Well, as a futurist, I suppose I don’t belong with that title, for I am a free-market individual, and a capitalist. Most of the futurists that I’ve met are utopian thinkers almost with a sense of socialist or communist flare. Nevertheless, straddling categories I often ponder what comes next, and what will come after that. Indeed, when I think about the social networks of today, those which have been developed for the last 6 to 7 years, and I recall a time when they didn’t exist at all, it would seem to me the next 10 years things are going to change drastically. Let’s go ahead and talk about this for second we might.
You see, as we map the human brain, figure out how to develop implantable chips within the human bio-system, there will be thought swapping communication, and once we can transfer human thought into ones and zeros, and send it to other folks, or to run our cars, airplanes, homes, etc. there will be some who choose to reveal everything about themselves. In other words rather than having a Facebook, they might have an OpenBook or open mind, allowing others to see what they’re thinking, literally.
However, if the human species decides to go this way with social networks, there will be a huge challenge with the concept of; intellectual property. Who’s to say; who thought of it, who thought of it first, and who or what will record all of that. How will the individual get credit for that thought, and what might that credit, money, or reward be. If society gets more of what it rewards, so it will definitely want to reward those who come up with original thoughts, and the society or civilization, or humanity as a whole will wish to collect that intellectual property and make something of it.
Will there be a thought recording device hooked up to the Internet and social networks, which will record who thought of what first? If someone were to have lots of original thoughts, would others wish to hook up to their;
E-mail Newsletter (Thought Bursts of the Day)
Thought Tweets
Thought Alerts
etc.
Are you beginning to see the point here? Obviously, all of humanity wouldn’t want to listen to the thoughts of everyone (imagine that level of noise, as if today’s social networks are not already full of debris), nor would everyone want to share their thoughts with others, however, those who do may join a thought swapping network group, and listen to the minds of others which they feel appropriate. Imagine the intellectual clubs which will form, and the cross-pollination of multiple minds. That would be an incredible gift to humanity.
Of course, like any social networks, there will be a need for personal space, and therefore people may designate one side of their brain for thought swapping, keeping the other side for themselves, or there may be a thought catcher, which will catch certain thoughts which will not be shared, and it will broadcast those thoughts which are more apropos to the group.
Perhaps folks who are listening and can choose their preferences, and only receive certain types of thoughts. Yes, this is a provocative concept, but it probably will be our future judging by the way these technologies are all coming together in the present period, and sure, it might be 20 years out, but that will still probably be in your lifetime. So please consider all this and think on it.
