Highlights so far:
- Alvin Toffler talking about 5GW (although he didn't really call it that) and calling for a more decentralized national security plan. Toffler seemed really tired, which accounted for his rather lackluster performance in the audience Q&A.
- Economist Myron Scholes (of the Black-Scholes theory) elaborating on the future of capitalism.
- John Kerry discussing how businesses can profit off of global warming solutions and greentech. He was very optimistic. Other panel guests warned about China and India's resistance to reducing their consumption and questioned Democrats' commitment to follow through with Green rhetoric.
- An international panel of social-media companies discussing the "wisdom of crowds" and how it can change global media.
- The Council on Foreign Relations' Richard Haas discussing the threat from "superempowered" individuals, using anthrax virus, DC sniper, and Virgina Tech shootings as examples.
8 comments:
Sounds cool - the ideas are leaping from the blogosphere to well...if not the mainstream, at least the mainstream's cutting edge. An improvement over business as usual.
Toffler's a great thinker but he's probably feeling his age a bit.
Good to see your feeling well again.
The Richard Haas bit seems most interesting. I think Haft of the Spear discussed something along these lines in terms of an article written about Black Swan's
Wait! Sorry to both HotS and Shloky.
It was Shloky who discussed that article.
Haas also unconsciously echoed some of Robb's idea, especially when he disagreed with another panelist worried about nuclear terrorism. Haas stated that a determined group with low-tech could cause chaos and disrupt a country.
Have you picked up Brave New War yet?
Hah. Ignore the above question.
Did you get it yet?
Eh, no. As I've mentioned on my blog I have a weird aversion to buying a book that I can't hold and look at first. One of my few idiosyncrasies. I will, however, swing by Border's and snag it tomorrow (assuming it's been released to stores.)
Further, I'm already bouncing back and forth between "A War to be Won" (WWII) and Kaplan's "Imperial Grunts."
Which reminds me, my whole "I'm gonna compare BFA to IG" is effective shit. It'd be like comparing apples to cabbage. And so I learn not to predetermine...
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