Silicon Valley and Intelligent Design

Most of the design that goes on in Silicon Valley is intelligent, but Intelligent Design is not. I'm not going to get into the faith or the politics behind ID, it is really not of much interest to me. What is important, however, is the quality of education in the Valley and in the US in general.

Many SV CEOs have made a passionate plea for the improvement of public education in this country, if the US is to remain competitive on a global scale. Silicon Valley is based on innovation and the relentless pursuit of the next big idea. At its foundation, the basis of that pursuit is math and science education.

By introducing a philosophic/religious theory as "science", we are chipping away at that foundation. Turning an intellectual pursuit such as science into a non-intellectual issue of faith will re-align our entire relationship with science, which could have far reaching negative implications for the health of innovation in Silicon Valley and in the US in general.

Countries around the world are focused on improving the capacity for innovation among their societies, and that is a very very good thing. It will spur global innovation and increase an idea's time to market. What will be bad is if the US abandons the pursuit of real science and drops out of the innovation race.


Silicon Valley Watcher--Former FT reporter Tom Foremski and team reporting on the business of Silicon Valley at the intersection of media and technology