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.
"No Escape" — The Inspiration of "Portal 2" Finds Its Way to Film
In less time than most people spend getting ready in the morning, a filmmaker created a lovely short film inspired by a great video game. Worth watching.
Old and Busted: Facebook for Scientists — The New Hotness? eBay for Scientists
Hitting the wallet, watch, and workload makes more sense, but Science Exchange still has some details to iron out.
Software and the Audience of Audiences — Is Academic Passivity Inhibiting Cultural Change?
The world is changing. Is academic culture an artificial and unhelpful cap on inevitable and productive innovation in communication potentialities? Or is there a failure of leadership?
I'm Being Followed — New Advertising Technologies and User Self-Identity
Following users across the Web is an increasingly common way to expand ad inventory. But can scholarly publishers expect users to accept it?
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.
Sometimes We Post Pictures of Cats, and Sometimes We Speak Truth to Power
The network effect is a peculiar thing. It can be about lolcats or insurrection. Either way, it’s a new and different power.
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.
The New Face of Social Media
Social media continue to evolve, with Google Plus being the most recent conspicuous entry. Scholarly publishers may find these new platforms can be useful in evolving new forms of communications.
The Good, the Bad, and the Sexy: Our Espresso Book Machine Experience
Being an early adopter of an Espresso Book Machine has its price and rewards.
Post-Mortem of a Book Empire — Borders, and the Mismanagement of the Future
The demise of Borders is a lesson in management pitfalls. Are STM publishers up to the challenges they’ll be facing soon?
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?
Creativity or Responsibility — What Happens When an Organization Chooses Poorly?
Google and Apple have different cultures. One is thriving while one has chosen a different path. That choice may prove significant.
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?