Indiana Jones, the great (fictional) archaeologist, used his own brains and creativity to tackle the toughest intellectual puzzles in his quest for the Holy Grail. Indy’s self-reliance represents the dominant approach to tough problems, i.e. individuals and organizations look to themselves for the solution. Today, this self-reliance is giving way to a new approach: globally dispersed crowds, often numbering in the thousands, are being engaged to help solve problems at a scale, speed, and scope that dwarfs traditional efforts. (Our recent article on the subject examines how crowds can be used as innovation partners.)
How the Crowd Is Solving an 800-Year-Old Mystery
With a little help from more than 28,000 people, a computer scientist is close to finding Genghis Khan’s tomb.
April 17, 2013