Supercomputer Earth: The Future of Civilization (& Africa\'s part in it)
1. Supercomputer Earth
The Future of Civilization
(& Africa's part in it)
December 4th 2008, Goethe-Zentrum Windhoek, Namibia
Christian Heller ( http://www.plomlompom.de )
2.
3. The last 500,000 years
speech, language (500,000-50,000 years)
graphical symbols, writing (35,000-5,000 years)
abacus, library (5,000-2,500 years)
printing (1,500-500 years)
digital computing machines (350-150 years)
real-time telecommunication (150 years)
computer networks (40 years)
world wide web (15 years)
5. Evolution of the Web / Web 2.0
participation made easier, standardized
− usability standards, friendly design
− standards for data formats & interconnections
more ways and new scales of participation
− anyone can publish, comment on, edit, rate, name,
tag, sort, link anything anywhere anytime
wiring massive user input into intelligence
− “people who bought x also bought ...”
− new intelligence methods as business models
6. Sections from
“LOGO 2.0”
by Ludwig Gatzke
( http://flickr.com/photos/stabilo-boss/ )
Licensed under Creative-Commons-BY-NC-SA
http://flickr.com/photos/stabilo-boss/93136022/
http://flickr.com/photos/stabilo-boss/101793493/
7. Some techniques & examples
uploading media ....... YouTube.com, Flickr.com
open source design ................ SourceForge.net
wiki .............................................. Wikipedia.org
feeds ................... Blogspot.com, Bloglines.com
social networks .......................... Facebook.com
social bookmarking & tagging ........... del.icio.us
crowdsourcing ................................. MTurk.com
anything ......................................... Google.com
9. Growth of the global supercomputer
thinking brain matter
− more humans, more intelligent brain matter
− growing % flows into global intellectual enterprises
artificial information storage & computing
− Moore's law
− improving problem-solving algorithms
synthesis
− wiring up growing intelligences of brain & machine
− extend intelligence network to other matter
11. Everything interfacing everything
new user interfaces
− from keyboards to touchscreens
− from joysticks to accelerometers
− from mouses to direct neural interfaces
the internet of things
− mobile devices
− GPS (Global Positioning System)
− RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)
13. Supercomputer Earth at work
physical production
− open source 3D printing; RepRap.org
− extend to future nano assemblers
energy
− intelligently self-organizing energy grids
− centralization vs. decentralization
biotechnology
− crowdsourcing science; InnoCentive.com
− Freeman Dyson: bio-engineering kits for every child
14. “'Paradigm Shifts for 15 Lists of Key Events”
Source: Wikimedia Commons / Ray Kurzweil ( http://www.kurzweilai.net/ )
( http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:ParadigmShiftsFrr15Events.svg )
License: Creative Commons Attribution 1.0 Generic
( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/1.0/ )
15. Development models
Teilhard de Chardin
− Noosphere, Omega Point
Ray Kurzweil
− Accelerating Change
Vernor Vinge
− Technological Singularity
18. “leapfrogging”
jumping directly into newest technology
− by-passing older forms
− avoiding certain intermediary problems
− avoiding the burden of old infrastructure
examples & opportunities for Africa
− internet adress space: IPv6
− decentralized, alternative energy
− wireless telecommunication
19. “'SMS till you drop' -- mobile phone ad on van in Kampala, Uganda”
Source: Flickr / FutureAtlas.com ( http://futureatlas.com/blog/ )
( http://www.flickr.com/photos/87913776@N00/305425495/ )
License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en )
20. Mobile telecommunication in Africa
explosive growth
original, unexpected uses
examples for use
− collective use of devices & pre-paid credits
− information & help services via SMS
− micro finance / banking via SMS
21.
22. Africa's Supercomputer support
acceleration through leapfrogging
technological ideas through special situations
unexpected contacts
crowdsourcing potential?
solar energy?
23. Links
Wikipedia.org on “Web 2.0”, “Technological
Singularity” and just about anything else
InternetWorldStats.com
“The Impact of Mobile Phones in Africa”
− http://commissionforafrica.org/english/report/background/scott_et_al_background.pdf
JanChipchase.com
Ubuntu.com