№ 35 | A Forecasting Game from 1966, Polarization, LLM Visual Tree, A Bike Analogy for Self-Care, and a Model to Assess Change Models

№ 35 | A Forecasting Game from 1966, Polarization, LLM Visual Tree, A Bike Analogy for Self-Care, and a Model to Assess Change Models

A forecasting game… from the 1960s?

Here’s a fascinating look at the game of Future“the first notable attempt to engage civilians in the mechanics and social interaction of future forecasting.” For whatever ill-informed and unexamined reasons, I was surprised (but shouldn’t have been) to discover a forecasting game published in 1966. Here's a wonderful trip through the history of this game and the circumstances surrounding it, with nods to a few other foresight methods developed during this time period.

I love the final paragraphs, with the emphasis on the goal of such games being the dialogue that it creates; this speaks in part to why I’m so passionate about “playful things to think with.”

Tools like games with cards and dice are a means to an end, a boundary object around which to converge our diverse expectations and understandings, enticing us to share our perspectives and fill gaps in knowledge — to link assumptions and unknowns. They are best used not to deliver an answer, but to spark collective understanding, and maybe, just maybe, generate a little imagination.

😍

Polarization is NOT the problem?

I’m between audiobooks (always fiction) which means… podcasts! And this one was…🤯. I was enthralled for the full 75 minutes, listening to social scientists and historians discuss polarization, or rather, how “polarization is not the problem… it obscures the problem.” Really interesting discourse and many new concepts to me—even sparking this bit of visual thinking, where I try to work out healthy and unhealthy kinds of conflict.

LLM visual tree

Here’s one to save for future reference: 

An evolutionary tree of modern Large Language Models (LLMs) to trace the development of language models in recent years and highlights some of the most well-known models.

On Bikes, Horses, Mules, and Self-Care

More metaphors to frame our thinking: “No Shame in Self-Care: Reframe Your Life’s Journey with the Bike Analogy.” What is the essential provocation of the bike analogy? ‘Sometimes, you have to dismount your bike and fix it before continuing the journey.’ Good self-care tip. I won’t spoil the horse/mule analogy. 😉

Assessing change models using 6 sources of influence

Here’s a short article— “Assessing change models using 6 sources of influence”—looking at Kotter’s 8 step change model and Dan and Chip Heath’s Switch model through this simple visual:

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№ 93 | Illustrating Complex Systems, Moving Motivators Cards, Working with Team Values, The Eudaimonia Machine, Role-Playing an LLM, Froebel’s Gifts, Senseless Interfaces, and Ojisan Trading Cards

№ 93 | Illustrating Complex Systems, Moving Motivators Cards, Working with Team Values, The Eudaimonia Machine, Role-Playing an LLM, Froebel’s Gifts, Senseless Interfaces, and Ojisan Trading Cards

It’s another issue of the Thinking Things newsletter 🎉 .This time, with a few more than usual playful ‘things to think with’ and think about… Enjoy! 30 Illustrated Frameworks for Complex Problems I tend to shy away from sharing “roundup” sites, and focus more on singular tools, things, methods, games,

By Stephen P. Anderson
№ 92 | Ask This Book A Question, Jackdaw Folders, The Wizards & Workshops Deck, NOISE Analysis + SOLVED Cards, “How Economics Fails to Account for the Climate Crisis”, and TWO 🤯 ‘What If…?’ Questions

№ 92 | Ask This Book A Question, Jackdaw Folders, The Wizards & Workshops Deck, NOISE Analysis + SOLVED Cards, “How Economics Fails to Account for the Climate Crisis”, and TWO 🤯 ‘What If…?’ Questions

Look who’s back—with more playful things to think with! Ask This Book A Question Ask This Book A Question is described as “an interactive game [emphasis mine] that empowers you to understand yourself in a new way, inviting you on a playful journey of self-discovery.” I love publications

By Stephen P. Anderson
№ 91 | Short Films as ‘Playful Things to Think With’, The Workshop Map, Meeting Solar System, A Field Guide to Hype, The Time is Now Toolkit, and Two Short Posts on Cognition

№ 91 | Short Films as ‘Playful Things to Think With’, The Workshop Map, Meeting Solar System, A Field Guide to Hype, The Time is Now Toolkit, and Two Short Posts on Cognition

Another issue. More playful ‘things to think with’ and think about! Short Films as ‘Playful Things to Think With’ I’m going to ‘cheat’ a bit, and share something I just published: Short Films as ‘Playful Things to Think With’. Before the Oscar season gets too far off in the

By Stephen P. Anderson