Category: Innovation

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Design Education Innovation Reading

Latest Read: Hit Makers

Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction
by Derek Thompson. Derek is a staff writer at The Atlantic. Hit Makers is the winner of the American Marketing Association’s Marketing Book Award for 2018. Derek launched the Plain English podcast and is now producing the Crazy/Genius podcast.

Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction by Derek Thompson

So, why do specific songs, movies, books, and even mobile apps became popular? Hit Makers is addressing how popularity increases sales or cultural status.

However, for a technology-driven focus, including a book cover with Facebook icons, Derek’s initial story about the most famous song in history is very ancient.

Brahms’s lullaby “Guten Abend, gute Nacht” known to Americans as “Lullaby and good night” is indeed a historical interesting story. However, it would be better to address Hit Makers in the post-iPhone era alone.

It am not convinced however that Generation Alpha will understand these ancient ‘hits’ regardless of how they were developed.

However, these hits will resonate with Gen X and Millennials. Then, Derek quickly jumps into the 1950s addressing the introduction and impact of television. This provides a certainly compelling story of ESPN and the market popularity this creates for Disney.

Yet, even his story about European painters with a famous collection is again from an era so long ago. This also lacks widespread availability at the time (beyond early museums) so the impact is not really addressed from a colonial era of pop culture, as it was fixed within specific circles and classes.

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Education Innovation Reading

Latest Read: Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ 25th Anniversary edition by Daniel Goleman. As a science journalist Daniel reports on brain and behavioral sciences for The New York Times.

Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman

Daniel is a co-founder of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. Originally at the Yale Child Studies Center, it is now at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In addition, he currently co-directs the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations at Rutgers University.

Daniel is recognized with the Washburn Award for science journalism. The American Psychological Association awarded Daniel a Lifetime Career Award. Furthermore, Daniel is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

In addition, he has also organized a series of intensive conversations between the Dalai Lama and scientists, which resulted in the books Healthy Emotions, and Destructive Emotions.

Initially published in 1995, this book was on The New York Times bestseller list for almost two years, selling over five million copies in 40 languages. The Harvard Business Review has called Emotional Intelligence “a revolutionary, paradigm-shattering idea.” In addition, his article “What Makes a Leader” is one of ten “must-read” articles from its pages. His book Focus is also a very interesting and insightful book.

In addition, Emotional Intelligence is one of the 25 “Most Influential Business Management Books” by TIME Magazine. Finally, The Financial Times, Wall Street Journal and Accenture Institute for Strategic Change have listed Daniel among the most influential business thinkers.

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Education Innovation Reading Technology

Latest Read: A World Without Email

A World Without Email: Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload by Cal Newport, an associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University.

A World Without Email: Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload by Cal Newport.

Certainly glad to read this book at the end of 2021. So, the holiday provided a much needed opportunity for refection on the role of email across my organization.

There will be dozens of reference points while reading this book that will provide insights to your organization’s culture. This will reveal approaches to email versus a meeting-driven culture.

In addition, Cal is straight forward about how attempts like ‘Email free Fridays’ actually do more harm than good. Above all, this compliments Ozan Varol’s book How to Think Like a Rocket Scientist. Inspirational ideas to make organizations see efficiencies.

The key message throughout the book is the “hyperactive hive mind” which certainly indicates the impact of how your organization is managing communications.

In addition, this refers to the approach of deliberate advanced planning and the impact of tasks coordinated with ad-hoc messaging between teams, internal customers and key stakeholders.

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Artificial Intelligence Education Innovation Reading

Latest Read: AI Ethics

AI Ethics by Mark Coeckelbergh. Mark is Professor of Philosophy of Media and Technology at the University of Vienna.

AI Ethics by Mark Coeckelbergh

In addition, he is the President of the Society for Philosophy and Technology, member of the High Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence for the European Commission, member of the Austrian robotics council.

Mark is also a member of the editorial advisory boards of AI and Sustainable Development, The AI Ethics Journal, Cognitive Systems Research, Science and Engineering Ethics, and Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society.

In addition, Mark brings a wealth of ethics experience to address Artificial intelligence (AI). This book is directed at new audiences to AI, showing how there is a real need to understand the impact of bias surrounding these technologies.

One will certainly appreciate Mark’s academic approach to explaining history’s many attempts to create knowledge in various forms. Indeed, Mark creates a good foundation for AI and it’s downstream technologies including Neural Networks, Deep Learning, Machine Learning, and ultimately Trustworthy AI.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the biggest buzzword in the marketplace today. For those pushing AI-based solutions, we are living in the best time for humanity. However, many even within IT, mathmetmatics, and researchers are able to forecast the worst things possible.

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Blockchain Education Innovation Network Reading Technology Virtual Reality

Latest Read: AI 2041

AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future by Kai-Fu Lee and Chen Qiufan. Kai-Fu is a leading AI researcher. with a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University. He landed at Apple in 1990 for a decade, then went to SGI.

AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future by Kai-Fu Lee

Kai-Fu has previously served as the founding director of Microsoft Research Asia, then president of Google China, He departed to launch Sinovation Ventures, a venture capital firm in Beijing.

Over the course of my career I have grown rather confident that technology predications never really develop as projected. Hence, AI 2041 is no exception. While I do appreciate Chen’s writing skills, these predications are a real miss on the AI front.

In addition, each story begins with a brief note by Kai-Fu followed by Chen’s story. I must admit that I am certainly not really a fan of fiction, yet the detail writing by Chen is striking. Kai-Fu then closes each story with an accurate analysis of AI technologies key to the story.

Chapter Three: Twin Sparrows

Twin Sparrows, is certainly the best written chapter IMHO. The implementation of natural language processing, self-supervised training, and AI education made for a unique story, although straining at times.

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