Information overload is one of the most interesting issues at the intersection of learning, technology and society. We have unfettered access to terabytes of information these days, and staying on top of things even within a narrow domain is a challenge.

So how will we grapple with overload? Some are working on software agents that will scan the net for new information for us, following specifications about what we're interested in. Others are working in tools that discern the underlying structure and interrelationships among data and present them to us in user-friendly, dynamic ways.

A preliminary example of that last approach is musicplasma: the music visual search engine. Type in the name of a group or singer you like and musicplasma will show you similar groups you may not be aware of. Links pop up to Amazon that let you hear snippets of the songs and, of course, buy them.

Interesting questions emerge. How does musicplasma determine what's close to what? Who decided? How do you know you can trust their judgment? What would it take to create a similar tool for books, movies, food, colleges, friends, lovers....?

It's a very interesting glimpse of the future.