SUGGESTIONS ABOUT THE TOPICS

(before the research starts)

 

RELATED TO BASIC NEEDS SATISFACTION

ENVIRONMENT:

1. Is climate change an example of “The Metamorphosis of the World” (U. Beck) which goes beyond traditional patterns like east/west, rich/poor etc.?

• Traditional patterns will change because of climatic change and the control of resources and old and new raw materials. Not only because of its real location, but because of the new structure of markets (like the increasing control of the gold market by China).
• And some well known materials (like gold itself) are gaining new uses (nanotechnology).
• What about the semiconductors market?
• Which is the future of graphene (how it is made and by whom; which will be its uses?)
• Is it possible a society without petrol engine cars? How will private mobility be solved? Is it necessary?
• Is it sustainable to allow private activity to pollute the public air?
• Where is waste going to? Does it increase the climate change?

 

MEDIA & SOCIAL RELATIONS PATTERNS:

2. Changing media, what is the result of the ongoing change of media for the individual and the society?

• Does the internet allow to live in a bubble (the filter bubble), or is it an open door that ensures that we can access to all the information we want?
• Are journalists the only guarantee of true information and freedom and against post-truth?
• Is it really disappearing the paper press? Everywhere? What about, let’s say, Japan?
• For us, young people, non-technological devices are not from our time. Technology is our natural environment, it is always with us.
• Information in the internet is more easily changeable (in spite of screenshots) and manipulable. Written information (on paper) is more stable and reliable. (?)
• We are very vulnerable to audiovisual inputs (but it was the same for the teachers’ generation!)
• Maybe we are less and less interested in being informed. So, we want just to be informed about those things that affect us. But, what affects us and what doesn’t?

 

3. Augmented reality

• Do we really need it?
• It will substitute human knowledge that has been very important until now.
• It will allow the creation of new jobs, more technical, less theoretical.
• We can think about medicine, industrial, scientific, home decoration, museums and enjoyment applications. Are there more?
• That kind of medicine will be more technified, less personal, maybe applied remotely.
• How will augmented reality be applied to everyday life?
• If AR will fullfil our wishes, the distinction between reality and fantasy will vanish, could this advanced technic kill everything that enlightenment stood for?

 

SOCIAL ORGANISATION PATTERNS / POLITICAL PATTERNS:

4. The history of future: what have been the plans and visions of future in the past (like in Germany there were a lot of enthusiastic visions in the seventies, most of them didn't fulfill)

 

 

 

 

 

RELATED TO THE WESTERN WAY OF LIFE IN THE 21st CENTURY

 

CONSUME PATTERNS

7. Citizens or consumers

• What ist he main focus of consumers in spain?
• How many Bio-Farmers exists in Spain?
• How many consumers prefer bio-goods?
• How does the economic crisis affect the consumers habits?
• What is the value of regional food?
• Society moves forward making us buy things.
• If we don’t buy, economy fails.
• We vote through our consuming patterns. Of every 100€ that get away from us, 30 (more or less) are managed by public authorities (that we voted), because of direct taxes. We spend 70 in the free market. But, VAT sends around 14€ to the state. So, the final balance is 44€ for public treasury and 56€ spent in private goods.
• We express ourselves through our consuming patterns.
• We could decide not to buy products with great commercial margins.
• Companies gain consumers loyalty because they know us and our consuming routine.
• Buying satisfies.
• If buying satisfies our emotional needs, and this is a massive trend, this is a social disease. We haven’t got a defined identity and we need to join a social group.
• You can decide not to be consumerist if you don’t feel much the social pressure.
• Old people pretend to act as young people (but to keep exerting their power). They had to be able to control social pressure, but they don’t. Do we live in an immature society?
• Can robots buy? (fridges that buy food, systems that buy companies’ stocks)

TECHNOLOGY

8. Our relationship with invisible technology: electronics, nanotechnology, How new instruments of measure change the way of self perception

• What is invisible technology?
• What is i.t. used for?
• Is it possible that we are going to be cyborgs in the future?

• Who masters nanotechnology? (which countries/regions, companies…)

• Where are produced and developed the machines and devices needed to master it? Who produces them?

• What about three-dimensional connectivity (not just two-dimensional, like PC cards, but “biological like”)?

• Are there any risks with the usage of AI?
• What sort of ethical questions does AI entail?
• What are the expectations one should have for the future?
• Is AI intelligence?
• When are we going to have AI?
• Will AI create millions of jobless people ? What schould they do?
• What kinds of AI are already present?
• What are Artificial Neural Networks?
• How are ANNs involved in AI?
• Big Data claims to be the second enlightenment and the end of theory. Is Dataism a new religion or new totalitarism?
• Are we, namely us, intelligent enough to be indispensable in a world where more and more robots are working (very efficiently) and AI is a general solution for everything?
• Are we going to be the dumb workers and dumber consumers?
• Can robots buy? (fridges that buy food, systems that buy companies’ stocks). Can they cook (Thermomix, McDonald’s cooking robot)?
• What about IOT (Internet Of Things)?
• We (some of us) need to become robot programmers.

• Can AI become a programmer?

• What about AI legal responsibility?

• Is it possible to programme a device through physical actions?

• If moral stands for prohibition, which moral will there be for AI and robots?

• Once a team programmed a chatbot that past the Touring test (07/06/2014), how will we be able to know with whom are we interacting with?

• What about collateral effects of better technology (example: better connected cars, less accidets, less transplants).

• What will be the place for emotions in the future?

• Will we able to do all things we like because technology will protect us?

   

SOCIETY

10. "Homo deus" project: in the silicon valley they are planning to realize immortality and eternal happiness; what is the plan?

• If you live forever, would you appreciate happiness and good feelings?
• How will immortality handle with overpopulation?
• Is it possible to stop or control silicon valley?
• If it´s possible, who would get access to immortality? Would that increase the social barriers inside a society?
• Will the project create a new elite of updated people and a large number of useless standard people?
• Would the concept of death change? 
• They call it transhumanism…

• But, what will be the sense of living forever if robots will substitute us?

• Which kind of digital complements can be inserted into us?

• Which kind of medicine is awaiting us? If the surgeon is a robot, who will cry for my death?

• Exist robophobic people? Will they?

   

​11. Our relationship with digital contents: social networks, digital privacy

• With the internet arises a new kind of isolated people. Maybe, before, only nerds (Sheldon Cooper like) got socially isolated because of their peculiar interests. Nowadays appear some kind of youngsters uninterested in working or learning who have all their life invested in their devices. They don’t need to go outside home. We see that the main problem is not the attitude, but the quality of contents that keep them at home. Did exist this kind of people before the internet?
• Digital privacy is a fake concept. There’s always somebody who can supervise you.
• Are Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning and other people pursued heroes?