What was this before? Campfire chat, Open discussion - this year we thought we’d try something a little different: frame a session around this broad question posed by the edge organization. What is the Edge? some say: “superhero clubhouse for computer scientists and physicists and neurologists and genomists and philosophers and plenty of other people who are actively thinking about the shape of our future (or just plain shaping it)” Those involved with it call it an online conversation which has its origins in something called the Reality Club - involving a group of intellectuals, meeting over dinner or copious amounts of alcohol to discuss ideas (in the 80s and 90s. John Brockman (originator)- more than a literary agent who cares about the intersections between art and science, he has been described as having an “uncanny way of knowing people who know something important, and a talent for putting those people together.” Each year they come up with a question sufficiently broad enough to engage a wide range of people and disciplines. I’ve prepared 6 snippets from the responses of a variety of thinkers to this year’s Edge question for us to engage in conversation about - this is how I think it will go...
In groups of 3, we are going to consider each snippet in response to the question: What scientific concept would improve everybody’s cognitive toolkit? use the sticky notes to record - one idea per. arrange your notes on the grid (called feedback capture): + agreement with the ideas presented in the snippet, - indicates dissention/disagreement, lightbulb indicates an idea that this snippet generated for you. ? indicates questions that the snippet generated. 5 minutes for discussion, 5 minutes to share. Rotate which groups will share first, other groups will add anything new. I’ve also added an image to introduce each snippet, which I’ll give you a minute to take in before we discuss - sometimes images help to offer a new way to process ideas/ unlock thinking.
n the 1950s, Princeton psychologist George Miller famously argued that our brains can hold only about seven pieces of information simultaneously. Even that figure may be too high. Some brain researchers now believe that working memory has a maximum capacity of just three or four elements. There are times when you want to be awash in messages and other info-bits. The resulting sense of connectedness and stimulation can be exciting and pleasurable. But it's important to remember that, when it comes to the way your brain works, information overload is not just a metaphor; it's a physical state.