Geographic Predictors

Ok- another potentially cool idea- ready for thesis writing. What if you could "Predict the locations of the next technological innovations and breakthroughs?". It's so fascinating if you think that Sillicon valley is home to so many innovative companies (Google + Apple just to name a couple of recent hyberbolic examples of what many associate with innovation) and also some of the best weather in the country (warm, sunny, mild coastal climate).

So Why?

Are people who invent and create stuff magnetically drawn to certain creative poles ? Really what is most interesting is what are the other politcal, cultural, business and legal (to name several) conditions in certain areas. For so many thousands of years China came of with so many inventions before modernized equivalent came to fruition in other parts of the globe. Something has to be different in more than just the climate.

Some countries produce way more patents every year than others. And what if historical data (economic, educational, scientific was used to extrapolate and predict what areas of the world most closely resemble those which have in the past fostered so much growth in new ideas, inventions, innovations. Using varied forecasting techniques predictions could be made on where money should be invested years before its too late too make 'lots' of money.

Taking a broader perspective you could attempt to predict where the next dictator or bloody riot would take place. You could also predict which Universities will pump out the best graduates each year by automatically updating the most current campus information and not simply what some tradition tells employers where to hire. I realize various attempts have been made with different types of outcome predictors- but compiling this information on a global scale constantly updated would be amazing. I think I should talked to some programmers, economists, and scientists from across the fields- this would be incredible.

JetBlue CEO voted out

I have basically loved the whole concept of JetBlue since the first time I flew on a commercial airline in 1995- 5 years before JetBlue made their first flight-. I always thought service could be more meaningful and the whole experience of flying should be fun. In Fall of 2003 I found out about JetBlue from a news special I saw in Business class, I was totally taken back. There was a certain excitement and enthusiasm about the flying with great service, nice seats and T.V's all standardized for a low cost. It was like the airline I had been imagining should exist.

Behind most of what JetBlue is today are many great planners, advertisers, and people who implemented the venture, but the most significant portion of what created JetBlue is the founder and now former CEO David Neeleman. His whole persona and track record convinced investors this idea would fly, and it has been largely very successful since its inception.

It's amazing how big ideas come to fruition. It makes you wonder what you are really capable of, and more importantly gives some inspiration to find out.

Another day another Doctorate

While interning at the U.N I've been getting all sorts of ideas that have good potential to become a Master's or Doctoral Thesis and I even got a few people who agreed. I wondered for a briefly if I should start selling them because it seems many graduate students hit a mental barrier in coming up with and choosing a thesis to write about. Here is just one idea- A detailed study of the tansfer of power from royalty to society.

This idea would basically look at the differences in countries that transformed themselves from a Monarchy to a Democracy. Obviuously some countries have done this far more effectively which tend to correlate with a happier and more empowered people. Assuming the role of governments is to help provide some order and benefit to the populace this would look at general quality of life indicators before and after in countries like Spain, the Ukraine, Canada or others. It would at macroeconomic indicators of growth compared to disimilar parts of the world.

The idea could be huge (ie a long book) and you could also cross-analyze dictatorships with theocracies, socialist societies with more capatilistic natured countries. You could even do a comparitive analyses within the country's demographics and geographic regions to unlock what types of governments are seen as more favorable to different peoples. Fascinating- and hopefully not too boring.

Rainy Sunday thought

It's been dark and rainy all day here in New York. I was thinking about some goals in life and then this thought hit me: "What talents, gifts, abilities do we now posses which are currently dormant because we don't have the wisdom to see or use them, or possibly we are aware of them but don't take the intitiative or time to develop them".

I believe our potential are not as limited as we often may think. I think we very often remember when we learn new things or aquire new skills- there remains a greater portion of unused potential, ideas, knowledge or whatever that we have not tapped into yet.

I believe ideas fed by action create more and better ideas which can be put into action as well, and thus the process continues.