Entrepreneurship is the new economic gospel, offering its disciples the promise of redemption in the form of freedom from the dull, plodding and ultimately meaningless work that characterizes an old-fashioned “9 to 5.” Don’t get me wrong. Few would disagree with the notion that a life spent as a wage slave to a dead-end job in a large corporation is a wasted life, or at least, a slow, painful endurance contest to retirement. I, myself, loathe the cynical “bare minimum” attitude of employees and executives …[Read More]
Industrial revolution? Maybe
April 18, 2013 By 2 Comments
I spoke at the Oak Ridge National Labs about 3D printing and industrial revolution. Here’s what I said.
The first industrial revolution took root about 200 years ago in England. Steam powered machines were used to pump water out of underground coal mines, dramatically increasing coal mining productivity. Cheap and abundant coal then made it profitable to run large machines in textile factories. After a few decades, the manufacture of textiles shifted from cottage industry into factories owned by corporations.
Depending on who you ask, the second …[Read More]
Innovative technology, jobs and the razor’s edge
April 12, 2013 By 2 Comments
According to the Wall Street Journal, the unemployment rate in the U.S. is nearly 8%. For people under age 25 unemployment is 16%. In Greece, the employment rate is 26%, double for young adults at 58%; Spain and Italy have similar unemployment challenges.
What is making jobs in economically developed nations disappear? Could it be the effect of offshored manufacturing? Frugal consumer behavior that’s shrinking company bottom lines, hence triggering layoffs? Or… the unintended side effects of advanced technology?
The answer is all three. But let’s look …[Read More]
A new chapter
April 5, 2013 By 2 Comments
This is the end of something old and the start of something new. This new blog is called “Sailing West.” It will be about new ideas and game changing technologies.
My former blog, Tech Transfer 2.0, like all good things, has come to an end. I recently closed Tech Transfer 2.0 (after two years!) and have updated selected articles for publication into a book, Tech Transfer 2.0: How universities can unlock their patent portfolios and create more tech startups. You can buy a paper version from …[Read More]
