We’re all about tearing down institutions here on Innovation Hub. From replacing journalists with robots to the end of the HR department, we love bringing you stories about how old ways of doing things are being completely upended. So we’re excited for this week’s show, where we’ll give you a look at what’s changing the legal profession, colleges, and even our notions of creativity.
To start off, stuffy, hide-bound, expensive lawyers may be disappearing. Legal professor Gillian Hadfield of USC sees a future where lawyers are much more accessible to the public, with technology making it easier for everyone to get the legal help they need - without paying hundreds of dollars an hour. If you don’t think that's possible, Canadians can already find a lawyer at Walmart. Seriously.
Peter Thiel, no stranger to tearing down institutions, explains how colleges are preparing students for a changing world; and by "how," we mean not at all. Plus, if you were worried that most of our recent inventions are more virtual than physical, so does Thiel. To really change the world for the better, he thinks innovators can’t just use computers:
Speaking of Peter Thiel and college, we hear from a recipient of the Thiel Fellowship. Laura Deming was given $100,000 dollars to drop out of MIT and pursue her dream. Unlike a lot of college students, whose dreams are mostly beer-pong related, her dream was to help develop therapies for age-related illnesses. Deming talks about what the experience was like, what she gained from striking out on her own, and what she lost from not pursuing a traditional college experience.
Finally, introverts. They’re not just standing in the corner of a party anymore, simultaneously hoping that somebody talks to them and wishing they’ll be left alone. Author Susan Cain thinks that introverts are powerful, creative, and important, and they’re not given nearly enough credit. Here’s why your office needs introverts, and why Steve Jobs needed Steve Wozniak:
And this week's music:
