The General Paper

Innovation in Africa tips (via Design in Africa)

gimster — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 14:59:34 +0000

Some really well articulated pointers on how to generate solutions. For all of you doing Project Work. Also helps to give context for GP.

From Ethan Zuckerman's post 'Innovating from constraint': Innovation (often) comes from constraint (If you've got very few resources, you're forced to be very creative in using and reusing them.) Don't fight culture (If people cook by stirring their stews, they're not going to use a solar oven, no matter what you do to market it. Make them a better stove instead.) Embrace market mechanisms (Giving stuff away rarely works as well as selling it.) I … Read More

via Design in Africa

The Story of Electronics

gimster — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 10:07:58 +0000

Today is International Widows’ Day

gimster — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 12:33:24 +0000

23 June is International Widow’s Day. It gives ‘special recognition to the plight of widows and their children in order to restore their human rights and alleviate poverty through empowerment’.

Matriarchy: The Mosuo of China

gimster — Sun, 29 May 2011 14:38:37 +0000

Part 1

Part 2

What would it be like to live in such a society? What problems do patriarchal societies have that they don’t? What unique problems do the Mosuo face because of their matriarchal society?

Would you like to have been born in such a society?

Japanese shoplifters getting older

gimster — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 01:30:42 +0000

Food Waste

gimster — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 04:38:47 +0000

Stop wasting food!:

As I see it, waste is one of the largest threats to our food supply. I’m not alone there, as the recent State of the World 2011 report warned about waste. As hunger persists, reducing waste and improving (re)distribution are vital. And as the global population inches toward 7 billion, we need to be more efficient with what we grow to ensure that all are fed.

Food waste also has a significant environmental impact. Agriculture is a real resource hog. A massive amount of oil goes into growing, harvesting, processing, shipping and cooling our food. At least 2% of all U.S. energy consumption goes to produce food that is thrown away. And agriculture represents about 80 percent of all water consumption.

To invest all of those resources in producing food that we then freely waste is a real shame. Yet, waste we do. We squander about 40 percent of our food. Our wasting is on the rise, as it has increased 50 percent since 1974.

And that waste has a double impact. In addition the aforementioned squandered resources, food that rots in a landfill emits methane, a greenhouse gas more than 20 times as potent at trapping heat. We’re aiding climate change through our trash cans.

From http://www.wastedfood.com/2011/01/18/why-i-write-about-food/

Image from http://www.eatwell.in/

Grey Areas

gimster — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 08:25:34 +0000

‘Gray can exist as gray only because there are the distinct alternatives of black and white. That you might find yourself at times in a situation in which you see no clear alternatives does not mean, objectively considered, that there are no clear alternatives. It simply means that you do not see them. Don’t project your subjective state of uncertainty upon the world at large and claim objective status for it.’

- D. Q. McInerny, Being Logical

Fun with Vocabulary

gimster — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 04:07:56 +0000

http://www.studystack.com/istudymatch-283704
More educational activitites at StudyStack.com

Social Media

gimster — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:29:59 +0000

Take these statistics with a pinch of salt – It’d be good to track down the sources at www.socialnomics.com and evaluate their reliability, if you can find them…

Critical Thinking Podcast Tutorials

gimster — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 13:03:08 +0000

Get your free podcasts from http://www.criticalthinkingtutorials.com/category/podcast/ or search for ‘the critical thinker’ on iTunes if you use an iPod, Phone or Pad.

The podcasts are short enough for a 20-minute commute. I’ve heard the first couple of episodes, and it’s pretty good stuff.

The video version of these podcasts is available at http://www.youtube.com/user/PhilosophyFreak#g/c/CD69C3C29B645CBC