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Blogging the future

Sigmund Freund’s intellectual curiosity has rendered him a profound connoisseur of the human life and psyche. Here are five of his wisdoms that refer to the future and human existence, ranging from love to culture, and from his own thoughts to the relation with others.

Sigmund (Shlomo in Hebrew, which means “the wise”) was the first son of Amalie Nathanson, the third wife of Jacob Freud, a Hebrew wool merchant from Galicia. When Sigmund was only four years old, the family had to move to Vienna in 1860 due to political-economic upheavals. Jacob was a freethinker although he had studied the writings of the Jewish tradition, and did not give his son an orthodox education. Sigmund passionately immersed himself in reading and studying the Bible at an early age, and was fascinated by Jewish history. This fascination would greatly influence him later in life. At the time, Vienna was a city full of strong anti-Semitic sentiment, which was a source of great limitation. At the same time, however, this did not stop Sigmund’s inspiring thoughts.

Things did not become much easier with the passing of time. Sigmund was dedicated to his studies, but he graduated behind schedule (in March, 1881), because the life of a student was too constricting. He disliked the way the teachers taught their classes, and it left him feeling unsatisfied and critical. His thoughts and curiosities needed to be free to inquire about the aspects of human existence that so often attracted his attention.

His sensibility of thought was not easy for his wife Martha, with whom he had six children. He saw her in the role of wife and mother, but not as a lover and confidant. This drove him to find comfort elsewhere, causing many problems in his relationships. Sigmund’s life was one indeed fully lived, in every aspect; an experience of a grand mind that serves as a great providers of wisdom and warnings for the future.

More Info:

• http://www.cla.purdue.edu/academic/engl/theory/psychoanalysis/freud.html

In this interview, conducted by Weird Science, physicist and entrepreneur Elon Musk talks about future models of the Telsa Electric Sports Car, and explains how motor studies and development has brought about the growth of space transportation.

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At an interview at Weird Science, an American TV program, Elon Musk explains the success of his company Telsa Motors to Brian Unger: “It’s faster, better acceleration than any Porsche currently in production, and it’s twice the energy efficiency of a Prius.” Telsa Motors is not only the leader of electric car manufacturers, but it distinguishes itself combining speed with energy efficiency. At 38, Telsa Motor’s CEO and Product Architect, Elon Musk, has already lived a life most people can only dream of. Co-founder of PayPal, Space-X, and Telsa Motors, Musk is one of the most fascinating entrepreneurs in the world. He is currently the CEO of Space-X and Telsa Motors, as well as Chairman of SolarCity. Whether on the road or in the sky, Musk has the motor/tech market covered.

All of Musk’s ventures are on the cutting edge of their respective fields. Telsa Motors created an electric sports car, the Roadster, which is 100% electric, and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. Not only is it fast and beautiful, the Roadster is twice as energy efficient as a Prius. Two updated versions, the Roadster Sport and the Model S, improve upon the original model and will be released in the near future. Space-X, another of Musk’s companies, develops and manufactures space launch vehicles, with an emphasis on low cost and high reliability. Currently, Space-X has contracts with NASA and the United States Air Force.

Unlike some multi-millionaires who retire early on remote tropical islands, Elon Musk isn’t planning on stopping anytime soon. With his background in physics, his ingenuity, and his eye for innovation, it is no wonder he has accomplished so much. With an already accumulated fortune of over $328 million, Musk always has an eye on the future, and sees space exploration as playing a crucial role in the future preservation of human life. His position at Telsa Motors has allowed him to influence the world and change the way we look at our current mode of transportation. Elon does not only address the issue of being environmentally friendly, which is currently one of the main priorities in every society, but also luxury and speed. The result? Musk has the car industry elegance, speed, performance, and efficiency. He has shown the world that you can still save our planet without having to give anything up. Thus far, Musk’s innovations have allowed for many advances in the fields of technology and transportation, and much is expected of this promising physo-entreprenuer in the future.

More Info:

• http://www.teslamotors.com
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Onajosm9PWo

Design does not have to be seen solely as creativity applied to the necessities of consumerism. Instead, it should be the vehicle and the expression of a type of thinking, of a formula of creativity that is built on three axes: desirability, feasibility and viability. The future of design must be oriented as such, as the outlook of new designers shift to collaborative “design thinking”.

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In today’s society, it is not farfetched to say that consumerism dictates many aspects of our lives. It is also not surprising that the most profitable products on the market are the most aesthetically pleasing and innovative, thanks to designers whose job it is to make products sell. Tim Brown, the CEO of the firm IDEO, a design and innovation consultancy, believes that this concept needs to change.

Tim Brown wonders when design got so small. By focusing on a design or a singular product, design has become pigeonholed into simply being a tool of consumerism. Design has become incremental and does not make the impact that it could. This does not mean, however, that making products easier to use or more attractive is a pointless endeavor; instead Brown stresses the need for “design thinking” in order to see the bigger picture.

Design thinking begins with integrative thinking, which is the ability to exploit opposing ideas and constraints to create new solutions. According to Brown, design thinking, when applied to design, is accomplished by balancing desirability (what humans needs), technical feasibility, and economic viability. Instead of focusing on the design of a singular object, we should be using design thinking as an approach to solve problems and create new solutions. Brown also believes that smaller design is a recent phenomenon and that design now stands for image, fashion, and aesthetics, when it should stand for innovation.

Is design getting big again? Looking around at the latest changes in the world, one would be inclined to say yes. Design needs to start with what humans need, not just what new objects would look good on someone’s shelf. Thanks to current technology, companies are now able to use design to help tackle world problems by taking into account diverse cultures. While design is useful in both a large and smaller realm, it should start once again living up to its full potential.

More Info:

• http://designthinking.ideo.com/
• http://www.ted.com/talks/tim_brown_urges_designers_to_think_big.html

Scientists at Delft University in the Netherlands have developed a self-healing polymeric material that is both reusable and durable, and can be our solution to make regular plastic bags obsolete. CB26KJW2DS54 Y23HY9RTZ79W

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Most people are aware of the ongoing crisis with plastic bag build up all over the world. Plastic is one of the hardest materials to recycle, and is not easily biodegradable. The average plastic bag has a lifespan of 20 minutes, before it is thrown away. This massive build up has had a negative effect on the environment, but in the future this will change.

Ever since the mass usage of plastic bags became an environmental problem, many stores have come up with some helpful solutions. Green-wise is a shopping bag that does not rip, and can be used over and over again, unlike those flimsy, thin plastic shopping bags that often break after the first use. Along with Greenwise bags, some superstores are giving consumers the choice to use paper bags as well.

A team of scientists at the Delft Centre for Materials, at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, led by co-chairman Sybrand van der Zwaag, have developed a thermally self-healing polymeric material which is made by using a simple and efficient processing method. This material can be reused countless times, and can save millions of tons of waste each year. This new type of plastic is hard, and allows ground up post consumer pellets of their invention to be turned into “virgin” materials at a higher temperature.

This material is an innovative way of solving the world’s waste problems, as it will allow for products to be easily recycled and reused.

More Info:

• http://www.selfhealingmaterials.nl/

New technologies are not only changing our everyday lives and how we work and communicate with others; they are also bringing new customs to our societies. The National Texting Championship, held in New York City, is an example of such a phenomenon. The idea is simple: whoever can write the fastest text message wins.  There have only been three competitions so far, but the event is quickly attracting more and more Americans.

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Do you know what was written in first text message ever sent? “Merry Christmas”. It was the Christmas of 1992, and 22 year-old Neil Papworth sent his Christmas greetings to his colleague Richard Jarvis, who at that moment was at a holiday party near Vodafone’s complex in Newbury, England. To send the message Papworth used the keyboard of a computer. Little did he know what sort of technological revolution he had actually started.

18 years later, the number of text messages sent is now more than 2 trillion. Text messaging has not only created a new way of connecting with people, but it has also brought with it a new way of speaking and new cultural norms. In order to fit an entire message into only 160 characters, people have created new vocabulary, have begun including symbols into everyday speech, and have given numbers a new functionality. Teenagers are the original inventors of this new way of speaking, and their national texting champion for 2009 is 15 year-old Kate Moore. So what does it mean to be the texting champion? A first-place trophy, $50,000, and…bragging rights for the rest of the year.

LG’s US National Texting Championship is no easy feat: there are several elimination rounds, which include a text obstacle course, blindfolded texting, and texting while being hassled. Kate, who averages 14,000 messages a month with bills just under 300-pages long, beat over 250,000 texters to win.

What does this new and innovative competition mean for our future societies? It stands to demonstrate how our culture is evolving quickly. We are constantly looking for better and more efficient ways of communicating and existing in this world. Undoubtedly, the texting trend has grown exponentially, as more adults are beginning to also use text messaging as their main form of communication.

More Info:

• http://www.lgtexter.com/past_winners.php