Spherical Cow Consulting

Broken or disassembled cartoon vintage robot. Pop art retro illustration. Comic book style. Technical standards fragmentation concept.

Heather Flanagan
October 28, 2025January 13, 2026
Deep Thoughts, Podcast

Can Standards Survive Trade Wars and Sovereignty Battles?

For decades, standards development has been anchored in the idea that the Internet is (and should be) one global network. If we could just get everyone in the room—vendors, governments, engineers, and civil society—we could hash out common rules that worked for all.

Many people walking cross at Shibuya crossing Tokyo, Japan. Representative of changes in demographics.

Heather Flanagan
October 21, 2025January 13, 2026
Deep Thoughts, Podcast

The People Problem: How Demographics Decide the Future of the Internet

I've been having an intellectually fascinating time diving into Internet fragmentation and how it is shaped by supply chains more than protocols. There’s another bottleneck ahead, though, one that’s even harder to reroute: people. Innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It requires human talent that builds systems and sets standards.

Aerial view of Silver Peak Lithium Mine, Nevada, USA, the only rare earth lithium mine in the USA in 2024. Water from depth is pumped into evaporation ponds. The lighter colored ponds contain more lithium.

Heather Flanagan
October 14, 2025January 13, 2026
Deep Thoughts, Podcast

Why Tech Supply Chains, Not Protocols, Set the Limits on AI and the Internet

I had one of those chance airplane conversations recently—the kind that sticks in your mind longer than the flight itself. My seatmate was reading a book about artificial intelligence, and at one point they described the idea of an “infinitely growing AI.” I couldn’t help but giggle a bit.

Many abstract images on the theme of computers, Internet and technology.

Heather Flanagan
October 7, 2025January 13, 2026
Podcast

The End of the Global Internet

Many people reading this post grew up believing and expecting in a single, borderless Internet: a vast network of networks that let us talk, share, and build without arbitrary walls. I like that model, probably because I am a globalist, but I don't think that's where the world is heading.

Heather Flanagan
September 30, 2025January 13, 2026
Deep Thoughts, Podcast

Delegation and Consent: Who Actually Benefits?

When not distracted by AI (which, you have to admit, is very distracting) I’ve been thinking a lot about delegation in digital identity. We have the tools that allow administrators or individuals grant specific permissions to applications and service. In theory, it’s a clean model.

Heather Flanagan
September 23, 2025January 13, 2026
Deep Thoughts, Podcast

Pirates, Librarians, and Standards Development

With the right motivation, even I will write a blog post on a dare. And the dare I got was to write a post about what librarians and pirate captains have in common, and why it matters for standards development. (If you can’t have fun when writing, what’s the point?)

Modern AI Data Technology Center with Server Racks in Big Storage with VFX Animation. Animated Visualization of Data and Energy Flows, Internet Traffic on Servers. Digitalization and Internet of Things.

Heather Flanagan
September 16, 2025January 13, 2026
Deep Thoughts, Hot Takes, Podcast

Who Really Pays When AI Agents Run Wild? Incentives, Identity, and the Hidden Bill

Google recently gave us something we’ve been waiting on for years: hard numbers on how much energy an AI prompt uses. According to their report, the median Gemini prompt consumes just 0.24 watt-hours of electricity — roughly running a microwave for a second — along with some drops of water for cooling.

Running robot humanoid showing fast movement and vital energy in concept of future innovation development toward AI brain and artificial intelligence thinking by machine learning. 3D illustration.

Heather Flanagan
September 9, 2025January 13, 2026
Deep Thoughts, Podcast

AI Permissions vs. Human Permissions: What Really Changes?

We’ve been talking about identity and access for people for decades (millennia if you think outside tech). Policies, role assignments, reviews, zero trust — these are familiar tools. The assumptions that go into them, however, don't quite work when the "user" is no longer a person." Enter in the AI Agent.

Heather Flanagan
September 2, 2025January 21, 2026
Deep Thoughts, Podcast

Roads, Robots, and Responsibility: Why Agentic AI Needs Identity Infrastructure

We don’t spend much time thinking about the roads we drive on—until one cracks, collapses, or dumps us somewhere we didn’t mean to be. Identity in the age of agentic AI? Same deal. It’s infrastructure. Like a good road, it needs to be ready for traffic we can’t imagine.

Robotic Hand Touching on Black Background. 3D Render. Artwork to represent bots and their incentives.

Heather Flanagan
August 26, 2025January 13, 2026
Hot Takes, Podcast

Bot or Not? Why Incentives Matter More Than Identity

Let’s start with a confession: I love bots. Or at least, I love the idea of them. They’re efficient, tireless, and, if designed well, can be downright helpful. (They can also be downright unhelpful, but that's a topic for a different blog post.) But the incentives around bot traffic are completely out of balance, and that makes things messy.