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The Forum, the BBC World Service programme which boldly crosses boundaries: scientific, creative and geographic, presented by Bridget Kendall.

MEET THE GUESTS

Professor David Edgerton's news book The Shock of the Old looks at the history of technology and argues that the common emphasis on innovation and invention is unhelpful - concentrating on usage will provide a much more accurate global picture over time.

In his latest book American cultural historian Lennard Davis argues that we are living in a golden age of obsession and asks us to rethink the boundary between pathological and culturally accepted forms of obsession.

Gerry Salole of The European Foundation Centre is a specialist in the field of community development with a life-long interest in the role of home-grown self-help organisations.

Each week one guest presents an idea to enhance the world. This week it's the turn of Lennard Davis.

Listen to the 60 Second Idea To Change The World

Your comments...

As an ethnomusicologist I would like to propose an alternative scenario to sign language and silence, rather that we become louder and empower ourselves through collective music making unhindered by the amount of time it takes to express our ideas sequentially, in written, oral and sign languages. There is no universal language, but the odd common musical word. Let's burn the pseudo world of books and empower ourselves to slay the myth of Atlas Shrugged.
Liam
Kent, UK

I love the forum and really enjoyed last weeks offering. I love the one minute presentation in favour of sign language. And Jerry Salole explanation of how we underestimate and undervalue innate wisdom and natural ability and jump in with our solutions before an event has even taken place. A lot of what Jerry said sounded like Buddhist i.e. caring in the community and supporting the burial groups and the beggars going on to bigger and better things due to their own abilities.
Bernadette
Nairobi Kenya
*Edited comments may be published online.