Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!
March 18, 2009 by Ryan Merlin · Leave a Comment
Dance a jig!
Ryan Merlin Interview – Positive Psychology
February 21, 2009 by Ryan Merlin · Leave a Comment
I was interviewed by a Berkeley Anthropology student after the Positive Psychology Symposium 2009, Claremont, CA.
Positive Psychology Symposium 2009
January 31, 2009 by Ryan Merlin · Leave a Comment
Here is the first 45 minutes of a full day of scientific research in positive psychology. The Positive Psychology Symposium 2009 in Claremont California. The conference deserved 2 days to fully appreciate and digest all the information presented. Definitely an experience though!
(includs an overview of the history of Positive Psychology by Dr. Martin Seligman, the announcement of the Clifton Strengths Prize being awarded to Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, and a portion of the talk by Dr. Edward Diener)
VIDEO: Positive Psychology Symposium 2009 Video Claremont Graduate University
FreeFly Skydiving Videos
January 11, 2009 by Ryan Merlin · Leave a Comment
I was finally able to sit down and get my skydiving videos converted to flash so that I can play them here on my site. Enjoy!
AirRaid FreeFly Skydiving Video
Vertical Method FreeFly Skydiving Video
Skydiving Vegas FreeFly Skydiving
Promotional video shot for the sponsors of our cycling team.
COMotion Promotional Skydiving Video
Quote for Today
January 2, 2009 by Ryan Merlin · Leave a Comment
Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see.
Knowledge Quotes
December 3, 2008 by Ryan Merlin · Leave a Comment
Below are some of the sources of inspiration for our Investing in Knowledge vision.
“Even the most misfitting child
Who’s chanced upon the library’s worth
Sits with the genius of the Earth
And turns the key to the whole world”
(Ted Hughes)
“All men by nature desire knowledge” (Aristotle)
“Education is the leading of human souls to what is best, and making what is best out of them” (John Ruskin)
“Surely knowledge of the natural world, knowledge of the human condition, knowledge of the nature and dynamics of society, knowledge of the past so that one may use it in experiencing the present and aspiring to the future?all of these, it would seem reasonable to suppose, are essential to an educated person. To these must be added another?knowledge of the products of our artistic heritage that mark the history of our aesthetic wonder and delight.” (Jerome S. Bruner)
“Knowledge is indivisible. When people grow wise in one direction, they are sure to make it easier for themselves to grow wise in other directions as well.” (Isaac Asimov)
“Knowledge is the most democratic source of power.” (Alvin Toffler)
“Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it.” (Samuel Johnson)
“What I don’t know isn’t knowledge.” ( Henry Charles Beeching )
“For all knowledge and wonder (which is the seed of knowledge) is an impression of pleasure in itself.” (Francis Bacon)
“If you have knowledge, let others light their candles at it.” (Margaret Fuller)
“Men can know more than their ancestors did if they start with a knowledge of what their ancestors had already learned….That is why a society can be progressive only if it conserves its traditions.” (Walter Lippmann)
“Thought is the wind, knowledge the sail, and mankind the vessel.” (August Hare )
“Our knowledge is the amassed thought and experience of innumerable minds.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
“Knowledge is not simply another commodity. On the contrary. Knowledge is never used up. It increases by diffusion and grows by dispersion.” (D. J. Boorstein)
“What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.” (George Bernard Shaw)
“The acquisition of knowledge is the mission of research, the transmission of knowledge is the mission of teaching and the application of knowledge is the mission of public service.” (James A. Perkins)
“To furnish the means of acquiring knowledge is… the greatest benefit that can be conferred upon mankind. It prolongs life itself and enlarges the sphere of existence.” (John Quincy Adams )
“Knowledge is like money: to be of value, it must circulate, and in circulation it can increase in quantity and, hopefully in value.” (Louis L’Amour)
“The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance.” (Socrates)
“If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” (Benjamin Franklin)
“In your thirst for knowledge, be sure not to drown in all the information.” (Anthony J. D’Angelo)
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” (Jorge Luis Borges)
“You see I don’t believe that libraries should be drab places where people sit in silence and that’s the main reason for employing wild animals as librarians.” (Monty Python)
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The Magic of Google’s Innovation Culture
September 13, 2008 by Ryan Merlin · Leave a Comment
How does Google make sure it’s producing innovations that change the game enough to create big new markets but also continue to appeal to its main customers, who might not want so much disruption?
We make an explicit decision to favor the end-user. [We] do not say, “Newspapers should be happy. Advertisers should be happy. Telcos should be happy. Competitors should be happy.” Those are fine if we can do it. But it’s all about end-users.
How do you make sure all these Google engineering projects actually turn into useful services?
The No. 1 thing we do require is: You can do whatever you want as long as you track it. We have very sophisticated measurement systems at every stage of launch. We have what is called trusted testers. Then beta test, which is forever. We do these 1% launches where we float something out and measure that. We can dice and slice in any way you can possibly fathom.
What’s more important than the absolute number is the relative growth rate. High growth solves virtually all problems. If the growth rate is low, or negative, you’ve got a serious problem.
Can innovation really be managed, or is it a case where you have to keep the company and its managers out of the way?
I disagree with the word “managed.” You have to have a set of necessary conditions for innovation to occur. To start with, you have to listen to people.
Pretty basic, no?
But not often practiced. Innovation comes from places that you don’t expect.
From Business Week
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