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The first website -- Innovation Dynamics
-- will explore the connection between creativity and
innovation, providing resources on the creative process,
and information on tools and techniques for enhancing creativity.
The second website -- Innovation Dialogue
-- will offer guidance on growing globally competitive,
innovative enterprises -- initially in business, and later
in the government, education, nonprofit and R&D sectors.
The site will be managed by the Innovation
Expedition, a virtual network organization that serves
as a great global connector -- linking and supporting influential
innovators and potential innovators in their efforts to
build high-performing organizations and create sustainable
prosperity in their communities.
The immediate stimulus to create this site
was the Innovation Expedition's recent involvement in facilitating
a national Canadian dialogue on "Growing Globally Competitive,
Innovative Business Enterprises" -- work that was sponsored
by a Federal/Provincial/Territorial Task Force. Innovation
Dialogue will feature key learnings from that initiative,
and will use them to stimulate ongoing conversations --
nationally and internationally -- on this critical topic.
In this issue...
As we preoccupy ourselves with making a
living on this planet, Voyager 1 is transiting the heliosheath
at the remote edge of our solar system, and entering deep
space. Drifting into the dark realm between the stars, the
small spacecraft carries greetings from Earth. From this
distant vantage point, our planet slips farther and farther
into the background. Contemplating Earth from this perspective
should give us cause for reflection: What is the true significance
of this place we call home, and what hopes do we have for
its future?
Global inequalities...
In the last 20 years,
poverty has doubled in sub-Saharan Africa, the Guardian
says, while it has halved in East Asia during the same period.
Many people -- the "ultra poor" -- now live below
the World Bank's dollar-a-day poverty line, on less than
half a dollar a day. And prospects are not good for much
improvement in these numbers.
Weapons in space...
The Guardian reports that President
George Bush may assert American military dominance by placing
weapons in orbit around the Earth. According to a 2002 Pentagon
planning document, this will create new capabilities for
anti-satellite warfare and ground attacks from orbit. A
potential new Rods from God weapon, the newspaper says,
"would aim tungsten, titanium or uranium cylinders
at targets on the ground from a position in low earth orbit.
By the time they hit the earth they would be travelling
at around 7,500 mph, with the impact of a small nuclear
warhead." Another scheme envisages space-based lasers
that could be focused on a terrestrial target. Analysts
expect the US program will trigger a new arms race.
Mega-consumer nation...
Economic growth is
exacting a significant toll from China's environment,
National Geographic says in a recent article. Sixteen
of the world's most polluted cities are in China. And the
Washington, D.C.-based Worldwatch Institute says the country's
economic boom is also depleting the world's natural resources.
"China is becoming the sucking force, taking raw materials
from across the planet, because it alone doesn't have the
resources it needs to sustain its growth," says Lisa
Mastny, director of Vital Signs 2005, a recent Worldwatch
project. Only 240 million people are now included in China's
consumer class, she says -- the equivalent of the United
States, but only 19 percent of the total Chinese population.
"The potential number of Chinese people who could become
consumers in the future is enormous."
The future...
We link to the thoughts of two futurists
this week -- Roger Cass on the "Long Boom" economy,
and Jeff Wacker on the evolution of the information society.
Fast Company calls futurist Roger
Cass "the last optimist." The man who introduced
the idea that we are facing years of unprecedented economic
expansion -- the Long Boom -- is sticking to his story.
For the moment, he says, we are experiencing an interruption,
not a global downturn. He says the new economy that emerged
in 1994 will run until 2020, fueled by new communications
technologies and globalization.
The other futurist -- Jeff Wacker, at EDS
Corp. -- says companies and industries will soon be transformed
by an explosion of information. He says the forces triggering
this explosion include a movement to real-time data collection;
growth in information about information; ubiquitous embedded
sensors; broad information exchange within the business
ecosystem; a new emphasis on information that will help
to anticipate the future; and more frequent information
flows for quicker decision-making.
Wacker says that eight technologies will
help organizations to master this new information environment:
embedded technology; mobile technology; web services; intelligent
agents; predictive technology; modeling and active simulation;
grid, utility and cluster computing; and the Internet. Those
who get it, he says, will thrive.
David Forrest
we welcome your comments and feedback at mail@innovationwatch.com
SCIENCE
Voyager
1 Pushes for Deep Space - [BBC] The Voyager 1 probe
is getting very close to the edge of the Solar System. Launched
in 1977, the craft is now some 14 billion km (8.7 billion
miles) from the Sun and on the cusp of deep space.
Stem
Cell Hope for Liver Disease - [BBC] Researchers have
begun a pioneering trial using patients' own stem cells
to treat their chronic liver disease.
Traces
Of Stowaway Earth Algae Could Survive On Mars, Study Finds
- [PhysOrg] Some hardy Earth microbes could survive long
enough on Mars to complicate the search for alien life,
according to a new study co-authored by University of Florida
researchers. The new study shows that at least one tough
Earth species, a type of blue-green algae called Chroococcidiopsis,
could live just long enough to leave a biological trace
in the Martian soil -- creating a potential false positive.
To
Stop Evolution: New Way of Fighting Antibiotic Resistance
Demonstrated by Scripps Scientists - [Science Daily]
A team of scientists at The Scripps Research Institute and
the University of Wisconsin have demonstrated a new way
of fighting antibiotic resistance: by stopping evolution.
Chimeras:
Breaching the Species Boundary - [The Hindu] Making
a hybrid between man and chimpanzee is technically possible.
Accelerator
Deciphers Archimedes - [Wired] A particle accelerator
is revealing parts of the long-lost writings of the Greek
mathematician Archimedes, work hidden for centuries after
a Christian monk wrote over it during the Middle Ages.
Early
Humans 'Followed Coast' - [BBC] The first humans who
left Africa to populate the world headed south along the
coast of the Indian Ocean, Science magazine reports.
TECHNOLOGY
Electronic
Cloth Deters Intruders - [Discovery Channel] At first
glance, a cloth bag may seem an unlikely security device.
But if it's made from a new, electronic fabric, it could
not only resist tampering, but sound off an alarm or send
an alert to the owner and authorities.
Your
Desk, Chair are Watching You - [CNN] Office of the future
will be super smart.
Bridging
the Gap Between Man and Machine - [space.com] Crew cooperation
will always be vital in any manned space exploration mission,
even if some of those crewmembers aren’t human. With
a current mandate to return human explorers to the moon
no later than 2020, then push on to Mars, NASA researchers
are developing better robots for the humans who will work
alongside them on space missions.
Microsoft
Previews MSN Virtual Earth Geo-Mapping Service - [CIO
Today] MSN Virtual Earth will offer detailed local search
results that include actual glimpses of the pizza joints
and coffee shops rather than just the rooftop views satellite
images allow, the company said.
When
'I Robot' becomes 'We Robot' - [Christian Science Monitor]
It sounds like classic sci-fi: Robots, linked by a common
network, roam the land. When one unit discovers something,
they all know it instantly. They use artificial intelligence
to carry out their mission. Soon, such marching orders will
be real, carried out by robot groups known as "swarms"
or "hives."
Nanotech
Printing on the Way - [Mercury News] A New Hampshire
company, putting down Silicon Valley roots, is developing
nano-printing technologies that could eventually make better
electronics, labeling and even the foundation for human
skin cells.
Is
'CraigsNews' Coming Soon? - [Technology Review] While
mainstream media outlets grapple with the role they will
play in the 21st century, a new kind of media is on the
rise, one that promises greater transparency in the creation
of news.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Roger
Cass, The Last Optimist - [Fast Company] Roger Cass
is the man who invented the idea of the Long Boom -- the
notion that we're only 7 years into a 27-year expansion,
the likes of which the world has never seen before. The
future, Cass says, is already written. All we need is the
confidence to accept it.
University
Presses Slam Google Print - [eWeek] University publishers
have put out a call to arms over Google's plans to digitize
copyrighted works from three U.S. university libraries.
An association representing 125 university and other nonprofit
publishers has written to Google Inc. seeking answers to
concerns that the Google Print project for libraries violates
their copyrights and undermines their financial ability
to publish scholarly works.
The
Wi-Fi Debate: Should Cities Be in the Business of Broadband?
- [Wharton Managing Technology] The city of Philadelphia's
grand experiment to blanket its 135 square miles with wireless
high-speed Internet access is being closely watched by municipalities
across the US that are pursuing similar initiatives. While
Philadelphia's project, which edged closer to reality with
an announcement on April 7, is more than a year away from
completion, it has sparked an intense debate over whether
cities have any business in the broadband industry.
Starbucks
Sees China as Future No. 2 Market - [Seattle Post-Intelligencer]
Starbucks Corp. expects tea powerhouse China to eventually
become the coffee chain's second-biggest market after the
United States, an executive said.
Can
China build its own Silicon Valley? - [MSNBC] “Zhongguancun”
doesn’t roll off the Western tongue easily, but it
will soon be an address that technology investors must learn.
For 25 years, locales from Singapore to the south of France
have tried to create their own Silicon Valleys, but the
original’s remarkable spirit has never been duplicated.
China, however, is putting the finishing touches on its
own Silicon Valley -- and this time, they may have found
the recipe.
Technology
Outsourcing Comes Home - [Boston Globe] The trend toward
''backsourcing," when companies pull outsourced information
technology functions back in-house from a contractor in
the United States or abroad, is more widespread than is
generally understood.
Is
US Business Losing Europe? - [The Conference Board]
Dismissed by the Bush administration as "old Europe"
and unable to slow the march to war, Western Europeans have
focused their ire on the government's nearest representatives:
American businesspeople.
SOCIETY
They
Backed Bush -- And Expect Him To Deliver - [Business
Week] Evangelicals' influence in American political life
has become increasingly visible in recent years. Now the
battle over President George W. Bush's judicial appointments
threatens to kick up a firestorm over the intrusion of religion
into politics. But to many evangelicals, the campaign isn't
controversial at all -- it's just one step in a long-range
plan to leverage their growing numbers and political clout.
African
Poverty has Doubled in 20 Years - [Mail & Guardian]
A new report has revealed that poverty in sub-Saharan Africa
has doubled over the past 20 years, while in East Asia it
has fallen by half.
Bands
Embrace Social Networking - [Wired] In the absence of
radio play, garage bands all across America are establishing
a presence on MySpace, a social-networking site popular
with young adults. According to MySpace, more than 240,000
artists of every kind -- from unsigned amateurs to international
rock stars -- are using MySpace as a way to market themselves
and build a fan base.
Christianity
is on the Rise in Africa - [Fort Wayne News Sentinel]
For centuries, Christianity has been primarily a white,
European and North American religion. But the explosive
growth of Africa and Asia, combined with the success of
evangelization there, will change that forever. By 2050,
it's expected that only one in five Christians worldwide
will be white. And places like St. Joseph's -- a regular
parish in an unremarkable Nigerian town -- will be the Christian
mainstream.
Privacy
vs. Openness: A Data Dilemma in US - [International
Herald Tribune] Ted Stevens wanted to know just how much
the Internet has turned private lives into open books. So
the US senator, a Republican from Alaska and the chairman
of the Senate Commerce Committee, instructed his staff to
steal his identity.
Unexpected
Baby Boom - [MSNBC] France, with the second largest
population in the EU, is engaged in what, by European standards,
registers as a remarkable population boom.
Evangelicals
Rethink their Public Face - [MSNBC] Two recent declarations
by evangelical and conservative religious thinkers suggest
that evangelicals have become too closely identified with
conservative political activism, at the expense of attracting
new followers.
GLOBAL POLITICS
Arab
Allies Test US 'Freedom' Agenda - [Christian Science
Monitor] Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nazief's meeting
with President Bush comes at a troubling time for the president's
Middle East agenda. The administration's calls for radical
change in the region are now butting up against clear resistance
from its closest Arab allies.
Two
Possible Futures for Iraq's Struggle - [Christian Science
Monitor] Beneath the day-to-day challenges that face Iraq,
faint outlines are beginning to emerge of how the country
might look after several key actions are taken over coming
months - and depending on how Iraqis respond to them.
Bush
Proposes Corps to Aid New Democracies - [ABC News] President
Bush, seeking to put muscle behind a promise to support
young democracies, said the administration is creating a
special corps of federal workers that will deploy quickly
to help foreign governments in crisis.
The
Rising Economic Cost of the Iraq War - [Christian Science
Monitor] Fighting in Iraq has been prolonged and remains
intense enough that it has pushed the total cost of US military
operations since Sept. 11, 2001, close to that of the Korean
War.
Bush
Likely to Back Weapons in Space - [The Guardian] President
George Bush is expected to issue a directive in the next
few weeks giving the US air force a green light for the
development of space weapons, potentially triggering a new
global arms race.
US
to Widen Focus Against Extremism - [Boston Globe] The
Bush administration has launched a high-level review of
its efforts to battle terrorism, aimed at moving away from
a policy that has stressed efforts to capture and kill Al
Qaeda leaders and toward what an official called a broader
''strategy against violent extremism."
Free
Advice for Paul Wolfowitz - [Foreign Policy] Former
Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz is the next head
of the World Bank. His mission: to end global poverty. The
trouble is, few agree on how to go about it. So Foreign
Policy asked five of the world’s leading development
experts to offer Wolfowitz some free advice on getting the
job done.
ENVIRONMENT
Europe
Emissions Trade Takes Off As World Watches - [Reuters]
The fledgling market for carbon dioxide emissions has experienced
a bright start in Europe and will see trading volumes increase
over the next year, a senior industry official told Reuters
in an interview.
China's
Boom Is Bust for Global Environment, Study Warns - [National
Geographic] China's spectacular economic boom may be inflicting
a terrible toll on the global environment, a new study warns.
According to Vital Signs 2005 -- a new report by the Worldwatch
Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based environmental nonprofit
-- China is now driving the consumption and production of
almost everything, threatening to deplete the world's resources.
Is
Britain's Future Really Nuclear? - [BBC] When the "father"
of the environmental movement, James Lovelock, declared
that nuclear energy was the only practical answer to the
challenges of global warming he set off a chain reaction.
Report:
China Faces Coal Shortage by 2010 - [ABC News] China
is expected to consume 2.2 billion tons of coal a year by
2010, resulting in a shortage of 330 million tons a year,
a state-run newspaper reported.
Australia
Warns Japan Over Whales - [BBC] Australia is stepping
up a diplomatic campaign to persuade Japan to drop plans
to increase commercial whaling. Under an international agreement,
there is a moratorium on the hunting of whales, but some
can be killed for scientific research.
Bugs
in Termite Guts May Offer Future Fuel Source - [ABC
News] Steven Chu looks down the road and sees an America
that is free from foreign oil, powered by home-grown genetically
engineered fuel that burns cleanly and is as available as
the weeds that grow in your garden. And where does this
Nobel laureate get his inspiration? From termites. Or more
specifically: the guts of termites.
The
Mad Genius from the Bottom of the Sea - [Wired] Unlimited
energy. Fast-growing fruit. Free air-conditioning. John
Piña Craven says we can have it all by tapping the
icy waters of the deep.
THE FUTURE
Sizing
Up the Next Big Thing - [Globe and Mail] There is an
explosion coming. It will happen without making a sound.
It will devastate more companies and transform more industries
than any physical explosion ever could. It is the coming
explosion of information.
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