Innovative Philanthropy with Patri Friedman - The Seasteading Institute

Patri Friedman, founder of The Seasteading Institute, which believes that governments could be far more diverse and innovative. Currently, there is no open space for political experimentation, which is why we work every day towards opening the oceans as the next frontier for human civilization. Ocean cities will function as "startup countries", competing to find the political and social systems of the future. Current projects include research into engineering, law, business models, and locations, as well as building a global movement of seasteaders, all directed towards the audacious goal of seeing the first seasteads this decade. http://www.seasteading.org

From Breakthrough Philanthropy, an evening catalyzing radical advances in technology to address humanity's greatest challenges, Dec 7th, 2010, in San Francisco.

• Category

  Nonprofits & Activism

[SuperAtheist]

one enormous problem - current governments don't like competition and they don't play fair.

[bobchrisman n]

Let's Make Rapture

[Eay5paev]

raw materials, but also energy, food and perhaps most importantly water.

Unless you make it big enough to grow your own food, collect solar energy and desalinize seewater, you'll have no way to pretend you don't have to obey the laws of people from whom you bu stuffs.

Making such huge seasteadings might be technically possible, but very hard, and extremely expensive.

[HolyShizzle]

Problem is youd need to get your raw materials from land countries...So youd be dependent on them

[themonrovian]

Check out my video on how to make seasteading a reality: /watch?v=_roi9m3FYTE

Give me some feedback if you like what you see - Thanks!

[gocrazy432]

We should get this to TED.

[7Analysis]

On a lighter note this guy looks like he just came out of Mass Effect. Commander Shepard talking on behalf of humanity.

[7Analysis]

If this "project" somehow helps society change in a way that helps the less fortunate in the long run, I'm all for it. Capitalism isn't the way and it's failing, the only reason the majority of people follow the current system is because there's nothing else, there is no free world, there is no decision, you're born into a system and you will die in that system. Hopefully this will help bring forward a new style government. For you to live the way you do, someone else must work harder for less.

[darthvader5300]

The first engineering problem is that all seasteading structures must be able to take on monster waves 10 to 25 stories high, be able to remain air tight and water tight like a submarine, go underwater temporary then rise up again like a cork based on the principle of the floating dry dock filled with permanent foam material.

[darthvader5300]

Sea water greenhouses, sea water open crops, artificial mangrove forests, permanent shellfish and fish aquaculture, underwater mining technologies already existing, living machines combined with thermodepolymerization to recycle everything, natural water pressure operated reversed osmosis desalination systems, etc. All these can make seasteading an economic practical reality but it must solve one thing. It must withstand anything nature can throw against them like freak rouqe waves, etc.

[terbernt]

While I applaud the ideas akin to Bioshock, the quality of the lead adherents resembles a group whose only ambition is to have free-living post-college dorm life. You cannot carry innovation around. Living at sea like Ron Hubbard hiding from the IRS, reading Ayn Rand. That's the life for me.. This movement would need a Steve Jobs to put the pieces together successfully.