internet has been improving matters, but old habits die hard. So being a polymath in today's society is not easy. The American Polymathic Institute was conceived the way it was, in part, to solve this Catch-22.