Just wanted to point out an excellent article on the Guardian, “The new age of ignorance” (Link). It’s a great piece that’s worth taking the time to read. For example, it includes this important and worthwhile point:

Ordinary people have to keep up. In the world we live in, the new economy, you have to become scientifically literate or you will fall quickly from view.

There are plenty more observations, as well, but of course my favorite bit is this comment:

We no longer make and mend, so we no longer know how anything works.

Of course we’re starting to see a possible change in the status quo as evidenced by all the “How To” websites and the popularity of something like Make: magazine. But then again, we may not be seeing a rapid increase in numbers of “makers” so much as the rapid forming of large communities of previously unconnected makers.

I tend to think it’s a combination of the two, but I certainly hope and expect we’ll see a steady increase in the number of people who “make and mend”. I’d rather see less conformity and more variety any day.