"Good design is the perfect balance between science and art"
-Leonardo Da Vinci
Archive for January, 2012
Quote du jour: Leonardo Da Vinci
09
Jan
Great Article from Wired.com about why Black Market Entrepreneurs matter
07
Jan
I first read this article in my paper copy of the magazine WIRED (Yes, I know….I know…I'll plant a tree) and thought it'd be worth sharing.
It's something that I have known for a long time, but the quantitative aspect of it being revealed makes it a good read. For those of you who are new to the idea, it's worth reading.
Having said that, I do not promote or support piracy or knock-offs as they disrupt established mainstream economies and artificially inflate the prices of consumables and good. However, there are examples where corporations team up with black markets to allow products that are needed but would not necessarily appeal to the main stream to flow out to those who need it. It is also a great source of innovation.
It has long been known that the marginal of society define the society and the direction of the society. It is not just a disruptive movement, but rather a rattling of the norm which during the adjustment period, establishes new ways to do business or new products which make life more efficient…for most.
This chart (taken from the online article without permission but credited to wired.com) highlights the distribution and size of what the journalist Robert Neuwirth refers to as System D (D for Débrouillard, the French term for what is known in the modern American connotation as a hustler or someone who easily adapts to any situation) in his new book Steal of Nations: The global Rise of the Informal Economy
Source: Friedrich Schneider et al., “New Estimates for the Shadow Economies All Over the World,”International Economic Journal, 2010
What 2012 will bring…!
02
Jan
Well, the new year is upon us. It's out with the old and in with the new. There are plenty of 2011 reviews, so we won't bother with those. Alan Curtis Kay is known for many things, but is particular an uncredited celebrity for the saying
"The best way to predict the future is to invent it."
Since, I cannot predict the future, I'll go with a wish list for 2012.
Technology:
- A new version of the iPhone's mail app which allows one to attach media files from any stored application's library to an email from the mail app itself.
- Less expensive digital storage. This may seem trivial but people who've worked in gigarcinoma or terarcinoma fields know how limiting this could be.
- Cheaper HDTVs. I know the prices are going down, but the price points are pretty high.
- A real green technology. Sorry but shifting the carbon emission from my vehicle to a couple of plants work well to create industries, but does little to curb greenhouse gas emission.
Sports:
- A Miami Heat championship…it would be nice!
- A bit of thoughtfulness and balance in the media covering sports. it's easy to villify athletes, but did you know that the so-called "DECISION" was about raising money for the Boys & Girls Club of America? Most people don't know that or fail to realize that the Connecticut location from which they were broadcasting was not random. Lebron gave all of the proceeds from the show to the club. He also took a major paycut to go play in Miami and this is the one we label as an egotistical person. Really? Really?
- More of Rex Ryan' rhetoric. Yes, I realize that his team would have already been eliminiated by time this will be made public, but it's refreshing to have a coach who vouches for his players. It's your job, care about it.
- More reseach into head and connective tissue injuries using real data.
Politics:
- A net difference?
- An integrated approach to supporting innovation. It's not enough to talk about or create one organization. Everyone who has started a business knows what it takes and while there is absolutely not substitute for hard work and problem solving, the mechanics of a business could be facilitated to allow good ideas to be explored professionally and in depth.
Entertainment:
- Two or more well done science shows on main stream tv. The population eats up science fiction and reality tv, but still remain fairly poorly informed by our media. Europe has done a great job showcasing how it can be done. We should look to them and dilute some of the mindless showings. One does not have to be dumbed-down in order to be entertained.
- Real shows about economics. As a society, we generally have a very poor understanding of economic principles. This basic fact, compounded by the current economic concerns mixed with political games further drive the spread of ignorance by relying on fear and concerns about once's future.
- More Kim Kardashian on TV. This may sound sarcastic, but it's not. It is also not because of her aesthetics. It is mindless entertainment that is well packaged (no pun intended) and it is as much a phenomena as it should be the subject of a course in social psychology.
Finally, my big one: Research:
- I can't tell you…because my goal is to work on it, but let's just say that we need more of the things which allow us to keep on keeping on
- Stronger partnerships between the science and engineering departments of universities with their business/entrepreneur programs, technology transfers and strategic industry partners.
That's it for now, but this may get updated. What do you think?