A wise person taught me years ago, that technology is meant to carry out our intentions. On a simple level, if I want to call a colleague, it is not my intention to call her office, her home, or her temporary location. It is my intention to call her. So, I say "call Helen", and technology simplifies the search and calls Helen, wherever she is.

On a more fundamental level -- technology is always connected to our intentions. That is both a moral and practical foundation.

Our humanity is always at play. In a world that truly appreciates diversity -- we should never inhibit the personal and professional development of anyone. That is a fundamental of a truly inclusive organization, community, or group of communities.

Here's a site that I have just learned about. There is an interesting correlation to education and the issue of community-based technology. We need to look at "communities of need" and not simply communities of greed. I know that sounds harsh. But when technology is only developed from a profit point of view, our humanity may be at question.
http://studentforce.ning.com/

Not trying to sound convoluted (though that is a something I find hard to avoid sometimes. :)Technology, and our intentions with the development and use of technology, strikes at our basic humanity. Always.

It is our responsibility to be active participants and not simply leave technology to the experts.

Sal Rasa

Really smart

"The invention of the remote control changed the timing of the world"- Comedian, writer, director - Sid Caesar

Brain Research Supports Long-Term Teachings of Cis Berry

I know that Cis will be modest about this. But this news from MIT, is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the deep research and new understanding regarding how our brain actually works.

What I am learning (and getting advice on), is that everything Cis has written about language, nuance and loss of nuance, literal imposition vs. inner voice and articulation etc., is supported by what scientists are discovering. Take a look at this brief article.

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/brain-language-0301.html -- MIT Newsletter

Now, a study from MIT neuroscientists shows that in individuals born blind, parts of the visual cortex are recruited for language processing. The finding suggests that the visual cortex can dramatically change its function — from visual processing to language — and it also appears to overturn the idea that language processing can only occur in highly specialized brain regions that are genetically programmed for language tasks.

“Your brain is not a prepackaged kind of thing. It doesn’t develop along a fixed trajectory, rather, it’s a self-building toolkit. The building process is profoundly influenced by the experiences you have during your development,” says Marina Bedny, an MIT postdoctoral associate in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and lead author of the study, which appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences the week of Feb. 28.