I’m beginning to see a theme emerging in the various discussions taking place about the future – specifically, the changing nature of the interaction between individuals and organisations, be they commercial or social.

Two TED talks I have watched in the last week both articulate the same thought, and bring the theme into sharp relief. Both are very worth your time.

Sugata Mitra: Build a School in the Cloud

A brilliant, funny, inspiring mashup of history, science and pedagogy.

“It’s not about making learning happen, it’s about letting it happen”

Amanda Palmer: The art of asking

I backed her Kickstarter, and although I remain agnostic in some respects, her contribution to the conversation is invaluable. Plus, crucially, her album kicks ass.

“I think people have been obsessed with the wrong question, which is how do we make people pay for music. What if we started asking, how do we let people pay for music.”