Invisible, perfect avian motorways, made physical by the bodies of the birds. [...] They start out flying in the groups they've been feeding with all day, and slowly merge into bigger and ever denser flocks.
I've spent hours watching and never seen a collision. How can that be possible?
~Dylan Winter, (filmmaker) "Starlings on Ot Moor", February 02007.
This astonishing video of emergent order was sent by in by designer extraordinaire Matt Jensen (via Motion Abbey). Thanks Matt!
In a world of accelerating change, when novelties increasingly outpace continuities, how can we, as futures-oriented global citizens and educators, accept that only 6% of a population of almost 800,000 are ready for this possibility? How many Katrinas must we suffer before we wake up?
This 12 minute short uses simple diagrams, animation and sound effects to introduce thinking in ten dimensions. It's based on a book by Canadian composer Rob Bryanton (blog). Check it out.
Now, a few thoughts:
First, we have here a powerful demonstration of visual communication. This single posting of the video above (link) has logged over half a million hits, probably well under the total number of views, since it's also been posted multiple times at YouTube, and no doubt elsewhere too. A pretty impressive audience for such a complex thought experiment.
Second, and building on the first point, a clear explication of the fifth dimension offers a way to visualise and conceptualise a logical (as I say, not necessarily ontological) mechanism that enables alternative futures. Things could be other than they are, and, looking forward (temporally), possibility space encompasses many, many potential paths. Monofuturistic, predictive thinking appears to presuppose only four dimensions -- i.e., unilinear time. The fifth dimension allows room for alternative futures, which makes sense of what happens when we exercise choice, as well as chaotic contingency.
Third, even though the explanation is couched in a simplified language of theoretical physics, a frame which invites evaluation of correctness, I'm not especially interested in whether the claims in this video are true (ontologically correct). For one thing, there may not be any way to test them (i.e., folding the 5th dimension, or higher). But the point is, to me, what's more interesting to me than ontological accuracy is what the consequences might be of lots of people thinking this way and taking it seriously. We don't need to take a special interest in the truth question in order to discuss the potential consequences of it becoming a social truth -- an influential meme. Could it lead to a greater or more widespread sense of personal and political agency? Or at least, a growing desire to explore future possibilities more creatively and systematically? The latter, I suppose, is probably my bias and my hope. What if lots more people are able to wrap their heads around this approach? That question is what excites me about this little video, and the tip of the iceberg of explanatory power that it represents. This illustrates my pragmatist's epistemology: what do certain beliefs, or types of belief, lead to, and what do they enable us to do?
One last thing. Funny that the hyperlinked ads that appeared after the animation screened for me at the book's website (Flash 8 required) all had to do with The Secret and other New Agey concerns. I wonder if this intersection of physics and pop culture (also witness: What the Bleep do We Know?) is leading to pop culture getting smarter, or physics just getting diluted beyond all recognition?
Thinking fifth dimensionally, I guess the answer is: both.
So someone tell me what the future of education is?
Yea, I don't know either, probably a bunch of bumblers bumbling around with a new fangled cheap computer for poor people
erm, yea, thats the future of education and its arrived!!!
With pictures even!
I received a darn olpc computer for xmas, (someone thinks i'm neat!! They're obviously high!)
Its basically a 500 mghz computer running on linux with 3 usb ports, a small web keyboard, a wireless router (can create mesh networks) and VIDEO GAMES!!!
Yea, there's education software and other things that the educationally inclined might care about.
But the best part is it HAS DOOM!!!!! Yes, all we need is one more opportunity to run around and kill people. Hey, it'll reduce stress in the third world, I SWEAR!! Math teacher pissin you off? Might as well kill her a thousand times in doom!! I don't make this up, honest!
It also comes with Sim City, the original version, vut as much as its great to make godzilla run around and kill people, I like the personal doom version best!!
I could talk about all the great education opportunities this thing has, such as a neato word program, soon to be an excel program, some music and programming stuff. But really, who cares? Its all about a small portable killing machine! I'm really getting my homework done now!!!
Ok, so I'm done, but I've attached some pics for the curious! Any questions, let me know, and I'll try and respond, but also check out http://wiki.laptop.org/ or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OLPC_XO-1 for more background.
Peace out!
Da Gompernator!
Here is a pic of just the laptop
Here is the open laptop, the little rabbit ears are for the wireless router. There is a little gamepad on the screen and 2 speakers. The screen can pivot on that little metal thing you see in the middle, so that it can be a pdf reader and save energy.
We all know what computers are really for!! Running around and killing people! Hey, better killin computers than killin people, right?? Any takers, anyone?? I haven't figured out multi-player support yet, but I'm sure it will happen eventually.
For more than 35 years, HRCFS, under the guidance of Director Jim Dator, has helped individuals and organisations of all kinds explore alternative futures, as well as training several generations of consulting and academic futurists, in the art of inventing and pursuing preferred futures.
But what about preferred futurists?
Exciting news from the futures community: Jim Dator tops the list.
Says Mike Jackson (via email), Chairman of UK-based foresight intelligence service Shaping Tomorrow:
In a recent poll, Shaping Tomorrow asked its 600+ futurists members in its Foresight Network to say who their favourite futurist was of all time. Hazel Henderson and Jim Dator shared topsite with Joe Coates in third.
It's worth pointing out that Dator is the only full-time academic of the three, which is significant because despite his extensive, ongoing extracurricular work as a consultant and speaker, the respect he has earned among futures practitioners comes through his influence as a teacher and colleague, more than through being a public figure.
So, this poll result -- honour though it certainly is -- does not come as a complete shock to us, Dator's colleagues and students. He has over the years taught and mentored hundreds of students here in Hawaii, and challenged and transformed the thinking of thousands of clients and others, in audiences all around the world. Although we can be sure in view of his astonishing modesty that he won't particularly relish the attention, it remains for us to say --
