Quickthink

Oracle is suing Google for allegedly copying some code that Oracle claims is its IP (based on copyright). Hmm … but programmers copy all the time.  So you get comments like this

“If Oracle wins, the decision could set a legal precedent that legitimizes controlling behaviors by platform vendors - and introduces a complex and unwelcome legalism into software development,” he wrote. “Complexity and confusion would return to a world where they have largely been expunged, bringing fear, uncertainty, and doubt back into open source software development.”

From SF Gate

Harsh words. But sadly, the legal framework that we use to think about IP is very outdated. And with so much money at stake, of course it gets abused. The solution will not come from law but from the market. As we change our notions of what is valuable in the “P” in IP, we will change our notions of what protections are needed. So you will get different types of licensing arrangements.

Twitter’s recent change in policy about patents is an example. But it is just a small step. Down the road there will be more significant re-balancing between the societal (and individual) benefits of sharing and gaining benefit from blocking sharing.

BTW, Fred Wilson posts about the Twitter “patent hack” today.

I had a chuckle this morning when I read this

(Mike) Sufferdini (from NASA) said the past few years has been a positive learning experience for both organizations (NASA and SpaceX)

The quote is from Wired Magazine’s report on SpaceX’s upcoming mission to launch a space vehicle that will connect with the International Space Station (ISS).

So what’s so funny? The understatement. Sufferdini is describing the single most complex exchange of knowledge that is happening on the planet right now. SpaceX is taking over NASA’s expertise in launching space vehicles - with a twist. NASA’s priority was safety — at any cost. SpaceX’s priority is to achieve safety with cost controls. In other words, re-learning what it means to launch space vehicles.

A positive learning experience? Well, Here is what Elon Musk says about the mission

“I think it would be a mistake to put too much weight on this flight because there are hopefully going to be two more flights later this year to the space station, which will be almost identical configuration,” Musk said during the press conference. “So if this one doesn’t succeed in getting to the space station, I’m confident that one of the other two will. There should be no doubt about our resolve. We will get to the space station.”

I don’t think that Mr. Musk is exaggerating the difficulty here.

This is exciting stuff for me. Why? With such a clear shared focus, highly knowledgeable and skilled people are doing incredible things together. It is a treat to watch … from a distance.

The above quote is from Steve Johnson. Several of his thoughts are worth repeating.

1. We can get smarter. Sure we are born with native intelligence. But it is a mistake to think of native intelligence as a limiting factor.  To the contrary, it is like a set of tools. We can learn how to use those tools better. And it is in our interest to do so.

2. Getting smarter means getting more social. This is Steve’s great contribution. Great ideas emerge over time out of interactions and exchanges. The more isolated we are, the fewer exchange possibilities we have. The more we use exchanges well, the more opportunities we have to develop better ideas. But I am not talking about spending more time in pubs. Reading a great book is a form of exchange with the author. Reading this blog post is an exchange with me.

3. To take advantage of exchanges, we have to be ready for them. Bumping into Einstein on the street will not produce an exchange about relativity. We would not be ready for that and the opportunity would just slip by. So how to be ready for exchanges? This starts with focusing on important questions over time.  With questions in mind, we know what we are looking for. We start gathering information that is relevant to the question. This primes the pump, so to speak for the mind to start producing new ideas. To look for the exchanges that we need. And that is why Steve said “priming is everything”.

You can think of the above as a sort of checklist to monitor how you are thinking. The keys to making progress can be boiled down to three words (1) believe, (2) connect, and (3)  question.

FOLLOW -  As an aside, you might wonder how people get less smart. The most obvious examples are people stuck in Dave Logan’s “level 1″ tribes.  Members of gangs, extremist groups and so on. Judy Korn points out for FC that these people share a common feature. They have lost their capacity for empathy. With no empathy, you lose the capacity for exchanges. You get stupid. Can this be reversed? According to Korn it can — with conversation. But not just any form of chit chat. Conversation that re-connects.