What happens if we relook at predictions from 100 years ago? Futurists usually aren’t judged on the accuracy of their predictions, and people rarely revisit the predictions many years later. Futurists can be wrong and unaccountable; just like meteorologists… The exception might be Ray Kurzweil who some have claimed to have a stunning 86% accuracy…
At the recommendation of a friend, I watched the Hindi-language film Shakuntala Devi about a woman who could make complex mathematical calculations in her head very quickly. Born in 1929 in India, Devi grew up to a poor family who couldn’t afford to formally educate her but, by the age of 5 years old, she became…
This weekend I heard a podcast mention the concept of ‘kangaroo words’ so decided to have some fun dreaming up derivatives of kangaroo words. Kangaroo words contain letters of another word with the same or similar meaning, in the correct order but not necessarily consecutively. For example, the word chicken has the word hen in…
Despite a constant barrage of negativity, there is uplifting news out there; you just have to look harder to find it. For example, Fast Company annually publishes a list of World Changing Ideas that create “substantive, positive change in the world”. The winning ideas improve lives, society, or the environment — not just businesses bottom lines. This…
During my technology career, the phrase ‘the Russians used a pencil’ was a vivid reminder that the simplest solution is often the best one. For those who may not have heard the story about the Russian pencil, it goes something like this: When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered ballpoint pens did…
Have you ever noticed the word nonplussed has two opposite meanings? The original definitions of nonplussed is perplexed or disconcerted. Recently, and primarily in the U.S., nonplussed has come to mean unfazed or not surprised – the exact opposite of the original definition. The opposite definitions are certainly confusing but surprisingly it’s not that rare…
Despite the popularity of the saying, Sherlock Holmes never actually said “elementary, my dear Watson.” Regardless, we recognize the phrase refers to something which is easily understood – perhaps obvious – even if it seems confusing to others. Referring to the books, Watson is surprised and impressed when Holmes is able to figure out things from…
In the early 2010s, it became increasingly common to suggest that robots were stealing our jobs. Dozens of headlines breathlessly warned (e.g. MIT, BBC, The Conversation, Fast Company) nearly 50% of 700 common occupations would be completely automated – filled by machines, rather than mankind. Only it didn’t really happen. Turns out it wasn’t even…
You can use the power of callbacks to improve your marketing… and to be funnier. In case you’re not familiar with the term, in comedy callbacks describe a joke which refers back to one told earlier in the set. By reminding the audience of the previous reference, the comic gets more than one laugh from…
Have you heard of the pizza conundrum? No, this isn’t about whether pineapple belongs on pizza (definitely not) or what size pizza is the best buy (get the bigger one). The pizza conundrum was inspired by a conversation with a friend at one of our recent get togethers. He posed the following scenario to me……