The NY Times published its 8th annual "Year in Ideas" Issue of the Sunday Times Magazine on Dec 14th: http://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2008/12/12/magazine/index.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1229249494-SjnkzCeJdcqOyStATatxtQ
Each year, this special issue alphabetically reviews key innovations that have come to light over the previous twelve months. The Times also runs a blog on Ideas to keep the interactions going with readers, if any of you care to get involved in that aspect of the project: http://ideas.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/the-year-in-ideas/?scp=1-b&sq=year+in+ideas&st=nyt
I wanted to briefly close this year by taking note of a few of the intriguing Ideas listed this time around; perhaps some of you will want to comment on them:
Avian Dancing: Aniruddh Patel, senior fellow at the Neurosciences Institute in California, has posted a video on YouTube featuring "Snowball the Dancing Cockatoo." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7IZmRnAo6s Teaching a bird to dance profoundly challenges our assumptions about evolution and the importance of larger brains in learning complex tasks, such as dancing.
Brickley Engine: Mike Brickley has radically reconfigured the combustion engine with potentially significant impacts on the future of the auto industry.
Bubble Wrap That Never Ends: I love bubble wrap -- Who doesn't? -- The idea that you could play with this stuff forever is just plain fun...
Cold Shoulder Science: Research by Chen-Bo Zhong and Geoffrey Leonardelli at the University of Toronto examines the psychology of warm greetings versus the cold shoulder in human interactions. It makes sense intuitively; what if we applied this thinking to our customer service training?
Locavestors: These are groups of people now investing locally in order to help local businesses, rather than faceless conglomerates, suporting their communities in the process. It is spawning regional stock exchanges around the globe... actually an old idea now morphing into a new investment approach.
Minicattle: Apparently, minicattle are more efficient in terms of their beef/consumption than the average cow now populating US farms. They take up less room, too! This may be a trend...
Positive Deviance: Jerry and Monique Sternin have been working with hospitals around the country to reduce the spread of a hospital-borne infection (MRSA). In the process, it appears that they have uncovered a new application of Appreciative Inquiry (though the NY Times didn't seem to identify it, as such); by asking staff to identify success strategies, rather than by focussing on problem identification, they have generated many more ideas for effective responses to core challenges. Apparently, this approach they call "positive deviance" (PD) was one that the Sternins used in successful health care projects in Asia. This looks like something the UW-MANIAC group might want to pursue further!
Smart Grids: Xcel Energy in Minneapolis has started building "SmartGridCity," a set of technologies that give both energy providers and their customers more control over power consumption. It allows users to fine-tune consumption in real time in a manner never otherwise attempted. Ontario has committed itself to a 20-year energy plan that includes smart grids, as well. For more information on this innovation, check: http://www.smartgridnews.com/ There is A LOT of this type of innovation being developed around the world.
These are just a few of the Ideas that caught my attention, seemingly with relevance to our innovation efforts at UW-Madison. Do you know of some other excellent innovations that have blossomed in the past year? Share them!
Happy New Year!
-Harry
Wow, there are so many positive things going on out there. We normally do not get to hear enough about this stuff. I really liked the idea of Locavestors. Just think how positive community building can contribute one at a time to the broader acceptance of the world community. Our family tries to support locally owned business instead of going to the larger franchaises. We especially try to go to businesses in our neighborhood area to support them and feel closer to our little corner of the world. Just this simple act has helped us feel a part of a community that embraces so many different aspects. I would like to think of extending the idea of local investments to our neighborhood association. It could be powerful even in these tough economic times. Actually, when you think about it, this is a return to earlier times all but in a more enlightened worldly awareness.
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