Cultural Connectivity & the Singularity

 

The Singularity is an emergent term that has been coined at a time of immense technological change, when our everyday realities become increasingly impermanent and transient.

The concept of a Singularity has until recently been used to describe a point where spacetime becomes so warped by the force of gravity that information cannot escape and the event horizon becomes empty or black. The use of the word Singularity in relation to technological change is a metaphor for the true use of the word and does a good job in helping us to imagine technological change that is so radical that it becomes increasingly hard to predict the future. It is worth remembering that only a few generations ago, one could pass through life without experiencing any significant technological change.

One of the primary areas where we experience technological change in our immediate environments is in our relationship with media, communication and the associated connectivity to our fellow humans around the memes and ideas that spew forth endlessly. We enjoy a communion of ideas in the medium of the internet.

Now while it is easy to focus on the new technologies with all their wiz bang features, it is harder to spot the seething undercurrents in the global psyche that look a lot like an emergent property. Up until only a few decades ago most informing was done with the aid of the passive medium of television and newspapers that relied on powerful elites for their reach. Now, even while mass market media still dominates even on the internet, the cracks are emerging and centres of influence are losing their grip. In a network without a centre, the hot fires of competition & lack of respect for intellectual property are setting fire to established power structures.

The new emergent mind is dreaming a thousand dreams and those dreams are infused with our passions, fears, hopes and archetypes. For the watcher, the density of exploration of ideas, even on the fringe seems to spark with apparent synchronicity.

For those who might choose to focus primarily on the physical phenomena associated with the singularity, the rich, multi dimensional psychic changes experienced by the masses as we are hurled into the future might go unnoticed, at least for a while.


Posted by: Andrew
Company: Noble & Associates
Phone: 61894007400
Posted On: 1/1/0001
Contact via email: andrew@nobleaccounting.com.au
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The Road

The Road is ‘worst case dystopia’ and could be seen as a cultural wake up call.

Life on The Road is seriously disturbing to say the least with the bleak, destroyed, brutal post apocalyptic environment contrasting strongly with the spirit of two survivors, a son & his father as they eke out an existence on a journey from inland to the sea with canibal encounters.

If you’ve got a DVD player or can download this movie, it is a wake-up call that we all need.


Posted by: Andrew
Company: Noble & Associates
Phone: 61894007400
Posted On: 1/1/0001
Contact via email: andrew@nobleaccounting.com.au
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What is happening


Posted by: Andrew
Company: Noble & Associates
Phone: 61894007400
Posted On: 1/1/0001
Contact via email: andrew@nobleaccounting.com.au
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Categories: Culture
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Alkimos City to Rise to the North of Perth

The city of Alkimos has received planning approval. This new carbon neutral, environmentally responsible city will be built in the Alkimos region, 40km?s north of Perth. The city will be built around a marina that is expected to rival the Hillarys & Mindarie marinas.

Given that the goal for the new city is carbon neutrality, every aspect of the design of the living and working environment including the houses and transport system will be geared toward this reality.

Housing for Alkimos will consist of a combination of environmentally friendly houses and units built to integrate with the natural dune & scrub surroundings.


Posted by: andrew
Company: Noble & Associates
Phone: 61894007400
Posted On: 1/1/0001
Contact via email: andrew@nobleaccounting.com.au
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Three NEW Coal Power Stations for Western Australia

Rapid growth in Western Australia has all but assured us of the development of three new coal powered electricity generating stations within the next few years.

With energy shortages of 200MW forecast by the summer of 2011-12, the state liberal government has given the green light to Verve to refurbish the 40 year old Muja A & B generators. Aviva has also been given the go ahead to build a new coal powered station at Eneabba. These three stations are expected to generate 7.4 million tonnes of CO2 per year.

Given our abundance of renewable energy sources in this state, this decision by the state liberal government is short sighted to say the least.

That bastion of scientific fact, Scientific America, recently published a feature article that pointed out that the world could generate almost 100% of its energy from renewable sources with current technologies and the right political will.


Posted by: Andrew
Company: Noble & Associates
Phone: 61894007400
Posted On: 1/1/0001
Contact via email: andrew@nobleaccounting.com.au
Categories: Energy
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Singularity Summit - Melbourne 10 - 12 September 2010

The Singularity Institute for artificial intelligence is holding the first ever Australian summit in Melbourne, 10 - 12 September 2010.

Find out more & register at the site


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Company: Noble & Associates
Phone: 61894007400
Posted On: 1/1/0001
Contact via email: andrew@nobleaccounting.com.au
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Western Power Smart Meter Trial

Western Power is rolling out Smart Meters to nearly ten thousand homes in Perth's Eastern Suburbs. These Smart Meters will allow electricity users to develop new powers of control over their energy consumption & creation. Read on at the Smart Meter Blog

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Company: Noble & Associates
Phone: 61894007400
Posted On: 1/1/0001
Contact via email: andrew@nobleaccounting.com.au
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Container Homes in Western Australia

Why might you consider building a container home in Western Australia? Well there are a number of reasons that might justify such a decison -

  • Buy your container home in China & have it shipped over to Australia. Container homes fit perfectly onto modern transport ships & prices are lower in China
  • Modularity of design make container homes perfectly extensible. Buy multiple containers as components and create a grand multi room home or a hotel
  • Don't feel limited by the shape of the container. Consider creating an external 'look' with shade sails or lattice for instance
  • Container homes can come preconfigured with wiring, plumbing, insulation & interior fittings

Build your future container home & beat the 'debt slave' mindset.


Posted by: Andrew
Company: Noble & Associates
Phone: 61894007400
Posted On: 1/1/0001
Contact via email: andrew@nobleaccounting.com.au
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Categories: Infrastructure
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Oakajee - Gateway to the Mid West of WA

The picture shows a barren, man made port facility built up against the coastline about 20km?s north of Geraldton. Ultimately, this $4 billion port & rail facility will completely transform the region into an industrial and transportation hub built to service the export of iron ore and other raw materials from the mid west.

The requirement for power and water to drive the expansion of industry and transportation in the Oakajee precinct will result in the development of some significant solar & wind energy sources as well as more desalination plants. The SKA Project in the same region will only add to energy demands and also ensure that some significant continental bandwidth (for transporting digital data from the SKA Radio telescope) becomes available in the region.

The development is expected to drive significant human resourcing requirements in the area with 4000 direct jobs to be created annually and a potential population expected to top 100,000, up from the existing 30,000 in Geraldton. From a long term sustainability point of view, Geraldton is in the enviable position of having plenty of space for building housing to house this future population but will still need to develop the requisite community infrastructure.

Probably, like Perth, Geraldton will be able to use resources as a springboard to developing education as a ?next step? industry. Certainly the industrial development and SKA Project will bring plenty of scientists and engineers into the region.

Ultimately, if all the pieces fall into place, Oakajee will shift the centre of Western Australia's economic gravity further north.


Posted by: Andrew
Company: Noble & Associates
Phone: 61894007400
Posted On: 1/1/0001
Contact via email: andrew@nobleaccounting.com.au
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Buckminster Fuller's Grand Strategy

 

For solving Global Problems

Buckminster Fuller's Critical Path


Posted by: Andrew
Company: Noble & Associates
Phone: 61894007400
Posted On: 1/1/0001
Contact via email: andrew@nobleaccounting.com.au
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Categories: Climate Change | Energy
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