Sometimes if you don’t learn from history, you are doomed to LOSE THE OPPORTUNITY to repeat it;)
The most interesting ideas often come from unexpected places (and times:)
Around 2000 years ago, the Romans started adding a certain kind of volcanic ash that made concrete self-repairing. The ash contained calcium that would naturally fill gaps as they opened up. This innovation enabled them to make concrete that was more durable than what we make today. According to the NHK TV program Science Zero, the record of this discovery was found in what seem to be contemporaneous documents…
Scientists in Tokyo are using this and other innovations to develop concrete that recycles resources (e.g. leftover food scraps), generates less CO2 and in some cases lasts longer than standard concrete. Chinese cabbage (白菜) seems to have just the right balance of fibre and sugars to maximize durability.
The images come from Science Zero, a program on NHK, the Japanese version of BBC. (Everyone hates NHKs payment collection system, but I love a lot of the programming;)
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Often when we think we have run out of options, it is because the best options are waiting for us in a time, place, domain or even in the mind of a person we never even considered as a source. Especially in our hectic race for results (which at least on a metaphorical level is often akin to a deep aversion to delayed gratification), we neglect the exploration and iteration stages of a learning cycle. These stages are characterized by uncertainty. For most people most of the time, uncertainty is something to be avoided, so we force a problem into the define and execute stages – even though the certainty of what we have defined is often illusory and the outcome we need is not execution (based on what we already know how to do) but rather transformation (learning what we need to know how to do).
Explore and iterate stages of a learning cycle require mindsets, physiology and modes of interaction that are very different from those associated with the define and execute stages.
If what we are aiming for is transformational change, we need to learn how to stay calm and engaged in the midst of all of the stress, impatience and distraction that are often associated with exploration and iteration. The world won’t do this for us, but it is possible for us to learn how to shift between these very different modes of being with ourselves, our peers and the world.
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EDIT: Explore – Define – Iterate – Transform
EDIT: A formula you can use to convert change (変化) into transformation (変革) by writing stories of agency, purpose, growth, connection, contribution and meaning
CIAO: Context – Intention – Action – Outcome
CIAO helps you build a bridge from exploration to execution
This quote from Nicholas Clairmont on Big Think also caught my eye:
“History shows that both those who do not learn history and those who do learn history are doomed to repeat it.”
https://bigthink.com/culture-religion/those-who-do-not-learn-history-doomed-to-repeat-it-really
© Dana Cogan, 2025, all rights reserved.