Monthly Archives: April 2009

space ghetto matrix

carefully craft insights, then put them next to random photos from the internet and try to deduce the relationship, leading to deep, unexpected insights about the topic at hand. Meets JG’s criterion of mysticism.

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planning is dead

Long-term planning, in its traditional sense, is dead. The ability to specifically predict the tone, tenor, overall shape, and other details of a corporation, society, family, or any other complex organization more than a few years in the future is … Continue reading

Posted in abms, design theory, planning | Comments Off

science of quality

Christopher Bartneck claims that design is the science of quality. I was meditating on that and thought that maybe quality is all the stuff that other sciences can’t qualify. any better thoughts?

Posted in design theory, philosophy of science | Comments Off

invasive species

Henry King (of Doblin) makes a widely-recognized observation that the recession will lead to innovation. He takes it one small step farther: as the economy picks up again, we’ll see emerging new business models and unexpected fast-growing players in many … Continue reading

Posted in economics, geopolitical theory, school | Comments Off

decision science

It’s not that I’m anti-social, but I don’t participate in the green movement, nor in the race to save all who are suffering in Africa and elsewhere, nor usually even to keep my family and friends updated and in-the-loop about … Continue reading

Posted in behavior, behavioral economics, power theory, social network | Comments Off

droughts and margins

Droughts kill societies. Along with using up resources, the straight out vagaries of nature are not amenable to our long-term goals. It’s not always our own human nature that drives the death of society – although in this light these … Continue reading

Posted in economics, geopolitical theory, government, planning | Comments Off

awareness

I think the zeitgiest of the past couple decades has been about the horror and difficulties of self-awareness, how when you realize you’re doing something or participating in something, it’s over. But there are certain things where you can be … Continue reading

Posted in art, attention, information overload | Comments Off

attention economy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention_economy A highly relevant and timely idea, the attention economy is coming to be but not in the way expressed in this article at least. It lists some of Ronald Coase’s ideas about how to implement attention transactions, but doesn’t … Continue reading

Posted in attention, news | Comments Off