"It is far from clear whether 'good intentions plus stupidity' or 'evil intentions plus intelligence' have wrought more harm in the world. People with good intentions usually have few qualms about pursuing their goals. As a result, incompetence that would otherwise have remained harmless often becomes dangerous...Failure does not strike like a bolt from the blue; it develops gradually according to its own logic. As we watch individuals attempt to solve problems, we will see that complicated situations seem to elicit habits of thought that set … [Read more...]
Archives for March 2011
Beyond Brain Drain
[ I wrote this for a newspaper in Indianapolis, but it's applicable everywhere. - Aaron] Much of the anxiety around human capital in places like Indiana revolves around the so-called “brain drain,” or loss of educated young people after they leave school. But while many would-be brain drain plugs are without question valuable, especially those focused on boosting education, the problem is actually much more complex than that simple idea suggests. Firstly, a lot of the regions and states that have bled population don't have especially high … [Read more...]
The City as a Platform
I've seen and heard a lot about the notion of a "city as a platform". I haven't seen a lot of great definitions of exactly what is meant by it though, so I thought I would explore various dimensions of the concept a bit. Let's take a look at the actual definition of the word platform, of which there are several: a raised horizontal surface or stage a document stating the aims and principles of a political party the combination of a particular computer and a particular operating system a military structure or vehicle bearing … [Read more...]