Ideas that will make a difference

A sneak preview of the next Renaissance

We approach the genesis of a large, Renaissance-like change from a specific angle. Think about the invention of the printing press; it allowed knowledge to spread so much faster, that it is often considered to be the major contributing factor to the deep societal changes that follow. Or think about the steam engine; it not only powered the Industrial Revolution, but also served as a precursor to innumerable inventions that saved us work and effort. What ideas, and what inventions, may have a similar impact today?

We tell the stories of the giants who fostered such ideas. We then show how their application may lead to a radical change of our condition.

An informed approach to contemporary issues

What can we do that can make a large-enough difference? We show that when we begin to weave the insights across the academic disciplines and other relevant fields, not only do the problems and the answers become clear – but we also begin to see solutions and courses of action that are surprising, that bring vibrance and new life into our struggle with problems. But isn't that what the large paradigm changes are all about?

Vignettes

How to lift up an idea from undeserved anonymity

We tell vignettes – engaging, lively, catchy, sticky... real-life people and situation stories, to distill core ideas of daring thinkers from the vocabulary of their field of interest, and to give them the power of impact. We then show how to join the vignettes together into threads, and threads into patterns and patterns into a gestalt – an overarching view of our situation, which shows how the situation may need to be handled.

The 21st century printing press

Of course it's the Web – but...

Having decided, in December of 1950, to dedicate his career to the betterment of mankind, Douglas Engelbart thought intensely about the best way to do that. After three months he had an epiphany...

On a convention of computer professionals in 1968 Engelbart and his SRI-based lab showed the the computer technology we are using today...

What is that "new way to think" which we now depend on to enable the technology to make the kind of difference it can and should make?