Cognitive Surplus

Clay Shirky, author of Here Comes Everybody, has a post (linked above) on Cognitive Surplus. This post is actually an excerpt from one of his speaking engagements.

It interested me as an unrealized concept that when we watch TV (I mean MINDLESS TV, not the news, although even the "news" is turning in mindlessness) we are spending time that is well defined as Cognitive Surplus.

Mr. Shirky better explores Cognitive Surplus than I can explain it, so please go away now and read his posting.