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One kind of school is about culture, compliance and community. We indoctrinate kids, for better or worse, in what it means to be in this world we've built, and how to do it together. We teach ...

The opposite of "I don't know" isn't "I'm certain." No, the opposite is, "I'm not sure, but" "I don't know" is a ...

Culture is built on the stability of persistence. Pop musicians have farewell tours that last for decades. The local print shop is still there, reliably getting the job done. We want things that la ...

At the lab, they don't know the right answer. They are explorers and scientists. If you're not failing, you're not trying hard enough. The work at the lab requires mutual support,

We called them this because they used tools. The first proto-humans to clearly do so. The question that we need ask ourselves today, "Are you a tool user or a tool maker?" Everyone uses ...

If you have a phone, you can call anyone you like. The recipient doesn't have to answer, but the network is an open API, available to anyone. The Bell System began as an actual networked syst ...

We have no idea. Of course, there's plenty of behavioral data. Say this phrase, or offer that treat, and this particular dog is likely to act in a certain way. But our inclinations about what ...

"Why are you taking this class?" That seems like a fair question. After tenth grade or so, it's a choice, after all. One honest answer is, "I have to get a good grade to get ...

Apophenia is the uniquely human tendency to perceive meaningful patterns or connections in random or unrelated data, events, or objects. Humans are story telling machines. And one thing we do is tu ...

Frederick Taylor taught Henry Ford how to do mass production. Deming brought quality, systems understanding and respect for the worker. And operations research brought insight. If you have a repeat ...