Bob La Quey wrote:
PS. What do you propose as "stuff to do good?"
I could have sworn I covered this kind of stuff before, but here goes.
I'll cover these least important to most important.
SuperMemo as an example of applied psychology
Let's start off with something closest to technology--accelerating
learning with computer assistance. Fairly recently, Wired had a
breathless paean to SuperMemo and its creator. While I don't know if
SuperMemo actually works or not, the goal is admirable. Combining
computers and applied psychology to actually accelerate the learning
process would create a real revolution.
Literacy programs, Doctors without Borders, etc.
Anything which is likely to help children achieve above the level
expected by their socioeconomic status is a big win. Period. It
doesn't pay off until 20 years down the road, but it raises the
socioeconomic status of everyone following.
The Zeer Pot-A cheap refrigeration method that doesn't use electricity
http://www.celsias.com/2008/04/04/a-refrigerator-that-runs-without-electricity/
A technology advancement that can move people from subsistence to above,
this has a huge impact on the ability of a society by improving the
ability to deal with opportunistic crises (disease outbreaks, droughts,
etc.).
Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (PlumpyNut, for example)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plumpy'nut
This is probably the biggest. While teaching/learning raises the level
of everyone following, damaged children lower the level of everything
following. Being able to stop that cycle is a big advance.
Many of us assume that the revolution is always in industrialized
countries. If you look at history, the real revolution occurs when some
chunk of the underutilized suddenly activate. That is often *not* in
the top countries.
Alternatively, if you just look at technology, the big revolution is
generally at the application of the well-known in novel ways (see:
interchangeable parts and the assembly line) rather than "Shiny!" new
technology.
None of these things would ever come out of the back-fence gossip
chamber I call the "web 2.0 circlejerk".
Is that good enough for you, Bob?
-a
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