Innovation
Steven Johnson is the bestselling author of six books on the intersection of science, technology and personal experience. His newest book is titled Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation (due Oct 2010). From Darwin to YouTube, Johnson asks the questions, What kind of environment fosters the development of good ideas? What sparks the flash of brilliance? How does groundbreaking innovation happen? His answers are never less than revelatory, convincing and inspiring as Johnson identifies the seven key principles to the genesis of such ideas, and traces them across time and disciplines. Steven recently won the Newhouse School fourth annual Mirror Award for his TIME magazine cover article "How Twitter Will Change The Way We Live".
For more information on Steven,
click here.
Chris Anderson The YouTube Effect Is a Wake-up Call An interview by Credit Suisse 
Steven Soranno of Credit Suisse: Innovation is commonly believed to involve a high degree of creativity and thinking outside the box. In that sense, it can be thought of as more of an art than a science. What does innovation mean to you?Chris Anderson: Innovation is advancing the ball. It is evolving or creating something that did not exist before. Innovation typically works through the process of cross-fertilization. Newton said: "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." It is now far easier to stand on the shoulders of other people's ideas, other people's work, other people's contributions, and advance the ball. I think there has never been a better laboratory for cross-fertilization than the Internet. |
Joseph Coughlin 
"Invention vs. Innovation: Technology and the Future of Aging"
"A new vision of a vibrant and productive aging population must be presented to technology researchers, corporations and policymakers." The global aging and technology marketplace is high on invention but low on innovation. Innovation—putting ideas into practical use—requires technological invention, but also calls for the creation of a compelling, comprehensive vision of a better future, a sustainable economic model and the acknowledgement that with all new ideas come new problems. . . Although we are seeing an explosion in new technology, American society is working with an old definition of aging. Definitions do more than describe—they establish both what is important and the acceptable range of alternatives. Technologists can be powerful agents of change, providing tools for new ways to live. However, the current definition of aging limits the power of technology. In particular, even though illness and disability affect older adults disproportionately, and are an important target of innovation, they should not be the only focus. |