FastForward Radio

By | July 27, 2008
1 Comment

“Solving the World’s Problems: The Speculist Way!” Part 1

…of two.

That’s right. Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon will be solving the worlds problems in two podcasts. This was the first.

Assume anything is possible. In the next 25 years how could we:

  • Eliminate crime.
  • Abolish hunger and poverty.
  • End terrorism.

Our live audience is a big part of this show. Harvey Espatchelowe called in and Matt Duing had some great comments in the text chat.

If you typically listen on a delay, please listen live next week as we finish this two-parter. We need your help digging ourselves out of our own challenge. You can suggest a problem to consider or, even better, give us a solution. We’ll give a FFR coffee mug to the caller or chat-room guest who makes the best contribution to the discussion. Next week we’ll ask how, in the next 25 years, can we:

  • Eradicate cancer, heart disease, AIDS, and dysentery;

  • End war, and
  • Make the environment pristine.

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Click “Continue Reading” for the show notes:

  • http://www.StopAndConsider.com Leslie Kirschner

    Sorry guys, it is hard for me to listen live, but I do download your podcast regularly. I found the discussion on crime interesting and wanted to add some related comments. While it’s hard to know all the causes of the drop in crime observed in the 90s that you were discussing, I do think that many types of crime will naturally decrease as technology of the future arrives in a couple of key areas:

    1. The application of artificial intelligence to crime prevention (and other social problems). A recent article I read in New Scientist summarized some research indicating that a significant portion of crime is more a function of opportunity (to do the crime and to get away with it) than simple demographics. Applying AI (and I am talking narrow AI here, not even AGI) to detailed data can help to highlight areas and patterns that are currently obscured by the structure of our crime fighting bureaucracies and social institutions. Furthermore, expanding computing capabilities to analyze massive amounts of data can help to find causes and correlations that we haven’t even thought of. Along these lines, the increasing use of databases and data sharing by law enforcement could be an important factor in the significant drop you were discussing.

    2. The increase in surveillance technology. This idea builds on the human tendency to behave better when we know someone is watching. Even now, you hear of more instances where video surveillance or other electronic means are used to foil and detect crime. Sophisticated criminals will work around some of this, but it will get harder. If you haven’t read David Brin’s book The Transparent Society, I highly, highly recommend it. It was written in the 90s, so certain aspects are a little dated, but his thoughts and observations (about many related topics) are right on the money. Incidentally, he would be an excellent guest for your show, if you could get him for an interview!