The Future is Now

Sometimes you read a book so powerful, so wise that you feel the duty of spreading the author's words and contribute to a better world.  Michio Kaku's Physics of the Future is a must-read in the night stand of every leader in the planet, every decision maker, everyone with power to influence societies with high decisions.  Actually, I will rephrase this: it should be part of every school curriculum.

If we talk about the future, we talk about the next generation which is going to inherit the very complicated mission of bringing mankind from a Type 0 civilization to a Type I civilization.  A type I civilization is planetary, it controls all sources of energy of the planet and might be able to tame and modify the weather.  This civilization has an incredible life span and enjoys technologies that we could only dream about when we were kids.

We will live in a world where energy is cheap and abundant, where computers are everywhere to assist us in our daily duties, from our clothing to the walls of our houses.  Information will not be only at the palm of your hands, but in front of your eyes.

Nowadays, we are in the transition from Type 0 to Type I and this is the most dangerous moment in history of humanity.  This is because we still have all the savagery, all the fundamentalism, racism and intolerance that marked us through our barbaric stage, yet we have enough destructive power to eradicate ourselves from Earth, thanks to the same advances in technology that have brought us to the top of this planet's evolutionary table.  If knowledge is power, information is the currency and we live in an age where it can be accessed immediately and anywhere.  Anyone can access online data about how to build a nuclear weapon, or where to find all materials needed for it.  In these upcoming times where information will be abundant, the only force that oppose the chaos is wisdom.

Kaku defines wisdom as the ability to identify the crucial issues of our time, analyze them from many different points of view and perspectives, and then choose the one that carries out some noble goal and principle.  As he points, unlike information, wisdom cannot be dispersed via blogs and internet chatter.  It comes from reasoned and informed democratic debate from opposing sides.

George Bernard Shaw once said: "Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve."  The Internet is an ally of democratic freedom, allowing people to access information that centuries ago would be controlled by some local government in order to keep their dictatorship's hegemony.  Now, youngsters have the power and responsibility of choosing wisely, of deciding how far to take this technology that can change the world, and in what directions it must develop.  This promising generation must be educated overall, must be an informed electorate, but we run into one problem.  How to do that with a dysfunctional and outmoded educational system?

Sir Ken Robinson warned us with a short question on his memorable speech at TED's conference in 2006: "Do Schools kill creativity?"  If the leaders of tomorrow must have common sense, ability of thinking creatively and be problem-solvers, how to develop them in times like these?  Why are we leveling our kids by the bottom and rewarding mediocrity when the great work should be done in those years prior to their academic life?  Let's not be complacent with a wasteful attitude; let's not try to tell them what to do, but help them to develop their way.  We all are responsible for changing the present, we all are parents of the kids of the future; we are the role models of the men and women who will set the destiny our species.  Thousands of generations have lived and died to pass their genes so you could be here today, and you have this weight on your shoulders.

Robinson also said: " I believe our only hope for the future is to adopt a new conception of human ecology, one in which we start to reconstitute our conception of the richness of human capacity. Our education system has mined our minds in the way that we strip-mine the earth, for a particular commodity, and for the future, it won’t serve us.

We have to rethink the fundamental principles on which we’re educating our children."

. . . . .

What are you going to do today?

The Man Cave Project

Ok…  You can be a science lover, a businessman, a devoted father or a party animal, but truth be said; doesn’t matter who/how you are -- everyone needs to catch a break every once in a while and surrender to guilty pleasures.

As a man, I fall into the category of the man cave wishers.  Come on… you actually don’t even have to be a man to appreciate a good man cave as I have lots of girl-friends (don’t get me wrong here; I’m a one woman man) who I’m sure would love to be in a place where you can have limitless fun without being bothered or having to be politically correct.

Every man has his own man cave project and a man cave may be never done as you can always attach new gadgets and maximize space within the area – although it is always perfect. Some might spend just a few hundred dollars on it and other enthusiastic people would sure invest thousands to develop the perfect place which is going to be, sometimes, more loved than the bedroom.

Let’s take a look at my ultimate man cave project… how’s yours?

PS3 and Nintendo Wii – for those who like to waste time arguing about which one is better, just understand one thing: both are cool and able to coexist in harmony.

A man’s TV and Home Theater system – because you have to do it right.

Air Hockey Table – within a short distance to the fridge where the beers are.

Foosball Table – it doesn’t have to be fancy to be cool…

Ping Pong Table – here goes a hint: don’t let your beer on the table, especially if you’re still playing.

A Pac Man – Galaga Arcade Machine – definitely hours of entertainment.

Pinball Machine – also within a short distance to the fridge.

A Pool Table – because you’re also classy.  Don’t forget the cigar.

Daytona USA Arcade – Good memories can create good memories…

Schools Kill Creativity

“If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.”

I think I have seen those videos a thousand times, and yet he still astonishes me with his simplicity and clarity to explain his point of view.

Sir Ken Robinson was born on March 4, 1950, in Liverpool, England; one of seven children from working-class background, he completed a PhD in 1981 at the University of London, researching drama and theatre in education and, since then, he is an internationally recognized leader in the development of education, creativity and innovation. He is also one of the world’s leading speakers with a profound impact on audiences everywhere.  The videos of his famous 2006 and 2010 talks to the prestigious TED Conference have been seen by an estimated 200 million people in over 150 countries.

The video in question is the 2006 talk at TED when he captivated the attention of the world with his proposal: schools kill creativity.  He rethinks our school system and, when I say “ours”, I mean the human race.  It’s kind of funny how apparently we know certain things by heart, but we never put into words – and there you go; it takes one man to open your eyes, and your ears to what you have already seen, and heard. 

Anyway, we are all different and my impression about it might be different than yours.  Watch the videos and take your own conclusions… after all, we are supposed to be free thinkers, right?

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_bring_on_the_revolution.html