Mixed Signals: Technically better
No. 39 – 2nd of July, 2023
Lots of my thinking/reading/writing revolves around these two points:
- Tech could make our lives better
- Tech currently makes our lives worse
There was a point, not too long ago, when keeping your home clean and tidy became much easier. Vacuum cleaners, dish washers, washing machines. Not too long ago they didn't exist. So when they arrived I'm guessing the feeling was:
“Yay! What will I do with all the time I'll save?”
Spoiler alert: It didn't quite work out that way.
What changed was the standards around household cleanliness. Now that we had the tools, we could work even harder and do even more.
It's interesting to think about that in the context of today's tech.
Where is it making things better? Where is it making things worse?
Enjoy! ~ GKT
Post and found
This is a powerful lessons for kids (and adults) when it comes to online safety.
Despite many years working in digital, I was still shocked by how people and places can be “found” so easily, using an incredible mix of tech and logic.
Thanks to my friend Chris Higgins for giving me another reason to lose sleep.
+ Tell me where I am josemonkey
+ Finding a location from just a photo
Healthy choice
Far too often, we look at healthcare in very specific terms. We think about going to the doctors, taking medication, having surgery. Healthcare is also about preventing those things, and taking a healthcare-aware approach to every government policy and decision.
To save the NHS, we have to reduce demand and help the public live healthier lives.
This short piece outlines the thinking in simple terms (thanks to Charlie Jones for sharing with me). And a recent decision here in Wales raises interesting questions about how government can/should intervene.
+ Health Care Isn’t the Key to a Healthy Population
+ Meal deals: Unhealthy options will be restricted in Wales
Learning to change
The education system is notoriously hard to disrupt. Which is why schools look very similar today to how they looked 100 years ago, while the world around them has changed beyond recognition.
And so it's always fascinating to me when I see people challenging the way we teach and learn. For example, this diagram of the current state of things at The School of the Possible:
There's more on that from Dave Gray's piece here. And a great thread on some fantastic learning you can do online right now (for a lot less then you would pay at a university).
+ On filters, campfires, and leaps of faith
+ How to spend $15k on tuition for a one year self-directed MBA
Quick links...
+ Colin from Accounts (if you haven't seen it... watch it now)
+ Correct the Internet is a clever (and beautifully put together) way of making sportswomen more visible