Hold on ...let's think LO11540

William Welsh (wilycat@infi.net)
Mon, 23 Dec 1996 06:18:05 -0500

Replying to LO11533 --

In LO11533 Ben Compton wrote, as usual, about an array of amazing ideas
based on his experiences relating to the new Star trek movie "First
Contact."

First of all Ben, you give new meaning to the concept of entertainment
value. If everyone's experience at the movies was this profound an
entirely new class of social creatures would emerge. In any event, there
are a few of us who have followed Gene Roddenberry's.(creator of Star
Trek) social contract issues with great interest for, can it be, over
thirty years. As you are probably aware, perhaps the greatest appeal of
Star Trek is the strong implication that, as a species, we make it to the
24th century. (the Doomsday clock comes to mind). As you rightly, IMHO,
point out, even if we do survive, will our technology have turned us into
the physical and moral equivalent of the Borg?

During the 7 year run of the second series (Star Trek, The Next
Generation) the bald guy (Picard, BTW) had frequent opportunity to
articulate the urgency with which humanity had to get its act together in
order to get ahead of the technology curve. It has been my deeply held
conviction that what the Learning Organization represents to the global
"us" is at least a part of the pathway to a humanity-based future. (which
will require significant modification at the moment we contact another
dominant species, a core assumption of the ST series)

In any event, there is a book out (isn't there always?) "Make It So :
Leadership Lessons from Star Trek : The Next Generation;" Bill Ross, Wess
Roberts; that talks, more or less directly, to at least some of the
concerns you expressed regarding LO's relationship to our future. As has
been said so many times before on this list, it is the reason I am in the
business.

Warmest Regards and Best Wishes for a safe holiday season,

William

William O. Welsh III
Chief Learning Officer
Cubic Applications, Inc
wilycat@infi.net
welshw@jwfc.army.mil
"The change will come, whether we choose it or not. The journey
continues..."

-- 

"William Welsh" <wilycat@infi.net>

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>