Attended Charles Townes 99th birthday event

I attended a celebration of the 99th birthday of Charles Townes, held on his birthday, July 28, 2014, at the University of California, Berkeley.

Charlie and I talked briefly, after the formal part of the event. (Photo below, by Taran Singh) I gave him a copy of “Physics Math Reset.” (Previously, we met via Caltech-related events, I provided him some computer advice, and he and I served on the advisory board for Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public policy.)

It was good to learn more about Charlie’s many accomplishments and interests.

At that event, I met Taran Singh, who is producing a film, Unturned Stones (and link), about Charles Townes. Taran and I plan to stay in touch, regarding the film and perhaps other matters.

It was also good to talk with various people who have had long-term relationships with Berkeley’s Physics Department.

Charles Townes and Thomas J. Buckholtz (photo by Taran Singh)

Interviews posted for TCP/IP 40 event

Interviews, including one of me, have been posted for an event commemorating the 40th anniversary of Vint Cerf’s and Bob Kahn’s drafting of specifications for TCP/IP.

While I was not involved in the effort 40 years ago, I tried to provide perspective about thinking and action – especially within the U.S. federal government – about networking and telecommunications standards during the period 1989 to 1993 (when I served as a General Services Administration commissioner, with roles including that of co-CIO [chief information officer] for the Executive Branch of the federal government.)

Many people contributed much to make the event and interview possible. Some of these people include Greg Berkin (who interviewed me), Vint Cerf, Tammy Chan, Bill Daul, Mei Lin Fung, Kennan Kellaris Salinero, and Shannon McElyea.

Spoke on Dark Matter and Dark Energy, for NextNow

Recently, I gave two “Shedding Light on Dark Matter and Dark Energy and More” talks for NextNow.  One talk was July 18 in Berkeley.  The other was July 27 in Portola Valley.  (Each municipality is in the San Francisco Bay Area in northern California.)  Here is a link to a video of the second talk.

I was pleased that “non-scientists” seemed genuinely interested and asked good questions.  I discussed (in non-science terms) research that attempts the following.

• Suggest descriptions of dark matter and dark energy.
• Explain quantum gravity and unify it with electromagnetism.
• Compute the mass of the Higgs boson and suggest masses of neutrinos.
• Suggest a basis for P violation, CP violation, … and reframe concepts of such violations.
• Predict undiscovered elementary particles and basic interactions.
• List known elementary particles and find new uses for the Standard Model.
• Provide other results.

I was one of several speakers (4 in Berkeley and 8 in Portola Valley).  Each talk was limited to 5 minutes.  11 of the 12 presentations each had 20 slides, with an automated change of slide every 15 seconds.  The format is called Ignite.  Other speakers discussed software and patents (Randy Farmer), a youth program based on sailing and discussing STEM {science, technology, engineering, and mathematics} (Ian Andrewes, The American Youth Sailing Force), the future of NextNow (Jay Cross), the practice of happiness (Randy Taran – Project Happiness), chocolate and writing (Birgitte Rasine – Birgitte Racine’s author web site), how to write books (Joel Orr), and why smart is sometimes dumb and dumb sometimes wise (Prasad Kaipa).

I would like to thank Bill Daul, Jay Cross, and Tammy Chan for offering these speaking opportunities and recording video.  Bill started NextNow years ago.  I have been privileged to be a member.  Various people, including Jay and Bill, are helping to try to even more invigorate the group.

Coincidentally, CreateSpace (an Amazon.com subsidiary) listed my book, Physics Small and Vast: Basic Interactions (via Create Space), earlier on the day of my presentation in Portola Valley.  And, the book is now available via Amazon at Physics Small and Vast: Basic Interactions (via Amazon.com), Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, and Amazon.fr.

Thomas J. Buckholtz talks with NextNow in Berkeley (photo by Jay Cross)

Thomas J. Buckholtz talks with NextNow in Portola Valley, July 26, 2013 (photo by Tammy Chan)

NextNow audience in Portola Valley (photo by Bill Daul)

Setting up for Thomas J. Buckholtz to speak for NextNow in Portola Valley (photo by Bill Daul)

“Being an example” published by Jon Harvey

Recently, Jon Harvey published my Being an example short article in his Inspirational Leadership series.  Writing this article provided me an opportunity to try to summarize lessons learned from working with Katherine E. Boyd.

It was an privilege and a pleasure to know and work with Katie Boyd.  Here are some principles I believe Katie exemplified.

a) Do whatever you can.

b) Ask for whatever you should.

c) Provide appreciation.

d) Support those who support your causes.

e) Try new outreach.

f) It may not be necessary to tout your role.

g) Lead by being an example.

I would like to thank Jon Harvey for giving me an opportunity to reflect on the past and to try to offer people these principles and some examples of results from my trying to follow such concepts.

Led Discussion on From Great Potential to Not-So-Great Results – What are we missing?

Recently, Mark Finnern and SAP hosted an “open mike” Future Salon.  I led a discussion on “From Great Potential to Not-So-Great Results – What are we missing?”  (link: https://t.co/shxaWiaF , starting around minute 26:20 and ending around minute 38)  People presented concepts.  There did not seem to be much disagreement with the concept that society can and should try to frame more important issues, solve more important problems, and capture more specific opportunity.  In response to a question, I mentioned opportunities to reconsider to what extent people and discussion focus on individuals and to what extent people and discussion focus on groups.  I also noted opportunities to consciously improve self-awareness and thinking skills.

Another person led a later session and recommended people’s focusing more on deciding what they want to achieve compared to trying to achieve what they think they want.

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Gave presentation for Phi Beta Kappa

Recently, I led an after-dinner session on “From Great Potential … To Not-So-Great Effects. What is society missing? What can we do about it?” for the Northern California Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.

I very much appreciate audience members’ contributing much during the presentation, Cal Wood’s having invited me and being such a considerate host, the opportunity to help support Phi Beta Kappa’s scholarship fund, and my being able to enjoy some time at Asilomar State Beach.

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Published book “Create Crucial Insight”

Recently, I completed and made available a new book, Create Crucial Insight.

Insight matters.  People use insight to be aware, to plan, to achieve, and to appreciate achievements.  Needs for crucial insight range from personal to global.

Now, you can use Direct Outcomes checklists to create crucial insight – easily and quickly – throughout your work.  People use Direct Outcomes to frame issues, solve problems, and create opportunities.

Address pivotal questions such as the following.  “What services do our customers need?”  “What do we need to do?”  “How well do we need to do it?”  “Who best should do it?”  “What impact will it have?”  “What should we say?”  “What else should we consider?”  Gain crucial, situation-specific insight.

I wrote this book so that you can use Direct Outcomes, think well, create crucial insight, use the insight, do great, and thrive.

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Wrote service-science chapter on metrics that matter

Recently, Springer published a book Service Systems Implementation containing my chapter Metrics That Matter: Measuring and Improving the Value of Service.  The chapter’s abstract states the following.

This chapter features two metrics for the value of service and provides how-to advice for using them to attribute value, improve service, create service-innovation roadmaps, select metrics, and promote service science. The chapter also presents perspective and advice regarding service offerings and measurement and provides examples of using the two metrics.

Key words include the following.

Metrics – value – innovation – roadmap – functionality – proficiency – service science – service systems

The following material (from Springer) describes the book.

Service Systems Implementation provides the latest applications and practices aimed at improving the key performance indicators of service systems, especially those related to service quality, service productivity, regulatory compliance, and sustainable service innovation.  The book presents action-oriented, application-oriented, design science-oriented (artifacts building: constructs, models, methods and instantiations) and case study-oriented research with actionable results by illustrating techniques that can be employed in large scale, real world examples. The case studies will help visualize service systems along the four key dimensions of people, information, technology and value propositions which can help enable better integration between them towards higher value propositions.

The chapters, written by leading experts in the field, examine a wide range of substantive issues and implementations related to service science in various industries. These contributions also showcase the application of an array of research methods, including surveys, experiments, design science, case studies and frameworks, providing the reader with insights and guidelines to assist in building their own service systems, and thus, moving toward a more favorable service customer and provider experience.

Service Systems Implementation, along with its companion text, The Science of Service Systems, is designed to present multidisciplinary and multisectoral perspectives on the nature of service systems, on research and practice in service, and on the future directions to advance service science. These two volumes compose a collection of articles from those involved in the emerging area known as service science.

I would like to thank the book’s editors – Haluk Demirkan, James C. Spohrer, and Vikas Krishna – for providing me the opportunity to contribute thus to the field or service science.  The book is one in a series – Service Science: Research and Innovations in the Service Economy.

As well as being available via links above, the Service Systems Implementation is available through Amazon.com via this link.

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Spoke regarding grassroots innovation

On November 18, 2009, I led a discussion entitled “Grassroots Innovation: One Pebble Creates a Ripple.”  The event was one in the EMC Leadership & Innovation Speaker Series, which meets at EMC in Silicon Valley.

I presented a “recipe” for grassroots innovation (and other endeavors), based on a Direct Outcomes thinking tool. I discussed two histories, one (the creating of the Palos Verdes Estates Shoreline Preserve) in which I provided a pebble and one (Pacific Gas and Electric’s early to mid 1980s company-wide innovation program known as the Office Technology Project) in which I had various roles regarding “ripples” and “creating new pebbles.”

Audience-suggested discussion involved topics including …

• LUC – The law of unintended consequences.
• Converting problems into opportunities.
• Moral responsibility.
• Timing, regarding pursuing innovations.
• What constitutes an “innovation?”
• Is the term “innovation” overused?
• Are people “saturated” with too many ideas?

I note that there is a blog noting “10 Principles of Pebbles” – http://curiosityquotient.blogspot.com/2009/11/10-pebble-principles-for-innovation.html

I appreciate the contributions of the committee the organized this event.  It developed the “pebble and ripples” title for the event.  Sheryl Chamberlain (of EMC) hosted the meeting and helped involve the audience.  Mike Alvarado provided suggestions for setting expectations.

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Attended CED program regarding healthcare reform

On November 10, 2009, I attended a program, co-sponsored by the Committee for Economic Development (CED) and the Bay Area Council, regarding healthcare reform in the United States.

A highlight was a description of Safeway‘s programs to promote employee wellness and (in so doing) foster employee and Safeway financial health.  This talk presented key concepts – from overall principles … to steps people can take to improve their health … to details as to how the company is capping the charges associated with one type of insurance-covered procedure.

The principles include …

• Insure everyone – no one should be left out.
• Create more personal responsibility.
• Encourage prevention and wellness by linking healthy behaviors to financial incentives.
• Provide cost and quality transparency.
• Pay more for results and less for service rendered.

Some observations include …

• 70% of healthcare costs are driven by behavior.
• Four chronic conditions comprise 74% of healthcare costs.
• Obesity is a driving factor in all four chronic conditions.
• Transparency is critical to controlling costs.

The talk included suggestions for how people can decrease weight via reduced food consumption and more physical activity.

One cost-capping measure is based on the notion that previously, in one geographic area, the billed cost of a colonoscopy might be as low as under $900 and as high as more than $8,000 – with the most significant difference being the cost of, in effect, renting the facility in which the procedure is performed.  Safeway insurance plans now pay up to an amount for which any employee in the region should be able to get a colonoscopy without travelling more than 30 miles.

Evidently, Safeway is finding enough success and promise in the overall program that it is now providing how-to advice for other employers.

Also, this CED / Bay Area Council program discussed aspects of possible forthcoming legislation, including a bill proposed by Senators Wyden (Democrat – Oregon) and Bennett (Republican – Utah).  CED provided copies of its report “Quality, Affordable Health Care for All: Moving Beyond the Employer-Based Health-Insurance System.”

I appreciate perspective provided by key speakers, including ..

• Charles Kolb, President, CED.
• Robert Chess, Chairman, Nektar Therapeutics.
• Ken Shachmut, Executive Vice President, Safeway Health LLC.
• Alain Enthoven, Professor Emeritus, Stanford University.

And, I appreciate CED’s inviting me to this event.  (Previously, I served on its Board of Trustees).  It was good to reconnect with Charlie, Rob, and Michael Petro (each associated with CED) as well as to talk briefly with Ken, Alain, panel participant Lenny Mednonca (Chairman, McKinsey Global Institute), and panel moderator Lynn Jimenez (KGO).

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