“To kill an error is as good a service, and sometimes even better than, the establishing of a new truth or fact.” – Charles Darwin Question: Who coined the phrase, “The survival of the fittest”? Did you say Charles Darwin? If so, you are mistaken. The honor belongs to Herbert Spencer who first used the [...]
See the Whole Picture
December 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment
“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” – Anais Nin Question: Study the picture to the right? Do you notice anything unusual? It is one of the world’s most recognizable corporate logos and yet, surprisingly, even though most people see it every day, few have ever noticed the clever [...]
Can the Automotive Industry Unlearn?
November 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Recently, I finished reading Clay Shirky’s excellent new book, Cognitive Surplus. One of the points he made which really struck home with me was his discussion of how “more” has a quality all of its own. To drive home the point, Shirky discussed how “pizza by the slice” works as a business model in big [...]
The Future Will Require a Whole Lotta Unlearning
June 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment
If something doubles just ten times it is one thousand (1024 times to precise) larger. This is an important concept to grasp if you want to better contemplate the future. Why? Because no fewer than nine technological trends—semiconductors, data storage, bandwidth, genomics, gene sequencing, robotics, nanotechnology, brain scanning and scientific knowledge—are doubling anywhere from every [...]
The Seven Dangerous Habits of Highly Effective People
June 9, 2010 By 7 Comments
Effective people come in many different shapes, sizes and forms but among the most dangerous are those who are convinced their past success is a positive indicator of future success. If you are an effective person and wish to remain successful in the future here are seven habits you may want to unlearn: 1. You [...]
Playing it Safe is Risky
June 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Did you know that more pedestrians die in crosswalks than when jaywalking. The reason is because people have a false sense of security in crosswalks and are less likely to look both ways. This is a wonderful metaphor for how you should think about the future. I know most people believe there is safety in [...]
Nanotechnology, Google & Unlearning
May 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment
As a professional futurist who has written two books on the topic of nanotechnology, including The Next Big Thing is Really Small: How Nanotechnology Will Change the Future of Your Business, but is now interested in how the skill of unlearning can help society better prepare for the future, I couldn’t but help notice this [...]
