Comments on: Crowdsourcing a TEDx talk: what are the three most important trends shaping humankind’s future in the next 10 years?

By: desert

desert — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:14:55 +0000

1. Increase in the number of innocent people being killed
2. decrease of personal freedom, justice, equality and peace
3. the extinction of the capitalistic system coupled with the death of fake money

By: weightloss55

weightloss55 — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:01:18 +0000

ya its v.good

By: Snazster

Snazster — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:43:22 +0000

Seriously?

Long term:
1) AI versus human intelligence amplification
2) Life extension
3) Resource allocation in a society with very few productive jobs (and billions of artists, athletes, gamers, entertainers, etc.)

Short term:
1) Automation
2) Privacy
3) Environmentalism/Energy/Pollution

Overriding issue of the century: “How do define what is a human being.”

Only possible answer but only after ENORMOUS troubles: “A human being defines itself by its actions.”

While settling things for Synthetic Intelligences and enhanced animals and virtualized homo sapiens, the battle will immediately switch to whether or not creatures like serial killers are human. :p

By: Art

Art — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:30:12 +0000

1. Using the ocean’s tides to generate electricity (a free and renewable energy source)
2. Tapping into the Earth’s geothermal reserves to obtain heat (another free and renewable energy source)
3. A complete change in consciousness where the divide between male and female, rich and poor will be broken down and balanced out

By: jgrimaldi

jgrimaldi — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:06:39 +0000

Hexacopters. Sky robots to do our errands and make deliveries. Navigable sky avatars to give us a remote view of our world.

By: wiseman

wiseman — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:47:36 +0000

aye, I’ve been looking for it since the 27th, anyone?

By: luciano

luciano — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:41:58 +0000

how can i watch this ???

By: Snake Oil Baron

Snake Oil Baron — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:07:49 +0000

3) All commenting systems will allow for editing so words like “indevidual” can be quickly repaired.

By: Snake Oil Baron

Snake Oil Baron — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:04:15 +0000

1) Government default becomes part of a repeating cycle.
2) This loss of financial power, coupled with technologies which empower indeviduals and the state’s intrinsic need to expand will lead to mounting pressure for more centralized power

By: eric ezechieli

eric ezechieli — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:42:04 +0000

Thank you everyone for your precious insights so far. I got over 180 more responses to the survey linked in the post. Now I need to crowdsource some I or AI to make real meaning out of that. I’ll keep you posted.

By: Charles I. Scudder Jr

Charles I. Scudder Jr — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 04:06:31 +0000

Three Important Trends:
1. The diminution of America’s “Llight to the World” status.
2. Reduction in Military influence in politics.
3. More problem solving, less special interest government at all levels.

By: RalfLippold

RalfLippold — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:11:20 +0000

My three bets are:

#OpenEducation (with use of technology across boundaries)
#LeanStartup (entrepreneurs accelerating their business ideas into reality)
#Semperoper (as a role model for how opera & ballet, http://bit.ly/SemperoperBallett, is pulling science, and technology into the future)

Excellent initiative Eric! Congratulations!!!

By: FinHead

FinHead — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:31:08 +0000

1) The rise of 3D printing as a home appliance. People will routinely access online marketplaces like Thingiverse to purchase and download common household items.
2) Augmented Reality displays will become more prevalent in smartphones, tvs, internet, car displays, visual glasses, etc…
3) Steampunk, Victorian, Western, and old styles will continue to rise in popularity as people find a way to escape the onslaught of technology and invasive media and marketing.

By: toasterdad

toasterdad — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:28:03 +0000

I didn’t see a way to edit my post; sorry for double posting.
inaway@gmail.com

By: brian123

brian123 — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:52:49 +0000

10 years is a long time nowadays. The most important trends in the 10th year might be created in the 9th year. Based on what’s happening in “my view of the world” today, most important trends are:
1) information speed, analysis tools, and (potential) increased government intervention. Maybe that’s 3 already.
2) mainstreaming effect/reaction of the general population envisioning the world as a place that will undergo systematic change at an increasing rate of speed.
3) methods of determining priorities (post analysis), as more eyes shift focus to the future.

By: PaulGillett

PaulGillett — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 02:17:16 +0000

In no particular order:

Pervasive internet / computers (only 25% of global population online)
Renewable energy
Growth of China

By: virtualted

virtualted — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:53:40 +0000

1. Political Globalization – new global constitution of basic human rights – governance by global representative democracy trending to participatory democracy as we enter the mid-century
2. Genomics and personalized medicine – curing diseases and lengthening lifespans – merging of biology with MEMS / NEMS.
3. Nanorobotics – changing current scarcity economics to new paradigm of abundance economics (nanofactories for food and products – using molecular “toner” and intelligence via the web).

By: toasterdad

toasterdad — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:49:59 +0000

1. Solar Energy following its exponential expansion track to provide 100% of the energy needed, especially decentralized

2. Digital partnerships with technologies like Siri and Majel as they mature into a more natural extension of ourselves

3. automation and democratization: 3d printing and exponentially advancing robotics replaces millions of jobs, but the cost of living drops substantially

By: Ximlab

Ximlab — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:15:08 +0000

I’m more worried about the basics. Although this may not be what the survey is asking:

- Solar cell research, best hope for “infinite” energy along with nuclear fusion.
- Vertical agriculture, best hope to feed 10billion+ people.
- Desalinization, best hope (i think), to provide water for 10billion+ people.

If these 3 go fine, all the rest should come along naturally. If one of these 3 fail, civilization is in trouble it would seem.

By: Giulio Prisco

Giulio Prisco — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:14:20 +0000

I wish I could write about mind uploading, space exploration, and all the cool technologies that have been mentioned in previous comments. But I think in the next 10 years the three most important trends shaping humankind’s future will be:

The conflict between the persons who want to be free, and the establishment (both “right-wing” large financial/corporate interests and “left-wing” nanny-state control freaks) that does not want the people to be free.

The conflict between the rich “North” and the poor “South,” combined with the emerging power of China, which despite its growing affluence remains in conflict with the “North,” and the conflict between the Islamic world and the West.

The conflict between the rich and poor in the “North.” The possible collapse of the Western financial system can only be averted by very radical reforms, but of course the rich want to make the poor pay.

By: Wiggletoes

Wiggletoes — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:56:45 +0000

Intelligence is what separates us from other animals so those tools which enhances our intelligence is that which are the most important trends shaping humankinds future, i.e., IBM Watson type computers in the cloud coupled with the Majel type app’s on our smart phones.

By: marcalpv@cox.net

marcalpv@cox.net — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:22:39 +0000

1. Progress in NLP especially towards an electronic reader. Such a development will help us use the computer to help understand and use all the knowledge encoded in our books.
2. Robot technology. Automation of control of our mobile and stationary machines.
3. Nanotechnolgy in biological as well as inorganic materials (ala Drexler)

By: scorpio13

scorpio13 — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:55:40 +0000

i THINK peoples attitudes to life would see the biggest change to people as technology explains how cells work how the planets work how stars are formed how everything works. People will have this knowledge and adjust their life to match this new knowledge people will change .

By: gbrennan

gbrennan — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:07:06 +0000

1. Progress in neuroscience is really getting past the knee of the exponential curve. The connectome projects will not only lead to advances in health care, but will make some Singularity visions closer to reality. The cross-dynamics between neuroscience and AI development will continue to advance both areas dramatically.

2. Automation and robotics. The impact of cloud robotics (Google ROS) is going to be incredible. 3D scanning and image retrieval by robots via the cloud, as well as optimization algorithms will really push robotics to the next level.

3. Genomics. Sequencing is fast and cheap now. This will mean personalized medicine, and the beginning of customized gene augmentation and correction.

http://www.33rdsquare.com

By: Randy912

Randy912 — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:39:36 +0000

1. Genome sequencing, as exhibited by Ion Torrent’s brand new “$1000 Genome,” and its relation to the medical field.

2. The implementation of virtual 3D worlds for use in the educational environment, specifically K-12.

3. The economic changes brought about by robots eliminating the requirement of certain human jobs, such as manual labor.

By: star0

star0 — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:23:37 +0000

I would say:

1. The explosion of smartphone use in the developing world. This has enormous consequences on health, education, employment, and geopolitics.

2. Artificial tissues and organs, by which I mean to include blood and skin. It could mean the difference between life and death for millions of people in the coming years.

3. The rise in automation, including industrial 3D printing. Not only will it impact our economy and employment, but it has the potential to totally reverse global economic trends: e.g., with industrial 3D printing, the U.S. may not have to rely on China anymore to manufacture its goods. Jaron Lanier wrote about this in the following article:

http://edge.org/conversation/the-local-global-flip