FreedomLab Future Studies

FreedomLab Future Studies http://www.freedomlab.org Empowered by creativity Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:11:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 en Definition of a maverick company http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/06/22/definition-of-a-maverick-company/ http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/06/22/definition-of-a-maverick-company/#comments Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:02:53 +0000 joachim@freedomlab.org Not on home Board of inspiration http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/06/22/definition-of-a-maverick-company/

"A maverick company, for me, is a lot of things. The one thing that sets maverick companies apart is that unique, original, point of view. This blue print, this idea, set around 'How can we shape the future of our industry?' The sense of mission beyond just creating a high performing company but actually advocating a cause in the world. It's something that's very clear, that introduces a whole new way of competing in an industry. And really just captures the imagination of employees, of customers and of the wider marketplace. It goes back to that traditional definition of the maverick. It's a very American term. Basically, the animal that's unbranded, and doesn't run with the herd. For me, that's just a great way to work, and compete, and to win." Polly Labarre, Business and Innovation Expert and Author]]> ]]> http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/06/22/definition-of-a-maverick-company/feed/ I was thinking: Will history ever return? http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/06/20/will-history-ever-come-back/ http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/06/20/will-history-ever-come-back/#comments Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0000 arjan@freedomlab.org Wzzup http://santiago.freedomlab.org/2009/03/27/will-history-ever-come-back/ Varying from Hegemonic-cycles, Kondrativ-waves to Perez innovation-curves, we have been studying these theories for their predictive capacity. Not only as a framework to select in which phase we are but also to maybe discover something about rythm? Last week we added Neil Howe to that list with his 4th Turning or generation-cycle theory. The current crisis brings much debate on this subject especially wether this 'recession' is part of a (kutznets) business-cycle or if it might be a clash of cycles? To further understand this issue I'm doing quite some research on cycle-theories and wanted to share the following nuance: There are several kinds of theories of history have been prominent in recent discussions ending theories, wave theories, and cycle theories.]]> The ending theories identify ages with distinguishing features that have come to an end or will come to an end and will not recur. The distinguishing features may be dominance by one nation, the prevalence of a particular social system, or the pervasiveness of a certain technology. The Roman Empire came to an end, feudalism came to an end, and some say that the Industrial Age is coming to an end. These periods will not come back. There may or may not be common features that bring ages to an end. There may or may not be a predictable sequence of ages, as in the Marxist theory that feudalism leads to capitalism and capitalism leads to socialism--a theory that, so far, seems to have been erroneous. The most ambitious of the recent ending theories is the theory of the end of history, advanced by Francis Fukuyama. Wave theories postulate the recurrence of phases with similar characteristics. Thus, History goes A-B, A-B or A-B-C, A-B-C. All the A's have similar features that distinguish them from the Bs or Cs. But the As may be of quite different lengths from each other, and so may the Bs and Cs, and they may have their distinguishing features to different degrees. A recent wave theory is that propounded by David Hackett Fisher. He finds in history long waves of inflation, each followed by a crisis followed by a period of equilibrium followed by another wave of inflation, and so on. Cycle theories, unlike wave theories, suggest that the phases of history are of roughly similar duration. That permits prediction of the remaining duration of the present phase and the coming of the next phase. A simple historical cycle consists of alternating phases of political activism followed by political passivity. Arthur Schlesinger Jr., is the leading exponent of this idea, which was first put forward by his father. A more complex cycle is described by William Strauss and Neil Howe. They visualize a four-phase cycle. These phases are 1) an era of strengthening institutions, 2) an era of spiritual awakening, 3) an era of weakening institutions, and 4) an era of crisis. The entire four-phase cycle is believed to last about 80 years.]]> http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/06/20/will-history-ever-come-back/feed/ Debate - Future of education: Intrinsic value vs instrumental values http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/06/20/the-future-of-education-intrinsic-value-vs-instrumental-value/ http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/06/20/the-future-of-education-intrinsic-value-vs-instrumental-value/#comments Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0000 joachim@freedomlab.org Wzzup http://santiago.freedomlab.org/2009/04/02/the-future-of-education-intrinsic-value-vs-instrumental-value/ A recent local debate was dedicated to the future of education. English sociologist Frank Furedi argued for a return to conventional and traditional values like the authoritative teacher, knowledge as truth and the challanges of intellectualism. On the other side of the spectrum education futurist John Moravec arguedd that knowledge is becoming widely available through new technology and that education will become more about being able to process that knowledge into creative and innovative ideas. What's your opinion?]]> Furedi is a representative of thinkers that agitate against the properties and effects of a post-modern society. He analyses the way we value things like intellectualism and knowledge in a post-modern society to be problematic. They have lost there intrinsic value and have become valuable as instrumental to a different means, a deduction of money through the concept of a hyper capitalistic society. Being instrumental and not intrinsically valuable means that whenever something more efficient or effective comes along we can replace the old with the new. This is what is happening at the moment, Furedi says, in the education system. He warns us to rethink this before it is to late and we have to come to the conclusion that knowledge and intellectualism have disappeared while they have been the cornerstone of human development throughout history. Furedi thereby tells us that there is a intrinsic value in knowledge, a sense of truth as you may put it.

Moravec has a totally different perspective. The knowledge that Furedi talks about, he says, can be found on devices that fit the palm of your hand. Memorizing topography is purposeless when you have a device that supplies you with everything you need to know and beyond. What becomes truly important is the skill to operate these devices, or in other word to manage knowledge, and relate that to knowledge in different areas, thereby creating a context for creation and innovation. This table illustrates how he signalyzes and formulates a shift from an industrialized society, through a post modern society, towards a knowledge orientated society. His concept of the knowmad explains his view on the necessity of a different perspective in comparison to a workplace that requires "people to settle in one place to perform a very specific role or function." The education model has to be reshaped to 'prepare' students for this new workplace. Now the statememt/ question: Who is going to fill all these hand held devices with knowledge, how are we going to take care that the report of history does not end here, how are we going to ensure the value of accumulating knowledge and what other intrinsically valuable aspects might be lost as well in his future of education?]]> http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/06/20/the-future-of-education-intrinsic-value-vs-instrumental-value/feed/ Alberto Giacometti: Sings of the network society in the arts http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/06/20/alberto-giacometti-sings-of-the-network-society-in-the-arts/ http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/06/20/alberto-giacometti-sings-of-the-network-society-in-the-arts/#comments Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0000 joachim@freedomlab.org Wzzup http://santiago.freedomlab.org/2009/02/05/alberto-giacometti-sings-of-the-network-society-in-the-arts/

In our future studie "Future of Network" we discuss the upcoming network society, a paradigmatic change that moves from atomic scientific universal thinking to fragmented contextual contingent thinking, or as Alan Moore calls it: from straight line thinking to no straight line thinking. Some artists are visionaries, ahead of time, and give us an insight in the future. Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966) was such an artist. His life and work are the embodiement of the paradigmental change we are wittnessing today and the exhibition in the Kunsthal, the first Giacometti exhibition in twenty years in the Netherlands, can be considered in my opinion a sign of the new thinking emerging. Do you see other signs around you in the public sphere?]]> surrealist and cubist. Being a sculptor his cubistic work soon came to end as the purpose of cubism to create a multi perspective image without the renaissance perspective seemed overdone with a sculpture you can walk around anyway. But as a surrealist he earned glory and fame. Typically for that period his early work aimed to make abstractions of reality, which symbolizes the modern paradigm in which abstraction is considered to be approaching truth, just as in science. Famous is his Suspended Ball, a ball with a spike (a classic theme in surrealism), that represents an eye that gets stinged by a needle and is thus blinded. This symbolizes the march into pure rationality, disposing oneself of the misleading contingent perception and find absolute truth is mathematical (a priori) schemes. In his later work Giacometti leaves abstraction and the ideal for an atomic representation of reality. This move was controversial in the art scene and with it Giacometti lost his reputation and respect among many. The focus in his work is from then on aimed at creating meaning in the context of his sculptures and visualizes his own perception of the world. One can say that instead of concentrating on a universalistic and rigid meaning in the sculpture, he then wants to emphazise the contingent and contextual meaning in the surroundings of the sculpture. His sculptures become tall, flat and out of proportion persons that invite you to walk around them and to orientate on their environment. The holistic approach that Giacometti adopts in his later work is symbolic for a more networked way of thinking. To find the changing paradigm of an artist in this direction (many artists get more abstract over time) is something which I find an interesting analogy of the changing paradigm in society that we are researching. Moreover it is remarkable that this artist is honoured today with an enormous exhibition, after having been absent in the Dutch museums for years and years. Apperantly there is something in Giacometti which has attracted the attention of a wide audience and I am convinced this something is recognition.]]> http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/06/20/alberto-giacometti-sings-of-the-network-society-in-the-arts/feed/ Google Wave http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/06/20/google-wave/ http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/06/20/google-wave/#comments Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0000 jurg@freedomlab.org Wzzup http://santiago.freedomlab.org/2009/06/05/google-wave/

Google Wave is taking the world by storm. Almost everyone has heard of Google Wave. The buzz around this product is so strong, it even dominates investor's interest groups. I am very positively surprised at the actual demo. They prophesize this as the Google Maps of email. Google Maps digitized maps and route finding. I do think it will have an impact. And an impact at least as big as Google Maps. But I don't imagine the impact to be on email. Google Wave will change the way we communicate, but it will take many many years. And by the time we are all Waving we forgot the generator was Google...
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But communication is not so simple. Communication is fluid and omnipresent. If we mail we also refer to discussions we had offline, as we now call it. While writing a mail you get twittered, called or smsed. All have an impact and are part of this flow of information. There is no such thing as the beginning of a package of information. And it certainly never ends.

Yet we are forced to see it like this. Except with Google Wave. They have a demo of a product that addresses this problem. Not by doing something new, but by doing everything better. Google Wave promises you can chat and walk away to continue by mail on your Android (something already possible.) It shows how easy it is to invite others and have them be part.

Will it be the Google Maps of email? I don't think so. In this case they will show everyone what is possible with technology (HTML 5, fast processors, etc.) And the corporate world (mainly Microsoft) will first copy features. Then it will try promise to implement the protocol while actually trying to hug it death. The end result is that we will have several interoperating products, more or less complying with the standards.

Google Wave will not have made us communicate more or less, they will show the world how we can communicate. Is it going to be big? Certainly! Are we going to recognize it as Google in 5 years? I doubt it sincerely! Is that a problem to Google? They don't really care! The most important to them is that more and more people have real access to the web. They will be exposed to their products, but more importantly they will be exposed to Google served advertisement.
]]> http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/06/20/google-wave/feed/ Silence before the storm… http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/05/15/silence-before-the-storm/ http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/05/15/silence-before-the-storm/#comments Fri, 15 May 2009 07:58:56 +0000 joachim@freedomlab.org Wzzup http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/05/15/silence-before-the-storm/

Although it has been a bit quiet here on FreedomLab.org we have been really busy at the lab. In the last weeks we have done many new interviews and have started several new projects. The FreedomLab network is still growing everyday and we are working round the clock to make the absolute best of so much bundled knowledge, insight and creativity. Development is delivering great achievements and they are working towards a final version of our platform, which will be a high class infrastructure for the FreedomLab network. In the lab we see new things emerging and converging everyday and we look forward to share our insights with you again soon here on FreedomLab.org. And of course...we look forward to your discussions!]]> http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/05/15/silence-before-the-storm/feed/ BIN: Quarterly Board of Inspiration Meetings http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/04/16/bin-quarterly-board-of-inspiration-meetings/ http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/04/16/bin-quarterly-board-of-inspiration-meetings/#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2009 07:57:31 +0000 jorgen@freedomlab.org Not on home Unique approach SBR http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/04/16/bin-quarterly-board-of-inspiration-meetings/

Over the years we've talked to many people that have inspired us and that have challenged our thoughts continuously. These scholars, visonaries, scientists, lecturers and business authors are the members of our Board of Inspiration. To further enhance their engagement with us and learn from their insights we invite them to visit us regularly. During their visit to us we discuss with them in a small, intimate group and have an inspirational and challenging session about their field of expertise or their visions. These quarterly Board of Inspiration sessions are accessible to our partners on a by invitation only basis.]]> http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/04/16/bin-quarterly-board-of-inspiration-meetings/feed/ Penny For Your Thoughts: new idea’s from the Board of Inspiration http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/04/16/penny-for-your-thoughts-pfyt-new-ideas-from-the-board-of-inspiration/ http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/04/16/penny-for-your-thoughts-pfyt-new-ideas-from-the-board-of-inspiration/#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2009 07:44:02 +0000 jorgen@freedomlab.org Not on home Unique approach SBR http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/04/16/penny-for-your-thoughts-pfyt-new-ideas-from-the-board-of-inspiration/

FreedomLab's "Penny For Your Thoughts" program, or PFYT as we refer to it, is our way of tapping into the thoughts of our Board of Inspiration on a regular basis. The idea is that we have a short talk with one of the people that inspires us much. Based on a conference call we do with them we edit a video of the thought that is used as the starting point for a conversation with many of the members of our Board of Inspiration. The program allows members to share their new idea's and get some feedback on them from fellow scholars, visonaries, scientists, lecturers and business authors within the FreedomLab platform. People that have participated so far in the PFYT program include: Alan Moore, Dave Bujinowksi, Pip Coburn, Gary Carter, John Petersen, Grant McCracken, Neil Howe, Goos Geursen, Richard Hames, Josephine Green, Joseph Pine, Umair Haque, Don Tapscott, Polly LaBarre, Arnold Heertje, Venkat Ramaswamy and Sir Ken Robinson. Provoke a live-discussion yourself by ordering your own PFYT T-shirts, visit our charity-shop.]]>

"The sphere, as we view it nowadays, is the existential space. It is the space that cannot be discussed by physicists, that mathematicians or geometrists cannot discuss. But the same applies to architects, civil servants or people that work for the land registry. Because they all work with images that describe a non-personal, abstract, geometric, mathematical space.Space that doesn't know 'I'. When I or an I enters such a space, space transforms itself into a sphere." Peter Sloterdijk, Professor of Philosophy and Media Theory at the Karlsruhe School of Design]]> ]]> http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/04/03/spheres-existential-space/feed/ Encarta Discontinued; And Now What? http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/03/31/encarta-discontinued-and-now-what/ http://www.freedomlab.org/2009/03/31/encarta-discontinued-and-now-what/#comments Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000 jurg@freedomlab.org Wzzup http://santiago.freedomlab.org/2009/03/31/encarta-discontinued-and-now-what/

Microsoft has announced it will discontinue its Encarta product line. Not really a surprise, considering the rise of Wikipedia as a source quality information. But I wonder why they discontinued it already. It might be that this product is 'hemorrhaging cash', to use the words of Alan Moore. But we might be witnessing the first skirmishes of a strategic repositioning. Encarta is a high overhead, traditional product. But what low overhead, innovative product will be replacing Encarta? Is Microsoft going to compete with Wikipedia? Or, as they state in their discontinuation notice, are they targeting education primarily? Interesting to note that one of the areas where Jimmy Wales envisions a Wikipedia transformation is education...]]>