Machine learning Google’s introduction to machine learning (ML) course begins with a brief video with Peter Norvig describing what he learned about ML since joining Google in 2001 as their Director of Machine Learning. Norvig describes the important benefits of ML and its ability to simplify tasks for programmers. No longer do they need to…
Unsolicited ideas are unsolicited Innovation means doing something different. Different from what was done before. Different from what you were asked for. Different from your job description. Imagine you are sitting at your desk, feeling comfortable. Somebody walks in and turns the thermostat up a degree. Or down a degree. Different from the current temperature.…
In her book, Creative Change, social psychologist Jennifer Mueller asks why we resist change, and how we can embrace it. It is a cliché that individuals and organizations must innovate to thrive in today’s environment of fast change, and yet we often reflexively resist new ideas when presented with them, to our detriment. “The irony…
Good news, everyone! Your boss announced a workshop on creative thinking. Creative thinking about your job. The end result of this creative thinking will be innovation! What will this innovation achieve? Only one of three outcomes is possible: More work. Yay? The same work. So what’s the point? Less work. So you might get laid…
Machine competition Machines of our own creation have already rid the world of enormous amounts of physical labour. Our newest machines are poised to rid the world of enormous amounts of work that, until now, required human skill. As recently as 1790, 90% of the US labour force worked the farm. Imagine if food had…
David Burkus is an author, keynote speaker and associate professor of leadership and innovation at Oral Roberts University. I recently listened to the audio version of his book “The Myths of Creativity”. Here are some of my key take aways. Breed myth We are all capable of creativity. This is not ability limited to a…
Getting the creative juices flowing In this blog I have so far focused on the use of the 40 Principles as a systematic method of inspiring inventive problem solutions. There are many, including Marily Oppezzo, is a postdoctoral research fellow in cardiovascular disease at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, who has examined the issue from another…
“The cure for Apple is not cost-cutting. The cure for Apple is to innovate its way out of its current predicament.” Steve Jobs The innovation already exists Steve Jobs was a strong advocate for innovation and the contribution a broad set of life experiences could make to creativity. Jobs’s view is supported by Genrich Altshuller‘s…