The Future?
We live in an age of unprecedented technological change…
Science and technology are accelerating at an exponential rate. This progress is increasingly interdependent and emergent, creating new possibilities and challenges that we can only imagine. At the same time, our world is becoming more populous and more dynamically networked, with longer-term and more intense interactions.
…and the ‘Future’ is arriving at a breakneck pace...
Look around. Multi-disciplinary convergence of different transformative trends is already underway in many areas.
Complex and accelerated advancements in Space Technology, Artificial intelligence, Quantum Computing, Biotechnology, and other emerging technologies are transforming every aspect of our lives. At the same time, we face a daunting array of global challenges, from climate change to pandemics to inequality.
…requiring us to adapt, evolve & transform or be rendered obsolete…
This multi-faceted convergence necessitates a new way of thinking about these challenges. It recognizes that the problems we face are interconnected and that no single discipline can solve them alone. By breaking down silos and bringing together viewpoints from different fields, we can develop more holistic and effective solutions
…and no singular approach can solve this conundrum.
Looking beyond our specialist tendencies & expertise, as fruitful as they have been, we need to discard single-domain approaches that make us vulnerable to ‘tunnel vision’ and embrace multiple attack vectors to tackle the challenges that come with this convergence.
That is what this Substack seeks to cover:
To explore the ever-expanding horizons of science and technology, the way they intersect not just with our daily lives, but our politics, our beliefs, our practices, our very being, and its implications for the future. We will explore a wide range of topics, including:
Space Technology: It is evidently clear that the future of mankind lies beyond this pale blue dot. Whether for the satiation of mankind’s inherent curiosity regarding our place in the Universe or the expansion of our commercial footprint. There is a reason why Space is christened as the ‘final frontier of mankind’.
Defence Technology (“DefTech”) / MilTech: While Space is characterized by cooperation, competition is what drives DefTech / MilTech. Though morally questionable, it is undeniable that advances in this frontier are vital in ensuring peace and stability, atleast for the time being.
Cognition & Neuroscience: Richard Feynman once said that the easiest person to fool is ourselves. We need to understand and upend our outdated modes of thinking, looking inward to find the solutions to the most pressing problems (as philosophical as that sentiment may sound).
Biotechnology / Genetic Engineering: The completion of the mapping of the Human Genome was heralded as a remarkable achievement in our quest for understanding the Human DNA. I think we are just getting started, with accelerated technology now pushing the envelope on multiple fronts.
Artificial Intelligence: We are living in an age that has seen a dynamical shift not just in the computing abilities brought forth by AI, but also the short (job-markets, task automation) and long-term (control problems, social hierarchies) implications that the the capability of harnessing AI has/will result in.
Science & Technology: The foothold that science and technology occupies in our lives today is too impossibly vast to describe. Quantum Computing, Life Sciences, Chaos, amongst a plethora of other facets seem to be on the verge of multiple breakthroughs.
Innovation: If scientific and engineering breakthroughs and advancements are what is driving the future, must we not ask ourselves how we can control innovation? How can we be poised to derive the most amount of benefit from such innovation? What can we do to drive it?
The question is clear: Do we embrace this change or resist it? Can we even afford to? How do we adapt?
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To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com