If luck favors the prepared mind, as Louis Pasteur is credited with saying, we’re in danger of becoming a very unlucky nation. Little of the material taught in schools today is relevant to the future. Consider all the science and economics that has been updated, the shifting theories of psychology, the programming languages, political theories, … Continue reading “Critical Thinking and the Scientific Process First—Humanities Later”
Category: Detroit
Turning Data into Meaning
More than anything, they should be studying math, including statistics and probability, and programming. No matter what the subject, we will have huge amounts of data about it, and will need these tools to get meaning from the data. The areas I’m thinking of include medicine, genetics, nutrition, and neuroscience; human behavior; energy management and … Continue reading “Turning Data into Meaning”
Not All Tech Companies Are Alike
From cloudy Seattle to the vast suburbs of Silicon Valley, we covered a lot of ground on MIT Sloan’s recent technology trek, which concluded with a leg in Boston. The first stop was Seattle where it was predictably raining. Visiting Amazon, Microsoft, and Adobe, we came away with an appreciation for how much tech activity … Continue reading “Not All Tech Companies Are Alike”
Learning Across Disciplines and Cultures
The world is only going to become more technological and more global in the next decade. Students should be getting a solid enough grounding in mathematics, probabilistic thinking, physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering that they understand these ways of thinking and the values of these fields. They also need a liberal arts grounding and, particularly, … Continue reading “Learning Across Disciplines and Cultures”
CS + X, for all X
The impact of information-based technologies will continue to grow—probably at an accelerating rate. In nearly every segment of society, we see both quality and productivity improvements because of increased use of automation and digital communication. The impact is obviously huge in some sectors such as finance and publishing. And it will only grow in the … Continue reading “CS + X, for all X”
From AI to Bioengineering
First of all, students should be studying what they are passionate about. Clearly, computer science will continue to spread into all aspects of human life. Within computer science, I believe machine learning and AI are perhaps the biggest study opportunity today. Biology and medicine are also undergoing vast changes. Personalized medicine will become a big … Continue reading “From AI to Bioengineering”
Study the Boomers!
The Who once sang, “I hope I die before I get old.” Despite their best efforts to exit the planet early, most of them didn’t. They and their fellow Baby Boomers represent the greatest technology and business opportunity of the 21st Century. It is typical for each of us to be drawn to areas for … Continue reading “Study the Boomers!”
The Convergence of Biology, Medicine, and Engineering
I think learning the fundamentals of a discipline is the most important thing that students can do to prepare themselves for jobs both today and tomorrow. That discipline may be biology, bioengineering, chemistry, chemical engineering or others. I also think doing research is great preparatory experience. Furthermore, I believe the opportunities offered by the convergence … Continue reading “The Convergence of Biology, Medicine, and Engineering”
Computing and-Chinese
My initial response to this question was, “Chinese!” I was only half joking. English is the most popular second language in the world and in our increasingly connected world, the people who have an understanding of other languages—particularly Chinese—will be better equipped. As far as computers go, I studied computer languages in school and even … Continue reading “Computing and-Chinese”
Writing, Literature, and Computer Science
Whether you major in it or not, a fairly non-trivial amount of computer science would be helpful. The other thing is communication. One of the main things we look for when we are hiring people is their ability to write. It’s something that the average person is pretty poor at, but so much of every … Continue reading “Writing, Literature, and Computer Science”
Anything They’re Passionate About
Anything that interests them and they are passionate about today. What they will need to know in 10 years does not exist now, given the exponential growth of knowledge.
Data Analysis and Sensing
How to sense and make sense of subtler factors that govern our behaviors, the choices we make as individuals and as part of groups. The point here is that there are some obvious physically measurable; things like body weight, miles driven, CO2 let out, around which we can develop diagnostics and policies. But these measurables … Continue reading “Data Analysis and Sensing”
Learn By Starting Things
Students should be studying how to start things-how to create and grow new products, initiatives, ventures, and enterprises-a skill set that never goes out of style and that is fundamental to our nation’s future well-being and prosperity. And the best way to learn how to start things is to actually try to start things-whether it … Continue reading “Learn By Starting Things”
Marrying the Humanities and the Sciences
Liberal science and technology. We need a new major that prepares the future workforce for constant change by teaching broad-based knowledge in many disciplines. This major would consist of, among other disciplines, the basics of engineering, biology, chemistry, physics, law, business, humanities and communications. This curriculum should be group-based, where students teach each other, which … Continue reading “Marrying the Humanities and the Sciences”
Engaging “Productive Stupidity”
I recently came across an article in Cell Science that intrigued me and gets to the core of this question. The title—“The Importance of Stupidity in Scientific Research”—was reason alone to pique my curiosity. What I didn’t expect was to find a powerful insight into student learning in today’s highly uncertain world. Martin A. Schwartz, … Continue reading “Engaging “Productive Stupidity””
Be Students of Life
Themselves. Technology, markets, financial vehicles, business methodology, government regulations, entertainment, media, and so on, all aspects of our professions and our entire lives will change at a continuously increasing rate in perpetuity. Which technology, market, industry should I commit to? I don’t believe this is the most relevant question for a student. More relevant questions … Continue reading “Be Students of Life”
Biology 101
Biology 101 and beyond. I would take as much biology as possible, it’s exploding and changing faster than anyone could have expected. Especially our understanding of the “central dogma” itself, where RNA is playing a more critical role than ever thought before. WOW!
Culture, Science, and Problem Solving
As a father of two girls, I have actually been thinking about this quite a bit. In general, I want my kids to be prepared for a world that is going to be very, very different from the world I grew up in, largely due to the travel, communications, and the Internet. I would recommend … Continue reading “Culture, Science, and Problem Solving”
Meta-Processing
Both what we are teaching and learning, and how we are teaching and learning, are changing, very, very rapidly. The notion that there is a gold standard—a favored text or tome, a single subject-matter expert, or a single corporation with the single best practice, in any discipline—is really outdated. The ‘new normal’ is generation of … Continue reading “Meta-Processing”
Global Healthcare
College undergraduates today are faced with many choices of where to concentrate their studies. It is important to look down the road to determine where the major unmet needs of society will be. The healthcare industry offers many opportunities and challenges over the coming decades. As I look to the future of healthcare, there are … Continue reading “Global Healthcare”
Notes From the Detroit Auto Show: Connectivity is King
Though the North American International Auto Show just opened to the public Saturday, I was able to preview it last week with other reporters from around the world. Unlike the past few years, which were dominated by austerity and green tech, the feeling I got this year is that the car companies are seeking to … Continue reading “Notes From the Detroit Auto Show: Connectivity is King”
Xconomists Peer into the Future, Suggest How Students Should Prepare
[Updated, Jan. 18, 2012—The Xconomist Report on the Future of Education is live—click here.] As the presidential race picks up steam, you know that we will be hearing a lot—a lot more, that is—about the need to create jobs. But where will those jobs come from, and what fields are really likely to spur growth … Continue reading “Xconomists Peer into the Future, Suggest How Students Should Prepare”
Reinventing the Board Part III: The Agenda
CEOs, investors, and board members frequently complain about ineffective board meetings. Steve Blank, Jeff Bussgang, Brad Feld, and Fred Wilson each have suggested board meetings could be improved by changing the format, process, or content. Having good meetings starts by having the right people in the room (as discussed in the first installment of this … Continue reading “Reinventing the Board Part III: The Agenda”
Sanofi CEO Viehbacher on Stirring Innovation in the Era of R&D Cutbacks
Chris Viehbacher has seen plenty of ideas come and go from people trying to shake up the pharma R&D model. No matter how much people have tried to fix things, it still takes a notorious amount of time, money, and risk to create new drugs. Now, as the CEO of Paris-based Sanofi (NYSE: [[ticker:SNY]]), Viehbacher … Continue reading “Sanofi CEO Viehbacher on Stirring Innovation in the Era of R&D Cutbacks”
JP Morgan: Where the Boys Are…And Not the Girls
I set off for five straight days at the annual JP Morgan Healthcare Conference last Monday, but on the way drove the carpool to my daughter’s high school that morning in a last ditch attempt to act like a responsible and caring parent. My poor daughter gets completely abandoned during JP Morgan week every year … Continue reading “JP Morgan: Where the Boys Are…And Not the Girls”
Axonia Medical Secures $1,000,000 Seed Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0375e629-f92c-4497-92b0-a88f8f5764f7&Preview=1 Date 1/14/2012 Company Name Axonia Medical Mailing Address 4321 Roxbury Lane Kalamazoo, MI 49008 Company Description The concept of Axonia’s technology, which is spun out of the University of Pennsylvania, hinges on the production of axons, the long thin parts of nerve cells that carry signals to distant target cells. Unlike … Continue reading “Axonia Medical Secures $1,000,000 Seed Funding”
Axonia Medical Raises $1 Million in Seed Financing
[Corrected 1/16/12, 1:20 p.m. See below.] When Xconomy’s biotech editor Luke Timmerman first wrote about Axonia Medical in January 2011, he wondered if the Kalamazoo, MI-based startup would be able to raise the investment funds it needs, given the cautious venture-capital climate and the unprecedented nature of Axonia’s nerve-regeneration technology. The startup produces living, functional tissue-engineered nerve … Continue reading “Axonia Medical Raises $1 Million in Seed Financing”
With TV App, Dijit Hopes to Ride Out the Coming Apple Revolution in TV
I have a lot of Apple gear, and I’m pretty happy with it. There’s just one problem. The better Apple’s stuff gets, the less patience I have for everyone else’s clunky hardware and software. Televisions and all the boxes we hook up to them are the worst offenders. No two TV manufacturers or set-top-box makers … Continue reading “With TV App, Dijit Hopes to Ride Out the Coming Apple Revolution in TV”
How to Turn a Mobile Health Application into a Real Business
2011 has been a big year for health sciences technology and, specifically, mobile health. Venture capital investors, looking for the next big thing, are beginning to invest in companies developing mobile applications in the health and wellness sector. Smartphones are making new health care applications feasible, and one doesn’t have to look far to see … Continue reading “How to Turn a Mobile Health Application into a Real Business”
Greenwashing
[Editor’s Note: We asked selected Xconomists a series of questions designed to zero in on the big issues of the year, including “What would you be willing to throw a punch over?”] In both of my fields of distributed renewable energy infrastructure and environmental composites, I would throw a punch at corporations and/or public sector … Continue reading “Greenwashing”
Q4 Venture Deals, Dollars Stayed Strong, Making 2011 Best in a Decade
Venture capital deals backed off just a tad during the last three months of 2011, but remained strong enough to carry VC activity during the year to a new high-water mark, according to data being released today by CB Insights, a financial data firm that maintains a venture capital database. VCs invested $7.6 billion in … Continue reading “Q4 Venture Deals, Dollars Stayed Strong, Making 2011 Best in a Decade”
From Flingo to Lantos to Shodogg: U.S. Startups Carve Out Niche at CES
For the first time ever, the International Consumer Electronics Show created a zone called Eureka Park specifically to showcase startups from across the country. Fledgling companies have come to CES before and can still be found elsewhere at the conference, but Eureka Park is a new way to highlight them at the 2012 show. At … Continue reading “From Flingo to Lantos to Shodogg: U.S. Startups Carve Out Niche at CES”
Me-Too Drugs
[Editor’s Note: We asked selected Xconomists a series of questions designed to zero in on the big issues of the year, including “What would you be willing to throw a punch over?”] The FDA is the easy target for those of us who are in drug development. But what I am most mad about is … Continue reading “Me-Too Drugs”
Regulatory Overkill
[Editor’s Note: We asked selected Xconomists a series of questions designed to zero in on the big issues of the year, including “What would you be willing to throw a punch over?”] Regulatory overkill. We spend so much time and resources in the USA due to regulations that, while well-intentioned when conceived, are set into … Continue reading “Regulatory Overkill”
A .data Top-Level Internet Domain?
There’s been very little change in top-level internet domains (like .com, .org, .us, etc.) for a long time. But a number of years ago I started thinking about the possibility of having a new .data top-level domain (TLD). And starting this week, there’ll finally be a period when it’s possible to apply to create such a thing. … Continue reading “A .data Top-Level Internet Domain?”
Howard University Grad’s Startup Connects Alums to HBCU Apparel
Clover McFadden grew up in Detroit, where she graduated from Renaissance High School before heading to Washington, D.C., to attend Howard University. She got her degree in chemistry and she planned to go into medicine. After graduating from Howard, she came back to Detroit to regroup. Then a funny thing happened on the way to … Continue reading “Howard University Grad’s Startup Connects Alums to HBCU Apparel”
The Situation at the FDA: We Are All to Blame
[Editor’s Note: We asked selected Xconomists a series of questions designed to zero in on the big issues of the year, including “What would you be willing to throw a punch over?”] It takes a lot to get me riled-up—I’m overly rational, if anything. Outside of the bad behavior we were supposed to outgrow in … Continue reading “The Situation at the FDA: We Are All to Blame”
Of Patent Rats and Blaming Teachers
[Editor’s Note: We asked selected Xconomists a series of questions designed to zero in on the big issues of the year, including “What issues would you be willing to throw a punch over?”] There are two. The first is the state of the patent system, particularly as it affects computing hardware and software (broadly construed). … Continue reading “Of Patent Rats and Blaming Teachers”
ThinkVine Secures $8,000,000 Series C Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e432e9b7-2c39-41c7-81ad-2e130d974cea&Preview=1 Date 1/10/2012 Company Name ThinkVine Mailing Address 10816 Millington Ct. Cincinnati, OH 45242 Company Description ThinkVine is a strategic marketing solutions provider, with expertise in marketing science and decision support software. Our work provides a much needed bridge between traditional marketing research, economic modeling and statistical analysis. Website http://www.thinkvine.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “ThinkVine Secures $8,000,000 Series C Round”
Ford to Open New Research Lab in Silicon Valley
The Ford Motor Company announced Friday that it plans to open its first-ever dedicated R&D center on the West Coast in Silicon Valley early this year—a move in line with the automaker’s vision of becoming a company that builds mobile computers on wheels. K. Venkatesh Prasad, senior technical leader for open innovation with Ford Research and … Continue reading “Ford to Open New Research Lab in Silicon Valley”
Lack of Funding For Innovative Biotech Companies
[Editor’s Note: We asked selected Xconomists a series of questions designed to zero in on the big issues of the year, including “What would you be willing to throw a punch over?”] The most important issue facing Aastrom and many other companies in biotechnology is the lack of adequate funding to support innovative new companies, … Continue reading “Lack of Funding For Innovative Biotech Companies”
Benefits and Roadblocks of Corporate Partnering for Startups
Fifteen years ago, the expansion model of a startup was fairly linear: The first three years were dedicated to building the business domestically. Year four generally saw European expansion. And by year five, the company was starting to explore the Asian markets. The emergence of the Web as a viable commerce vehicle, though, brought about … Continue reading “Benefits and Roadblocks of Corporate Partnering for Startups”
Five Myths You’ll Hear This Week at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference
Biotech pilgrims are gathering today for the biggest industry frenzy of the year, the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference. This confab in San Francisco’s Union Square is the singular place each year where essentially all industry mover/shakers—and many wannabes—gather for a marathon week of investment scouting, dealmaking, publicity seeking, job-hunting, and schmoozing. I’ve been going to … Continue reading “Five Myths You’ll Hear This Week at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference”
Gathering Around the Tablet: A Glimpse of the Future
How will the media habits of families, especially those with young kids, evolve in the era of the tablet computer? I got an interesting perspective on that question over the holidays, which I spent with my brother and his family in Alaska. Jamie and his wife Jen Athey have two loveable children, aged four (Kieran) … Continue reading “Gathering Around the Tablet: A Glimpse of the Future”
Healthx Secures $22,000,000 New Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=170589a8-6b4b-42b3-818d-080815de11c0&Preview=1 Date 1/6/2012 Company Name Healthx Mailing Address 9339 Priority Way West Drive Indianapolis, IN 46240 Company Description Healthx is the healthcare industry’s leading developer of self-service communication and data integration portals serving more than 130 payers and 39,000 groups, representing over 12 million individual lives. Website http://www.healthx.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “Healthx Secures $22,000,000 New Round”
NanoInk Secures $8,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=80d6adb2-63db-4dc2-8d00-2118054702bb&Preview=1 Date 1/6/2012 Company Name NanoInk Mailing Address 8025 Lamon Ave Skokie, IL 60077 Company Description NanoInk, Inc. is an emerging growth technology company specializing in nanometer-scale manufacturing and application development for the life science and semiconductor industries. Website http://www.nanoink.net Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $8,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes … Continue reading “NanoInk Secures $8,000,000 New Funding Round”
CytoPherx Raises $34M Toward Finishing Clinical Trial
Ann Arbor-based CytoPherx, a medical device company focusing on inflammation-based diseases, announced yesterday that it has raised $34 million in a new round of financing. A large group of investors participated in the round, including Ohio-based Early Stage Partners, California-based Onset Ventures, and Wisconsin-based Capital Midwest Fund. This latest round of funding comes on top … Continue reading “CytoPherx Raises $34M Toward Finishing Clinical Trial”
Survey: Tech Executives Saw More Pay in 2011, Life Sciences Inched Up
[Updated 1:45 p.m. ET] Executive compensation held relatively steady in 2011 among privately-held life sciences companies, while their peers in the technology sector continued to see salary increases, according to the annual CompStudy survey produced by executive search firm J. Robert Scott and law firm WilmerHale in collaboration with Noam Wasserman, associate professor of business administration … Continue reading “Survey: Tech Executives Saw More Pay in 2011, Life Sciences Inched Up”
Eved Obtains $9,500,000 Series B Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=95de22dd-114b-4336-969a-5217fe0d6dd0&Preview=1 Date 1/5/2012 Company Name Eved Mailing Address 4811 Oakton Street Skokie, IL 60077 Company Description Eved is a web-based marketplace that provides meeting professionals, venues, and suppliers with a more efficient way to interact and transact online. We connect buyers and suppliers in the meeting and event industry through an easy-to-use … Continue reading “Eved Obtains $9,500,000 Series B Funding”
Aisle50 Garners $2,600,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=e425f4b8-ba72-4e73-9566-b228efa56d8a&Preview=1 Date 1/5/2012 Company Name Aisle50 Mailing Address Undisclosed Chicago, IL 60601 Company Description Aisle50 was formed in 2011 by a secret cabal of grocery shoppers tired of 10-cent coupons, 30-page newspaper fliers and hard-to-use coupon websites. The goal: bring to the people one exceedingly excellent grocery deal every day. These deals … Continue reading “Aisle50 Garners $2,600,000 New Funding”