"Companies make a thing, then tell media companies, 'Please tell the world about this.' It should work in a more collaborative fashion. We should say, 'Here's what we think the world needs. Can you make this?' And go back and forth."

Adam Steltzner, a rocket scientist for the NASA Mars rover missions, opened ASAE's Technology Conference & Expo this week and spoke about brainstorming. After spearheading the successful Mars Rover landing in 2012, he learned this:

Watching an enlightening new production of Lillian Hellman's 1939 play The Little Foxes here at Arena Stage the other night, I should have had my pen out. A quote early on really struck me. It went sort of like, "We have to do something new—that's the only way to make money these days."

One of the themes of the SIPA 2016 Conference this week was simplicity. I heard it in Dan Hanover's wonderful events session yesterday when he said that "attendees register with their eyes" so use "short impactful content." He showed us an old registration webpage with lots of copy vs. a new one with dramatic photos and "Ready. Set. Register." centered in big letters. Guess which one did better?

Exiting a wonderful new play this weekend in New York titled Familiar by Danai Gurira—she is also represented on Broadway now with Eclipsed—my friend said, "That plot reminded me of something else I just saw." We couldn't think of it but did agree that the three sisters of the play is also a common plot, as is bringing everyone together for an impending wedding.