This website is an awesome one for brainstorming and collaborating on different projects to help out other people.
https://www.innocentive.com/
There are problems, they call them "challenges", that are directed to different types of people like designers, scientists, engineers, chemists, mathematicians, and people like that. Some of the challenges posted to the site could easily be solved by someone in my field of study. This is a good example of a problem like this:
https://www.innocentive.com/ar/challenge/9932956
Sunday, December 2, 2012
The World Is Flat: Thomas Friedman
Chapter 1- While I Was Sleeping:
The first chapter of the book pretty much sets up the reader for what will be discussed in the later chapters of the book. Friedman starts off the chapter talking about the voyage of Christopher Columbus in the 1400's and how he solidified the notion that world is round. As most everyone knows, Columbus set sail west for India expecting he would find it faster and easier since the world was round but he ended up running into North America. Friedman compares this to a recent trip he took to India. He says in his book that Columbus set out for India and accidentally ran into America, while Friedman set out for India and found it but thought he was among Americans.
As he furthered his journey in India, the idea he had that the world is flat was only strengthened. He had an interview with Nandan Nilekani from the company Infosys and during the interview, Nilekani said that " the playing field is being leveled" through new technology and software. What Friedman got from that phrase was that the playing field was being "flattened", so, in turn, the world is also being "flattened".
This thought of the world being flattened through technology is vey interesting because when you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. You can talk and interact with people from every part of the world with extreme ease. Someone thousands of miles away from you can be you digital neighbor. This concept is very mind opening and makes you think of how easy it is the get your ideas out there and have your voice heard.
Friedman also goes into explaining how the world has been flattened by discussing three different types of globalizations. The first one happened from Columbus' time to 1880. This took the world from a large place to a medium place. The second happened from 1880 to 2000 and that made the world a small place. The third we are currently in and that is the one that is flattening the world.
The first chapter of the book pretty much sets up the reader for what will be discussed in the later chapters of the book. Friedman starts off the chapter talking about the voyage of Christopher Columbus in the 1400's and how he solidified the notion that world is round. As most everyone knows, Columbus set sail west for India expecting he would find it faster and easier since the world was round but he ended up running into North America. Friedman compares this to a recent trip he took to India. He says in his book that Columbus set out for India and accidentally ran into America, while Friedman set out for India and found it but thought he was among Americans.
This gave him the first insight into the idea that the world is indeed, theoretically and virtually, flat.
As he furthered his journey in India, the idea he had that the world is flat was only strengthened. He had an interview with Nandan Nilekani from the company Infosys and during the interview, Nilekani said that " the playing field is being leveled" through new technology and software. What Friedman got from that phrase was that the playing field was being "flattened", so, in turn, the world is also being "flattened".
This thought of the world being flattened through technology is vey interesting because when you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. You can talk and interact with people from every part of the world with extreme ease. Someone thousands of miles away from you can be you digital neighbor. This concept is very mind opening and makes you think of how easy it is the get your ideas out there and have your voice heard.
Friedman also goes into explaining how the world has been flattened by discussing three different types of globalizations. The first one happened from Columbus' time to 1880. This took the world from a large place to a medium place. The second happened from 1880 to 2000 and that made the world a small place. The third we are currently in and that is the one that is flattening the world.
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