Wile E. Coyote and Print Publishing — The Tragicomedy of Desperate Measures
Print aficionados and newspaper companies are rushing to bridge a chasm, but even their ACME product may not be enough.
"Librarians" — An Endangered Species?
A recent analysis suggests some worrisome trends for librarianship.
Is "Dissemination" Mission-Worthy Anymore?
Dissemination may be necessary but not sufficient as an element of an information mission in today’s world.
What Happens to Your Online Social Self . . . After You Die
What happens to your online persona after you die? A surprising number of people are thinking about this.
The Power of Language, the Choice to Share Ideas Widely, and Why Humans Have Prospered
A bizarre evolutionary scenario gave us the most powerful tool nature has ever created.
What Happens If Science Becomes a Low-Yield Activity?
Smaller animals, smaller planets, smaller elements, and fewer effective drugs — is science becoming lower-yield, even at the paradigm level?
NASA's Vital But Forgotten Role: Stimulating the Pursuit of Frontiers
NASA makes us look up and inspires young children to pursue science, all for 1/2 a cent on the tax dollar. Why are we letting it slip into oblivion?
The Economic Mess — A Factor We Cannot Ignore
The economic stagnation sweeping the globe is hitting academia. For publishers and others, the implications can be severe and long-term.
Letter from Eastern Europe: Some Reflections on the Evolution of Publishing
The growing economies in Eastern Europe are giving rise to a new set of publishing opportunities and also to increased competition on the global stage.
Capturing Words — Revisiting the Echoes of History
Words persist, but the form they take can change something fundamental in their meaning.
Stick to Your Ribs: When Did Print Become an Input?
The mental models associated with print are still defining how we work and design. Why has this persisted?
Mourning the Printed Book — The Aesthetic and Sensory Deprivation of E-books
Nostalgia about the book will be upon us soon enough. But we’ve been down similar paths before, and so have prior generations.
Keynes vs. Hayek, Round 2: Top Down or Bottom Up?
This time, the winner is . . . just as ambiguous.
Representation Without Taxation — The Politics of Greed Damage the Progress of a People
As we continue to see highly concentrated wealth, corrupt political systems, and a citizenry without civic recourse here in America, the deleterious effects on scholarship, research, and education are mounting.
The Art of the Title Sequence
They’re brief, telegraphic, and wonderful — the title sequences of some favorite movies in a quick-scan review.