Have you ever heard of Williamsport?  When presented with this question, most people hesitate and then say, "I think so.  Isn’t that where they play the little league world series?"   Although that is true, there is much more about Williamsport than meets the eye.  In fact, the city was recently praised as the 7th fastest growing metropolitan area in the nation according to a study by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. A recent article by the Williamsport Sun Gazette highlights this statistic and provides some argument as to why this is the case.  Among the reasons discussed for this rise are the emergence of the gas industry and a pro-business stance by the city of Williamsport.  There are many organizations within the greater Williamsport area which support the development of emerging businesses and technology.  Organizations like the WLCC, Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ), Industrial Modernization Center (IMC), Tech Futures, the Ben Franklin Technology Partners, and more encourage the development of business in the region. With such great support from regional organizations, it comes as no great surprise that Discovery Machine has been able to succeed.  Discovery Machine is located in the heart of Williamsport with our offices residing in the old city hall building.  We have had the support of a variety of regional government and commercial organizations and each has contributed to our success.  People often wonder why Discovery Machine is in Williamsport.  The answer is simple; Williamsport is an area the supports hard work and growth.  Discovery Machine might be a small company but it produces powerful artificial intelligence training solutions in commercial and government efforts alike. So, have you heard of Williamsport?  Next time someone asks, I hope you don’t simply say that’s where they play little league".  Instead I hope you answer, "Yes, that’s where Discovery Machine is pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence."

I’m constantly amazed at how employees and managers seem to consider training for themselves and their people not as an important opportunity but as a fringe benefit, reward, or social occasion, with little if any plan or expectation on the part of attendees or their managers to maximize the investment.  This is a shame. I find that with a minimal amount of forethought, the effectiveness, retention and practical application of almost any training opportunity can be greatly enhanced.  This is true whether it is a presentation, classroom lecture, experiential learning situation, or even an internship.  Here are three steps to follow to make sure training has a real impact on your organization. Step 1:  Set learning goals prior to training. Before any learning experience, set goals for yourself and with your manager of what you hope to learn during the training.  Just as we read faster and with better comprehension when we read with questions in mind, learning goals help us focus our attention and retention of concepts discussed in training. For example, after you read the description of a training session, make a list of specific questions you would like to have answered while you are in the training. Ask how the session applies to your current or future job responsibilities.  Then talk about your expectations with your manager and others in your immediate work group.  Their comments might prompt you to form additional questions or learning goals for the training.  The clearer your expectations for what you want to get out of the training, the greater the chances you will achieve those expectations. Step 2:  Use real-life applications in the training. Once you are in the training, consistently try to apply what is being discussed back to your job and work group.  For example, if the course is about communication skills, consider how to apply this learning with your employees, manager, and colleagues.  If there is a chance to role-play, use someone you are having difficulty communicating with in your work group as a case study for your activity.  If the course is on leadership, make it an opportunity to actively define your philosophy of leadership with examples to illustrate your beliefs.  If the course is about problem solving, select one or more problems from your work environment to address during the seminar. With other attendees and with the instructor, during a break or at the end of the day, discuss the application of the concepts to your focus area.  Also, before the session ends, check your list of questions to be sure all items have been addressed. The more you can view training as a chance to pause and examine problems and situations in your work setting, the more apt you are to get lasting value from the program. Even if the training doesn’t call for it, make an action plan so that when you’re back on the job you will be able to implement learnings and insights you gained in the program. Step 3:  Follow up on learnings once you are back at work. As soon as you are back on the job, get out your original learning goals and see how many you achieved.  Share what you have learned with others—your manager, your peers, or your employees.  Having to explain things you learned will help you integrate those concepts into your own behavior. Identify at least one change you can make right away to gain momentum for making other changes and to keep from slipping back, unchecked, into the status quo.  With others in your work group, share your action plan for doing things differently as a result of the seminar and seek support for the changes you plan to make.  Even the most determined person can benefit from the support and encouragement of others when trying to change his or her behavior. Set a time in the not-so-distant future to review your plan and your progress.  Hold yourself accountable by sharing your plan with your manager or others in your department.  The extent and frequency of your follow-up is crucial to maximize the practical application of your learnings. These three rules are not difficult to apply—in fact, you can have fun doing so.  The time invested in getting the most out of training will help to increase your learning and its application and retention so that the initial investment in the learning activity will be paid back time and time again.

The new iPhone 4S incorporates an application that has been around for about a year called Siri.  The Siri application (and company) was a spin-off from the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) and, like Discovery Machine, has roots in Artificial Intelligence (AI) research out of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).    The company was quickly acquired by Apple which led to its inclusion in the 4S.   Siri is another demonstration of the emergence of AI systems into the public sphere.  What makes Siri interesting from an AI perspective is its inclusion in a "situated" device like the iPhone, which will push AI into new markets.   Google’s Android is pushing similar capabilities, without the "conversational" aspects of the intelligence.  For example, you can talk to an Android phone and ask it to "give me directions to the nearest Walmart" it will open Google Maps and show you a path to Walmart.  It does not, however, attempt to engage you in conversation.   The difference now versus a year ago is that Siri is an embedded part of the operating system and uses speech generation in addition to text-based output. What Siri does is similar to what we do at Discovery Machine, but in the "personal assistant" domain.   In fact, the domain is a bit narrower than that.  It is akin to a "social personal assistant".   It uses the information it can acquire via search and places a communications layer on top.  It also leverages voice recognition and speech generation technology.    Discovery Machine’s communications handlers take a Siri-like approach but in specific domains of expertise, such as the domain of Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW).  Instead of using a web search and GPS location to create its current situation, Discovery Machine’s ASW AI leverages the simulation sensor data (and other data) to determine its situation.    As the instructor adds the building blocks of knowledge into what we call basic-level actions, we include the ability to communicate that information back to the user (trainee).   Siri, on the other hand, has communications strategies that are focused on commonly desired activities like going to dinner, finding a movie, or responding to text messages. The Siri application is simultaneously amazing and disappointing.   It is quite easy to make it slip-up and provide the wrong information.  Also, anything slightly outside the domain described above will cause it to fall back to web search results.   When it works, however, it feels like something out of science fiction where you converse with your computer rather than typing in keywords.    Apple has set the bar pretty high on this integration, and it remains to be seen if this will entice or frustrate the general population.   In either case, I think that speech recognition technology is finally coming of age and will push AI technology to the forefront. More than any other company, Discovery Machine is positioned to capture and provide expertise for use by speech-enabled virtual assistants.   Imagine your expertise being available to everyone in your organization in the form of a conversational agent.  Imagine being able to converse with an agent that communicates the expertise of one of your key employees.    Discovery Machine has demonstrated this capability to the US Navy and can demonstrate it for you. Go to www.discoverymachine.com to learn more.

Everyone knows the importance of making a list of things to do, prioritizing that list, and then working on the highest priority item.  Yet how many managers actually do that?  More often than not, managers have the best intentions as they come to work—but before they are even settled in their offices, they may be completely sidetracked by the needs of others.  From that point on, most managerial days become a series of interruptions, conversation snippets, ad hoc meetings, rushed phone calls and crises. Interruptions aren’t all bad, necessarily.  In fact, research on time management indicates that effective managers and executives tend to have lots of interruptions during the day as they seek to keep in touch with day-to-day operations and to make themselves available to whoever needs them.  In fact, many effective managers define the most important part of their jobs as being available to others. Conversations are the primary way a manager or executive has to influence others today.  It may be the best strategy to take advantage of conversations whenever you can have them, even if other tasks you wanted to work on get delayed as a result. Take Time to Focus When, then, do those other tasks get done?  When should a manager take time to concentrate, focus and reflect?  The right answer varies from person to person and is a function, in part, of your personality.  If you are a morning person, you may surprise yourself at how much you can get done by getting up an hour earlier in the morning.  Some managers report getting everything they have to do in a given day done in less than an hour of unobstructed time, leaving the remainder of the day to help others.  If you are a night owl, it may make sense to periodically carve out time in the evenings to do such tasks. And increasingly, people are discovering the distinct advantage in having the flexibility to work at home.  Managers indicate they can get two to three times as much work done than in a comparable time span at the office.  There are no interruptions, no socializing, no phone calls—just quiet focus time. Use Different Time Management Systems Probably more important than having any specific rules for managing your time is having a willingness to try different systems when the one you’re using is not working.  Since we are all creatures of habit, a time management system helps you gain efficiency in the use of your time.  Having flexibility in using different systems helps you to gain effectiveness in using the system that works best at any given time, and keeps you from becoming a slave to a single system. "To do" lists, card sorts, post-it reminders, calendar tie-ins and project planning software are all useful time management tools.  Working on the next item that pops into your head, focusing on one high-priority item at a time, having a group work on a task, or doing a number of items as fast as you can, can also be effective time management approaches—but none of these approaches will work for you all the time. You have to have a willingness to switch to something new when what you’re doing is not working. I go through phases in which a very flexible, detailed, priority-ranking time management system works best for me.  During such times, I grind through the tasks like a machine.  The following week I might go to bed determined to only work on one task the next day, stay home focused on that task, and put all other demands completely out of my mind until that task is finished. Don’t Do What You Don’t Have To Of course, the best way of getting something done is by not having to do it to begin with.  Thus, a manager should constantly check to see if the things he or she is spending time on are items that have to be done or that could be better done by someone else.  I find it useful to periodically review old "to do" lists to see if, looking back, those items completed were really that important. Often they were not. I then try to prune similar items from my current "to do" list. We also need to constantly ask if things we are doing could be done better by someone else.  It is human nature to lean toward doing things we enjoy rather than those things we are required to do as part of our jobs.  Thus, a manager who used to be in a technical position might like troubleshooting equipment problems, while another manager who used to negotiate contracts might still enjoy spending extensive time combing over the details of a contract.  Effective managers keep this tendency in check, realize what parts of their jobs could be better done by others, and assign those tasks accordingly.

In Brendon Burchard’s latest book, "The Millionaire Messenger" he describes how to develop a business selling expertise. I highly recommend this book because Brendon describes how every person has expertise. Through your own personal struggles and passion, expertise develops. The question is, how does that expertise provide value to others? http://brendonburchard.com/ In his book he describes activities for creating products based on expertise. There are no surprises on the list. There is a new and innovative way to capture expertise as best practices that goes beyond a presentation or a document - whether for a new expert business or to distribute expertise within an existing enterprise. Discovery Machine has a methodology for capturing expertise and creating an intelligent app to coach a user through the process of using the expertise. Have you seen SIRI on the iPhone? Imagine creating an assistant based on your expertise. http://www.apple.com/iphone/features/siri.html

One of the most difficult things I have had to do over the years is to learn to say no.  As a people-oriented person, it is very difficult for me to say no to anyone—I don’t want to hurt their feelings or make them feel unimportant.  As a result, ever since I was a teenager I have been overloaded with things I have agreed to do. I have always made too many commitments. Saying no is simple, but not simply done by most people.  I have tried all kinds of ways to say no in my life.  When I was a professor at the University of Massachusetts, for example, I became so overwhelmed with things I had agreed to do that I sent out a letter to a number of people saying, "I am dying—dying from good opportunities.  If I don’t do something about it, I will not be long for this world."  Then my letter went on to say that I had to drop a number of things I had agreed to do, just for survival.  I apologized to each reader because I had to drop something I had planned to do with that person.  The letter helped me out of the crisis in the short run, but was not something that made me proud. To be effective in the long run in relieving overload, I’ve determined that you have to have a systematic approach and philosophy on saying no.  I recommend three steps: 1)  Be clear about what you are doing, and what your priorities are. If you are purposeful about how you are currently managing your work and time, it is easier to say no to new activities that are seemingly less important. We have a saying in one of our programs that goes, "A person who does not have goals is used by someone who does." To be proactive about saying no, you need to be very clear about your own goals. What are you trying to accomplish during a given period of time?  How can you focus your energy on things that will move you toward those goals?  This doesn’t mean you have to be rigid and inflexible if a new assignment or opportunity comes along, it just means your goals become your reality check. Within those goals, set priorities and stick to them. Then you will be better able to discern whether something is consistent with your job or area of expertise, which will make it easier to determine if you should take it on. All good performance starts with clear goals.  Without them you will quickly be a victim, because you will have no framework to make decisions about where you should or shouldn’t focus your energy.  I become much better at saying no when I am more clear about my focus and what my goals are. 2)  Be clear and realistic about the consequences of doing one more thing. This is for yourself as well as the person who wants you to do something new.  I’ve found the best approach is to be honest and direct.  For example, say, "If I do this, I won’t be able to do the other things I’ve committed to."  Or, if for no other reason than past history, you can say, "With what I’ve got going on right now, if I take on this additional task I feel certain that I won’t do as good a job as I’d like, and we will both be disappointed." In recent years when a new opportunity has come my way that I know I’m not able to do, I often compliment the idea (if I feel it has merit) and then simply say:  "I don’t choose to get involved."  I’m amazed how, when I use this powerful approach, people very seldom say, "Well, why can’t you do it?"  They just accept it and say, "Thank you." 3)  Offer alternatives and solutions. Suggest someone else who you feel could do the job or who may be available sooner to work on the task.  If the request is from your manager, suggest a project or priority you are working on that could be dropped, delayed, or given to someone else, or ask your manager to do the same. The degree of flexibility between these three approaches is, of course, a function of exactly what the task is, who is asking you to take it on, and the time frame involved.  A request from your manager is going to involve more consideration and discussion than a request from an associate or someone you don’t know. Still, these basic approaches work. Research done by Charles Garfield, author of the Peak Performance trilogy, clearly shows that peak performers only focus on a few key things.  And the late, great leadership expert Peter Drucker asserted that the people who truly get things done are "monomaniacs on a mission"—people who focus intensely on one thing at a time.  The more you take on, the greater the chance that you will lose effectiveness in not only getting that particular task done, but in all aspects of your life.  Keep in mind that when you say no to someone, you are not saying no to them, only to their proposition. And never forget the old expression: "Nobody can take advantage of you without your permission."

It amazes me how seriously some people in business take themselves.  It’s as if they have come to the conclusion that who they are or what they are doing is so important that there should be no time for anything as frivolous as laughter.  This is a sad outlook on life. I tell people who work with me to take their work seriously and themselves lightly.  In doing so, they are better apt to have a sense of perspective about what they are doing that is balanced, and an openness to suggestions and new ideas I often find missing from those who are more tunnel-visioned and only focused on business. A sense of humor serves as a pressure valve that can keep you enjoying your work even when times are stressful. I find it a preferred alternative to developing an ulcer or migraine headache.  In fact, it is one of the best ways I know to get you through stressful times on the job. I have found three useful methods for keeping a sense of humor. 1)  Take time for yourself. You should take time to relax and enjoy yourself some every day.  What this means will vary from person to person.  It may be reading a magazine, taking a walk, practicing yoga, or playing with your children. I personally recommend skipping.  I believe that it’s impossible to skip and not enjoy yourself—and people who see you will probably laugh as well.  (Unfortunately, I’m afraid my own skipping days are over now that I have two "bionic" hips!)  I also recommend easing into your day—that is, getting up an extra 30 to 45 minutes earlier each morning so you don’t have to "jolt and bolt" like a race horse out of the starting gate. If you are too busy to take some time for yourself, you will inevitably start to expect others you work with to do as you do, and stress will result for both you and your people. 2)  Set an example. Let others you work with know that it’s okay to joke with you by sharing your own sense of humor. I think the best humor is self-deprecating, because it’s never at someone else’s expense.  For example, when I’m with a group having a good time at work I love to say something like, "Hey, if I’m in charge here, how come everyone’s laughing?" If you are a manager, CEO, or business owner, you have a great amount of influence in setting the tone of the work environment.  You need to show that it’s okay to have fun at work and to celebrate successes when they occur.  For example, once to celebrate record sales halfway through our fiscal year, we closed the company and took employees to the beach for some fun in the sun.  We took time to explain our company’s financials and why we were celebrating—and what it would mean to each employee in terms of gain sharing if our sales and profit rate continued. 3)  When you find yourself stressed about something, ask yourself, "What difference will this make in 100 years?" You guessed it:  No difference.  So why get stressed about it now?  Instead, make a plan and take positive steps toward your goals in a way that is reasonable for both yourself and those around you. I use another perspective-setting technique that I call my "zoo mentality."  I developed this when my children Scott and Debbie were growing up.  I noticed that whenever we were at a park or zoo I’d see parents yelling at their children for running around misbehaving and generally having a good time.  It seemed crazy to me to take your children to a place to have fun with them and then spend all your time yelling at them!  I decided what was called for was to get into a different frame of mind that I dubbed my "zoo mentality" when I wanted to have fun. Then if the kids started acting silly or chasing each other I’d be more inclined to join the fun myself.  I still use this technique occasionally when attending company meetings. The way I see it, everything is on loan—the skills we have, the opportunities to use those skills, and the impact we are able to make in this life.  I’ve had good fortune in my life and I am thankful for it.  I have yet to meet the person who does not have some good fortunes in his or her life.  Even during dreadful times in your life and work, there is always a positive side if you take the time to look for it. Once you have this perspective it is difficult to have what I call "false pride," in which you feel the world revolves around you. Remember, no one says on their deathbed that they wish they would have worked harder. Most are inclined to wish they would have enjoyed life—and being with those they knew and loved—a lot more. So have a great week and don’t forget to laugh every day.

It would be difficult to argue that technology has made life worse rather than better for humanity. From entertainment to medical care, technology has rapidly increased our standard of living.  Even those living at the poverty line in the United States appear to have mobile phones, cable or satellite television, and one or more gaming consoles. As scholar James Q. Wilson has stated, "The poorest Americans today live a better life than all but the richest persons a hundred years ago."[3] In 2005, the typical household defined as poor by the government had a car and air conditioning. For entertainment, the household had two color televisions, cable or satellite TV, a DVD player, and a VCR. If there were children, especially boys, in the home, the family had a game system, such as an Xbox or a PlayStation.[4] In the kitchen, the household had a refrigerator, an oven and stove, and a microwave. Other household conveniences included a clothes washer, clothes dryer, ceiling fans, a cordless phone, and a coffee maker. (http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2011/07/what-is-poverty) It should be noted that these benefits are not necessarily due to increases in income, but rather to advances in technology. So why is technology such a pain in the %@#$!   It would be fair to say that I was born and raised in the technology era.  I am the Chief "Technology" Officer at Discovery Machine Corporation.   I was 12 when I got my first computer at home which was an Apple ][e (actually one of the first clones called a Franklin Ace 1000).   I have been working with technologies of all kinds since the mid-80s and have kept up pretty well with the advances. My main disappointment is that it is people that are adapting to the technologies, rather than technologies adapting to people.   We recently purchased a new double-oven and as is my habit I looked for the coolest new technology I could find.  The oven has a touch panel and libraries of recipes for all kinds of things built in.  Sounds cool!  But the touch panel shorts out when the oven goes over 400 degrees and requires me to "reboot it".  Yes, I have to reboot my oven?!?.   So point number one is what does technology do when it fails.  "Message FE12: call the manufacturer" is not helpful! Another example is the universally aclaimed user interface found in iPods and iPhones.  Have you ever tried to deal with a whole family of "iDevices" each attempting to access a different subset of music, apps and videos with your daughter asking "Hey Dad!! Why can’t I get Avril Lavigne on my iPod?"  Its not that it can’t be done or that its particularly difficult, but for the uninitiated it requires significant learning.   And even for me it requires my time.   Why?  Nor am I interested in hearing the argument: "Android does this way better?"  So I should throw out all my kid’s iPods and switch, giving myself new technology to administrate?    A great user interface only goes so far. Why do those who develop technology expect those who use it to adapt?  Why doesn’t the technology adapt to them?   Well, for one thing, technology is stupid.   I don’t mean useless, I mean it does not have the intelligence needed to adapt to its situation.   Also, technology is built upon requirements where functionality and aesthetics trump the inconvenience of learning.  Everyone assumes some learning curve for their new gadget. At Discovery Machine we are building technology that is based on the best practices of experts.  We capture not only the typical use-cases for doing a job, but also many historical or limiting case examples.  While our efforts currently involve military or manufacturing jobs, the potential is far greater.   What if every new gadget came equipped with an on-board "expert user" that I could ask questions?   If I could dialog with my technology and it attempted to understand what I wanted, rather than reading through manuals and help systems,  I may be able to significantly reduce that learning curve.  We have entered a new era in technology where we will be able to talk to our devices as demonstrated by Apple’s Siri.   Now we need to give those devices something useful to talk about.   Perhaps not: Message FE12, but "One of keys is stuck and needs to be replaced.  Should I call the manufacturer to schedule maintenance?"

I was once asked to give a speech at the regional National Speakers Association meeting in San Diego about my approach for effective communicating.  Specifically, they wanted me to tell them how I give a speech.  My approach is simple. First, I offer up a concept that could help each person in the audience be a better manager, teacher, coach, or parent.  Next, I give an example or tell a story that relates to that concept.  I get people laughing.  I try to zero in on audience members as human beings and make my point in such a way that it triggers an emotional reaction for each person. Ultimately, I want them to walk out of the room with an idea they can put into action in their lives. Here’s an example of my approach: Introduce a concept that will enrich the life of each member of the audience.  "Of all the concepts that I have taught over the years, the most important is about catching people doing things right. There is little doubt in my mind that the key to developing people is to catch them doing something right and praise them for their performance."  The minute I begin talking about catching people doing things right, praising them and letting them know you noticed their good performance, the audience perks up. Everyone can relate to this topic in some way, both at home and at work, because everyone loves praise. Give an example that relates to the concept. After I talk to the audience about praising in a general sense, I warn people not to wait for exactly the right behavior to praise others—because they could be waiting forever!  "In the beginning, when people are learning something and are not top performers yet, you have to praise progress. For example, imagine that you’re trying to teach a child how to say, ‘Give me a glass of water, please.’ If she has never spoken before, and you wait for that full sentence before you give the child a sip of water, what have you got?  A very dehydrated kid, that’s what!  So what do you do?  You have to praise progress. First, zero in on the word water.  Repeat it over and over again.  Finally, the child will respond with something like ‘loller.’ When that happens, hug and kiss the kid.  Call his grandmother and get the child on the phone so she can say, ‘loller, loller, loller.’ While that’s not water, it’s not bad.  After a while, though, you will only accept water.  Why?  Because you don’t want your child going into a restaurant at 21 years of age and asking for a glass of loller.  So praising progress helps people move toward desired performance." Tell a story that shows other applications for the concept. "Is praising important in relationships other than with our children?  You’d better believe it.  Have you ever seen a couple in a restaurant in love?  Margie and I were at a French restaurant not long ago, where we spent three hours enjoying a marvelous meal and elegant atmosphere. On one side of us was a couple in love.  When one of them would talk, the other would smile and listen.  I don’t think they cared if the meal ever came. On the other side was a couple that obviously had been married for a while.  In three hours, I don’t think they said four sentences to each other.  He finally said, ‘How’s your meat?’  ‘Okay,’ was the reply, ‘How’s yours?’  I whispered to Margie, ‘That marriage is dead but nobody buried it.’  How do you get from hanging onto someone’s every word to having nothing to say?  It’s the frequency with which you catch each other doing things right." Summarize the presentation with tips the audience can put into action. "The key to keeping personal and professional relationships healthy is to constantly catch people doing things right, and praise them by accenting the positive.  When you accent the positive, you have deposits in your human relationship bank account with that person.  Now, if that person does something wrong, you can point it out without devastating the relationship." The example I’ve just presented demonstrates how, when giving a speech, I try to present a concept in human terms and involve the audience in a way that it stirs an emotional reaction in each person.  I try to relate the concept to something that is present in the lives of every audience member so they can feel the power of the concept.  Remember that your job as a communicator and speaker is to inspire and change people’s behavior, not just to share information. If you use this approach when giving a presentation, you will keep your audience interested and give them something they will remember—and be able to use—long after they leave the room.

Consider the following quote from the Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203686204577116691332544490.html "The U.S. military left Iraq in December with new technologies that are likely to change the shape of future wars. But some of the skills developed alongside are in danger of falling away, several people throughout the ranks worry." A critical part of moving forward to address world issues effectively is capturing the problem solving, expertise, and approaches of past experiences.  Solving new problems based on the solutions of similar past problems is pervasive in everyday human problem solving.  All reasoning is based on past cases and personal experiences.  Every field from an auto mechanic to chef to lawyer has a formal process for using past cases for instruction. Cases or project history can be leveraged in an operational manner as well.  Discovery Machine has developed a methodology for capturing expertise from past problem solving as an approach for best practice capture.  This is powerful because remembering past cases is natural.  Discovery Machine has made capturing and leveraging the past cases possible and sustainable.