Comments on: One Library for the Entire World http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2012/02/one-library-for-the-entire-world/ A history of the future that never was Mon, 27 May 2013 01:32:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 By: Sarah http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2012/02/one-library-for-the-entire-world/#comment-381 Sarah Fri, 09 Mar 2012 17:38:52 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/?p=1582#comment-381 The idea that anyone would have a monopoly on information (be it the government, the phone company, any one party) is kind of laughable, but also appealing. Besides the design aesthetics, why do we buy Apple products? Because everything is carefully controlled, neat and pretty (barring the errant app that crashes every now and then). Perhaps Jobs was as much a retrofuturist as a futurist. The idea that anyone would have a monopoly on information (be it the government, the phone company, any one party) is kind of laughable, but also appealing.

Besides the design aesthetics, why do we buy Apple products? Because everything is carefully controlled, neat and pretty (barring the errant app that crashes every now and then). Perhaps Jobs was as much a retrofuturist as a futurist.

]]> By: Auntiegrav http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2012/02/one-library-for-the-entire-world/#comment-368 Auntiegrav Sun, 04 Mar 2012 15:38:57 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/?p=1582#comment-368 More importantly: What are people FOR? The availability of information to everyone through such a massive library and communications system negates much of the use of that information in today's world (consumerism as a basis for economics). The more people know, the more they should be able to step back from the day-to-day manipulations and marketing (rape by deceit of our lizard brains) to actually think about what they can contribute to rather than consume of the future. In that context, we can think about how to re-value the individual mind as part of a species that is generous to its future, and to stop the madness that is currently promoted as "progress", but is really just harvesting of value for a few who have the power to exploit information against others. To think, to dream, to not be exploited: these are the rights of the information age if we challenge the information and habits we have been coerced to believe. Evil: an action that is taken based on unquestioned belief. Good: an action that contributes more to the future of the universe than it consumes in resources. Life: moving matter that utilizes randomness to create future stability (anti-entropic behavior). Intelligence: the ability to form a model of the universe within the mind and act according to that model (regardless of how effective or correct the model may be). Fanatic: an individual with a rigid model of the universe in their mind More importantly: What are people FOR? The availability of information to everyone through such a massive library and communications system negates much of the use of that information in today’s world (consumerism as a basis for economics). The more people know, the more they should be able to step back from the day-to-day manipulations and marketing (rape by deceit of our lizard brains) to actually think about what they can contribute to rather than consume of the future. In that context, we can think about how to re-value the individual mind as part of a species that is generous to its future, and to stop the madness that is currently promoted as “progress”, but is really just harvesting of value for a few who have the power to exploit information against others.
To think, to dream, to not be exploited: these are the rights of the information age if we challenge the information and habits we have been coerced to believe.
Evil: an action that is taken based on unquestioned belief.
Good: an action that contributes more to the future of the universe than it consumes in resources.
Life: moving matter that utilizes randomness to create future stability (anti-entropic behavior).
Intelligence: the ability to form a model of the universe within the mind and act according to that model (regardless of how effective or correct the model may be).
Fanatic: an individual with a rigid model of the universe in their mind

]]> By: jg http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2012/02/one-library-for-the-entire-world/#comment-338 jg Wed, 22 Feb 2012 06:39:22 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/?p=1582#comment-338 For a real "library of future" seer, see Murray Leinster's A Logic Named Joe. In 1946, this SF story predicted home e library access, servers, search engines, and a troublesome self aware Sirti (AI). Cassandra pales in comparison. Disturbing when you first read it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Logic_Named_Joe http://ia600200.us.archive.org/21/items/OTRR_Dimension_X_Singles/Dimension_X_1950-07-01__13_ALogicNamedJoe.mp3 For a real “library of future” seer, see Murray Leinster’s A Logic Named Joe. In 1946, this SF story predicted home e library access, servers, search engines, and a troublesome self aware Sirti (AI). Cassandra pales in comparison. Disturbing when you first read it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Logic_Named_Joe
http://ia600200.us.archive.org/21/items/OTRR_Dimension_X_Singles/Dimension_X_1950-07-01__13_ALogicNamedJoe.mp3

]]> By: Beverly http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/2012/02/one-library-for-the-entire-world/#comment-337 Beverly Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:27:59 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/?p=1582#comment-337 As a librarian....this is pretty close to today's modern library except we don't feed in information directly. Pretty cool. I just checked out database and we do not have Ardley's book World of Tomorrow -- but we have several other titles by him dating back to the 80s. As a librarian….this is pretty close to today’s modern library except we don’t feed in information directly. Pretty cool. I just checked out database and we do not have Ardley’s book World of Tomorrow — but we have several other titles by him dating back to the 80s.

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