Go With the Flow

Mitch HobishGrowth, Innovation, Leadership, Productivity

A recent report addresses what appears to be a long-observed phenomenon in some circles: That bubbles in stout often sink, rather than rise.

No, this is not an effect enhanced by increased consumption of the imbibable under discussion; rather, it is a very real phenomenon, seen even by those who are not inclined to see what is not there.

It has been assumed (and modeled, numerically) that there was an upward flow of liquid in the center of the glass, and a downward flow near the walls, and that this downward flow was responsible for entraining the bubbles and carrying them downward.

This assessment is true as far as it goes, but it turns out that the primary contributor to this effect is the shape of the glass: Not only does the effect disappear (numerically) when modeled using a different-shaped glass, but it similarly disappears when straight-sided glasses are actually used.

And you thought people went to bars just to drink.

Questions: How much of what you think you see do you actually see? How can you differentiate between the two? How far will you go to distinguish between perceived and actual cause and effect? What motivates you to investigate beyond a simple “hmmm! That’s interesting!”?

 

 

Dragons Exist!

Mitch HobishGrowth, Innovation, Leadership, Productivity

Activities in space and on Earth today continued the opening of a new chapter in spaceflight.

An uncrewed capsule, hight Dragon, containing a nominal mass of otherwise expendable and relatively unimportant cargo, docked with the International Space Station (ISS). This it the first time a commercial construct has docked with the ISS; previously, only capsules officially from governments have done so.

Image courtesy SpaceX

Dragon was designed and built by SpaceX, a commercial corporation bankrolled by Elon Musk, of PayPal fame. SpaceX has as its stated mandate to significantly reduce the costs of leaving the Earth, not only for low-Earth-orbit “destinations”, but also to move humans further out into space.

The technological hurdles that were overcome to allow not only the docking, but also the series of successful launches of suitable rockets, were (and will continue to be) manifold. That a feisty startup could do it is testimony to Musk’s deep pockets and his skill at forming teams of relatively young people to accomplish his lofty goals.

Less often discussed are the organizational hurdles that had to be (and will continue to be) overcome. The usual territorial imperatives apply, but beyond (or beneath) those are the hurdles put in place—both consciously and unconsciously—by the entrenched technorati at agencies such as NASA. Yet, all these hurdles have been (and should continue to be) dealt with.

The overcoming of technological and organizational hurdles is what I find so exciting, and that—for me—causes the kind of optimism and excitement that I felt during the early days of human spaceflight. I’m eager to see up with what else SpaceX and its commercial competitors (and partners) will come.

Exciting times, indeed!

UPDATE May 31, 2012: The Dragon capsule, having separated from the ISS some seven hours earlier, successfully landed “pretty much on target” off the coast of Southern California this morning, right on schedule. What a story!

Questions: What hurdles do you face in realizing your dreams? Why do you categorize them as hurdles? Would casting them in a different light make it easier for you to address them?

Perceived Powerlessness?

Mitch HobishGrowth, Innovation, Leadership, Productivity

The news in several places that the recently released movie, The Avengers broke the $1 billion mark for ticket sales (see here, for example) left me wondering, Why? What is it about this movie that has knocked earlier blockbusters (such as the Harry Potter canon) off their pedestals? I mean, I love a good movie, and may even set things up so that I can see this once it’s released for viewing outside of theaters, but—really!—what makes this one so attractive?

I conjecture that it has something to do with the state of the nation (and, to be sure, the world), in that I can discern a growing feeling of lack of control—powerlessness—and a need for bona fide heroes to help guide us out of the various messes in which we now find ourselves.

If this is a valid assessment, what does it say about our individual abilities to affect our own lives and to effect change in the local and larger communities? Must we resort to unrealities, rather than deal with reality?

Questions: Where do you turn when things aren’t going your way? What outlet(s) do you access to discharge feelings of powerlessness, or even just perceived inadequacy? Does it help? How do you know if what you’re feeling is unique to you, or if it’s a larger phenomenon? Does that even matter?

Taking Big Bites

Mitch HobishGrowth, Innovation, Leadership, Productivity

A couple of weeks ago there was much sound (and some fury) at the prospect of a group of billionaires coming together to form an entity that would seek out and mine asteroids. I loved it!

That asteroids may be sources of multiple gigatons of useful materials (metals, mostly) has long been known. That mining them could bring untold riches to those who have the wherewithal to go out and do the dirty work has long been postulated. Supporters and nay-sayers lined up on each side of the line drawn in the sand, with both reasonable and unreasonable arguments being brought to bear on why this is/is not a good idea.

How tenable and practicable the idea really is remains to be seen. For the record, I think it’s worth pursuing, with the caveat that success could bring with it a diminution of the very profits sought, as an influx of heretofore valuable metals into the market would likely reduce their perceived worth. That notwithstanding, just think about what could be done technically if the so-called “rare earths” weren’t quite so rare.

This kind of reality therapy got me thinking further about what it takes not only to conceive of such a plan, but to actually go out and make it happen. Certainly, strong egos are involved. Just as certainly, risk-taking behavior is similarly a requirement. But I can’t help but think there’s more.

Questions: Have you ever had a “big idea”? Did you follow through with it? What factors caused you to do so, or to put it away, perhaps never to be visited again? How do you feel about the prospect of having given up? Do you really see your decision that way?

An Intolerable Situation

Mitch HobishGrowth, Leadership, Productivity

Yesterday the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly (248-168) to pass the  Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act of 2011 (H.R. 3523), known as CISPA. I don’t usually express opinions per se here, but this time I will: I find this intolerable

I acknowledge that things are getting very dicey in the cyber world, and that there is increasing need for some base-level regulation. However, the bill the House passed is so filled with incursions to our civil liberties that I must say clearly and loudly that those who voted for it are doing the networked world a disservice—to say the least.

Privacy protections have been eviscerated by the CISPA, allowing The Authorities—whoever they are, really—to request and be given masses of personal information without probable cause or the buffers offered by judges and the need for approved warrants. Further, apparently information so obtained may be shared with other agencies, and we all know too well how strongly such agencies guard such information, i.e., almost not at all (think Wikileaks). There is far more that it wrong with this bill, so I urge you to investigate for yourself.

Questions: What do you do when faced with a situation that you find intolerable? Do you actually do anything? Why or why not? What recourse do you have when faced with the consequences if you choose not to act?

Protective Coloration

Mitch HobishGrowth, Leadership, Productivity

A recent report from the California Academy of Sciences caught my eye, as it seemed to have implications for organizational dynamics.

Summarized here, with a video of the interaction here, the report describes how a fish has developed the capability of imitating the look of an octopus that imitates the look of potentially dangerous fish, thereby allowing the octopus and the second-level fish to exist—and, I suppose—thrive under conditions that would otherwise favor the predators they’re trying to avoid.

Complicated, I know. But it did put me in mind of how some people behave in their organizational environments.

I have often seen folks who take on the behavioral aspects (including, in some cases, style of clothing) of those higher up on the table of organization. Whether consciously or not, it always seemed to me that this “protective coloration” was done either to curry favor with the organizational superior, or just to hide out in their presence, so they wouldn’t be noticed.

While I can’t document specifics, it seems to me that there may have been others lower on the chart who imitated the person doing the imitating, and for similar reasons. Who knows how widespread across an organizational structure such mimicry might be?

Questions: How much of your workplace behavior is meant to protect you from threats? Are those threats perceived, or real? Does the energy that goes into such self-protective behavior affect your productivity or your ability and willingness to head out in different directions? What would happen if you were to give up your protective coloration, and present something closer to what you really are?

What Would You Do If You Could Not Fail?

Mitch HobishGrowth, Innovation, Leadership, Productivity

I came across this question recently via two different communications channels (Wired magazine and a YouTube video), both referring to the same person.

That person is Regina Dugan, who—until March 2012—was director of the Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency, or DARPA.

She left DARPA to move to Google, and faced lots of criticism for the way she allocated work to organizations with which she may have had a (shall we say) tighter connection than is entirely kosher—or so it is claimed.

This notwithstanding, by creating and fostering a creative environment where just about anything was an acceptable avenue of research, Dr. Dugan allowed DARPA staff, grantees, and contractors room to move into spaces where their activities were limited only by their imaginations—and, to be sure, their ability to communicate their ideas to those who hold the purse strings.

This video of a recent TED presentation says it all, and is worth about a half-hour of your attention. Some are put off by her approach and attitude. If you find yourself reacting on that level, please try to focus on what she was able to do, not her style.

(If you’re not familiar with TED, click here to find out more.)

Questions: What would you do if you could not fail? What are you not doing because of fear of failure? How have you reacted to past failures? Where those failures real or only perceived? What are you willing to do to change your response if you found it unsatisfying?

Cleaning Up an Error

Mitch HobishGrowth, Innovation, Leadership

Back in September 2011 there was a report from the OPERA experiment at the Large Hadron Collider that neutrinos could travel faster than the currently universally accepted limit of the speed of light. I described my own reactions to this report here.

As noted then (and to cite Carl Sagan’s popularization of the phrase and concept), “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”. In the best traditions of modern science, teams got right to work to explore the astonishing conclusions; recently, the reasons for the observations have come to—ah—light. They appear to be twofold.

The first is that a component of the measurement chain—a clock oscillator—was ticking too fast. This kind of thing is clearly within the realm of better experimental control, and (say I) could have been and should have been addressed well before the stunning announcement was made.

The second is definitely embarrassing: A fiber-optic cable was found to be poorly seated. This is inexcusable.

A direct result of this situation is that the study’s coordinator has resigned. And the remaining scientists got right back to work in their exploration of several root causes of what we call reality.

Questions: How to you handle the situation when a claim you have made is found to be erroneous? How do you ensure that claims are verified and verifiable?

Interaction Modes

Mitch HobishGrowth, Leadership, Productivity

Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you.

-William Arthur Ward, college administrator, writer (1921-1994)

Questions: How do you interact with others? What do you do to get others to change their behavior? What makes you think you should get others to change their behavior?

Human Spaceflight: In Harm’s Way

Mitch HobishGrowth, Leadership, Productivity

Because of my long association in various contractual capacities with NASA, friends and neighbors often turn to me to opine about happenings with the agency. The most recent spate of questions began with the stand-down of the Space Transportation System, aka the Shuttle. Most have the perception that NASA is folding. Completely. I hasten to reassure them that NASA is still very much in business; that it is only near-term, U.S.-provided access to low Earth orbit that is affected, and that we as a nation are still moving ahead.

A clear indication of votes-of-confidence in this area by various communities is a recent report from NASA that “More than 6,300 individuals applied to be a part of NASA’s next astronaut class. That is twice as many as NASA typically receives and the second highest number of applications ever received by the agency.” I find this both heartening and interesting.

It’s heartening, because it means that many in our nation’s technical community see enough of a future in human space flight that they’re willing to base their careers on it.

DangerIt’s interesting, because there have been many reports recently of damage to the human body that result from long-term spaceflight. For example, recent reports (see this one, for example) show vision changes in astronauts’ eyeballs. Related to this is an article that clearly illustrates the dangers to humans flying at 70,000 feet in U-2 aircraft.

Dangers abound in what has long been known to be an environment inimical to human homeostasis, and more are being surfaced with additional data.

What, then, causes people to intentionally expose themselves to such dangers?

Questions:What factors cause you to step up to situations that put you in danger? What factors cause you to avoid dangerous situations? What do you consider dangerous in the first place?