Interest is the engine
The other helix in the data to wisdom chain
In information theory, we’re familiar with the chain from data to wisdom. But what we’re also missing in that chain is the double-helix role of interest, conversation, memory and learning
Interest has an understated role to play in how we seek information and learn. It’s the flight path across datascapes. It’s the engine that powers connections in learning.
To create interest, we need to deploy some devices.
- First, we need metaphors. We need to use familiar concepts to talk about unfamiliar ones.
- Next, we need to create space, some pause, before we move from one idea to another. We need time to think.
- Lastly, we need to organise information so people can easily find what they need.
From Information Anxiety 2 by Richard Saul Wurman