Theoretically, one benefit of knowing what is going to happen – is being able to prepare for that situation. There is a better chance of taking advantage of future eventualities if one is prepared for those possibilities: public systems, policies and events can be better utilized for the general good if we can plan todayContinue reading “Pick A Future Winner”
Category Archives: Opinion
Glorious Shoulders: Celebrating 350 Years of the Royal Society
Isaac Newton said “If I have seen further, it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants.” The strength of that acknowledgement began formally 350 years ago, as the giants began to gather physically and through direct communications to explore the world around them. The result was – and remains – the Royal Society,Continue reading “Glorious Shoulders: Celebrating 350 Years of the Royal Society”
On Machine Ethics
The most recent meeting of Columbus Futurists delved into the topic of IBM’s trivia-savvy supercomputer Watson and his most recent performance on Jeopardy. Some of the discussion had to do with the thorny issue of machine ethics, based on the very human fears that machines may become intelligent in unintended ways and make ethical decisionsContinue reading “On Machine Ethics”
The Forgotten Question: Why?
Over the years, I’ve reviewed a couple of hundred long-term and annual business plans and a few dozen proposals for new products or projects. These business plans almost inevitably followed the cookbook approach you would find in any modern business school curriculum: a review of past and recent financial results; a simplistic SWOT analysis thatContinue reading “The Forgotten Question: Why?”
The New Model Revolution for 2011
As I watched and listened to events unfolding in Egypt the last three weeks , I had a nagging feeling that there was something new here, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Then it occurred to me. Like a twist in a detective story, I realized that – for a million people inContinue reading “The New Model Revolution for 2011”
Revisiting Future Shock
It’s been forty years since the publication of Future Shock, Alvin Toffler’s 500-page manifesto about the acceleration of change and its impact on individuals and society as a whole. I remember reading it soon after it came out (it was about the same time that I read the Whole Earth Catalog, Silent Spring, and TheContinue reading “Revisiting Future Shock”
Even “innovation” is a 2-edged sword in a quest for growth
The TechColumbus Innovation Awards last week give us yet another opportunity to praise the innovators in our culture. Seems like our entire economy hinges on innovation – and particularly new ideas and new companies in the high tech sector. But there are some who are questioning the actual track record of innovation – as we know it – inContinue reading “Even “innovation” is a 2-edged sword in a quest for growth”
Lacking the Basics for Basic Training
Nearly one-fourth of the students who try to join the U.S. Army fail its entrance exam, painting a grim picture of an education system that produces graduates who can’t answer basic math, science and reading questions, according to a new study released Tuesday. The Education Trust examined the scores of nearly 350,000 high school graduates,Continue reading “Lacking the Basics for Basic Training”
The Top Ten Game Changers of the Century So Far
It’s that time of year when everyone creates a Top Ten list. Like every other year in recorded history, I’m sure there were many startling, important, or innovative “things” that happened. But, 2010 also happens to be the end of the first decade of the 21st Century. So, I’d like to offer a longer termContinue reading “The Top Ten Game Changers of the Century So Far”
Columbus Futurists 