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Yes, We’re Living Inside A Simulation

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Reporting Live From The SmartZero City Conference, Taipei

What are sustainable cities, and can we build them? I put my Institute Fellows’ decades of experience...

Something Happened In Silicon Valley

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Lost In Austin - The Evolution Of An American City

       The book is author Alex Hannaford’s lament about changes in Austin...

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After a dozen years as a market research executive, Fred Phillips was professor, dean, and vice provost at a variety of universities in the US, Europe, and South America. He is now Visiting Professor... Read More »

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There Oughta Be A Law. And, Actually, There Is One

There Oughta Be A Law. And, Actually, There Is One

Oct 07 2009 | comment(s)

They say the world is changing. Let’s check that out empirically.

We might run a couple of sample surveys, to see how people’s behaviors or attitudes change between the two questionnaire mailings.  A colleague, however, suggests panel sampling.

Yucky Science

Yucky Science

Sep 23 2009 | comment(s)

I had occasion last week to tell the story of my high school friend Allen (name changed to protect his by now certainly stellar career). We had met again back in Evanston, before starting our sophomore years in college. I’d just finished a summer job as camp counselor in Wisconsin’s north woods; Allen had worked for Searle laboratories in Skokie.

Crossing Over: How To Use And Misuse The Fisher-Pry Curve

Crossing Over: How To Use And Misuse The Fisher-Pry Curve

Sep 19 2009 | comment(s)

The Economist reported that in early 2007, for the first time in history, more humans lived in cities than in the countryside. We are now a different species, in terms of the environmental niche we inhabit.  One thinks of Isaac Asimov’s Trantor, the planet that was completely covered by buildings.  Is Earth headed for a similar future?

2004 was the first year Amazon.com moved more dollar volume in consumer electronics than in

Sustainability: Gladly Pay You Tuesday For A Hamburger Today

Sustainability: Gladly Pay You Tuesday For A Hamburger Today

Sep 10 2009 | comment(s)

(This continues a discussion of the topic I started here, in Spanish, and in §5.4 of this published paper, in English. Not necessary to read those first; this blog stands on its own.)

There are many definitions of sustainability.

Intention

Intention

Sep 03 2009 | comment(s)

What was it that my late aikido and Zen sensei asked me to do, on that day twenty-some years ago?  I do remember his request struck me as difficult to carry out, and perhaps not really necessary. I recall with great clarity the short exchange that followed the request:

“I’ll try,” I waffled.

Sensei just stared at me.

“OK, I get it.  There is no try, only do or don’t do.”  I weakly attempted to mollify Sensei with a line from the new film, Karate Kid.

Sex Change And Corn Flakes Stress The Review Board

Sex Change And Corn Flakes Stress The Review Board

Aug 27 2009 | comment(s)

Years back, conversing with a now long-retired dean, I happened to let slip the words “common sense.” He replied, “It’s been a long time since I heard that phrase uttered on this campus, much less seen it practiced.”

He had a point.