NYTimes July 29, 1914, “AUSTRIA FORMALLY DECLARES WAR ON SERVIA” announces the beginning of World War I (Credit: Wikipedia)

The latest New York Times carries two striking pieces that are both mainly about risk. One is a big piece on the data centers that constitute “the cloud” and consist of acres of servers humming with power. The other, an informative opinion piece on the next pandemic, and its potential sources.

We tolerate carnage on the road, are 100% risk averse in the air, and rarely think about it anywhere else. Yet risk awareness likes at the heart of all complex decisions, and this becomes more true the faster change takes place and the more disruptive innovation shows itself to be.

Carry that thought into work and play as this new week starts. It can only help.

Data Centers Waste Vast Amounts of Energy, Belying Industry Image – NYTimes.com.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/23/opinion/sunday/anticipating-the-next-pandemic.html?hp