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 )‏

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)‏

4. “Internet map” Source: Wikimedia Commons / Matt Britt ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Matt_Britt )‏ ( http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Internet_map_1024.jpg )‏ License: Creative Commons Attribution Generic 2.5 ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ )‏

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

8. Twitter.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

10. “nabaztag” Source: Flickr / David Haberthür ( http://habi.gna.ch/ )‏ ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/habi/288065866/ )‏ License: Creative Commons Attribution Generic 2.0 ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en )‏

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)‏

12. “Reigh's Brain rlwat2b” Source: Flickr / Reigh LeBlanc (http://www.flickr.com/photos/reighleblanc/‏ )‏ ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/reighleblanc/1372175973/‏ )‏ License: Creative Commons Attribution Generic 2.0 ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en )‏

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

16. Africa's part?

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

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