First Blog

  The only way to keep alive is to keep moving. It seems to be in the nature of man to push questions to the brink of impossibility and beyond.   An error made in the problem solution for today can generate the impossible problem having no solution for tomorrow. Induction and analogy, though important, often prove to be the lazy man’s route to problem solving – particularly when they are imprecisely or inaccurately   applied.   While induction is a valid mathematical technique, analogy merely provides heuristics and example to help with problem understanding.  One good marker of an impossible problem is this:  The greater the number of solutions offered, the more difficult or impossible it must be.  -------------------------------- Confusion Theory.  Yes, there is a confusion theory.  It purports many things.  Included are studies that suggest confusion may enhance the learning of complex topics.  Another is that they g...

Jobs?  "I don't want one," is the response from 34.3% of people.  This is the latest statistic from the Wall Street Journal, where it is noted this is up from 30% just two decades ago.   In a recent paper, Declining Labor Force Attachment and Downward Trends in Unemployment and Participation, by economists Regis Barnichon and Andrew Figura divided those out of the labor force using a simpler standard: whether or not the person says they want a job.  the paper is rather technical, but understandable.  But it does render a couple of questions.  (1) How much unemployment by those not wishing employment can a prosperous nation absorb - and remain prosperous?  (2) What is the critical mass whereby this "don't want a job" attitude toward work becomes epidemic in society?  The answer the the second question is unexplored. There is another population out there not yet analyzed.  This group, those people employed by in totally non productive venue...

The End of Computing.   We put forth the question as to the end of computing.   That is, we ask when will computing and computers come to their end of innovative applications, though this is not a discussion about bigger and faster machines.   Sure, bigger, faster computers can and will push to new limits ordinary and well explored topics.    They have this, and will so continue.   We are entered into a discussion about the use of computers to solve new, even revolutionary, problems   of this world.  Examples of innovations now at the end of their road .   Of course, these examples may simply reveal this author’s lack of futuristic insights.  ·          Watch making – long the epitome of machines, the watch is now engineered with precision and at least mechanically do just about everything ever desired – extremely accurate time keeping.   Even still there has evolved a new technol...