Efficiency is Not Effectiveness

The entire history of ‘Industrial Civilization’ is one of seeking greater efficiency in all production processes, including labor, materials extraction and flow, production, technology, etc. Reduce labor costs by squeezing workers’ wages and minimizing the quality of working conditions. Optimize supply chains, so that needed materials arrive at the factory “just in time.” Reduce inventories … More Efficiency is Not Effectiveness

Rethinking Modern Infrastructure: The Vulnerability of Complex Systems

The COVID-19 pandemic is not so much about the characteristics of a virus as it is about the organization of modern societies. The modern infrastructure of hyper-mobility allowed the virus to move rapidly all over the world. Without that infrastructure, the pandemic could not have happened. The Black Plague in the Middle Ages, when mobility … More Rethinking Modern Infrastructure: The Vulnerability of Complex Systems