70630 NECC Keynoter Andrew Zolli and Friends

We had two helpings of Andrew Zolli, Andrew [at] zpluspartners [dot] com the marvelous NECC keynoter who consults to National Geographic and Popular Science. Check out www.poptech.org and The Catalog of Tomorrow. Sunday night he soloed and Tuesday morning moderated a panel

Innovation is an imperative not an option. The emerging systems allow us to amplify our creativity along the dimensions of Think, Work, Play and Imagine. A critical aspect we need to master is thinking in networks (and in systems, Ted the eD.)

For Metcalf’s law Value = (# of nodes)2

Participation equation Value = (# of nodes)P

Demographics are critical. In 2010 we will have more people in cities and rural.

Population pyramid prediction (youngest population numbers on bottom, oldest at top.) predicts that with increased life span the time our parents live with us will increase toward the time we spent with then in childhood. More 85 year olds are moving home from Florida than migrating to Florida.

Biggest emerging market is Pop Music for us old folks. And we actually pay for the music!

We need learning spaces. Need to get out of halls and cubicles.

From primitive times the elements of civilization has been group orientation, hierarchy, individuation, and knowledge sharing. We trade knowledge for status.

We are awash in choice. Supermarkets have 40,000 items, we will never buy more than 160. Satisfaction peaks with right level of choices, then plummets to dissatisfaction as choice explodes.

We are redefining literacyi to address our new world of knowledge: find, build, use, informal synthetic vision of intelligence. To answer is to author.

We chose our futures. We can get it wrong. 1964 only four, now 45,000 Elvis impersonators, 2040 we will all be Elvis impersonators.

On Tuesday morning Andrew moderated the panel in Innovation, Creativity and Technology:

Panel members included:

* Mary Cullinane, chief technology architect of the Philadelphia School of the Future Project, Microsoft

* Michael McCauley, vice president and creative director of a major Chicago-based communications company

* Dr. Francesc Pedro, senior analyst at the Paris-based Center for Educational Researchi and Innovation, a division of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development

* Elizabeth Streb, world-renowned choreographer and MacArthur grant recipient

MARY: Philadelphia School of the Future is a what if attempt, not a final design. Learning first, technology later. Principal is chief learner. Failure is expected, learn from it. Integrates creativity and accountability.

Ad hoc places in . Can document whatever they want. Chaos and classes are separated by a very thin line.

Microsoft has 23,000 “A” type individuals, self critical always trying to learn how to get better. Thinking time is valued. Each person has an office plus many gathering spaces.

Need to ask what motivates kids to understand trends, values and environment. Check out www.askaninja.com

PEDRO: US has high level of computers at homes, low number in schools compared to 30 most “advanced” companies. Home computers can increase student performance.

Need to demystify brain. Foreign language learning timing must be matched to brain development. New born can recognize five nuances of “Ba” to “Pa.” Seven year old two. Check out www.oecd.org for new report, “Understand the Brain” out in July.

MIKE: Cathedral is his icon. Higher purpose; Sell, produce, deep faith, protects, people; and inspiration and other s all around me.

Break things and get dirty. All great startup were in garages. Alchemy of creative team in any where flow space. Poet, singer, -- mix it up. Will we have whole new mind in our Dream Society?

Every on falls apart at the 20 mile mark on a 26 mile 279 yard Marathon. So he put in a 20 year tunnel at 20,000 LA marathon with uplifting musical fan fare of “Hero’s Welcome.”

ELIZABETH: Action. People can fly in her NYC joyous jungle of life. hamster wheel, harness, counter balanced spindle, avoiding concrete blocks. Breaking al the rules by slamming into wall, ricocheting, trampoline in her Slam Street lab.

Anti-Lincoln Center as big garage. Do things and mess things up. Public-private space with action, transformationi, work and play at same time. 200 kids at a time. Popcorn and cotton candy. We were given www.slamusa.org but I could not