Progress?

Steens oldsmobile
Originally uploaded by Peter Hesseldahl.

A Friend of ours just bought this mint condition Oldmobile 1959. It's an amazing artifact, getting inside feels like entering a time machine. The whole car oozes a completely different logic, a way different world view. It's BIG, it's got tail fins, massive use of chrome, everything is vast and heavy, including the enormous engine. The whole thing weighs in at 2400 kg.
Well, guess what: This happens to be exactly what the Porsche Cayenne SUV or the exceedingly popular VW Touareg weighs. But this is 2005 and our climate has gone haywire in the meantime! It's even worse here in Denmark, where the dealers have found a way of adding a few hundred extra kilos in order to make the Porsche get sufficiently heavy to be taxed like a truck (which happens to have a top speed of 266 km/h).
Sorry to spoil the party, but to me this is one of those totally perverted examples of absolute mindless consumption. A way of sending a very exact signal to everyone else on the road: I don't give a damn.

Folkeskolens formålsparagraf

More stuff in Danish:
Jeg snublede lige over Folkeskolens formålsparagraf. Ganske interessant læsnig i al sin poetisk - juridiske knaphed.
Jeg synes den er flot:

Undervisningsministeriets lovbekendtgørelse nr. 55 af 17. januar 1995
Folkeskolens formål

§ 1. Folkeskolens opgave er i samarbejde med forældrene at fremme elevernes tilegnelse af kundskaber, færdigheder, arbejdsmetoder og udtryksformer, der medvirker til den enkelte elevs alsidige personlige udvikling.

Stk. 2. Folkeskolen må søge at skabe sådanne rammer for oplevelse, virkelyst og fordybelse, at eleverne udvikler erkendelse, fantasi og lyst til at lære, således at de opnår tillid til egne muligheder og baggrund for at tage stilling og handle.

Stk. 3. Folkeskolen skal gøre eleverne fortrolige med dansk kultur og bidrage til deres forståelse for andre kulturer og for menneskets samspil med naturen. Skolen forbereder eleverne til medbestemmelse, medansvar, rettigheder og pligter i et samfund med frihed og folkestyre. Skolens undervisning og hele dagligliv må derfor bygge på åndsfrihed, ligeværd og demokrati.

Danish government searching for the experience economy

The Danish ministry of science and technology has had a think tank pondering the experience economy and what could be done to stimulate this aspect of industry and education. They just released a report with recommendations and a good general overview of the concept. It also has a good list of case stories. Pretty much what any regular reader of Business Week et. al. will have been confronted with - but put into a specifically Danish context, and with a focus on possible actions.
Sorry, it's all in Danish. You ought to learn that language.

What's wrong with this picture?

DSB tea
Originally uploaded by Peter Hesseldahl.

Well, it looks perfectly normal, it IS perfectly normal - and that's what's wrong.
I'm on a train, I ask for a cup of tea. So I get:

1 paper cup
1 tea bag
approx. 150 ml. Hot water
1 wooden stick to stirr
2 plastic container, sealed with aluminium foil, each containing 10 ml. Of low fat milk
1 plastic cup - to place the used tea bag in.
1 napkin

I hate it. I feel sad about it. Wasting the world for silly little things. Often I will simply not ask for anything, but as often I forget - and again I sit there with this pile of highly refined garbage. Certainly, I've tried FAR more consuming solutions to the problem of getting me a cup of tea or a bite to eat. It's out of proportions, but we've become blind to it.

TV debate on EU software patent directive

I participated in the Danish TV-program Deadline, commenting on the culture clash between those that want software patents and those that are opposed. I guess my main point was that if you're operating from a tradtional economic model it makes sense to seek to lock up the inventions you've invested to create. BUT; There's a completely different paradigm brewing, which feeds on some inherent characteristics of the networked, digital society. People are intereacting, building on each other's ideas, contributing, combining - the whole rip and mix thing - and it's my feeling that this will only become more prevalent, and it seems that this is where true new invention takes place. So by changing laws to give the established companies more protection, we weaken a very fertile common space of ideas - which in turn makes us all poorer.
Nothing original there, but it's hardly mainstream politics.
If you're Danish you might want to have a look.

De tavse tsunamier - radio

Det er godt nok længe siden jeg har lavet radio, men nu havde jeg lige muligheden for at lave et indslag til DRs Agenda med betragtninger og interviews fra UNDP konferencen i Paris om udvikling og bistand og FNs millenium development goals.
Indslaget varer omkring 17 minutter og starter ved 21.30.
Lyt til indslaget fra Danmarks Radio
Du kan også læse manuskriptet her i stedet.

Busking, with the blessing of authority

busking_6684_600
Originally uploaded by Peter Hesseldahl.

In the London tube there are now "busking pitches", little areas designated to street musicians.
I've enjoyed endless hours playing with my old band on the streets of Europe - including the London underground. I always hated the part about feeling illegal, always prepared to run lest the police slap a fine on you.
A closer look at the fine print reveals that there's a consideable bureaucracy involved in this case. You can book the spot for two hours at a time, but before you can book, you have to send an application and show up at an audition. Part of the approval procedure involves turning over quite a bit of personal information, including any previous criminal records.
Not very useful for someone just passing through town - but still, overall it looks like progress to me. At least it's officialy acknowledged now.
Oh yeah, and of course the whole setup is sponsored by a local brewery.

Flower power

orchid_7128_800
Originally uploaded by Peter Hesseldahl.

Just spent the better part of two days at the annual "orchid festival" in London's Kew gardens photographing flowers together with my 13 year old daughter. What a great experience! The flowers are amazing, the whole botanical garden is an impressive testimony to the splendour of the British empire and victorian wealth.
And the best part of it is sharing the experience and a concentrated creative effort with Katrine.
Returning with about 500 shots, we should have plenty of stuff to rehearse our photoshop skills on.

Flower power 2

orchid_7198_600
Originally uploaded by Peter Hesseldahl.

Flower power 1

orchid_7210_600
Originally uploaded by Peter Hesseldahl.

A page full of links to science centers

I've been taking a close look at the web pages of various science centers and exploratorium around the world. I've compiled some of the links on this page - in case someone else happens to share my interest.
... And by the way, let me know if you do.

Hold jer langt fra Team Benn's rejser

(Don't worry, this is only of interest to Danes)
Hvad skal man gøre? Vi er 25 voksne og børn, der har købt en skiferie i Norge her om en uge. Tilfældigvis ringer en af os til rejsebureauet - Team Benn - og får tilfældigvis at vide, at de ikke kører med sovebusser i Norge. Det ændrer unægteligt udsigterne en del i betragtning af at vi bliver læsset direkte ud at stå på ski, når vi ankommer.
Men vi har betalt rejsen, og de holder på pengene, selvom guderne skal vide, at vi aldrig var hoppet på den, hvis vi vidst at vi ville komme til at sidde ret og op og ned to nætter i vores ferie.
Team Benn tilbyder at kompensere ved at tilbagebetale de 100 kr. pr. person som vi havde betalt ekstra for sovevogn. Rørende...
De har vidst det i månedsvis, men har indkradset betalingen uden at give varsel. Vi kunne have arrangeret alt muligt andet, hvis bare de havde sagt noget.
Puh, det stinker!
Så hold jer fra Team Benns.
(Ah, sådan, nu har jeg det meget bedre)

Nostalgia

...just a little snippet of a song.
Bonnie Raitt singing "Angel from Montgomery" on "Road tested":
"The years they just flow by like a broken-down dam"

New job!

I suppose I should make an announcement:
I've changed jobs. I now work for Danfoss Universe in Nordborg, Denmark.
Danfoss is one of the largest Danish companies, they make thermostats, valves, pumps - all kinds of components for houses and macinery.
The foundation behind the company is starting up an experience park with the purpose of presenting the basic concepts of natural science. Like an exploratorium, the idea is to introduce children to the fascination of science and technology in a hands-on way. The park will open may 5th, starting out with 135 different exhibits (including a 20 meter high blue cube with an 18 meter artificial geyser, an artificial glacier and a simulation of a volcano inside). There will also be an educational center based on Howard Gardners 7 intelligences. Over time, the intention is to make Danfoss Universe a center for developing better ways of teaching natural sciences.
It's a subject that is dear to my heart, but what's most exciting to me is what we potentially will be able to build on this platform. There's any number of important stories to tell.
You can see a little at our rudimentary website below. It WILL become a lot better, very soon.
Danfoss museum and teknorama

Massive Change: The Future of Global Design

Massive Change: The Future of Global Design
Excellent project. Bruce Mau studio has created an exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery describing the massive change we're heading for in coming years. The emphasis is very much on what you can do yourself to act and become a player in shaping this future.
Of course it's beautifully designed, stunning pictures.
And the radio interviews are a special treat.
You can listen to hour-long interviews with folks like Dean Kamen, Steward brand, Janine Benyus, Fridtjof Capra, Bob Langer... it goes on and on.

Designer surveillance

jewish museum surveillance
Originally uploaded by Peter Hesseldahl.

Who said Big Brother couldn't be Stylish?
Daniel Liebeskind's Jewish museum in Berlin.

Mein freund Ampelmann

ampelmann
Originally uploaded by Peter Hesseldahl.

Unter den Linden, Berlin. A few things remain of the old east - the Ampelmann, for instance. Nice touch, particularly around Friedrichstrasse, probably the most blatantly capitalist new part of town.

Cyber chauffeur

cyber_chauffeur
Originally uploaded by Peter Hesseldahl.

Speaking of futuristic taxis:
Here's a snapshot from a cab in Tokyo.
Old world: white gloved chauffeur, in cap and uniform. Immaculately clean interior, including white lace seat covers.
New world: Headset dangling from his ear, satellite navigation, various unidentified hi-tech.
Driving through Tokyo, the metropolis itself a mix of ancient traditions and Beyond Bladerunner.

Meter mirror

taxameter mirror
Originally uploaded by Peter Hesseldahl.

I saw this neat futuristic feature in a Berlin cab. The price of the meter is displayed in the rearview merror.
Toll!

smart parking - Berlin

smart parking
Originally uploaded by Peter Hesseldahl.

Why aren't all city cars like this?