Jamais Cascio: Tools for building a better world

[noonej]

5:08 What is the device on the right called? I've been looking to get one for my family.

[kingericio]

His name is never in French... kinda weird to me.

[happy2b123]

WELL DONE!!!

This should be shown the same way sex education and drivers education is shown in schools.

AWESOME

[Keravnosoeoeoe]

and if you believe shortysmagic and abyss 24 there is some bottom land I would like to sell you, right after I log off the Matrix world that we live in.

P.S Sun doesn't have an on/off switch, nor does the zodiac+Sun translate into 12 Apostles +God.

[shortysmagic]

what are you talking about?

[shortysmagic]

i strongly recomend to all of you to watch the movie ZEITGEIST ADDENDUM its here on youtube it shows how money itself is a fraudulent system and is the root cause of most of our social issues.

[cynicalprophet]

i hate that video. it's really no better than the issues it claims to adress. it cites nothing that doesn't already have a better counterpoint. its expected that you follow what it says as blindly as it says everyone else follows the lies and conspiricies it claims to have revealed.

[cynicalprophet]

my apologies i thought you were talking about the origonal zeitgeist movie. i have not seen the second one and therefore cannot really criticize it.

[shortysmagic]

o well its quite a bit diferent then the first one. you should check it out, what the movie points out is that there is no denying that the way money works can screw up alot of things, it suggests that we starrt a new world system, all though that system would be based on co-operation which the world as of today can't yet handle after you watch that movie if you do tell me what you think of it.

[LazyOtaku]

@shortysmagic It also shows how this fraudulent system, ran by corporations, in affect creates everyone to be a corporation unto themself in this through birth-certificates, driver license, etc.

[abysss24]

To all the truthseekers around the world, I warmly reccomend to see the video called Esoteric Agenda... Since youtube won't allow me to post the link... the staggering amount of information gathered in here, in mindblowing. It's the best video I have found so far, If you want you can find it also on video google in one piece (it last 2 hrs), just search for the video called Esoteric Agenda.

And there's also a sequel called Kymatica, made from the same person, Ben Stewart.

[abysss24]

Honestly I don't think that by observing and mapping environmental problems we could change the situation in the world. The problem lies much deeper than just in the environment. Ok yeah the environmental problems are really important, but what if WE, or should I say THEY are destroying the environment on purpose?

Ever heard of HAARP or about the chemtrails?

[abram730]

The answer would still be the same... We the people need to fix the problems..

In presupposing "They" want to destroy the environment, are you expecting "them" to fix it?

By taking responsibility for a problem the power ends up in your hands.

as for chemtrails.. perhaps metallic additives.

search global dimming.

if you compress air like in a jet engine add smoke like from burning jet fuel and then drop the pressure like shooting it out of a jet engine you make a cloud.

[neolestat13]

There is always someone coughing in the background during TED talks. It always sounds like the same person.

[jemjemde]

What we need to see is how money circulates

in a society, which is the base of society

see Silvio Gesells book

The Natural Economic Order

silvio-gesellpointde

[ChoasTheory2000]

As an architect I found the documentary "Grabage Warrior" as just one more way we can change the world for the better. Architects can be blamed for alot of the problems, because Architecture has the potential to really change the world on a large scale. My field has been hijacked by ego maniacs who don't build for people, but for their own fame and fortunes. The Garbage Warrior gives me hope that design and Architecture isn't completely useless yet. I suggest watching it if you haven't already.

[abysss24]

The problem is that any good idea that isn't proffitable for the goverments, becasue the gov. doesn't want to facilitate living for people, no it's just the opposite, don't believe anything the goverment says, cause in their humblest interest is that you die, not that you live, less people less problem, ass soon as the majority of people would realise this, the fascist and capitalistic system would collapse, because, people we have the power. But sadly I have a feeling this won't happen so soon.

[intrepgun]

the domination in the world stands upon the edge of a knife. that's why so much money and effort is spent monitoring public opinion and habits and trying to modify them. a lot of people and a moderate amount of effort [or significantly fewer people and quite a bit more effort] can expose the power structures for what they are. luckily, there are millions of ready people, they just don't know how to unite. THAT should be a focus.

[mermadeinheaven]

What will make the world a better place is if they invent something to resolve the global ego pandemic that's threatening to overthrow our intelligence.

[chick5581]

I don't know the original message your responding too, but if you think about it, in some situations, that's the best choice.

[topstot]

why are people arguing when we are all on the same team!? check your egos at the door if you want to comment or if you re not interested in making the world a better place go and watch survivor or something...

[thatsmamayoshi2]

The above post contains: Truth, and Win.

Really, take your arguments else where, please. I would like to see more posts about Saving the Planet, rather than arguing about cell phones.

[HumanStrategy]

I despise people who work 'word for word' from a script. This guy need to stop reading and start speaking to the crowd.

[jag305]

Listen to his voice - that slight little quaver lets you know that he's nervous. Kudos to him for being up there at all.

[cromicus]

Sorry, taking pictures of the problem is supposed to fix it? Gibberis

[Atoyota]

the problem with dependence on digital technology is that it is very fragile.

Solar Max (nuff said)

[jfsimard79]

LOL this guy said 'save the planet'. The planet tries to kill us every chance it gets. If any one of you is dropped butt naked in 90% of the earth's surface, you are dead in 10 minutes.

[tillo2008]

jfsimard79-yeah! kill the planet before it kills us!

oh wait, then we'll have to figure out how to live on mars.... where 100% of it's service you are dead before you blink.

you might think you're being cute making fun of the "save the planet" thing, but the truth is that we aren't just trying to save humankind. Kill mankind and the planet would thrive. We all contribute to it and need to start taking responsibility for our actions on a massive scale.

[jfsimard79]

Where is it that I said to kill the planet. I'm just pointing out that we tend to romanticize our quest to "save" the earth. One extreme would rather we all commit suicide so that planet earth can heal itself and live in peace, and the other extreme thinks that the earth ain't worth a damn and we should exploit it and pollute it. We must balance our need for production and manufacturing with the need to be "clean" and "green." Neither extreme will work.

[niddasa]

@tillo2008 we all contribute?! when was it that anyone asked to be born? who asked for cars televisions and the massive amounts of chemicals released into the atmosphere every day? who asked for nuclear devices? did you call for these major advancements in technology? or where they just already here when you got here? did you make any of this shit? could you even fathom it? stop blaming EVERYBODY! the people responsible are the same ones offering you a solution!

[rollsthepaul]

Instant access to info and what others are thinking, via the Internet and phone services, is a precursor to a telepathic society where everyone knows what everyone else is thinking. Very mentally healthy people don't need any secret thoughts; in fact they crave interaction and the benefit of instant help, when needed. This will happen in 4th density, where we are headed.

[rollsthepaul]

A huge factor, not referred to here is the orientation of those reincarnating to Earth.

For many years the STS have not been allowed to return here and so they are a dying orientation, on Earth. Of course, this has a huge impact on getting to real solutions to our problems. We have very good reason to be optimistic. Humans have voted to be a STO planet and it is happening.

[mikezephyr]

this guy's the prophet of technotopia.

but, it's become abundantly clear that industrial civilization is not only profoundly unsustainable, but collapsing. his 'solutions' perpetuate alienation and the pervasive omni-surveillance of this culture. fuck that.

[13gi0n]

I agree.

[BanjoNaps]

No the government plan of AUTO-MOBIL ONLY ROAD that connects to the SUB-URBAN POD HOUSE that you then leave to go to COMMERCIAL IMPORT DISTRIBUTION ZONE after you finished driving from the WORK ONLY AREA that is collapsing. We need more freedom so we can figure out what to do with all of this dumb ass shit the government has built or "regulated" us into building ourselves. Its not industrial civilization that is failing, just the globalized socialist government.

[mikezephyr]

how do you figure it's a globalized socialist government?! far from it. you've perfectly articulated my frustrations with global capitalism above. that is to say, living as a wage-slave in a world divided by class. it's terrible and alienating. besides, i would like to see a society that was governed by the principle: "from each according to their need, to each according to their abilities". the pursuit of profit over people has to go.

[Darthwillburr]

Call it what it is... You just quoted Karl Marx, What you want is Communism.

Just ADMIT IT, your a communist.

[mikezephyr]

by all means.

[BanjoNaps]

except your own right?

[BanjoNaps]

Its a social government because government mandate what large portions of the economy will look like. Point out the "class" were is it? All I see is individuals.

And you reveal what you really are. A useless leeching mooch trying to legalize theft.

Your needs do not give you a claim on my ability, nor on any others for that manner. If I can't make it I'll trade for it with what I can make. I'm a very able person so HANDS OFF!

THIEF! MURDER! SLAVER!

YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE!

[mikezephyr]

fucking shit, this is pathetic. i've never claimed this, and never would.

i'm not a thief, murderer or slaver. why would you call me this? if anything this describes the current system of theft, muder and slavery.

i don't agree that my needs supercede your abilities. once again, this applies to the ruling class that regards or disregards our dreams, needs and capacities.

jesus christ monkey balls!

[BanjoNaps]

oh backpedaling are you? The current system of theft, murder and slavery. Is SOCIALISM!

Capitalism has not existed for almost 100 years now. Just this sad shell of its former glory known as the "Mixed Economy". Start thinking and look at the facts. You know they are calling for regulator regulators now. To make sure the "laws" get "enforced".

[Darthwillburr]

Regulations wont fix it, that is obvious, what we need to do is to break up the corporations and allow more competition into the markets to revive capitalism

[BanjoNaps]

All we need to do is to stop asking the government to initiate force on our behalf, it requires consent.

The fortune 500 would not last a day with out their government life line.

[mikezephyr]

im not mincing my words here.

capitalism as a mode of production remains, and its basic formula, taking in commodities to make more money: MCM is necessarily exploitative, as purchased labor (of the propertyless mass) creates surplus-value that is the profit of the few.

if it's 'free market' capitalism that you're refering to, then that only ever existed in the speeches of politicians. state and capital go hand in hand. coercion, disposession and the rest are inherent in capitalism.

[BanjoNaps]

Capitalism is an economic system in which wealth, and the means of producing wealth, are privately owned and controlled rather than publicly or state-owned and controlled. - wiki

Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the means of production -wiki

The top one entails freedom because of the whole concept of property right that goes along with it. Property rights are the base of civilization.

[mikezephyr]

the above defintions are correct, succinct.

now, the judgment that freedom flows from private property is inane. freedom for whom? 9/10ths of those in civilization are indeed propertyless and must enter into a coercive condition of wage-slaver selling their labor, youth, intelligence, strength and waking hours to the alien, hostile other- the proprietor. p.p. is very much the basis of civilization that, denies access to the fruits of the earth that belong to all.

[BanjoNaps]

Don't ever come around my chicken coup yammerin about the peoples chicken.

I disagree with you and do not give moral sanction to what you are trying to do to the world.

[myxomata]

You are a gullible worker ant who has been duped by the powerful. You believe a system makes you "free", which only exists to help the powerful maintain their power.

[BanjoNaps]

I am not free. The government (and by government I mean people that use the government to initiate force to get their way) is oppressing me. So I'm stuck paying taxes and having my savings inflated away by dumbasses like you whining for payout programs.

Your needs are not claims on the lives of others. You are the oppressor. You are the problem, not people like me who want freedom from your sick ideas.

[mikezephyr]

also, what you've described clearly exposes the essential dynamics of capitalism. given this period of cyclic economic destruction, the state rushes in to sustain financial and automotive industries to sustain capitalism and the almighty profit. in other words, there never was a time when there was a market economy without the resources of modern state.

as capitalism intensifies and centralizes control at the top, the government becomes evermore directly involved in economics.

[BanjoNaps]

AHHAHA! Automotive companies!??!

What automotive companies!!?!?!?

Their are only large financial firms that makes cars on the side being fed off of high powered loans from the FED. Intensifies at the top. That is socialism.

You need to read history and not Marx. Overproduction in capitalism? no no. you have to have a state screaming "MORE CARS" for that to happen. No real capitalist would make more product than their was a market for. Just look at the buggy whip industry! It used to be huge.

[mikezephyr]

for what it's worth, i would suggest reading marx's 1848 economic manuscripts, the manifesto and volume one of capital (das kapital) to understand where im coming from and how the critique of capitalism is so relevant to today.

[BanjoNaps]

Marx just like you couldn't even keep the meaning of his words stable enough to get a concept fully formed. Its just fog.

All the people should have all the worlds stuff free because the wealth of the world is "natural". Resources are nothing until man thinks of a use for them.

how?

Blackout. The mental fog rolls in.

Don't ever come around my chicken coup yammerin about the peoples chicken.

[rickysles]

The collectivist undertones are intense! Pure Marxist ideology.

[mikezephyr]

wtf is 'collectivism' anyways? marx never uses that word. and it's an untenable denial of social life.

if by collectivism, it is meant the interdependance and solidarity of the human race in general, and the working class specifically then you'd be dolt or capitalist to deny that.

do you mean subjecting the individual to the crushing demands of the ruling class, industry, state and money? capitalism does that already as it is.

so fucking lame.

[rickysles]

I'm not sure if you have a correct understanding of the collectivist philosophy seeing as Marx's social classes are purely collectivist.

Collectivism is a philosophy that groups individuals and says the "good" of the group of is more important than the individual. This kind of thinking strips individuals of rights and leads to majoritarian (totalitarian) rule.

Collectivist philosophy was sowed deep in the Soviet Union (arguably still is), Cuba, and Nazi Germany to name a few. What you saw

[rickysles]

happen is the destruction of human life because individualist philosophy was suppressed, often with a gun.

Collectivism, Marxism, Communism, Statism lead to the destruction of human life, human progress and human flourishment.

Individualism and the liberty to pursue ones own self-interest, without the use of coercion (state governments) lead to prosperity and better standard of living.

[BanjoNaps]

As my uncle used to say. Don't let me catch you sneaking around my hen house yammerin about the people's chicken.

[De4sher]

I noticed the way he talks, makes me tune out. I can't pay attention for more than 2 minutes, and my attention focus is usually very strong.

People should be trained how to talk to a large public, especially orators.

[mikezephyr]

you didn't miss much btw. in a nut shell: cell-phones are everywhere, so why don't you snap a picture of a clearcut, you'll be a part of 'progress'.

[methoxyroxy]

'so we can model the future of the climate'

yeah.. this is where I stopped the video. Modelling the climate is about as huge a project as modelling the brain. So, no.

[redmapleleaf]

33th comment, and I think this person should talk faster, and/or the video sped up.

[zbambam5]

Or, maybe, just maybe, you should work on lengthening your attention span. Just a fun alternative to your suggestions.

[riversonthemoon]

Dude. You are everywhere! I've seen your comments in the last 3 videos I watched.

:D

[redmapleleaf]

Who do you mean?

[redmapleleaf]

Who do you mean?

[riversonthemoon]

I meant zbambam5.

[Tanru2000]

This guys voice sounds like the windows text-to-speech voice when you turn down the pitch and up the speed! It's uncanny! :D

[nvcn86]

less. people.on.the.planet.

[1trip711]

27th!!!!!!!!!11 And this video is gay!!!!!

[00boyscout00]

If we are ever going to preserve this planet I think we need to lower our emissions at any cost. How could that possibly be counter productive?

[GaddingImp]

this talk is 3 years old! i think humanity should just commit mass suicide. nuke the planet. no more suffering. no more problems. ever. it's extreme, i know, but, it is an absolute solution. the only thing really stopping us is personal fear when we all die eventually anyway.

[00boyscout00]

No, that is counter productive.. As a society that is capable of destroying ourselves; we are trying not to.. Lol

[GaddingImp]

Counter-productive implies a goal. What is our goal? Existing itself isn't a goal because it's a given.

The only reason we want to improve the planet is because we live in it. That is the problem. The planet will eventually be unable to support life no matter what. So in a way, preserving the planet is counter-productive.

[code933k]

People like you uses to talk without a time frame, that's why they talk so much counter-productive things.

[buckfush12]

Good point neo. We are all inextricably interconnected; I agree with your point now.

[petfoodonly]

This guys mobile phone spiel is so dumb. He seriously thinks mobile phones are a cause of the increase in African GDP?

I'd bet my left testicle that it's the increase in GDP that is letting people buy mobile phones.

[GaddingImp]

before you make a judgement about something being dumb, you should make sure your point is right.

correlation doesn't mean cause. he doesn't think it's the cause, but it's a proven factor.

[petfoodonly]

A proven factor huh? Got a citation for that? (Note I said 'a' cause not 'the' cause. Things have more than 1 cause)

I'd say that the increase in GPD causes increase phone ownership. Phone ownership is just one of the many things that increased as GPD increases. I'm sure protein consumption and swimming-pool installations are in the same bracket.

[GaddingImp]

Citation: this video.

You still misunderstand and define it as a cause. It's not a cause. It's a correlation, as in there is a positive correlation between GDP increase and phone ownership. Look up 'correlation'.

[petfoodonly]

I suggest you watch the video again. He doesn't say they correlate, he says mobile phones are a cause of increasing GDP. In fact, his thesis turns on that point.

[GaddingImp]

7:39 "a study last year shows a direct correlation between the growth of mobile phone use and subsequent to GDP increases across Africa"

You're being defensively thick-headed. I suggest you get over your original interpretation. Besides, his point is that phones can be used more interactively in regards to environmental concerns.

[petfoodonly]

Congrats on chopping off the immediately preceding words "mobile phones have become an economic driver" NOT "growing economies drive mobile phone uptake".The study accurately (and unsurprisingly) observes correlation between phone usage and growing economies. He interprets that correlation backwards and wrongly.

You win the creationist award for brilliant quote mining.

[GaddingImp]

After I have destroyed your points, you resort to sarcasm in desperation. Good luck on your ignorance.

[petfoodonly]

Yes, because quoting the sentence which shows you're wrong is a desperate argument.

Sigh, there's one born every minute.

[thoughtwaretv]

Another great talk by Jamais. Thank you TED.

There is much more on Human Progress at:

Thoughtware (dot) TV.

[flapjacks3276]

very sweet!

[UlyssesBreckenridge]

The irony of us doing this then an astroid plowing into earth killing everyone.

[xinlo]

and thats what we can call pessimism... hilarious!

[Mrmoc7]

You don't even need to wait for an asteroid. There are plenty of things right here on earth ready to kill us at a moment's notice.

[homermoo]

hahaha

[lilcryingangel]

37th!

[1trip711]

suck

[californiabonfire]

Yo, make earthwitness happen!

I am down and I am sure like everyone else who isn't crazy is too, lol.

All the best

[neotoy]

And yet ironically the mobile phone is a perfect example of how technology is not under our control, and is chronically under-analyzed. This is not the same as solving problems, it just adds more complexity, and more vectors for more problems. This is such a typical mental trap that many "futurists" fall into.

[buckfush12]

What is an example of "not under our control."

[neotoy]

Define "control". Would you say that an oil spill for example is a desirable function of oil tanker technology? Is gridlock an intentional aspect of transportation infrastructure? Or perhaps a more classical example; asbestos was once thought to be a miracle home insulation product. There are always unintended consequences that represent a lack of control. In a connected world technology isn't passive, in many instances it competes with us for survival.

[Mrmoc7]

What are some of the problems that have been caused by mobile phones?

[neotoy]

I think you missed the point of my original statement. Which is that the problems are not always immediately evident, ie. asbestos. But if you really want a direct answer; lithium mobile phone batteries are an extreme environmental hazard, due to the lack of proper disposal and proliferation the result is environmental contamination. Additionally 3-4 million songbirds are killed annually due to collisions with cell towers. We live in a connected, holistic world, nothing happens in a vacuum.

[Khamila1]

Great Vid ;D

[yellowmellowzz]

why doesn't it exist yet? I'm willing to try...

[semiliteratedgod]

are you also willing to try sucking his ass?

[r5768]

brilliant

[recognizetrill]

second!