Speculations

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arlindo Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Human Species ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Evolution Of Technology ◽  
Technological Singularity ◽  
The Creation

This chapter, the last chapter in the book, presents some far-fetched ideas about the future of technology and the human species. It starts by discussing the concept of technological singularity, an even that would create a discontinuity in the evolution of technology. The idea that mind uploading may one day become possible leads many people to believe that the singularity will one day happen, making it possible to eradicate death entirely. Approaches such as cryonics, that aim at preserving bodies until the singularity arrives, are considered and discussed. The creation of digital minds also raises complex questions about the possible future existence of intelligences much superior to those of humans, leading to the problem of how to deal with such intelligences. Finally, the chapter analyses the possible relations between digital minds, the long term future of technology and how these questions may be related with Fermi’s paradox: if there are many intelligences in the galaxy, how come we never met any?

A Rapture of the Nerds? A Comparison between Transhumanist Eschatology and Christian Parousia

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 343-367
Author(s):  
Roberto Paura
Keyword(s):  
Human Brain ◽  
Point Theory ◽  
The Body ◽  
Christian Theology ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Human Species ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Creation ◽  
The Universe

Transhumanism is one of the main “ideologies of the future” that has emerged in recent decades. Its program for the enhancement of the human species during this century pursues the ultimate goal of immortality, through the creation of human brain emulations. Therefore, transhumanism offers its fol- lowers an explicit eschatology, a vision of the ultimate future of our civilization that in some cases coincides with the ultimate future of the universe, as in Frank Tipler’s Omega Point theory. The essay aims to analyze the points of comparison and opposition between transhumanist and Christian eschatologies, in particular considering the “incarnationist” view of Parousia. After an introduction concern- ing the problems posed by new scientific and cosmological theories to traditional Christian eschatology, causing the debate between “incarnationists” and “escha- tologists,” the article analyzes the transhumanist idea of mind-uploading through the possibility of making emulations of the human brain and perfect simulations of the reality we live in. In the last section the problems raised by these theories are analyzed from the point of Christian theology, in particular the proposal of a transhuman species through the emulation of the body and mind of human beings. The possibility of a transhumanist eschatology in line with the incarnationist view of Parousia is refused.

scholarly journals Closing the Future: Environmental Research and the Management of Conflicting Future Value Orders

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Andersson ◽  
Erik Westholm
Keyword(s):  
Research Program ◽  
Environmental Research ◽  
Major Research ◽  
The Future ◽  
Future Value ◽  
The Creation

This paper examines a struggle over the future use of Nordic forests, which took place from 2009 to 2012 within a major research program, Future Forests—Sustainable Strategies under Uncertainty and Risk, organized and funded by Mistra, The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research. We explore the role of strategic environmental research in societal constructions of long-term challenges and future risks. Specifically, we draw attention to the role played by environmental research in the creation of future images that become dominant for how societies structure action for the long term. We also show that this process is on several accounts problematic. Research labeled “strategic” or “relevant” is intended to manage long-term risks and challenges in a sustainable way, by taking into account the “open” and “plural” nature of the future. The case of Future Forests suggests, rather, that by contributing to the emergence of dominant future images, environmental research is entangled with a process of gradual consensus creation around what may be highly selective or biased narratives of the long term, which may conceal or postpone key forms of future conflict.

scholarly journals Inclusive security architecture in the Middle East: peculiarities of functioning and Prospects for expansion

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Danila Sergeevich Krylov
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Security Architecture ◽  
Peace And Security ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Creation

This article explores the prerequisites for the creation and peculiarities of functioning of the inclusive security architecture in the Middle East. This system of ensuring and maintaining peace was established by Russia, and currently includes two cross-regional Middle Eastern powers – Turkey and Iran. The author analyzes the potential of involving new actors — Saudi Arabia and Israel – into the functioning of the security architecture. The article employs the method of SWOT-analysis for determining the advantages and disadvantaged of the inclusive security architecture in the Middle East, as well as outlining the major threats and capabilities of the system. The novelty of this research lies in giving definition to the concept of “inclusive security architecture”; assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the inclusive security architecture created by Russia in the Middle East; outlining the major threats and vulnerabilities of the system, as well as the potential attraction of new actors therein. The author also highlights the peculiarities of the key five pairs of conflict relations in the Middle East (Saudi Arabia — Iran, Saudi Arabia – Turkey, Saudi Arabia – Israel, Israel – Iran, and Israel – Turkey), the nature of which Russia should take into account within the framework of long-term planning. The conclusion is made that in the future, the inclusive security architecture may become one of the key pillars of peace and security in the Middle East, and gradually mitigate the conflicts in this region.

scholarly journals Repositioning People in Creative Futures: A Method to Create Sound Advice with Exploratory Scenarios

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-38
Author(s):  
Guillermo Velasco ◽  
◽  
Rafael Popper ◽  
Ian Miles ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Future Scenarios ◽  
Policy Decisions ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Near Future ◽  
As If

Foresight scenarios are not only useful presentational devices to show that many aspects of the future are open. Scenarios are means for generating advice that helps policymakers initiate actions in the present or near future that will be of long-term significance. Despite the influence that such advice may have on policy decisions, the Foresight literature has paid very little attention to the creation of policy recommendations. Though reports of scenario exercises frequently conclude with lists of recommendations that follow from the study, there is very little explication of the process whereby advice is elicited from the examination of these future scenarios. This paper addresses this gap, examining how the generation of recommendations is related to the development of scenarios within multiple future repositioning workshop settings. It focuses on the fluency and originality of these recommendations, and how this is influenced by repositioning participants in highly transformational scenarios. Repositioning is the process whereby participants are invited to imagine themselves playing roles in hypothetical future contexts, and on that basis to make decisions or devise strategies as if they actually were immersed in these circumstances. The method proposed and the findings of the case study have implications for why and how this future repositioning approach can be incorporated as a ‘key feature’ in the design of Foresight activities. The aim is also to raise awareness of the need for more exploration of Foresight recommendation methodology.

Fans as e-participants? Utopia/dystopia visions for the future of digital sport fandom

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 841-856 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damion Sturm
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
New Model ◽  
Media Technologies ◽  
Fan Communities ◽  
The Future ◽  
Evolution Of Technology ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Carry Over

Media technologies and digital practices are reshaping and redefining the future of sport fandom. This article points to some of the utopian and dystopic transformations for fandom presented by (post)television, digital/social media and the anticipated virtual technologies of the future. Specifically, three distinct phases of fan participation are charted around existing and futuristic visions of technology-as-sport. First are the current televisual technologies that attempt to engage and retain traditionally “passive” viewers as spectators through pseudo-participatory perspectives that will carry over to new screens and technologies. Second, the assumed interactive participation afforded by social and digital media is considered, positing the future amplification of connectivity, personalisation and networking across digital fan communities, albeit undercut by further impositions of corporatisation and datafication through illusory forms of “interactivity”. Finally, the fusion, intensification and continual evolution of technology-as-sport is explored, asserting that forms of immersive participation will be significant for future virtual technologies and may ultimately re-position fans as e-participants in their own media-tech sport spectacles. Collectively, it is anticipated that the creation of new virtual worlds, spaces and experiences will amplify and operationalise forms of immersive participation around augmented spectatorship, virtual athletic replication and potentially constitute the sport itself. Indeed, a new model of the fan-as-immersed-e-participant is advanced as such futuristic virtual sporting realms may not only integrate fans into the spectacle but also project them into the event as participant and as the spectacle.

scholarly journals Retrospective Analysis of a Local Cessation of Vaccination against Poliomyelitis: a Possible Scenario for the Future

2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (23) ◽  
pp. 12460-12465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ekaterina A. Korotkova ◽  
Renee Park ◽  
Elena A. Cherkasova ◽  
Galina Y. Lipskaya ◽  
Konstantin M. Chumakov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soviet Union ◽  
Retrospective Analysis ◽  
Emergency Response ◽  
Former Soviet Union ◽  
Oral Poliovirus Vaccine ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Global Eradication ◽  
Very High

ABSTRACT The global eradication of poliomyelitis will require substantial changes in immunization practices. One of the proposed scenarios includes cessation of vaccination with live oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) and the creation of an OPV stockpile for emergency response in case of the reintroduction of poliovirus into circulation. We describe here a retrospective analysis of the cessation of OPV usage in a region of the Byelorussian Republic of the former Soviet Union in 1963 to 1966. During this period, a widespread circulation and evolution of independent lineages of vaccine-derived polioviruses took place in the region. Some of these lineages appeared to originate from OPV given to 40 children in the community during this period of essentially no vaccinations. The data demonstrate very high risks associated with both the local cessation of OPV vaccination and the proposed use of OPV to control a possible reemergence of poliovirus in the postvaccination period. The high transmissibility of OPV-derived viruses in nonimmune population, documented here, and the known existence of long-term OPV excretors should be also considered in assessing risks of the synchronized global cessation of OPV usage.

scholarly journals COVID-19 May Change Modern Companies Forever—A Brief Outlook

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Gerui Cao
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Future Trends ◽  
Human Species ◽  
Daily Routines ◽  
The Past ◽  
Consulting Firms ◽  
The Future ◽  
Long Term Trends

The future is a big word. It can be composed of uncertainties that make us all fear for. However, it is also filled with opportunities that one can grasp vast amount of optimism. We, as the human species, have always been fascinated with our imagination about the future. In the past, we besought witches to tell us about our fortunes. Nowadays, we form risk management entities and consulting firms that help clients identify opportunities and dangers, while attempting to “shape” the future for each one’s favor if possible. If you ask any one at the New Year Eve party about their predictions of the year 2020 on December 31st, 2019, no one would have believed what was bound to take place—in the same fashion as one from 1700s would have never believed the establishment of European Union. While the virus halted our daily routines and is enforcing humans to change their social behaviors, the very reality of this current pandemic COVID-19 is indeed unprecedented. Humans cannot rewind the reality to the past—we should analyze the current situation and predict the future trends in the hope of a more adequate preparation. COVID-19 can be perceived as a catalyst that boosts the progress of various occurring long-term trends in business conducts. Hence, these key long-term trends can shape up companies’ future structures and behaviors forever.

A new education program for the future

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camilla Kristiansen ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Education Program ◽  
Critical Question ◽  
New Normal ◽  
Transdisciplinary Education ◽  
Healthcare Practice ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Creation ◽  
New Education ◽  
Insight Into

‘´A new education program for the future´ is set in a time when, even though the SDGs have not been achieved in the time allocated for them, working towards the goals and aspirations expressed in them remains as important as ever. Insight into the interconnected nature of society, health and environment and the need for long-term, transdisciplinary thinking and action has led to the creation of a new health and sustainability Bachelor program. Transdisciplinary education and communication have become the new normal and one can feel an excitement growing from the exchange. The expanded understanding of healthcare that underpins this kind of education and practice amplifies critical question to physiotherapy as we move towards new healthcare futures: Will we hold on to physiotherapy as it always has been, or will we change it? Will we oppose or contribute to the creation of new approaches to healthcare practice and education? What will be our contributions to the complex social and environmental challenges of healthcare today and in the future? What futures are we willing to imagine, and which ones are we willing to help come to life?

ASO GUMBALO SEBAGAI INSPIRAS DALAM PENCIPTAAN SENI LUKIS

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 178
Author(s):  
Satri Yadi ◽  
Yuniarti Munaf ◽  
Dhasono Dhasono
Keyword(s):  
Design Phase ◽  
Symbolic Expression ◽  
Ethical Research ◽  
Process Stage ◽  
Form Processing ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Visual Strategies ◽  
Work Done ◽  
Exploration Phase

AbstrakAso Gumbalo dalam penciptaan karya seni lukis diilhami dari kehidupan pengembala yang menjadi inspirasi pencipta yang diungkap melalui media seni lukis dengan mengambil ide “Harapan Pengembala” (Aso Gumbalo). Harapan Gembala dapat diartikan sebagai keinginan, kecendrungan dan dorongan hati yang kuat terhadap sesuatu hal yang ingin direalisasikan untuk menjadikan seorang lebih baik dimasa depan. Pengekspresian ide cipta berangkat dari fenomena Aso Gumbalo yang pencipta ungkap dengan ekspresi simbolik kedalam penciptaan karya seni lukis. Metode penciptaan karya ini melalui tahapan yaitu; 1) Tahap eksplorasi adalah tahap pencarian ide-ide dengan melakukan riset emik dan etik untuk pembuatan karya, 2) Tahap perancangan yaitu tahap pembuatan purwarupa yang akan diwujudkan kedalam bentuk karya seni lukis, 3) Tahap proses garapan karya. Konsep dari penciptaan karya merupakan ekspresi simbolik dengan memanfaatkan idiom tradisi, ekspresi tersebut digambarkan pada perwujudan karya menggunakan strategi media dan strategi visual dengan menggunakan konsep pengolahan bentuk, yaitu disformasi dan transformasi dengan melakukan penggabungan beberapa teknik antara lain, teknik plakat, transparan, tekstur semu dan tekstur nyata. Aso Gumbalo sebagai inspirasi yang diungkapkan dalam bentuk karya seni lukis ekspresi simbolik. Karya-karya yang diciptakan pengkarya disajikan dalam bentukpameran.           Kata Kunci:aso gumbalo, ekspresi simbolik, seni lukis.   AbstractAsoGumbalo in the creation of painting works was inspired from the life of the shepherd who became the inspiration of the creator which revealed through the medium of painting by taking the idea of "Hope of the Shepherd" (AsoGumbalo). Shepherd Hope can be interpreted as a strong desire, inclination and encouragement towards something that wants to be realized to make someone better in the future. The expression of copyrighted ideas departs from the phenomenon of AsoGumbalo, which the creator expressed with a symbolic expression into the creation of painting. This method of creating works through several stages, namely; 1) The exploration phase is the stage of searching for ideas by conducting emic and ethical research for the production of works, 2) the design phase that is the prototype-making stage which will be realized in the form of painting, 3) the process stage of the work done. The concept of creation of works is a symbolic expression by utilizing traditional idioms, these expressions are depicted in the realization of the work using media strategies and visual strategies by using the concept of form processing, namely deformation and transformation by combining several techniques, such as plaque, transparent, pseudo-texture and real texture. AsoGumbalo as an inspiration expressed in the form of paintings of symbolic expression. works created by artists are presented in the form of exhibitions.  Keywords:asogumbalo, symbolic expression, painting.  

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