As a professional futurist, I am by neccessity an avid reader. I am also a firm believer in what James Surowiecki has called ”The Wisdom of the Crowds”—or, more simply put, the idea that ”all of us know a lot more than what any one of us can know individually.” It is for this reason that I make it daily habit to visit Digg.com for interesting, insightful, innovative and entertaining articles about the future that might have otherwise escaped my attention.
With this introduction in mind, I would now like to share with you five informative articles about future technology that I have picked up from Digg:
1. The Future of Food: The Science of Yummy. A fascinating look at how accelerating advances in molecular biology, nanotechnology, brain structures and genetic code are revolutionizing the food we eat.
2. The Future of Robots. This article by noted futurist and inventor Ray Kurzweil explains why the future of robotics depends less on advances in computers, sensors and material sciences, and more on our understanding of the human brain.
3. Can’t Touch This: The Future is Here. I have written before about future computers and Jeff Han, but this article elaborates on how companies such as Accenture are already employing interactive billboards using touch-screen technology, and it explains why we will likely be seeing more of the technology in stores, school and subways sooner than most people realize.
4. Top 10 Future Energy Solutions. In March of 2008, I will have a new book coming out entitled ”Green Investing: How to Make Money Through Environmentally-Friendly Stocks.” It profiles companies in nine of this article’s top 10 future energy solutions, including hydrogen, solar, geothermal, wave power, nuclear, wind and even clean coal—but it does not really address the article’s #1 future energy solution: artificial photosynthesis. Now, in the past, I might have dismissed this oversight, but since over 630 people have “dugg” the article, I now believe that the article is telling me that I may have missed something big. (To this end, I intend to do more research on artificial photosynthesis.)
5. 11 Neuroscientists Debunk a Common Myth about Brain Training. The article highlights 11 interviews with leading neuroscientists which, when taken together, make a compelling case that due to accelerating advances in fMRI and other neuroimaging techniques, “cognitive simulations” and “cognitive training” could not only change how we think about the brain (and what it does) in the future, it could also lead to radical changes in how we educate our minds.
P.S. Thanks to all of you diggers who are helping me do my job better!
Related Posts
Top Ten Tech Trends
The Future of Health Care
The Future of Bioenergy
Google Jumps the Curve
Are Your Ready for Warp Speed?
Money Makes the World Go Round
Jack Uldrich is a writer, futurist, public speaker and host of jumpthecurve.net. He is the author of seven books, including Jump the Curve and The Next Big Thing is Really Small: How Nanotechnology Will Change the Future of Your Business. He is also a frequent speaker on future technology and future trends, nanotechnology, innovation, change management and executive leadership to a variety of businesses, industries and non-profit organizations and trade associations.
