the future of the Future

the future of the Future

Utopia versus The End Of The World As We Know ItThursday, November 3, 2011Registration: 18:30-19:00, Conference: 19:00-21:15
 Tickets

Location:  Volkskrantgebouw, Wibautstraat 150, 1091 GR Amsterdam [former building of the Volkskrant]

The conference language is English.

In collaboration with
 Gendo

Presentations

Arjen Kamphuis, Co-founder, CTO, Gendo
 The Cassandra Syndrome, nobody likes a party pooper.

Anders Sandberg, James Martin Research Fellow, Future of Humanity Institute, Oxford University
 Cognitive biases and what to do about them. The art of usable foresight.

Impressions

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

“The trouble with our times is that the future is not what it used to be.”
Paul Valery, French poet

The Future of the Future is an examination of the various future vision
as portrayed by futurists, academics and scenario thinkers.

Many futurists who try to earn a living telling stories about the future quickly learn that a happy end sells much better than a tale of troubles. Because of this the cenario’s futurists tend to publicly talk about tend to be wondrous tales of the Startrek/Jetsons world were our problems have been solved by technology and sensible policies based on rational thinking.

Telling these tales, and support them with a lot of research data is a genuinely good way to help non specialists think beyond the usual limitation of their profession. But there is a danger in the fact that many futurists need to ‘sell’ their stories may very well be influencing their objectivity.

Just as is it easy to tell a very positive story about the future it is easy to spin a vision were thing end very badly for humanity. Threats from global warming to peakoil to overpopulation to future wars involving biological, nuclear or perhaps even nano-weapons could be quite real. Our more advanced knowledge about the world makes the
original seven biblical plagues seem almost provincial.

Cassadra was cursed by the Greek gods with the combination of accurate foresight and the fact that no-one would ever believe here visions of the future. Today is no different. Most people don’t like to hear bad news about their own future let alone pay for hearing it. Acting today to prevent ‘possible’ big problems tomorrow as a society is even harder.
This leads to $20 million movie budgets for a movie about meteor-impact while the global annual budget for preventing actual meteor impacts is only $1 million per year.

Can we find better methods for forecasting? And will we want to listen to those forecasts and act on them? This are serious challenges and we need more brains involved in solving it. May we count on you brain?
Concept: Arjen Kamphuis


 Andrea Wiegman, Founder & owner, Second Sight
The work futurists do, humanities great potential.

 Arjen Kamphuis, Co-founder, CTO, Gendo
The Cassandra Syndrome, nobody likes a party pooper.

 Anders Sandberg, James Martin Research Fellow, Future of Humanity Institute, Oxford University
Cognitive biases and what to do about them. The art of usable foresight.

Tickets for this Season Event are
….Regular Ticket: € 30,-
….Discount Ticket: € 20,- [*]
….Student Ticket: € 10,-
As a non-for-profit foundation we don’t charge VAT.

How to pay for the tickets?

….a) Online booking with credit card:  Ticket Corner

….b) By bank: send an email with your details, number of tickets, type of tickets
….….and event name to: ticketcorner@clubofamsterdam.com
……..Bank: ABN AMRO Bank, Club of Amsterdam, Account 976399393, Amstelveen,
……..The Netherlands, IBAN NL46 FTSB 0976399393, BIC FTSB NL2R

….c) By invoice: send an email with your billing details, number of tickets, type of
……..tickets.and event name to: ticketcorner@clubofamsterdam.com

….d) At the registration desk the evening of the event – unless we are sold out
……..earlier: 18:30-19:00

Tickets for this Season Event are
….Regular Ticket: € 30,-
….Discount Ticket: € 20,- [*]
….Student Ticket: € 10,-
As a non-for-profit foundation we don’t charge VAT.

How to pay for the tickets?

….a) Online booking with credit card:  Ticket Corner

….b) By bank: send an email with your details, number of tickets, type of tickets
….….and event name to: ticketcorner@clubofamsterdam.com
……..Bank: ABN AMRO Bank, Club of Amsterdam, Account 976399393, Amstelveen,
……..The Netherlands, IBAN NL46 FTSB 0976399393, BIC FTSB NL2R

….c) By invoice: send an email with your billing details, number of tickets, type of
……..tickets.and event name to: ticketcorner@clubofamsterdam.com

….d) At the registration desk the evening of the event – unless we are sold out
……..earlier: 18:30-19:00

Gendo

Gendo is a management consultancy firm specialising in technological innovation. At Gendo we find that people and organisations work better when their knowledge is shared. We therefore advise our clients on new ways of working together and the impact of technology on organisations. We do this using a variety of methods, including scenario planning, open innovation, and developing appropriate IT strategies.
http://gendo.nl

Andrea Wiegman Founder & owner, Second SightFor more than 14 years, Andrea Wiegman has been collecting and connecting trends as an editor/publisher and forecaster. She founded trend magazines Eye and Second Sight and worked for major publishing companies, including Prometheus / Bert Bakker, VNU Business Publications, Quote, TTG and Springer. During those years she built an inspiring network of trend experts and original thinkers within the Netherlands and beyond. Trained as a historian, Andrea believes that change is part of our life, although the transition period that is currently taking place might be one we won’t easily forget. Impetuous shifts within technology, science, economics etc. are omnipresent: opportunities for new business and challenging lifestyles are everywhere. www.secondsight.nl
Arjen Kamphuis Co-founder, CTO, Gendo Arjen is co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Gendo. He studied Science & Policy at Utrecht University and worked for IBM and Twynstra Gudde as IT-architect, trainer and IT-strategy advisor. Since late 2001 Arjen has been self-employed, advising clients on the strategic impact of new technological developments. He is a certified EDP auditor and information security specialist. As a much sought-after international speaker on technology policy issues he gives over 100 keynote talks every year. Since 2002 he has been involved in formulating public IT-policy in the area of open standards and opensource for the government and public sector. Arjen advises senior managers and administrators of companies and public institutions, members of parliament and the Dutch Cabinet about the opportunities offered by open standards and opensource software for the European knowledge economy and society as a whole. Besides information technology Arjen also works on scenarioplanning and strategic assesments of emerging technologies sush as bio- and nanotechnology. With clients he investigates the social, economic and geo-political impact of science and technology. Arjen’s collumns and article’s can be found on his Gendo blog. Dutch: www.gendo.nl/blog/arjen English: www.gendo.nl/blogs/arjen-int
Dr Anders Sandberg James Martin Research Fellow, Future of Humanity Institute, Oxford University Anders Sandberg’s research at the Future of Humanity Institute centres on societal and ethical issues surrounding human enhancement and new technology, as well as estimating the capabilities and underlying science of future technologies. Topics of particular interest include enhancement of cognition, cognitive biases, technology-enabled collective intelligence, neuroethics and public policy. He has worked on this within the EU project ENHANCE, where he also was responsible for public outreach and online presence. www.fhi.ox.ac.uk
Kwela Sabine Hermanns Kwela is a highly focussed, process-oriented entrepreneur and innovation specialist with many years of business experience in education, research, training and project management in the creative industries. She is bi-lingual in English and German, owns a Masters degree in New Media Studies and trained in small business innovation at Copenhagen Business School. She coaches and trains people and organisations in goal implementation and dynamic change management techniques. ”My own goal is to support inter-disciplinary innovation towards value based and surprising sustainable futures. I combine a highly analytical and strategic mind with a passion for team work, people and relationship buidling.” www.portaltoyourdreams.com

Volkskrantgebouw Wibautstraat 150 1091 GR Amsterdam [former building of the Volkskrant] Public transport www.9292ov.nl by metro Metrostop Wibautstraat, exit ‘Gijsbrecht van Aemstel’. From Centraal Station take metro 51, 53 or 54. From Amstelstation take metro 51, 53 or 54 direction Centraal Station. by tram Tram 3 take Ruyschstraat, exit at tramstop Wibautstraat. Walk Wibautstraat in direction Amstelstation, you find the Volkskrantgebouw on the right side after 5-10 minutes. By Car Take the ring A10. Exit s112. At roundabout Prins Bernhardplein first street to the right is Wibautstraat. After the railway bridge you find the Volkskrantgebouw on your left side. There is parking on the property – contact the reception desk.

Related to this topic see also
 Club of Amsterdam Journal

and for more events
 Agenda