Syntropic Development

In the first post for this column, we looked at a “science of change” and some general principles that we think will be useful as we undertake the tasks of social change by peaceful, democratic means. We suggested that a compelling new vision of the human future will be a necessary first step, and we recommended an approach that we will now define as a syntropic strategy.

Here we define Syntropy [ (Gr.) syn-together, (Gr.) trop-turning toward…] simply as turning together toward a universally acceptable goal. This entails an integration of a values-based purpose together with a skeptical attitude informed by both a constructive and an experimental approach. If this purpose is accepted by enough people it could successfully advance our understanding of our species and our place in the Universe. The syntropic strategy could then lead to the long-awaited reunion of the human family, preserving and protecting the uniqueness of each culture while emphasizing our common interests.

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Life at the Speed of Light—A Review

This book by J. Craig Venter, subtitled “From the Double Helix to the Dawn of Digital Life,” delivers on the promise implied by its titles, and no one but Venter could have written it. It is mandatory reading for anyone interested in the recent history of molecular biology and/or the future evolution of life on Earth.

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Video/Music

This week’s choice of a video is entitled “Singularity or Bust”. It’s a fascinating look into the minds of two of our most prominent Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) experts, Ben Goertzel and Hugo de Garis. Next, we offer a quick look at the musical talent of Janelle Monáe

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Is Democracy Still Possible?

“We all know how democracy is supposed to work. Politicians are supposed to campaign on the issues, and an informed public is supposed to cast its votes based on those issues, with some allowance for the politicians’ perceived character and competence....”

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