Societal Impact

These messages focus on changes in society and what they mean to us.

    • AI Threats to Our Brains

      Throughout history, what we value as a society has changed. Land, minerals, and manufacturing know-how have been the source of value for most of human history. In recent years, creative and critical thinking abilities have begun to shape national economies. It is only...

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    • Who Benefits

      They were the unlikeliest of friends. Scott came to college thinking that the world owed him. He thought himself destined for greatness and maintained an aloofness to others. Barry, on the other hand, saw the value in others as “trading partners”. He was someone who...

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    • Blending of Cultures

      It was an event that no politician could pass on, especially during an election year. The small community of Dalton was celebrating the opening of a heritage museum. The celebration was to feature not only memorabilia from the community’s past but live oral history of...

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    • Selectivity (Not)

      Colleges across the country brag about how selective they are. The percent acceptance is one criterion used in college rankings. The lower the percentage of students accepted by the school, the better it must be. Selectivity then triggers a chain reaction. Employers...

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    • Innovation & Democracy

      Daniel Boorstin, American historian and former Librarian of the U.S. Congress maintained that democracy is strongest when innovations level the availability of goods and services to the broadest spectrum of society. He believed that our society is not united by...

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    • When Words Tell the Story that Pictures Can’t

      His photograph standing with President George W. Bush (see below) on the ruins of the World Trade Center is one that is ingrained in our consciousness. But who was he? And why was he chosen to stand with President Bush? Everyone knows the picture, but few know his...

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    • Selling Time

      America had a problem. Clocks in use at the time were manually wound and imprecise. That had not been a problem until railroads began to cross the country. Train schedules needed to be precise, or train collisions would become a serious problem. Samuel Langley saw an...

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    • Crucible Moments II

      He was born in 1926 in New York City, a son of an Italian immigrant to America, and a mother who was born in the U.S. soon after her parents arrived in America. His family was impoverished. When he could go to school, he studied art and music. He never completed high...

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    • Why, Not What

      Christine had an exemplary two years of college. Her GPA was high and she had become a leader in several organizations. Even more important was her volunteer activities with the Girl Scouts. The only problem was she couldn’t get an internship. When Christina met with...

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    • Thresholds of Acceptance

      College athletics at the beginning of the 21st century was a true cash cow. Buoyed by outlandish media contracts, athletic departments were prone to over-spend to protect their brand. Lawsuits had given athletes opportunities to cash in as well. But it was too good to...

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