Energy and technology, Part I

The technology boom over the past 25 years has been the most life-changing human accomplishment in the past 150 years, at least. In a matter of 10 years, or less, the world learned of the internet and started using it, for everything from dating, to buying groceries and books, to arguing, and to reading the news. No industry has been unaffected by the internet and improvements in computer technology.

We are, us the living, incredibly lucky to have lived through this boom. Most Americans remember when few people had computers, and even fewer used them for anything productive. Thus we have seen a truly unique advance in technology for a number of reasons.

My interest is in energy. I am very excited about a world full of solar panels, hydroelectric dams, wind farms, biomass farms, etc. This interest stems quite a distance from the normal reasons people like renewable energy, such as reducing the greenhouse effect, global warming, conservation, etc. While these are very, very important they aren’t what is most attractive for me. And, I truly believe, they aren’t what should be most attractive to you. Sadly, I do believe that we’ll blow ourselves up way before we choke on carbon dioxide, drown in glacier water, cook in a greenhouse, or stave from lack of meat. Therefore, I’m most interested in renewable energy as a form of national security, foreign policy, and creating a domestic economic transfer. These are all far too large to discuss in one blog article, but suffice it to say that I believe that the Right and Left in America should see this issue similarly although through different lenses.

Getting back to technology, I love it. I really truly love surfing the web. I chat with people from around the world, buy things, read interesting thoughts, and log my own life’s actions and thoughts online. I have a laptop and cell phone that I bring with me wherever I go world-wide. In 1992 my Mac Classic cost me around $1,100. For about the same price, 15 years later, I have an experience so totally different, and better, that there is truly no comparison. It is almost hard to understand why people even bought computer back then.

So, how can we learn from the Technology Miracle of the past 30 years? Below I outline some general differences that I've seen, off the cuff. Eventualy, I hope to create real suggestions for developing an energy policy based in large part of what we've learned in the process from the Timex Sinclair of 1982 to the laptops of today.

• Energy companies are large enough to be able to contort public policy. Tech companies are usually start-ups with no lobbying power.
• Technology requires energy.
• Currently, some technologies such as the internet are highly modular, which energy is most centralized.
• Tech has been historically American, while energy is world-wide, although mostly in the mid east
• Energy uses centuries old technology, which technology is relatively new as an industry.
• Technology attracted the best and brightest from the 70s to the 90s while energy has been seen as blue collar.
• Technology has had the allure of massive profit for those in it; energy has historically held no such power.
• Mankind achieved much success with 10% of the technology we currently have; a 90% reduction in available energy would cause the death for billions, rather quickly, too.
• Technology is manmade, while energy is at base natural.
• Technology improves by small companies. Energy companies are large.Technology lacks the foreign policy issues that are wed to energy.

In future posts, I'll flesh these out.

A Perfect Day

Everyone has days that we remember forever. Usually it's because of an event at the time that arrests our memories, but there are usually days that we remember not for any one reason, but because of the day in total. Often I think back of times where I was simply in the Flow of the day, and had highly productive days.

One idea I've toyed around is creating a schedule of a Perfect Day (creating a Perfect Week might prove too difficult, at least at first). I've considered it, and even started one, but found it far too difficult. Therefore, I've decided to give up on creating the Perfect Day, and instead wish to create the Pretty Damn Good Day (the "PDGD").

My PDGD certainly starts early. Getting up early makes me happy for many reasons that I can discuss in another article.

My PDGD also would be healthy and efficient. Ideally, throughout the day I would eat healthily and yet not take much time to eat. So, perhaps I'd eat on the run.

My PDGD would have purpose and focus. Creating to To Do list, the Windows 95 of Personal Development, would not only suffice, but would be easy enough to amend on the run. Also, there would be little down time, but rather moving from thing to thing, from errand to errand.

It would be a day whose productivity sneaks up on you and makes you feel good, like coming home to a clean house after you've forgotten about having cleaned it. It's a pleasant surprise more than a Saturday night bash.

My guess is that my PDGD would include: roughly 6 hours of sleep; a workout, run and stretching; a martial arts class; productive time with my daughter; a cleaner house; a run of errands; a more organized computer, inbox, voicemail; some guitar practice, at least an hour of reading; and possibly an hour of writing.

I haven't yet assigned lengths of time, or times, to these, but eventually I will think about what a PDGD is for me, so that I can finally get the nostalgia from remembering all those wonderful, life-changing days I've been lucky enough to experience.

Turning lemons into lemonade

Of all life's precious gifts, perhaps none is more precious than our property of uniqueness. Each of us is not exactly like another. Even ignoring our physical differences, we have different experiences, and more importantly we attach very different meanings to those experiences. One person's tragedy is another's turning point; one man's confirmation of previous beliefs may set another into cataclysmic paradigm shift.

My experience is that it is not what happens in one's life that creates meaning, but it is the meaning we attach to our experieneces and perspectives (and unique physical traits) that defines us. Great people do not suffer less, are not better endowed, and are not immune to abject and total failure. They do, however, find immanent and spiritual benefit from the suffering, make better use of their endowments, and learn from their mistakes and failures.

You ought to notice, as you age, that we are all suffering. It is a Noble Truth, a fundamental principle of Buddhism. Great people, once they get to know you, will tell you gruesome, depressing, and dire stories of their past, by their own hand or not, just as the non-greats will. We all suffer.

The difference is in the second half of their stories. Great people manage to find the nugget of truth or wisdom that helps them succeed, that insulates them from further suffering. They have a detective's knack at turning life's lemons into lemonade.

When you review your life, there are painful aspects that you will, conciously or not, avoid, even to yourself. I am truly sorry that you have suffered. However, I encourage you to look at those aspects differently, with an analysis that seeks to find what opportunities, unique to you, you have on account of your hardships.

Mind Mapping

At the bottom of this page, you will see my first attempt an an online mind map, using Mindomo http://www.mindomo.com/. While it's not the prettiest, it's a basic attempt at using a Mind Map to organize who I am.

Most difficult in doing such a map is that the graphics in these (free) online programs is usually pretty weak. Lacking colors, curved lines, and general graphics makes it far weaker than it could be. I highly recommend doing such a mind map with old-fashioned colored pencils, crayons, and paper.

Mental Cartography

Mind mapping is a wonderful way to do two things: (a) memorialize your conceptual understanding of a topic, and (b) communicate your understanding of a topic. Mind mapping is firstly a visual tool, just like its more commonly-known namesake. Studies do find that creating a mental image is important in creating memory. Therefore, make your mind maps colorful (in some personally-meaningful and logical way) and imaginative. You will get only as much out of them as you’ve put in to them.

Tony Buzan is one of the pioneers in the development of mind maps. In his book "The Mind Map Book", Buzan recommends the following:

1. Start in the center with an image of the topic, using at least 3 colors.
2. Use images, symbols, codes, and dimensions throughout your Mind Map.
3. Select key words and print using upper or lower case letters.
4. Each word/image must be alone and sitting on its own line.
5. The lines must be connected, starting from the central image. The central lines are thicker, organic and flowing, becoming thinner as they radiate out from the centre.
6. Make the lines the same length as the word/image.
7. Use colors – your own code – throughout the Mind Map.
8. Develop your own personal style of Mind Mapping.
9. Use emphasis and show associations in your Mind Map.
10. Keep the Mind Map clear by using radial hierarchy, numerical order or outlines to embrace your branches.

There are limits to mind map, and they relate directly to their advantages. Most importantly, mind maps are non-linear. However, many things in life are generally linear, like time and many types of knowledge (e.g., counting, then adding, then multiplying, etc). Therefore, make sure your mind maps reflect any linearity inherent in the subject.

Another related disadvantage is the fact that we simply aren’t used to seeing information in mind map form. We spend years writing and reading outlines, to do lists, and agendas. Therefore, mind maps are simply disconcerting to look at. However, over time they will actually make more intuitive sense than the outlines, etc. that they seek to replace.

So, at first start with paper and pencil, as mind maps get messy fast. The main subject is in the middle, and related topics and components radiating outward.

I am going to mind map my concept of self and by extension the aspects of like I seek to improve.