May 29th UW-MANIAC Event -- Change in Topic/Presenter

[Harry Webne-Behrman]

Hi UW-MANIACs:

Unfortunately, Laurie Greenberg has a family medical emergency that
requires her to be out of town next week and sends her regrets to all
of us. Her talk on "Innovations in the Wisconsin Artisanal Cheese
Industry" will need to wait for another time, hopefully in fall.

Instead, I propose that we talk about ideas generated in an article
that Malcolm Gladwell wrote in a recent New Yorker, "In The Air" (May
12, 2008 issue). He focuses on the development of major ideas and
inventions, from calculus to the telephone,as well as current efforts
to bring together creative energies in brainstorming processes
convened by Nathan Myhrvold and his organization. Gladwell talks about
the synchronicity of creative ideas, how the best ideas rarely occur
in a vacuum to a sole individual, and how collaborative efforts at
fostering a creative collective mindset may be important for
addressing the complexities of the current age. If you register for
Thursday's session (or e-mail me), I'll be able to provide a copy of
the article by late Tuesday.

What do you think? If someone has a different idea, more along the
lines of creative approaches to food, that would also be a good
substitute approach.

-Harry