Can you crowdsource the future? The designers of the Superstruct computer simulation are betting you can (O'Riley Radar - Superstruct: Crowdsource the Future):
The game's goal is to crowdsource forecasting for the Institute For The Future. And based on that premise the IFTF is hoping that participants will do no less than help them find solutions to super-threats (climate refugees, water, carbon quotas and more are listed). The game will launch September 22nd and will last for six weeks. During that time players will learn more information about the world in 2019. The players will share how they would deal with this new world.
I can't help but wonder what role AI, nanotech and neurotech will play in their simulated future. And if players don't have to consider these as variables then how useful could such a simulation really be?
That's an interesting experiment. I think it would be great if they could make realistic computer simulations of the world's population. Then using virtual agents in a virtual world they could test out a variety of economic, political or regulatory policies. This recent article was fairly interesting about using computer models to mimic market dynamics.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/01/opinion/01buchanan.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
It might help us avoid the current mess we're in.
Posted by: Mike | October 12, 2008 at 04:04 PM
Mike, thanks for your comment and article link. Wouldn't it be interesting if every area of government could have access to such modeling? Imagine diplomats at State running simulations over how much foreign aid to give a country given known patterns of corruption and patronage? Or war planners at the Pentagon...ok, wait, I'm sure the Pentagon has access to the best simulations money can buy, DARPA makes sure of that.
Posted by: Joel | October 13, 2008 at 10:12 PM