The RSA Blog

The power of three (or four) times three (or 'how chief executives with too much time on their hands build sandcastles in the air')

Blog

31 Dec 2009

Matthew Taylor

As the New Year approaches, thinking about the world, life and the RSA, it all falls into a pattern for a moment. The questions, with which I hope my reader friends will help me, are these; is this original (I fear not only that I have written it all before but that there are a hundred and one other ways of thinking that are, to all intents and purposes, the same), is it useful (it may be true that I am made of the same sub atomic particles as a filing cabinet, but so what?) is there anything that can be done with it (how could these ideas be tested, debated, developed?)........         

2009 - brave or empty?

Blog

30 Dec 2009

Matthew Taylor

Daniel suggested I might write a post looking back over the past year and, maybe, forward to the one ahead. 2009 feels like a year in suspended animation.  

Perspectives on positivity

Blog

29 Dec 2009

Matthew Taylor

Yesterday's post has generated some interesting comments, particularly a debate between Daniel Snell and Andrew Old concerning the distinction between positive thinking, low expectations and low aspirations.

Positively wrong

Blog

28 Dec 2009

Matthew Taylor

I have just read a fantastic new book by American social commentator Barbara Ehrenreich; 'Smile or Die. How positive thinking fooled America and the world'. Barbara is speaking about the book at the RSA in the new year, come if you can, or tune in if we live cast the event.

Me and my big mouth

Blog

27 Dec 2009

Matthew Taylor

I am more than a little surprised to find myself apparently at the centre of a plot to oust Gordon Brown. There was I thinking my biggest worry was whether cooked turkey lasts more than 72 hours or if West Brom would go in to the New Year in a promotion place, when I read of my status as backroom conspirator.

Do me a favour – the reciprocal development of the RSA’s Connected Communities and Social Brain projects

Blog

23 Dec 2009

My name is Rohan Talbot, the new intern with the Connected Communities and Social Brain projects. One of my first duties is to write something on the relationship between these two projects, so here goes.

Universities – time for innovation

Blog

23 Dec 2009

Matthew Taylor

 It may be the time of year or the fact that my recent posts have been turgid and trite, but it’s all gone a bit quiet in comment land. So over the festive period I will keep my occasional posts short and sharp to reduce the feeling that I am the on-line equivalent of the person who sits next to you on the bus and shares just a few too many of their opinions about the Government, the council, the BBC and biscuits.

Time for business to take a lead

Blog

22 Dec 2009

Matthew Taylor

My breakfast yesterday was at an event to mark the latest edition of the excellent Times science supplement Eureka. The event featured a fascinating but largely depressing panel discussion about the fallout of the Copenhagen Summit. It got me thinking about climate change through the prism of my old friend cultural theory. 

Social Brain report: Changing the Subject

Blog

21 Dec 2009

I've just published a report that can now be downloaded (see below in this post for link).