John Schroeter, Author at Abundant World Institute

On Becoming An Awe Junkie To see the world differently we need to, well, see the world differently!
On Becoming An Awe Junkie To see the world differently we need to, well, see the world differently!

Inspiration

On Becoming An Awe Junkie To see the world differently we need to, well, see the world differently!

If we can experience such a thing from our Earth-bound perspective, imagine the crew of Apollo 8 gazing upon the Earth from space—“hanging in the void.” They, and other astronauts since, routinely report an ineffable yet visceral cognitive shift in awareness that has come to be called the “overview effect”—an overwhelming sense of awe over both the fragility and the unity of life on our little planet.

John Schroeter2019-10-19T14:45:52-07:00Inspiration|

VIDEO: The Caltech Sessions In Conversation with Carver Mead and George Gilder
VIDEO: The Caltech Sessions In Conversation with Carver Mead and George Gilder

Conversations

VIDEO: The Caltech Sessions In Conversation with Carver Mead and George Gilder

Join Abundant World Institute executive director John Schroeter in a wide-ranging conversation with Carver Mead and George Gilder—two of the most gifted thinkers of our time—on innovation, the economics of abundance, the history of technology, entrepreneurship, creative possibility, surprise as information, and much more.

John Schroeter2019-05-17T17:56:00-07:00Conversations|

Teaching the Body Electric Tesla's Shocking Schoolroom Solution
Teaching the Body Electric Tesla's Shocking Schoolroom Solution

The Future of Education

Teaching the Body Electric Tesla's Shocking Schoolroom Solution

Discover a little-known but fascinating 1912 experiment in education whose basic idea is being realized today in equally fascinating ways.

John Schroeter2019-10-19T12:48:01-07:00The Future of Education|

Sustainability’s Fatal Flaw Should We Consume less or Create More?
Sustainability’s Fatal Flaw Should We Consume less or Create More?

Sustainability

Sustainability’s Fatal Flaw Should We Consume less or Create More?

Somehow, we have become convinced that sustainability is the answer to responsibly managing our dwindling resources—after all, it’s just common sense, right?—when in reality, it actually constitutes our greatest peril. By far. Far more than the possibility of climatic disruption, job-killing robots, or even nukes. Here’s why.

John Schroeter2019-02-23T16:21:43-08:00Sustainability|

Boxes, Holes, and Lateral Thinking Why Imagination is more Important than Knowledge
Boxes, Holes, and Lateral Thinking Why Imagination is more Important than Knowledge

Lateral Thinking

Boxes, Holes, and Lateral Thinking Why Imagination is more Important than Knowledge

Disruption happens when you apply software design techniques to the design of a lunar launch vehicle. Disruption happens when you apply what you learned in space to healthcare. Disruption happens when you apply what you learned in healthcare to education. These are all examples of moving laterally to very different boxes, repurposing knowledge from unrelated fields, transplanting big ideas across industries and disciplines.

John Schroeter2019-02-23T10:02:58-08:00Lateral Thinking|

Looking to Nature for Inspiration Copying Nature’s Systems and Strategies
Looking to Nature for Inspiration Copying Nature’s Systems and Strategies

Biomimicry

Looking to Nature for Inspiration Copying Nature’s Systems and Strategies

The biggest innovations of the 21st century will be found at the intersection of biology and technology, meaning the creative entrepreneur can discover many solutions to human engineering challenges simply by copying nature’s amazingly inventive systems and strategies.

John Schroeter2019-02-23T16:20:26-08:00Biomimicry|