Beyond Creativity

On A-Studio TV in EMF topics + Petition/Initiatives

Oops! I accepted the invitation and was interviewed (among others) by a Finnish television crew for the A-Studio: Huolestuttaako kännykän säteily? (Program title: Are you worried about health risks of mobile phones?). The recording of this show is available till 1st of August 2008.

In overall, I am pleased with the show.  Not even my dull presence was enough to spoil the event (a joke ;-) Thanks to Petteri Sarvamaa, Antti Tuominen & Co in YLE Finnish television for making this historical event.

I highly value the other guests in that show:

- Professor Dariusz Leszczynki , the Finnish Radiation and Safety Authority (STUK). The world's best expert in proteomics. His latest paper about protein changes in human skin after microwave exposure is worth reading as well as his older paper about blood brain barrier related effects.

- Professor Osmo Hänninen, University of Kuopio. The expert behind the book "Matkapuhelinteknologia - Mitkä ovat terveysriskit?" - PDF (Translation: Mobile phone technology - What are the health risks".

- Professor Kari Jokela, the Finnish Radiation and Safety Authority (STUK)

A little wish for my Finnish readers: Please, sign the Pro_Lankaverkko (Pro Fiber)-initiative. Please, support the base station initiative of MP Heidi Hautala by contacting your closest MP (kansanedustaja). Internationally, the BioInitiative petition is not a bad choice  to sign, either.

I participated this TV show to advance discussion about risks. I feel that children deserve a safer environment to grow up with less radiation exposure.

Update 5th July 2008: I collected important mobile phones and base station related journal papers here.

Now I will take a break from EMF topics. To avoid one track mind and keep my blog postings more versatile ;-)

Safer and healthier train/bus trips

The Problem:

- Travelling in a train and bus poses a health risk nowadays for frequent travellers and children

- When people initiate several GSM calls or use 3G/@450 laptops , it creates a lot of electrosmog in a space surrounded by metal walls, with poor connectivity to the base station.

- This phenomenon in trains is well described in the documents of Japanese researchers. Please, check their animation.

- In München (Munich) they have made quite comprehensive calculations about the radiation power density values in a bus. Occasionally the strongest field is in the same place, where the driver sits. Therefore, passenger safety may be compromised.

-  According to Clas Tegenfeld 6 simultaneous phone calls in a 3 hour long train trip is similar if you would personally have a cell phone attached to your head and transmitting for 1 hour and 36 minutes.

- This phenomenon and the health risk is very much similar to passive smoking!

The Quick Solution:

- Ban GSM/3G-phone calls and data transfer in buses. If necessary, allow SMS messages.

- Ban GSM/3G-phone in a certain car/carriage in a train. Cover the corridor doors with a Biologa type of foil.  Sell the seats in this car(riage) in higher price.

The Better Solution:

- Make a new twisted-pari Ethernet-cabling in each car/carriage/bus for certain seats. In new carriages, please, install this fiber optics cabling already at the factory. Attach this cabling to a router and then to an antenna on top of each carriage. Make sure you choose the right kind of antenna, many models "leak" sideways and passengers are exposed (again).

- Ban mobile phone calls and 3G-connections in trains.  Install detectors  that start making noise every time someone makes a call, answers a call or initiatiates a 3G/GSM/@450-connection. Make this detector sensitive enough, but allow text messages.

- Sell these  internet connection -enabled seats in higher price.

Above I invented online and now I will 'share the code'  to all railway and bus companies.

To make train trip healthier and more pleasurable :-)

BTW, in the future I will focus on low-emission and alternative technologies . Co-operation suggestions welcome  ;-)

Darkest Hour - a historical trip to Normandy

An brilliant mod is out:

'Darkest Hour - Normandy 1944'.

http://www.darkesthourgame.com/

Actually, it is a mod for Red Orchestra (http://www.redorchestragame.com), which I earlier reviewed with hilarious paintball add-ons ;-)

Historically Darkest Hour is amazingly accurate. The mod team must have inspected thorougly the actual Overlord-plan and historical battles.  The maps of Darkest Hour are architecturally advanced and challenging. Similarly, real team play is needed to achieve goals in this game.

A funny detail: When I was at school, I received many history awards. Actually, I was planning to become a history teacher. But what happened ?!

Now I can at least be immersed in history, occasionally ;-)

When all this playful Darkest Hour activity takes place in a virtual battlefield, it is also quite peaceful and environmentally-friendly (at least I hope so).  Was that a weak or strong argument for gaming ?

Strategic Intuition by William Duggan - A Positive Reading Experience

Intuition? Nonsense!

First I was really sceptical about the whole concept. 

But after reading some pages of 'Strategic Intuition' I was forced to change my mind (which is always ... tough).

Duggan illustrates human achievements across time (Kopernikus, Napoleon, Buddha etc.). His introduction of history of science is thoroughly and interestingly written. Additionally, his brain research chapter explained me many cognition and learning related open topics.

All is centered around the concept of Coup d'oeil. It is like strike of the eye: a glance. This consists of 4 phases:

1. Intelligent memory. Expert intuition relies on your own experience, while strategic intuition draws on the experience of everyone else in the world as well. You don't just search the shelves of your own experience - you search out examples from history far and wide.
2. Presence of mind. You clear your mind of all expectations and previous ideas of what you might do or even what your goal is.
3. Flash of insight. In a free mind selected elements from various past examples come together in a new combination.
4. Resolution. This means resolve, determination, will.

After introducing these steps, Duggan goes to the world of business. With examples from Google and Microsoft he shows how strategic intuition works in commercial settings.

So far, a fascinating book. I need to digest a bit more ;-)

To be continued...

Are cell phones dangerous? About the Larry King Show

Unfortunately my earlier postings and risk assessments are becoming confirmed.

Please, watch the following Larry King Show about health risk and cell phones.

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Short remarks:

- The highlights can also be found at the CNN site.

- All experts recommend to use hands-free or speaker phone

- Corded phones are recommended for children

- The comment on the video about Sweden's use of cell phones was not exact: The earlier NMT signal was continuous, not pulsed like GSM and 3G. Additionally, 3G (UMTS) cell phones and base stations are utilising a mechanism called QPSK (Quadrature Phase Shift Keying) which makes the signal form even riskier, according to the REFLEX project leader Franz Adlkofer and researcher Igor Belyaev. These effects to humans are demonstrated in the TNO experiment and to animals in Thomas Thillman's ITEM experiment. There is a big difference from safety perspective, human brain (or cells) may "recognise" pulsed signal. Please, check also Hyland's legendary paper "Physics and biology of mobile telephone". Update 2nd July 2008: Carl Raleigh provides a thorough  signal modulation overview.

- Doctor Vini Khurana on the video has produced an interesting risk analysis report.

- Modern phones come with built in antenna. Older phones had an external antenna and your head/body was not used for that :-\

- Many laboratory experiments do not simulate the magnetic field enough. When the phone is pressed against the head, the magnetic field is something like 8 microTesla in 1 cm distance.

- Who is the first manufacturer and the first carrier to advise customers about safe ways to use their mobile phone? It's about time!

- The future of mobile business is cloudy. Earlier I tried to foresee the future.

Any comments on the video or the topic?

How Ethical is Mobile Business? The Health of Our Children

Please, watch the following video. Australia's Interphone research group leader warns children (and adults) about mobile phones related brain tumours. Video starts when you click the picture.

- - -

Background information.

- - -

Another example comes from Russia:

Handsets pose danger for children

The Russian National Committee on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (RNCNIRP) has expressed its opinion regarding the possible influence of handset electromagnetic field on children and teen-ages. The experiments, consultations and discussions held led to the resolution ‘Children and handsets: future generations’ health is under threat’. The given resolution comprises opinions of leading Russian scientists in hygiene and radiobiology of Non-Ionizing Radiation. The given resolution is based on mo… full text

Source: CNews

- - - -

Earlier children and mobile phone related warnings:

- France warns against excessive mobile phone use.

- Germany: Handys für Kinder sind nicht sinnvoll

- Update 28th May 2008:  India: Cellular towers near schools, colonies may be banned 

- Update 25th June 2008:  An appeal from 20 international experts assembled around Dr David Servan-Schreiber in relation to the use of mobile phones.

Additionally, Prenatal and postnatal exposure are becoming serious health risks.

----

My questions:

How responsible are mobile phone manufacturers and carriers?

They have known these health risks for decades, but no single mobile phone box comes with any kind of warning or safe use instructions. Additionally, carriers (teleoperators) are digging up telephone cables in countries like Finland and even small children are forced to use a mobile phone in their communication.

How can ordinary people and governments allow this kind of development?

Two Quotations - Radiation Risks

“I have no doubt in my mind that at the present time, the greatest polluting element in the earth’s environment is the proliferation of electromagnetic fields. I consider that to be far greater on a global scale, than warming, and the increase in chemical elements in the environment.’’

- Dr Robert O. Becker – twice nominated for the Nobel Prize

"The notion that non-ionizing radiation is harmless – the assumption of innocence – is no longer tenable. Research findings suggest that radiofrequency exposures are potentially carcinogenic and have other health effects. Therefore, prudent avoidance of unneeded exposures is recommended as a precautionary measure."

- The Late John R. Goldsmith, M.D., M.P.H.

- - - - - - - -

I welcome you to take a look at following two German inititiatives:

Mobilfunk Ärzteappell Allgäu-Bodensee-Oberschwaben (2006)

Bamberger Ärzteappell (2004)

+ Check the radiation level versus symptoms table.

When will the doctors in Nordic countries wake up?

- - - - - - -

Update 30th April 2008: My personal experience is closer than I ever would like to witness. I wrote an opinion piece "Radiation risks under control" for the University of Tampere Aikalainen magazine. This opinion "Säteilyriskit hallinnassa?" is written in Finnish , but the additional base station / cell tower related information might interest some of you?!

Virtual Worlds - Where is the Business Beef?

Virtual worlds like Second Life provide some interesting features for prototyping new concepts. The following articles decribe some of these advantages:

- Virtual worlds get another life

- Scripting in the SL sandbox

On the 9th of June 2008 in Galway in Ireland we will have a workshop called "Going Virtual: Are There Real Opportunities for Business in Virtual Worlds?"

With Robin Teigland, Brian Donnellan, Brian O'Donovan and Steve Mahaley.

We will touch following topics:

1. How are business organizations using virtual worlds to create value?

2. What are the benefits of private vs public virtual worlds in these efforts to create value?

3. What are the best practices for implementing these virtual world efforts?

4. How are organizations attracting avatars in world?

Steve will be in the USA, while Robin, Brian D., Brian O. and I will be in Ireland.

Let's see how immersed we will get and how well we will 'fly'! (Since I love flight simulators, flying in the SL gives me kicks)

In the meanwhile ... Do you have a good Second Life collaboration or business practise to share?

The Nerd Test

You must have noticed my interest in quizzes?!

Maybe I will never learn to understand myself, therefore I like to take these tests ;-)
The following test "revealed" that I am social nerd. Am I?

Please, try the Nerd-quiz:

What Be Your Nerd Type? Your Result: Social Nerd   You're interested in things such as politics, psychology, child care, and peace. I wouldn't go so far as to call you a hippie, but some of you may be tree-huggers. You're the type of people who are interested in bettering the world. You're possible the least nerdy of them all; unless you participate in other activies that paled your nerdiness compared to your involvement in social activities. Whatever the case, we could still use more of you around.  ^_^
Musician
Drama Nerd
Literature Nerd
Gamer/Computer Nerd
Science/Math Nerd
Artistic Nerd
Anime Nerd
What Be Your Nerd Type? Quizzes for MySpace

Gatekeepers in the Innovation Process

In ECIS Galway in June 2008 Eoin Whelan and I will have a following session:

"Knowledge Diffusion in R&D Groups: The Impact of Internet Technologies"

Abstract:

Knowledge flows are the lifeblood of any R&D organisation. These firms are increasingly
discovering that the knowledge they require is often located beyond their boundaries. In this paper, we investigate how R&D groups acquire and diffuse external knowledge and the role Internet technologies play in this process.

The focus of our study is on the technological gatekeeper. Previous studies have found that gatekeepers are key nodes in the innovation process. These sporadic individuals have the skills to identify useful knowledge outside the firm and disseminate this among their local colleagues.

However, much of the seminal gatekeeper research has been conducted over two decades ago. In the time since, there have been huge advances in ICT and especially Internet technologies. These technologies have dramatically altered how knowledge workers source and share their information. Our objective is to advance the gatekeeper theory into an era where the knowledge worker is saturated with information. Using case study methods, we examine knowledge flows in the R&D group of an Irish medical devices firm.

Our results indicate that due to advances in Internet technology, the traditional gatekeeper no longer exists to any great extent. Instead, the modern R&D lab acquires and diffuses external knowledge through a combination of a ‘web gatekeeper’ and a
‘knowledge transformer.’

You are welcome to participate the session or comment the topic beforehand !

Creativity is ... Attitude

In Berkeley, CA, USA, I met amazingly wise and educated street merchants.
Somehow, I just wanted to have  the following sticker:

Ever since I got this sticker, it has been hanging on my door at the university.

Einstein was famous for his proverbs and quotations. I welcome you to take a look at them. If someone knows where these proverbs can found in German, I would be most grateful! (Einstein's English was not excellent, I suppose some of those English quotations are therefore translated from German).

Nowadays I am well known for my polite and still uncomfortable questions. It is a skill that gets better when you practise it a lot ;-)

Open Innovation and Strategy - Focus on Communities

Remember Porter's Five Competitive Forces?

1. Rivalry
2. Buyer power
3. Supplier power
4. Substitutes
5. Barriers to entry

Nowadays, if a company only focuses on them and misses communities, it may be counter-productive.

In the latest CMR article Henry Chesbrough and Melissa Appleyard point out:

"All of the tradional views are based upon ownership and control as the key levers in achieving strategic success. All focus largely within the firm, or within the value chain in which the firm is embedded. Non take much notice of the potential value of external resources that are not owned by the firm in question, but may nonetheless create value for the firm"

To illustrate the difference between Open and Closed Innovation, they differentiate Value capture and Value Creation in a company and in a community:

"The lingering questions for the business strategist are: Who actually is capturing the value created by open invention and coordination? How are they doing it?"

Finally, Chesbrough and Appleyard introduce a new concept, Open strategy.

"Open strategy balances the powerful value creation forces that can be found in creative individuals, innovation communities, and collaborative initiatives with the need to capture value in order to sustain continued participation and support of those initiatives"

After all this, I welcome you to take also a look at Michael Porter's newest work, " The Five Competitive Forces that Shape Strategy" from HBR, January 2008. A miss-match?!?