There was a great Super Bowl ad that showed a now famous clip of two newscasters discussing the internet and email in 1994. It was only 21 years ago, and already the thing they were so helpless to define or understand has completely redefined our world in a way all of us tacitly understand from birth. (You should see my kids with an iPad).
I’m an optimist and a big believer in the possibilities of tech and progress, yet too often this belief is just theoretical. It’s easy to get a little impatient. Yes, I know what’s possible in theory, but why don’t I see marvelous advances in practice? Looking to the recent past is a great reminder of how much radical progress has happened in my lifetime alone. Looking to the cutting edge of the present is even more exciting.
I try to read or watch something at least every few weeks about some area of science or technology that is a new frontier. Whether checking on the latest in 3D printing, taking a peek at what’s going on at the Large Hadron Collider, or reading up on Bitcoin and its implications, I’ve discovered my sense of wonder is stirred by frequent updates from the fringes. Every time I poke around new research and discoveries I wonder why I don’t do it more often.
If you’re looking for some crazy new stuff, here’s one I watched yesterday. In addition to discussing some specific new technologies, Jose Cordeiro mentions four ways to deal with the future: Passive (bury your head like an Ostrich), Reactive (respond to it like a fire-fighter), Preactive (hedge against it like an insurer), and Proactive (create it like a builder).