Article ‘Alberta’s Economy Needs Clever Thinkers’ : Edmonton Journal

Posted on: Jul 23 2010 | Posted in: Arts, Culture, & Heritage


Time to dip into Fountain of Smart, Part II: Alberta’s Economy Needs Clever Thinkers; Creativity, imagination can bolster linear thinking

Publication: Edmonton Journal
Date: Mon Jul 19, 2010
Section: Opinion
Byline: Todd Hirsch

In much of the thinking on economic competitiveness, there tends to be an emphasis on science, math and applied technical skills. Without question, these are essential if Alberta’s economy has any chance of success in the coming years.

But a test tube can solve no problems. A hammer can build nothing. And even the most powerful computer can’t create a thing. What each of them needs is a human brain to operate it in order to solve, build and create. Obviously, knowing how to use a test tube, a hammer and a computer is essential, but what we need now more than ever are clever ideas of ways to use them to solve 21st-century problems. We don’t need a Fountain of Youth; we need a Fountain of Smart!

A few years ago, Daniel Pink authored a book entitled A Whole New Mind. He argued that linear-thinking, “left-brain” occupations such as medicine, engineering and computer science contributed significantly to our economic wealth in the 20th century. But increasingly, because of competition from Asia and the advances in computing ability, what North America’s workers really need in the 21st century are more “right-brain” attributes — skills such as imagination, creativity, intuition, and relational abilities — to complement our linear thinking

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/business/Time+into+Fountain+Smart/3294564/story.html

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