Innovation

I want to revisit the notion of information from a cybernetic viewpoint, drawing primarily from Gregory Bateson’s well-known formulation that information is the difference that makes a difference. This definition doesn’t merely redefine information. It quietly displaces information from where it…

Modern industrial and infrastructure environments are becoming larger, more complex, and more geographically dispersed. As facilities expand, internal audit teams face increasing pressure to deliver accurate, defensible findings within limited time frames. Traditional audit methods—largely…

Computer-aided design (CAD) systems are tried-and-true tools used to design many of the physical objects we use each day. But CAD software requires extensive expertise to master, and many tools incorporate such a high level of detail that they don’t lend themselves to brainstorming or rapid…

There are some jobs human bodies just weren’t meant to do. Unloading trucks and shipping containers is a repetitive, grueling task—and a big reason warehouse injury rates are more than twice the national average.

Pickle Robot Co. wants its machines to do the heavy lifting. The…

If you’ve flown in the U.S. in recent years, you’re probably familiar with the airport security experience of entering a booth, raising your hands above your head, and having a machine check your body. That machine is called a millimeter wave scanner.

I’ve done this many times and…

Traditional styles of lecturing and imparting information can be ineffective in terms of student engagement and triggering deeper learning. This is especially challenging in certain subjects that are difficult to teach in a classroom anyway, and for those who process information differently.…