“The Smartness Mandate” with Professor Orit Halpern

Smartness Mandate on Bridging the Gaps podcast

Smartness has permeated our lives in the form of smartphones, smart cars, smart homes, and smart cities. It has become a mandate, a pervasive force that governs politics, economics, and the environment. As our world faces increasingly complex challenges, the drive for ubiquitous computing raises important questions. What exactly is this ‘smartness mandate’? How did it emerge, and what does it reveal about our evolving understanding and management of reality? How did we come to view the planet and its inhabitants primarily as instruments for data collection?

In the book ‘The Smartness Mandate,’ co-authored by Professor Orit Halpern, the notion of ‘smartness’ is presented as more than just a technology, it is presented as an epistemology — a way of knowing. In this episode of Bridging the Gaps, I speak with Professor Orit Halpern, where we delve into the concept of smartness. We explore its historical roots and its cultural implications, particularly its emphasis on data-driven technologies and decision-making processes across domains such as urban planning, healthcare, and education.

Orit Halpern is Lighthouse Professor and Chair of Digital Cultures and Societal Change at Technische Universität Dresden. She completed her Ph.D. at Harvard. She has held numerous visiting scholar positions including at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin, IKKM Weimar, and at Duke University. At present she is working on two projects. The first project is about the history of automation, intelligence, and freedom; and the second project examines extreme infrastructures and the history of experimentation at planetary scales in design, science, and engineering.

Our conversation begins by discussing the idea of “smartness” as presented in the book. To understand it better, we look at a few examples. The book suggests that the smartness paradigm relies a lot on collecting data, analysing it, as well as monitoring people through surveillance. We talk about the possible risks and consequences of this data-focused approach for personal privacy and individual rights. Next, we talk about how the smartness idea connects with the concept of resilience. We also touch on the fact, as presented in the book, that the smartness paradigm often reinforces existing power structures and inequalities. We explore the biases and ethical concerns that may arise with the use of these technologies. Furthermore, we explore the possibility of using the smartness approach to promote fairness and equality. We talk about how it could be applied to create a more just society. We discuss the significance of multidisciplinarity, and the role of higher education institutions and educators to create an enabling environment for an informed discourse to address these questions. Professor Orit Halpren emphasises the importance of exploring these questions and addressing relevant concerns to make sure we create the kind of world we truly want for ourselves.

Complement this discussion with Cloud Empires: Governing State-like Digital Platforms and Regaining Control with Professor Vili Lehdonvirta and the listen to Reclaiming Human Intelligence and “How to Stay Smart in a Smart World” with Prof. Gerd Gigerenzer

By |June 6th, 2023|Computer Science, Future, Information, Knowledge, Technology|
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Asking Better Questions for Creative Problem Solving, Innovation and Effective Leadership with Hal Gregersen

Questions are the Answers discussed at Bridging the Gaps

Every problem or issue raises new questions, which must be correctly answered in order to address the problem or resolve the issue. What if we could get a better answer to our most troublesome problem—at work or at home—just by altering the question? If asking right questions is essential for creative problem solving and innovation, and for effective leadership, shouldn’t we know more about how to arrive at right questions? In his book “Questions Are the Answer: A Breakthrough Approach to Your Most Vexing Problems at Work and in Life” Hal Gregersen gives many examples of people who had used questions in specific ways to solve problems. He gives many examples of how managers have used questioning in a variety of ways to obtain better results and provides additional information sources on key topics for those who want to dig deeper. In this episode of Bridging the Gaps I speak with Hal Gregersen.

Hal Gregersen is a senior lecturer in leadership and innovation at MIT Sloan School of Management. He is a former executive director of the MIT Leadership Center and a cofounder of the Innovator’s DNA consulting group. He is a prolific author and a motivational speaker, and has helped leaders around the world to create cultures of fearless inquiry and to transform their organizations into innovative powerhouses. He is one of the authors of “The Innovator’s DNA: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators” a book cited by managers, creative problem-solvers and leaders around the world as a highly recommended read for anyone interested in innovation.

I open the discussion by asking Hal Gregersen about the evolving and ever changing landscape of leadership. We then discuss catalytic and recursive questions. How to learn to ask the right questions is essential for creative problem solving; we discuss this.

Innovator's DNA discussed at Bridging the Gaps

Although the primary focus of this discussion is on Gregersen’s book “Questions are Answer: A Breakthrough Approach to Your Most Vexing Problems at Work and in Life”, we do touch upon the book that he co-authored “The innovator’s DNA: Mastering the five skills of disruptive innovators”. I ask him to outline, compare and rate these five skills of disruptive innovators. We then discuss how leadership should evolve in this age of “working from home”. Finally I ask him for tips and suggestions for our young listeners and for future leaders; what skills they should acquire so that they are ready to meet future challenges. This has been a fascinating and highly informative discussion.

Complement this discussion with Growth Mindset: A Must Have Tool for Success with Professor Carol Dweck and then listen to Multiple Intelligences, Future Minds and Educating The App Generation: A discussion with Dr Howard Gardner

By |February 27th, 2022|Future, Knowledge, Podcasts|
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“Learning How to Learn”: Techniques to Help You Learn with Dr Barbra Oakley (CLASSIC)

Learning How to Learn

Humans have fundamental ability and cognitive resources to learn new concepts and acquire new skills and knowledge, although this may not seem natural to most of us at first. The key is to understand how the brain works so we can harness its potential by developing and adopting learning techniques that are effective and more rewarding. In this episode of Bridging the Gaps, I speak with Dr Barbara Oakley about “Learning how to learn”. Dr. Oakley encourages learners to recognize that everyone learns differently. Recognizing the benefits and drawbacks of various learning approaches depending on a learner’s natural brain functioning, she argues, is the first step in learning how to handle new information.

Dr Barbara Oakley is a professor of Engineering at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. She is an inaugural “Innovation Instructor” at Coursera, an online course provider, where she co-taught one of the world’s most popular massive open online course “Learning How to Learn”. Her work focuses on the complex relationship between neuroscience and social behavior. She has written many books including “Learning How to Learn: How to Succeed in School Without Spending All Your Time Studying; A Guide for Kids and Teens”. Her book “Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential” is also relevant to this discussion.

We start the conversation by discussing Dr Oakley’s education and professional journey, which led to her developing interest in “Learning how to learn”. We then discussed our present understanding that how learning occurs in the brain and how the brain acquires new knowledge. Dr Oakley explains why it is important to understand the working and functioning of the brain for developing and adopting effective learning techniques. Mindshift on Bridging the Gaps She then explains a number of effective techniques for effective learning such as when to focus and when to take a break, she discusses significance of practice and being persistent. Dr Oakley then discusses in detail the effectiveness of Pomodoro technique. We then discuss the future of MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) and universities in the age of online teaching and learning. We also touch upon the possible impact of over-reliance on and excessive use of technology for online learning.

Complement this discusion with Growth Mindset: A Must Have Tool for Success with Professor Carol Dweck and then listen to
And then listen to Education: What works and what does not, with Professor John Hattie. Also listen to Multiple Intelligences, Future Minds and Educating The App Generation: A discussion with Dr Howard Gardner.

By |January 3rd, 2022|Knowledge, Neuroscience, Podcasts, Research|
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