Unlearning 101

Unlearning the Grid

I'm in Eugene, Oregon today to give the keynote presentation at the conference celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Eugene Water and Electricity Board. The gist of my message is that as impressive as progress has been in the past century it will pale in comparison to what is coming in the next two decades.

One of the big challenges facing the utility industry is the idea that they will need to unlearn their ideas of what the utility grid of the future looks like as well as the role their customers will play in the creation of energy in the near future.

To this end, take a look at the image above. It is the "microgrid dream house." This vision hasn't yet been achieved but if you study emerging technologies as I do, it is clear solar cells, micro wind turbines, fuel cells, insulation, batteries and smart meters are all going to continue to improve. 

Personally, I believe they are going to continue to improve to the point where many people will opt to disconnect from the grid because they can safely, cheaply and sustainably produce and store their own electricity.

Unlearning the Bridge

Is there a better way to build a suspension bridge? According to researchers at Sheffield University the  answer is "maybe." As this article explains, engineers may soon be able to build a more structurally sound bridge using less material. The only unresolved issue is whether the more complex design will offset the material cost savings -- thus negating any financial benefits.

Nevertheless, I like this quote from one of the lead researchers: "It ended up that the only option was that the current wisdom was wrong." It is a wonderful reminder that when encountered with information that flies in the face of conventional wisdom we must actively strive to maintain an open mind.

Unlearning the Hospital

For the past two days I have been in California working with a well-known construction company and architectural firm designing the hospital of the future. Due to the proprietary nature of project, I can't go into specifics with this post but I always begin such projects from the premise: What must we unlearn?  

For example, perhaps, we should unlearn the idea of who the customer is. Every hospital claims it wants to "serve the community." If they are serious about this idea than they must also focus on non-customers. in other words, a true community hospital needs to continuously look for ways to "push" preventative information medicine out into the broader community so that its citizens never need to visit the hospital in the first place.

Hospitals must also unlearn the idea of the doctor-patient relationship. Today, patients and their social networking often know just as much -- if not a lot more -- about their disease than the doctor. The hospital of the future must acknowledge this reality and be designed in such a way that information can flow freely between all parties.

Another thing hospitals must unlearn is the waiting room. One strategy to think differently about the hospital of the future is to focus on the "exit" room. What information does the patient need so that he or she doesn't need to return to the hospital?

I have a lot more ideas but I'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject.

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Unlearning New Road Construction

About the only thing I hate more than being stuck in traffic is being cut off by some idiotic driver who is yakking away on his or her cellphone and, thus, isn’t paying attention to the road. It might then surprise you to know that I’d actually like to see more cellphones being used by drivers, in part, because they might lead to the need for states to build fewer roads. (Yes, you heard me right, fewer roads.)

To understand this counter-intuitive logic, I’d refer you to this article in today’s Technology Review entitled ”Tracking Traffic with Cell Phones.” It explains how data from cellphones can be retrieved from people’s cellphones (in a manner which doesn’t violate their privacy) but can then be used to provide real-time traffic data.

If drivers can then use this real-time data to adjust their driving habits it is entirely possible that traffic congestion will be lessened and states won’t need to build more roads. Instead they only need to unlearn their dependence on new road construction and figure out how to use existing roads more efficiently.

Unlearning Home Construction

One of the things I really enjoy about studying emerging technologies is that the field constantly challenges my thinking and forces me to think differently about the future. To this end, I invite you to read this article on a new “print-a-house” construction technology.

In the near future, it is possible that homes will be built in a few hours using automated fabrication techniques. Among other things, this means that the construction industry will need to “unlearn” its existing construction methods. It also suggests that “affordable” housing could become more than just a political platitude—it could become a political reality.