“It’s time, once again, we put science at the top of our agenda” said President-elect Barack Obama yesterday when he announced the new members of his White House science team known as PCAST- the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

“The truth is that promoting science isn’t just about providing resources it’s about protecting free and open inquiry and it’s about ensuring that facts and evidence are never twisted or obscured by politics or ideology.

It’s about listening to what our scientists have to say even when it’s inconvenient. Especially when it’s inconvenient. Because the highest purpose of science is the search for knowledge, truth and a better understanding of the world around us.

That will be my goal as President of the United States.”

••• Click through to see the clip here …

In one of the most dramatic psychology experiments ever conducted, Professor Stanley Milgram proved that I would torture you and that you would torture me if we were directed to do so by a recognised authority.

This was the famous experiment called the Milgram Experiment.

Hard to believe? Well they’ve done it again …

BBC News:
Decades after a notorious experiment, scientists have found test subjects are still willing to inflict pain on others – if told to by an authority figure. US researchers repeated the famous “Milgram test”, with volunteers told to deliver electrical shocks to another volunteer – played by an actor.

Even after faked screams of pain, 70% were prepared to increase the voltage, the American Psychology study found. Both may help explain why apparently ordinary people can commit atrocities.

••• Click here for more on this article …

Suppose you want to build a computer that operates like the brain of a mammal.

How hard could it be?

After all, there are supercomputers that can decode the human genome, play chess and calculate prime numbers out to 13 million digits.

Illustration by: D. Modha, IBM

Scientists are studying complex wiring of the brain to build the computer of the future, one that combines the brain’s abilities for sensation, perception, action, interaction and cognition and its low power consumption and compact size.

Understanding the process behind these seemingly effortless feats of the human brain and creating a computational theory based on it remains one of the biggest challenges for computer scientists

••• Click through here to original article.

To all SOT members in 52 countries around the world may I wish you a relaxing and happy holiday over the December/January period.

In Australia, we are beach-lovers. This is our summer break so we mostly head off to our beaches and favourite holiday destinations with our family and friends. Traditionally, it’s a time for Aussies to relax together, to renew friendships and to have some fun.

We also have time to do a lot of reading and thinking. We meditate alone on our past year and our plans for the coming year. We have many shared discussions while sitting on the beach with friends or over a family barbecue. (Here’s a picture of St Kilda Beach where I was born and where I live today.)

Of course, I realise that SOT members in other countries do not live on the beach but in a diverse range of locations and different settings. So whatever situation you find yourself in, over December/January, I do hope you will have time to meditate and think and to renew your life as you embark on a new year in 2009.

Here below is a gift for you from me. Just today I watched on YouTube a fascinating discussion that I want to share with you as my holiday gift.

Because much of the discussion on the topic of ‘thinking’ involves the traditions of religion and the methods of science many of our SOT lessons explore and discuss these issues. They are often controversial. SOT lessons are meant to provoke your own thinking and, I admit, that sometimes the tone I use may appear to be tactless.

While I truly never intend to offend the reader, my tone is deliberate because I want to encourage members to think for themselves. So, it’s a kind of mini-shock treatment and has proven to be effective. Actually, in person, I’m a very nice man

If you check out this link you will find a very gentle (and not tactless) discussion between two eminent scientists. One is a Catholic priest and the other is an atheist. They both know their stuff!

In my experience, there are too few discussions, of this calibre, between religion and science. This intelligent and civilised exchange between two great thinkers from different traditions is well worth watching. I hope you enjoy it as I did.

Start with Part 1 and if you enjoy it you can progress through the other parts:
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po0ZMfkSNxc
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjjDDhE8R5k
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyyySnUqCug
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eEmnhmAwPM
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl1xmkVOyRw
Part 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwDTBW8oxug
Part 7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qPHIS3n7Lw

I was totally fascinated and it has given me much to think about and discuss with friends when I’m on the beach in the next few weeks.

Very best wishes to you and your family and friends, and I hope we will continue our journey into thinking … together in 2009.

Michael

World thinking is the thinking of ALL the people in the world.

There are many different and parallel worlds.

There is the cosmos. The natural universal world.

There is the world on Earth. The 1.8 million species of the animal world. The world of plants. There is the human world. There is the world of your family, your school, your gang, your sports club, your partner, your enemy, your nation and the street where you live.

And most poignant and immediate of all, there is the cognos, the world of thinking inside your head!

One of the world’s most authentic examples of world thinking is the Gallup World Poll.

The late Professor George Gallup founded the Gallup Poll at Princeton, New Jersey, which became the world’s first system to objectively and scientifically measure public and customer opinion. He was also the inventor of market research and the ultimate saviour of the customer.

The next Thinking Instuctors course starts on the 22nd of the month under the personal direction of Michael.

• To apply write to Michael by clicking here.

Michael originated the idea of training thinking instructors when he co-founded School of Thinking with Edward de Bono in 1979 in New York.

Edward was very keen on the ‘train-the-trainer’ idea and wrote to Michael from Cambridge (where he was a Professor of Investigative Medicine) saying, “I think your idea is brilliant! Training instructors has much more motivation” and so, after much discussion and planning, they decided to combine Michael’s CAP Train-the-trainer 6 principles with Edward’s CoRT Thinking syllabus and they started the School of Thinking on November 17, 1979 in New York.

The first intake for Thinking Instructors (TISOT) graduated in March 1980 in New York. One of the original graduates was Eric Bienstock who became the first Chief Instructor SOT and is now Vice Principal of the school.

In 1982, Michael and Edward co-authored the ‘Learn-To-Think Coursebook and Instructors Manual’ (Capra/New) which became a cover story on all global editions of Readers Digest, the world’s highest-circulation magazine and launched the biggest program in the world for teaching teachers-of-thinking.

SOT’s Brainpower Audit was designed by Dr Eric Bienstock who is Vice-Principal of SOT in New York. Eric based this checklist on the SOT’s ‘Learn-To-Think Coursebook and Instructors Manual‘.

To qualify as a Thinking Instructor you must have both your BCT Certificate and completed Advanced Leadership Training.

• To apply write to Michael by clicking here.

Tim Brown is the CEO and president of IDEO, an innovation and design firm with headquarters in Palo Alto, California.

• In his HBR article Tim Brown talks about Design Thinking:

His designs have won numerous awards and been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Axis Gallery in Tokyo, and the Design Museum in London.

• Click here for Tim Brown’s TED talk

Very often people ask why the SOT is free. Why are there no fees? Some people are even sceptical that it is free and wait for the “money-scheme” to ambush them.

There is nothing wrong with charging fees for services and SOT is actually funded by the fees we do charge to corporations for consulting. But, on the web, SOT is free and has been since it first started.

In 1995, the School of Thinking became the first virtual school on the internet as one of the world’s first 10,000 websites. Today the internet has more than 600 million websites.

In those first days the ethos of the internet was “Information wants to be free!” and SOT became the world’s first school for teaching thinking to anyone, anywhere and at anytime. As Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the WWW puts it, “The spirit of the internet was not one of patents and royalties but of academic openness”.

STEWART BRAND spreads the “information wants to be free” meme at the first Hackers’ Conference in 1984 …

“On the one hand information wants to be expensive, because it’s so valuable. The right information in the right place just changes your life. On the other hand, information wants to be free, because the cost of getting it out is getting lower and lower all the time. So you have these two fighting against each other.”

Here are my two main books, Software For Your Brain and WOMBAT Selling: How to sell by Word of Mouth. There are also some other resources you can use and pass on.

If you wish, you do have my permission to forward this link or the links to any of these resources to your colleagues, associates, employees, sporting organisations, family and schools. There are no fees.

With best wishes,

Michael

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SUMMARY OF cvs2bvs PRESENTATION
• The 59 Second Course in Thinking – “ESCAPE + SEARCH = THINK”
http://www.schoolofthinking.org/how-sot-training/59-second-course-in-thinking/
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BOOKS
First, there are two main books which you can download with my compliments:
• THINK: Software For Your Brain
http://www.schoolofthinking.org/about/cvstobvs-universal-brain-software/

• SELL: WOMBAT Selling
http://www.newsellcoaching.com/the-book/
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ONLINE TRAINING
Second, you can do online training sent to you by daily emails (all pro bono) here:
• THINK: Beyond Critical Thinking
http://www.schoolofthinking.org/

• SELL: WOMBAT Selling by Word of Mouth
http://www.newsellcoaching.com/
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VIDEO
• Michael on Leadership.
http://www.newsellcoaching.com/2008/michael-on-leadership-2/

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INTERVIEWS
• Australia: Simon Chen – An Interview With Michael Hewitt-Gleeson
http://blog.eightblack.com/2007/an-interview-with-michael-hewitt-gleeson/

• Germany: Michael interviewed by Florian Rustler
http://www.schoolofthinking.org/2008/germany-michael-interview-with-florian-rustler/

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ARTICLES
• Strategic Thinking: Most business leaders spend their time and energy on solving the wrong problem.
http://www.schoolofthinking.org/how-sot-training/think-darwin/

• Beyond the Abyss: We are living in exponential times!
Did you hear, for example, that:
• China will soon become the #1 English speaking country in the world
• 25% of India’s population with the highest IQ is greater than the total US population.
• The top ten in-demand jobs in 2010 did not exist in 2004.
http://www.newsellcoaching.com/2008/we-are-living-in-exponential-times/

• Is it true?: How to use Greyscale Thinking.
In our exploding world of cybermedia with peer2peer messaging at the speed of light, I believe that the global epidemic spread of lies may be one of the most serious challenges facing long-term human survival.
http://www.schoolofthinking.org/about/is-it-true-greyscale-thinking/

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SCHOOLS
• THE BIG BRAIN TRAIN: Teaching Thinking in Australian Schools
In early 2009 SOT will open up the National Brain Training Engine in Australia–The Big Brain Train.
The BIG BRAIN TRAIN is a national innovation initiative to focus attention on:
• the teaching of “thinking skills” and also
• the teaching of “teaching thinking skills” in Australian schools.
• the BIG BRAIN TRAIN is also a pro bono service offered to any educational institution in Australia.
Any school, college, university, TAFE or educational institution may qualify for membership in the National Brain Training Engine.
http://www.schoolofthinking.org/about/sot-in-schools/

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CONGRESS
• World Thinking Congress 2010 (WTC 2010)
Thinking has the power to change attitudes and lives. The World Thinking Congress 2010 will bring together the world’s most fascinating thinkers. In a fast paced format, the best speakers and thinkers will come alive on stage at the new Melbourne Convention Centre. As for your invitation here:
http://www.schoolofthinking.org/2007/the-world-thinking-congress-escape-search-think/

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This is your invitation to come to Melbourne for an unforgettable week that will change your life in August 2010!

The School of Thinking is pleased to announce that it will host the World Thinking Congress at the new Melbourne Convention Centre on Monday 16, Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 August 2010.

Melbourne is the home base of the School of Thinking and was recently named by the UN as the City of Literature.

What: WTC 2010 – The World Thinking Congress, 2010.
The theme of WTC 2010 will be: Escape + Search = Think
Why: The purpose of WTC is to promote better thinking in the world.
When: 16-18 August, 2010 for 3 Days of Program.
Where: The new Melbourne Convention Centre.
Who:
- Audience: Science – Business – Family.
- Speakers: World’s top headline speakers in these three sectors.
- Delegates: International. National. State Capital and Regions.
How: The 1500 tickets for each of the three days will be on sale from August 2009.

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•• Click here to preview the logo of the World Thinking Congress 2010: world-thinking-cong-logo3

CONGRESS PROGRAM OUTLINE

Thinking has the power to change attitudes and lives. The World Thinking Congress 2010 will bring together the world’s most fascinating thinkers. In a fast paced format, the best speakers and thinkers will come alive on stage at the new Melbourne Convention Centre which will be the first 6 Star Green-rated centre in the world.

The Congress will present thoughts and ideas, promote public debate and foster and celebrate innovation in thinking. Covering three main streams of thought: Science; Business and Family, the program will address what people want to know, don’t want to know, do and don’t know.

The Congress presents local, national and international thinkers, alongside speakers, creators and observers over three days where approximately 50 speakers each take 20 minutes to demonstrate to the audience their “best of” thinking. A major international speaker will take the stage to start off the thinking each day, followed by other international and national speakers and experts in their various areas of interest.

The Congress will host nearly 5000 delegates from Australia and around the world. There will be 1500 delegates for each of the three days. Delegates may attend one, two or all three of the days.

School of Thinking members will be given first priority for tickets.

The event will be recorded and edited highlights of each day will be played at the beginning and end of each day. The Congress website will include highlights and full presentations from this event making these insights available free to the public after the event.

PROPOSED SPEAKER IDEAS

SOT is currently conducting negotiations with over 30 world class speakers to cover the three streams of the congress: Science, Business and Family.

•• DAY ONE: SCIENCE
Leaders from academic and research institutes will assemble to hear the thoughts of the leading “thinkers” in the world. We will hear about the very biggest ideas in science, medicine, education, psychology, philosophy and the future of life. For example:

Richard Dawkins – evolutionary biologist and popular science author.

Vandana Shiva – one of the world’s most dynamic and provocative thinkers, physicist, ecologist, and activist.

Alain De Botton – author who explores his own experiences and ideas, those of artists, philosophers & thinkers – a ‘philosophy of everyday life.’

Professor Martin Seligman – expert on learned helplessness, on depression, on optimism and pessimism and positive psychology.

Peter Singer – Australian philosopher.

Greg Foliente – considered one of the world’s leading experts in the performance approach in Architecture, Engineering and Construction.

Cheryl Paten – Australian Young Professional Engineer of the Year.

Judi Stewart – currently Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Great Barrier Reef Research Foundation.

DAY TWO : BUSINESS

Bob Isherwood – worldwide Creative Director of Saatchi & Saatchi

Charles Leadbeater – one of the world’s leading authorities on innovation and creativity in organisations.

Jim Collins – student and teacher of enduring great companies — how they grow, how they attain superior performance, and how good companies can become great companies.

Dr Thomas Barlow – highly respected within the Australian scientific community for his enthusiasm, independent thinking and imagination.

Peter Williams - partner with Deloitte, CEO of the newly formed Deloitte Digital and one of Australia’s thought leaders on Innovation and online, mobile & emerging technology.

Morris Miselowski – business futurist & thinker.

DAY THREE: FAMILY

Laura Bush – dedicated to advancing education in the United States and worldwide.

Stephen Pinker – conducts research on language and cognition – author of seven books, including The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works, Words and Rules, & The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature.

Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity? – Creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson challenges the way we’re educating our children. He champions a radical rethink of our school systems, to cultivate creativity. • View his TED talk here.

Jeremy Gutsche – innovation expert, cutting edge speaker and founder of TrendHunter.com, the world’s largest network for trend spotting and innovation.

Richard Neville – Australia’s Most controversial futurist.

Shane Maloney – gritty crime author and passionate advocate of public education.

James Ingram – leader of a task force appointed by the Crawford Fund to analyze the underlying causes of the recent sharp peak in world food prices, to consider their long term implications for global food security and to formulate policy options open to Australia.

Brett Murray – one of Australia’s leading recognised experts in Gen ‘X’, and Gen ‘Y’.

Barbara Pocock – director of the Centre for Work + Life at the University of South Australia.

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WHO DO YOU WANT?
Post below the name of a speaker whom you would like to see invited to present their best idea at WTC 2010.